Michael Cohen
College Football and College Basketball Writer
Imagine sitting around last summer, long before the college football season officially began, and throwing around the following predictions:
— Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, whose career with the Buckeyes never quite panned out, would lead the nation in passing after transferring to Syracuse of all places.
— Former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who hardly touched the field for the Spartans, would lead downtrodden Arizona State to the College Football Playoff.
— Two of the three players with the most receptions of anyone in college football would be tight ends, with Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green leading the way at 117 catches and Tyler Warren of Penn State right behind him at 104.
— A freshman safety from Minnesota, Koi Perich, would finish tied for fourth nationally and lead the Big Ten in interceptions (four) to earn second-team All-America honors.
The rapid ascension of players barely old enough to vote — and, in the case of Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams last year, those who are still a few months shy of that right — are part of what makes college football so wonderful. Fans and analysts alike never quite know who will come to dominate the sport as the seasons turn from summer to fall. The near-constant moving and shaking associated with the transfer portal only strengthens the year-to-year uncertainty.
This year in college football should be no different. So with that in mind, here are 10 potential breakout candidates who might become household names in a few short months:
*Recruiting rankings and historical data courtesy of 247Sports.com
Position: Quarterback
School: Florida
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 115-of-192 passing for 1,915 yards, 12 TDs, nine INTs in 490 snaps
In some respects, the fates of Lagway and Florida head coach Billy Napier have been intertwined ever since the five-star prospect committed to the Gators on Dec. 7, 2022, a few weeks before the conclusion of Napier’s first season in charge. Lagway, the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 quarterback, headlined an incredible recruiting class that ultimately included five players rated among the top 90 prospects nationally. So, even as Napier’s teams drastically underachieved on the field — he won just 11 of his first 25 games in 2022 and 2023 combined — decision makers at Florida were hesitant to make a coaching change that might cost them Lagway and other prized recruits. They held off long enough for Lagway to enroll ahead of the 2024 campaign and then, following a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Graham Mertz in mid-October, were afforded an early chance to see if their decision was warranted.
Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) smiles on the sideline during the Florida Gators Orange and Blue Game. (Photo by Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
By that point, Lagway had already widened eyes across the sport when he threw for a nation-best 456 yards and three touchdowns during the first start of his career against Samford in Week 2. But in leading Florida to a 5-1 record across the back half of a brutal schedule, including wins over then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss, Lagway established himself as one of the most exciting young players in college football while simultaneously saving his coach’s job as the Gators clawed to an 8-5 overall record and 4-4 mark in the SEC by winning their final four games. Lagway threw for 844 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions during that stretch to earn Freshman All-America honors from a handful of media outlets. He was also named MVP of the Gasparilla Bowl after completing 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown in a comprehensive 33-8 win over Tulane.
Position: Quarterback
School: Ohio State
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 5-of-12 passing for 84 yards, one TD, zero INTs in 27 snaps
No official decision has been made in an ongoing quarterback competition for the right to lead Ohio State, the defending national champions, onto the field in a pressure-packed season-opener against Texas on Aug. 30, but it’s difficult to envision anyone other than Sayin winning the job. Sayin, a true sophomore, was a five-star prospect and the highest-rated quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle when he originally enrolled at Alabama in January of that year. The surprising and unexpected retirement of head coach Nick Saban, who’d played a significant role in Sayin’s decision to join the Crimson Tide, sent Sayin into the transfer portal within a few weeks of arriving on campus. And that’s when Ohio State head coach Ryan Day made the decision to pounce despite already having signed elite signal-caller Air Noland (No. 56 overall, No. 4 QB) in that same class, laying the groundwork for Noland’s eventual transfer to South Carolina.
