Why did Sporting News decide to rank the top 40 college football players for 2017? Simple: College football fans love college football rankings.

So who will be the brightest star in 2017?

There are several elite players who could make that claim. Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Lamar Jackson returns for Louisville. USC's Sam Darnold looks to build off last year's record-setting performance in the Rose Bowl, a game in which Penn State running back Saquon Barkley also stood out. There are also several elite defensive linemen, including Houston's Ed Oliver and Clemson's Dexter Lawrence. How do you sort out that bunch?

The talent in our player rankings is spread out across six conferences. The Big Ten led the way with 10 players on the list. The rest shook out like this: ACC (9), SEC (7), Big 12 (6), Pac-12 (4), AAC (3) and Independent (1).

Who took the No. 1 spot as college football's best player? Take a closer look at the rankings: