Group of Five: Ranking the 10 best players at 2021 midpoint

College football players from Group of Five teams lead the country in several individual statistics

This has been a great season for Group of Five college football teams, evident by stellar play from several star athletes mid-way through the 2021 season.

Just because these athletes aren’t on a Power Five team doesn’t mean they aren’t playing at an elite level. In fact, if you look at the individual statistics, you might be surprised at what you find.

We’re taking a look at 10 players who have made a name for themselves and are proudly waving the G5 flag.

Let’s start with a couple of honorable mentions that just missed the cut.

Honorable Mentions for Best Group of Five player halfway through 2021

Jake Haener, Fresno State QB

The senior quarterback is a big reason why they upset a ranked UCLA team on Sept. 18 and lost to Oregon by just a touchdown. Haener has the third-most total passing yards of any quarterback in any conference (Power Five or Group of Five) with 2,230. He’s thrown 18 touchdowns this season, good enough to be tied for fifth-most among D-1 QBs. Haener had his Fresno State Bulldogs ranked No. 18 in the AP Top 25 before a road loss at Hawaii.

Chad Muma, Wyoming LB

Chad Muma, a junior linebacker for the Wyoming Cowboys, leads the country with two pick-sixes and has recorded 33 solo tackles so far this season. His 33 solo tackles are the 13th-most in the country. Four of those were tackles for a loss and a sack. Muma anchors a Cowboys defense allowing just 23.4 points per game.