Julian Sayin #10, Tavien St. Clair #9 and Lincoln Kienholz #3 of Ohio State drop back to pass the ball during spring practice. (Photo by Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
Sayin quickly impressed both Day and then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly with his lightning-fast release, tight-window accuracy and high-level processing skills that the coaches repeatedly praised throughout his first season with the Buckeyes, even as he sat behind starter Will Howard and backup Devin Brown on the depth chart. Lingering concerns about Sayin’s size and physicality won’t be easy to shake between now and Ohio State’s first game — especially when juxtaposed with the brawny frame of Howard — but his arm talent alone should make it difficult for Lincoln Kienholz, a dual-threat player better known for his overall athleticism, to keep pace day after day in fall camp. Sayin is the most polished quarterback on the roster and best equipped to maximize the talents of wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. He could be a multi-year starter for the Buckeyes in 2025 and beyond.
Position: Running Back
School: Missouri
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 237 carries for 1,351 yards and 13 TDs in 432 snaps
Barely 10 months have passed since Hardy enrolled at Louisiana-Monroe as a sparsely recruited, zero-star recruit in the 2024 cycle. Though Hardy had rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season at Lawrence County High School in Monticello, Mississippi, the Warhawks were the only FBS program to offer him a scholarship. He won the starting job in fall camp for a run-heavy offense that would finish 51st nationally in rushing and made an immediate impression by carrying 19 times for 103 yards and one touchdown in a season-opening victory against Jackson State. It marked the first of eight 100-yard games for Hardy amid a workhorse season in which he averaged 19.8 carries per game and 23 per game across the second half of the year. He exceeded 200 yards in narrow losses to Marshall (25 rushes, 206 yards, 1 TD) and Arkansas State (30 carries, 204 yards, 2 TDs), which showcased his big-play ability with scores of 80 yards against the former and 72 yards against the latter. When the season ended, Hardy was the only freshman to rank among the top 20 nationally in rushing.
Running back Ahmad Hardy #22 of Louisiana Monroe, who transfered to Missouri this offseason, takes a handoff against Auburn. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
Hardy’s combination of youth and high-level production made him one of the most attractive tailbacks in the portal (No. 116 transfer, No. 6 RB) despite the modest level of competition he faced in the Sun Belt, which named him its Freshman of the Year. The only running backs ahead of Hardy in the transfer rankings were Justice Haynes of Alabama (No. 42 transfer, No. 1 RB); Rahsul Faison of Utah State (No. 49 transfer, No. 2 RB); Jaydn Ott of Cal (No. 50 transfer, No. 3 RB); Wayshawn Parker of Washington State (No. 100 transfer, No. 4 RB) and Fluff Bothwell of South Alabama (No. 112 transfer, No. 5 RB). How well Hardy handles the jump in competition to the SEC could hinge on his ability to continue making defenders miss at the same rate he did with the Warhawks. Hardy ranked third nationally in missed tackles forced last season with 93, according to Pro Football Focus, behind only Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (152) and Cam Skattebo of Arizona State (103).
Position: Running Back
School: LSU
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 140 carries for 753 yards and 6 TDs in 335 snaps
Based on team statistics alone, the fact that LSU finished the 2024 season ranked 107th nationally in rushing yards per game (116.4) would seem to suggest the Tigers lacked an explosive lead back to pair with the passing exploits of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. But the production that Durham put forth as both a runner and a receiving threat during his true freshman campaign has created plenty of excitement for a program with legitimate national championship aspirations this fall. Durham, who starred at Duncanville High School in the Dallas suburbs, was a four-star prospect and the No. 5 tailback in the country behind Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia), Kevin Riley (Alabama) and Jordan Marshall (Michigan). He committed to the Tigers over strong recruiting interest from Oklahoma, where his mother ran track for the Sooners, and Texas A&M. Durham himself qualified for the state championships in the 100-meter dash and 4×100-meter relay during his time at Duncanville with a personal best of 10.28 seconds in the former.
