In college football, change is not just expected, it is guaranteed. From high-profile transfers and coaching shake-ups to season-ending injuries and early NFL departures, rosters are constantly in flux.
As a new season approaches, the spotlight shifts once again. Who will rise, who will lead and who will define this season? Here is a breakdown of the standout players poised to make headlines in the months ahead.
Offense
While college football prepares for another electrifying season, this offensive lineup curated through analysis and passionate debate offers a glimpse into the talent that could shape the year.
Quarterback: Cade Klubnik (Clemson)
It goes without saying that the quarterback is both the leader and most important position in football. Years of evidence show that strong quarterback play is the biggest difference maker for any team. The most complete college quarterback this season looks to be Clemson senior Cade Klubnik, despite the loss to LSU.
Last season, Klubnik passed for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns, leading the Tigers to a College Football Playoff appearance.
Since Klubnik’s arrival, the Tigers continue to be one of the top teams in college football. Klubnik has been the center of the offense and put up consistently high numbers for Clemson in his three collegiate seasons. With his experience and knowledge of the playbook, put together with more experienced and high-powered offensive options, Klubnik is set to be a top QB.
LSU’s Garret Nussmeier and Penn State’s Drew Allar also deserve recognition. However, Nussmeier’s lack of athleticism prevents him from being anything more than a talented pocket passer; he also makes his fair share of risky throws. Allar relies too much on his strong arm, often firing ill-advised deep balls which result in turnovers.
“I wouldn’t even consider Drew Allar,” college football analyst Paul Finebaum said in an interview with The Daily Mississippian. “Klubnik may not be the NFL darling, but he looks like the best quarterback coming back in college football.”
Finebaum also mentioned South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers. However, Sellers has not flashed enough talent to make this team. After one season Sellers showed high potential to be one of the top players, but he also showed his freshman tendencies. Slow decision making and adjusting to the competitive level of the SEC kept him off this team.
The same thought process eliminated Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who started only two games last season behind Quinn Ewers.
Running Back: Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame) and Nick Singleton (Penn State)
After nine running backs were drafted last season, there is a lot of uncertainty at the depth of the running back position. That leaves a clean slate for upcoming stars and an easy choice at this position: Love and Singleton stick out as the top two running backs in the country.
Finebaum noted Love’s standout performances against top teams.
“I really liked what I saw in big games, whether it was Georgia, whether it was Penn State,” Finebaum said. “He would be the one I would trust.”
Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns while also helping out in the passing game with 28 catches for 237 yards.
Love’s partner in crime on this team is Singleton, who showed he was a centerpiece in the Penn State offense last year. Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns.
College football fans should not sleep on Alabama’s Jam Miller, though. Last year he rushed for 668 yards on 145 carries with seven touchdowns. He will be a force this year, but Love and Singleton are blocking his path to making this team.
Wide Receivers: Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State), Ryan Williams (Alabama) and Eric Singleton (Auburn)
Smith, a rising true sophomore, is an absolute monster and could turn out to be one of the greatest college receivers ever. Multiple NFL front offices believed he would have been a top 5 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft had he been eligible. Last season, the true freshman led the national champion Buckeyes in receiving with 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Alabama’s Williams has potential for a Smith-level breakout performance after flashes last season. The rising true sophomore had a dominant performance against then-No. 2 Georgia last season, when he caught six passes for 177 yards and a touchdown en route to a win.
Williams totaled 865 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
“I think Williams is (the) number two receiver,” Finebaum said. “The one thing I don’t know about Williams is he had such a bad quarterback last year in Jalen Milroe, in terms of consistency. (Milroe) throws long, but he couldn’t do anything else.”
The third receiver spot was a difficult decision. Arizona State’s Jordan Tyson could have fit here as well, but ultimately Singleton is more deserving. He is a transfer with significant upside for Auburn.
Singleton was a promising pass catcher for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets over the last two years and now looks to improve in the SEC.
Finebaum also mentioned Cam Coleman, a true sophomore wide receiver from Auburn. He had 37 receptions, 598 yards and eight touchdowns last season.
Tight End: Eli Stowers (Vanderbilt)
Stowers is a freak athlete for the Commodores. He is a quarterback-turned-tight end with exceptional blocking and receiving skills. The 6-foot-4-inch tight end hauled in 49 receptions last year for 638 yards.
Another notable mention for tight end is California’s Jack Endries. He started as a walk-on and fought for the starting job for the Golden Bears. Now, he is a top player at his position. Endries combined for 1,030 yards in 2023 and 2024. Last season, he had only one drop in 12 contested targets.
Offensive Line:
The offensive line features top talents from great teams with strategic positioning to maximize their strengths. At the tackle positions are Kayden Proctor (Alabama) and Spencer Fano (Utah) due to their size matched with speed.
At the guard positions, Francis Mauigoa (Miami) and Ar’Maj Reed-Adams (Texas A&M) both display overwhelming size and strength in the trenches. At center is Florida’s Jake Slaughter, undeniably the top player at this position because of his 300-pound frame.
Defense
If the offense is built to light up the scoreboard, this defense is designed to slam the door shut. Every spot is filled with players who can take over a game, whether it is clogging the middle, blowing up the edge or shutting down the pass.
Interior Defensive Line: Peter Woods (Clemson), Zane Durant (Penn State)
Every great defense starts up front, and this pair brings both muscle and mayhem. Woods is a load to handle for offensive linemen with his quick first step. He keeps a low pad level and has a knack for bursting into the backfield before the play develops.
Durant plays with the kind of nonstop energy that wears down offensive lines. He is slippery for a big man, finds gaps and knifes through to make stops. Together, these two form the kind of duo that makes running between the tackles a bad idea.
Edge Rushers: Colin Simmons (Texas), Dylan Stewart (South Carolina)
If you are a quarterback, you are circling these names on the schedule and losing sleep. Simmons has a lightning-fast first step and the flexibility to dip around tackles without losing speed. He also makes big plays in big moments. He is a powerful hitter, can force fumbles and collapses the pocket with ease.
Stewart brings more of a power game: his long arms and heavy hands allow him to shove tackles straight into the backfield. These two have different styles, but both bring pressure that ruins drives.
Linebackers: Anthony Hill Jr. (Texas), Whit Weeks (LSU), Suntarine Perkins (Ole Miss)
This group can do it all. Hill plays fast and hits hard, the kind of linebacker who can shadow a running back in space or crash through the line on a blitz. Weeks is the steady presence— a smart, sure tackler, always in the right spot. Perkins is the wildcard, a freak athlete who can cover, rush or spy the quarterback depending on the situation. Together, they give this defense answers to just about anything an offense can throw at them.
Cornerbacks: Leonard Moore (Notre Dame), Jerome McCoy (Tennessee)
Moore is smooth and disciplined. He stays in a receiver’s hip pocket and contests every catch. McCoy, on the other hand, is more physical, jamming receivers early and making them fight for every inch. A combination like this means quarterbacks would not find much comfort throwing outside.
Safeties: Caleb Downs (Ohio State), Koi Perich (Minnesota)
Downs looks like a veteran as an incoming junior. He reads plays before they happen, takes perfect angles and rarely misses a tackle. Perich causes chaos, flies in for big hits and jumps routes when quarterbacks get careless. Together, Downs and Perich are a safety blanket for the whole defense; they clean up mistakes and punish anyone who tries to test the deep ball.
From the front line to the secondary, this group has the talent to turn games into defensive showcases — and maybe even score a few points themselves.
