Oregon had four players in ESPN’s Top 100 rankings for the 2023 college football season — all of whom took spots in the first 51.

Tailback Bucky Irving was the lowest-ranked player of the bunch (No. 51). Jackson Powers-Johnson (No. 42) and Troy Franklin (No. 26) were also spotlighted.

Quarterback Bo Nix was ranked by the outlet as the fourth-best player in the country this season. He finished behind LSU’s Jayden Daniels, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. — who Nix finished ahead of in voting for the Heisman Trophy.

ESPN wrote that its methodology for the ranking presented voters with a series of one-on-one votes. The gist: “Who should be ranked higher between these two players?” After more than 10,000 votes, no other Pac-12 team had more players than Oregon. The Pac-12 champs had two players in the top 10 — Penix at No. 2 and Rome Odunze at No. 7 — but only three players total.

USC had three. Utah and Oregon State each had two.

The gap between Franklin and Harrison is certainly notable. Franklin had more yards (1,383 to 1,211) and the same number of touchdowns (14). He had the same number of 100-yard games (eight). He had 15 receptions of at least 30 yards — five more than Harrison. And he had more yards after the catch. Harrison won the Biletnikoff and Franklin missed the cut for finalists.

Oregon fans felt that was an error. But there’s no doubt he was one of the best players in the country this season, and that was certainly reflected by ESPN’s rankings.

All four of the Ducks who landed in ESPN’s rankings are heading to the 2024 NFL Draft.