He made his first splash for the Tigers in Week 2 against South Carolina by carrying 11 times for 98 yards and two scores in a 36-33 victory that helped propel LSU toward a 6-0 start. Two weeks later, against South Alabama, Durham turned in arguably his finest performance of the season by rushing for 128 yards and a score while also catching three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, he became one of only two players at the FBS level to have a rush of 80-plus yards and a reception of 70-plus yards in the same game last season, joining UCF tailback RJ Harvey in that category. By season’s end, Durham would eclipse 50 rushing yards eight times despite only averaging 11.7 carries per game. He finished as the team’s leading rusher with 753 yards and also ranked first in the SEC among freshmen tailbacks. The expectation entering Year 2 is that Durham should be one of the best in the country at his position.
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Michigan State
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 41 catches for 649 yards and three TDs in 568 snaps
There weren’t many bright spots for a Michigan State offense that finished 110th overall (333.4 yards per game), tied for 123rd in scoring (19.3 points per game) and tied for 117th in passing touchdowns (13) during the debut season for head coach Jonathan Smith, formerly of Oregon State. But the emergence of youthful wide receiver Marsh, who set school records for most receiving yards and receptions by a freshman, was certainly atop the list. An in-state product from suburban Detroit, Marsh developed into a multi-positional star for River Rouge High School. He caught 41 passes for 718 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year while also rushing for 412 yards and six additional scores on 46 carries, all of which made him the No. 176 overall prospect and No. 30 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle. Marsh originally committed to Michigan State in the summer of 2022 before decommitting the following spring, opening the door for schools like Georgia Tech, Kansas, Penn State, Pitt and Colorado to host him for official visits. But he re-committed to the Spartans on July 7, 2023, and signed his letter of intent later that year.
A quiet season-opener against Florida Atlantic gave way to the finest game of Marsh’s young career when he caught eight passes for 194 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win over Maryland on Sept. 7. His 77-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the longest by a Michigan State player since former wideout Jayden Reed caught an 85-yard score against Youngstown State in 2021. It marked the first of two 100-yard games for Marsh, who finished eighth in the Big Ten in yards per catch (15.8) and second among the conference’s freshmen at 59 receiving yards per game. Marsh proved particularly effective between the hashes, with more than 29% of his receptions coming across the middle on throws measuring 10 yards or fewer downfield, according to Pro Football Focus. Of his 62 total targets last season, more than 40 of them were on throws that attacked the middle at various depths. His connection with second-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles, who was turnover-prone last season, will be a key barometer for Michigan State’s offense this fall.
Position: Wide Receiver
School: Washington
Class: Redshirt junior
Last season: 63 catches for 834 yards and nine TDs in 767 snaps
During Boston’s freshman year at Washington in 2022, which happened to be the debut season for aerially inclined head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Huskies led the nation in passing at 369.8 yards per game. During Boston’s sophomore year in 2023, which ended with a trip to the national championship game, Washington finished second in the country in passing at 343.7 yards per game as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. became a Heisman Trophy finalist after throwing for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns. But despite the gaudy numbers his team was producing across those record-setting campaigns, Boston, a former three-star recruit, only caught seven passes for 66 yards combined. The reason? A host of NFL draft picks ahead of him on the wide receiver depth chart: Rome Odunze went No. 9 overall to the Chicago Bears, Ja’Lynn Polk went No. 37 overall to the New England Patriots and Jalen McMillan went No. 92 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring of 2024.
Denzel Boston #12 of the Washington Huskies is chased by Shawn Asbury II #1 of the Indiana Hoosiers. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
The deck finally cleared last fall under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, formerly of Arizona, and Boston responded by leading the Huskies in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns during the regular season. He was particularly effective over the first half of the year, with all nine of his touchdowns coming on or before Oct. 12 and both of his 100-yard games coming in late September against Big Ten opponents: seven catches for 121 yards and two scores against Northwestern; six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns against Rutgers the following week. He went on to set a new career high with nine receptions for 99 yards in a 26-21 win over USC in early November. Part of what makes Boston’s outlook in 2025 so exciting is the transition at quarterback from former Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, who was benched before the end of last season, to pulsating sophomore Demond Williams Jr., a true dual-threat prospect. Williams made the first start of his career in a blowout loss to Oregon in the regular-season finale before electrifying the fan base by throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns in a one-point loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl. Moving forward, Williams and Boston could form one of the more exciting tandems in the Big Ten this fall.
