Stanford Legend Christian McCaffrey Ranked as the No. 3 Player in the NFL

Dylan Grausz | Aug 7, 2024

Feb 11, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) scores a touchdown in the first half of Super Bowl LVIII at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

When asked the question of who the best running back in Stanford history is, no arguments would be made if the name Christian McCaffrey was brought up. McCaffrey, who ran for nearly 4,000 yards during his three year Cardinal career, became an icon in the Bay Area long before his trade to the 49ers in 2022. And yet, almost a decade later, McCaffrey continues to be a major face in Bay Area sports, being ranked as the No. 3 player in the NFL in the NFL Top Players of 2024 list.

McCaffrey, who earned Offensive Player of the Year honors, his third Pro Bowl selection and his second first-team All-Pro selection, rose 32 spots in this year’s rankings after being ranked 35th in 2023’s list. He's coming off of a dominant first full season in San Francisco where he led the league with 1,459 rushing yards (2,023 all purpose) and scored 14 rushing touchdowns, helping guide the 49ers to Super Bowl LVIII where they ultimately fell to the Chiefs in overtime.

McCaffrey’s career at Stanford is most remembered by his 2015 season, where as a true sophomore, he ended the year with 2,664 all purpose yards while finding the endzone the endzone 13 times (eight rushing, five receiving), finishing second behind Alabama junior Derrick Henry in rushing yards with 2,019 to Henry's 2,219, and came in second place in the Heisman Trophy race to Henry. McCaffrey helped guide the Cardinal to a 12-2 record, a Pac-12 championship, a Rose Bowl victory and a No. 3 ranking in the end of season AP, coaches polls.

A legend of the game, McCaffrey’s high player ranking (not just in Madden) is more than just a testament to how dominant of a player he is, but it also shows what he means to both the Bay Area and the sport of football.