Position: Tight End
School: Penn State
Class: Sophomore
Last season: Nine catches for 111 yards and one TD in 267 snaps
More than any other offensive player on this list, Reynolds’ inclusion is rooted almost exclusively in projection and anecdotal evidence rather than on-field production given his limited role last fall. The ubiquitous presence of All-American tight end Tyler Warren, who caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns to lead Penn State in all three categories, not to mention his 26 carries for 218 yards and four rushing scores as a wildcat quarterback, meant that additional opportunities for Reynolds and position mate Khalil Dinkins (14 catches, 122 yards, 2 TDs) were difficult to find last fall. Though Reynolds appeared in all 16 games as the Nittany Lions reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, he only caught passes in five of them and, at one point, went more than a month between receptions from Sept. 28 against then-No. 19 Illinois to Nov. 16 against Purdue, when he hauled in his only touchdown. Most of his contributions while averaging 16.7 snaps per game came as a run blocker for an offense that led the Big Ten in rushing and ranked 17th in that category.
But Reynolds arrived at Penn State with quite the pedigree after earning a five-star ranking from 247Sports and finishing as the top player at his position in the 2024 cycle. His stock began to soar the previous summer, in 2023, when Reynolds traveled to California for the Elite 11 Finals, where he had the chance to catch passes from some of the best quarterbacks in the country. He had barely cracked the top 1,000 prospects in the country when that competition began but would end the summer in the top 50 nationally — a meteoric rise given the time span. Originally a high school quarterback himself, Reynolds had decided to make a full-time transition to tight end ahead of his senior season at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. He went on to catch 48 passes for 754 yards and eight touchdowns while flashing the kind of speed and overall athleticism generally reserved for wide receivers. And now that Warren is gone to the NFL — he was picked No. 14 overall by the Indianapolis Colts — Reynolds has the chance to become a preferred target for quarterback Drew Allar and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in 2025.
Position: Defensive Line
School: Ohio State
Class: Sophomore
Last season: Seven tackles, seven QB pressures, two passes defended in 141 snaps
One of the prevailing storylines surrounding Ohio State’s national championship last season was the value of experience for a team that did an exemplary job preserving its roster over the winter. By retaining key pieces from a 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 2 in the country coming out of high school, the Buckeyes entered the year with a handful or more of NFL-caliber players who formed the backbone of head coach Ryan Day’s squad. That the Buckeyes went on to have 15 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, including seven in the first two rounds alone, offered even more proof of how skilled the team’s nucleus really was. No position group housed more future pros than the defensive line, which saw all four starters drafted: Tyleik Williams at No. 28 overall, JT Tuimoloau at No. 45 overall, Jack Sawyer at No. 123 overall and Ty Hamilton at No. 148 overall. Their collective stranglehold on available snaps last season is why most college football fans probably aren’t familiar with Houston.
But those in and around the Ohio State program believe Houston, a former five-star prospect and the No. 26 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, might be the program’s next great defensive lineman. Houston chose the Buckeyes from a loaded crop of suitors that included Georgia, Clemson, USC and Alabama, among others, with the Crimson Tide making such a strong push last December that some industry experts predicted a last-minute flip. In the end, however, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes held firm to a player who is now the ninth-best defensive linemen to sign with the program in the recruiting rankings era behind Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Noah Spence, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Zach Harrison, Adolphus Washington and Taron Vincent — a star-studded group of contemporaries. A significant chunk of Houston’s rookie season was spent adjusting from defensive end to defensive tackle, the role he is expected to fill in 2025. His playing time increased throughout the year and peaked during the College Football Playoff when he averaged 13.8 snaps per game.
Position: Edge
School: South Carolina
Class: Sophomore
Last season: 23 tackles (including 11 for loss and 6.5 sacks), 51 QB pressures, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered in 538 snaps
For South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who took over the program ahead of the 2021 campaign, his first few years with the Gamecocks represented something of a contradiction between on-field results and off-field recruiting. When it came to the former, Beamer put forth a modest 20-18 overall record during his initial three seasons, none of which included a winning record in the SEC. But in terms of the latter, Beamer has orchestrated an incredible jolt that elevated South Carolina from the 80th-best class in 2021 to three consecutive classes ranked among the top 25 in the country. No recruit personifies those efforts more than Stewart, a five-star prospect and the No. 15 overall player in the 2024 cycle. Stewart was the highest-rated edge rusher in the country coming out of high school and became the sixth-best signee in program history behind Demetris Summers in 2003, Marcus Lattimore in 2010, Jadeveon Clowney in 2011, Zacch Pickens in 2019 and Jordan Burch in 2020.
So it was of little surprise to anyone when Stewart, who chose South Carolina over Ohio State, exploded out of the gates for six quarterback pressures, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the opening game of his career against Old Dominion last August. Stewart went on to crack the starting lineup by mid-September and finished the season having amassed a team-best 51 pressures, including 25 amid a particularly torrid four-game stretch against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri. His final tallies of 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, which fell just shy of Clowney’s program rookie record of eight, were enough for Stewart to earn unanimous Freshman All-American honors. The only FBS freshmen with more sacks were Texas’ Colin Simmons (nine) and UTEP’s Kyran Duhon (seven), though Stewart eclipsed both in total pressures. There’s little question that he’ll be among the most productive, and most feared, pass rushers in the country this fall.
Position: Safety
School: Notre Dame
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Last season: 59 tackles, five passes defended, three INTs (including one returned for a TD) in 768 snaps
Even though Notre Dame ran into the offensive buzz saw that was Ohio State during last year’s national championship game, surrendering more than 30 points for just the second time all season, there’s no denying how dominant the Fighting Irish’s defense was across an otherwise remarkable campaign. Under the direction of defensive coordinator Al Golden, who has since been poached by the Cincinnati Bengals for the same position, Notre Dame finished 11th in total defense (307.4 yards per game), tied for fourth in scoring defense (15.5 points per game) and fourth in passing defense (169.4 yards per game). The driving force behind such dominance was an exceptional secondary that consisted of cornerbacks Christian Gray, Leonard Moore and Jordan Clark along with safeties Xavier Watts and Shuler, a first-year starter and former four-star prospect in the 2023 cycle.
With Watts and Clark now gone to the NFL — the former was a third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons; the latter signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent — Shuler is expected to be a leading figure for new defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who previously served as the head coach at Rutgers from 2016-19 before spending the last few years in the pros. Shuler logged the third-most snaps (768) of any defender last season, behind Watts (970) and Gray (796), and he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 59. He also tied for second on the Fighting Irish with three interceptions, one of which he returned for a 36-yard touchdown in a win over Georgia Tech. His missed tackle rate of 20.9% will need improvement between now and Notre Dame’s high-profile season-opener against Miami (Fla.) on Aug. 31, especially without the All-American Watts alongside him, but Shuler should be the anchor for a secondary that still expects to be among the best in the country for 2025.
Bonus: Kam Shanks
Position: Punt Returner
School: Arkansas
Class: Redshirt sophomore
Last season: 20.6 yards per punt return, two punt return touchdowns; 62 receptions for 656 yards and six TDs in 431 snaps from scrimmage
Special teams additions don’t often receive much publicity in a transfer portal era dominated by high-priced quarterbacks and skill players, but Shanks deserves some recognition here. Shanks led the nation in punt return average (20.6 yards per attempt) and tied for the national lead in punt return touchdowns (two) in 2024 while also starring as an undersized wide receiver at UAB. He led the Blazers with 62 receptions for 656 yards and six touchdowns to earn third-team All-AAC honors on offense in addition to his first-team All-AAC recognition as a returner. There’s a good chance he’ll flip the field a time or two for Arkansas this fall.
Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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