We’re still a long way away from the 2025 Rookie Class being set in stone, but it’s never too early to look to get acquainted with the names that might be key pieces in our rookie drafts next Spring. And you can keep all these names in mind as the college football season is just around the corner. But keep in mind, things will change a lot during the season. We’ve seen many names be on these lists and quickly fall out of favor throughout the football season.
This class is pretty light on quarterbacks, but there are plenty of names to watch that could be risers like we see every year. The running backs are the star of the show this early into the process as there are plenty of potential high-end fantasy contributors to be found in the projected first and second rounds of rookie drafts. There appears to be a clear top tier of wide receivers, but there are plenty of guys to keep an eye on. And finally, there are tight ends from schools that have historically produced high-end tight ends to keep an eye on, but not a clear-cut elite player like Brock Bowers last year.
1.01 - TreVeyon Henderson - RB - Ohio State - Sr
TreVeyon Henderson had really good odds to be the first running back off the board in both the NFL Draft and in Dynasty Rookie Drafts last year. But he decided to run it back with the Buckeyes hoping to win a National Title. He’s a do-it-all running back with good size as he’s listed at 5’10” and 208 lbs. He’s an explosive athlete out of the backfield who can break off big runs in the running game and is also a great contributor in the passing game. After a stellar freshman campaign, the struggle has been staying on the field consistently and staying healthy. With running mate Quinshon Judkins in Columbus, maybe a lighter workload will facilitate a fully healthy season.
1.02 - Quinshon Judkins - RB - Ohio State - Jr
Sticking in Columbus, we divert our attention to Henderson’s running mate Quinshon Judkins. One of the top transfers in the class this Spring, Judkins makes his way up north from Ole Miss where he was a significant part of the Rebels’ offense; going for over 1,300 all-purpose yards in each of the past two seasons. He should help the Buckeyes with their red zone struggles from last season as Judkins is a physical runner at 5’11” and 210 lbs and scored 15+ rushing touchdowns in 2022 and 2023. He’s an uber-talented player who has a real argument to be over Henderson on this list. I’m very intrigued to see how this backfield split plays out this season.
1.03 - Evan Stewart - WR - Oregon - Jr
Evan Stewart has spent the last two seasons in a relatively low passing volume offense but had an excellent freshman campaign despite the inconsistency at quarterback with a mix of Haynes King, Conner Weigman, and Max Johnson. As a true freshman, he recorded 1.66 receiving yards per team pass attempt and had a ~22% weighted dominator rating. But, last year he took a slight step back again with inconsistency at quarterback as Conner Weigman struggled to stay healthy.
But now he’s transferred to Oregon which should provide both a much more pass-friendly offense as well as more consistency on offense. I expect Stewart to have a spectacular junior season to pair with his excellent high school pedigree as he potentially leads the top tier of this upcoming year’s wide receiver class.
1.04 - Tetairoa McMillan - WR - Arizona - Jr
Another name that could lead this upcoming wide receiver class is another top 5 wide receiver prospect from the 2022 class, Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan didn’t face a down sophomore season like Stewart; he skyrocketed after an already impressive freshman year. He excelled in the weighted dominator rating and receiving yards per team pass attempt metrics in both years. McMillan is a big-bodied receiver standing at 6’5” and 210 lbs. He had the luxury of playing with his old high school quarterback, Noah Fifita, last season and the connection came back immediately as McMillan went for over 1,400 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Expect this connection to continue as McMillan becomes a top-tier wide receiver in this upcoming class.
1.05 - Luther Burden III - WR - Missouri - Jr
Continuing this run of elite wide receiver recruits from the 2022 recruiting class is Luther Burden who was the second-rated wide receiver in his class per 247Sports. Burden had a slow start to his collegiate career, but exploded onto the scene as a true sophomore with over 1,200 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. While he no doubt improved as a player in his second season in college, the explosion of production also coincided with the transition to the slot where he could really take advantage of his elite YAC-ability. He went from 12.9% in the slot as a freshman to 81.7% in the slot, improving his yards after the catch per reception from 6.6 to 8.4 and significantly cutting down on his drops.
While his size doesn’t limit him to a slot-only player (5’11” and 208 lbs), his play style greatly favors slot production which could be a limiting factor that drops him below McMillan and Stewart who are more alpha wide receivers. But Burden is a talented enough player to earn his spot in this top tier this early in the process.
1.06 - Emeka Egbuka - WR - Ohio State - Sr
Egbuka has been a very consistent wide receiver for the Ohio State offense the past three years but has yet to be the WR1 for the Buckeyes. As a true freshman, he was overshadowed by Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, and Chris Olave. As a sophomore, it was supposed to be him and Smith-Njigba, but we saw the breakout of Marvin Harrison Jr. instead when JSN missed a majority of the season due to injury. Both Egbuka and Harrison Jr. had very comparable stats throughout the season. But as a junior, it was all Marvin Harrison Jr. as Egbuka struggled to consistently stay on the field.
Egbuka is another player for the Buckeyes who has decided to stay in Columbus for the chance to contend for a National Championship. Egbuka would have likely been a Day 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but has a chance to jump into the first round, very similar to Chris Olave’s path not too long ago. It looks like it is his turn to be the top target in this offense in 2024, but there is still plenty of talent to compete with in the Buckeyes’ wide receiver room, although most of that talent is unproven (looking at you Jeremiah Smith).
1.07 - Nicholas Singleton - RB - Penn State - Jr
Nicholas Singleton jumped onto the scene as a true freshman with over 1,000 yards rushing and hauling in 11 receptions for 142 yards for 13 total touchdowns. He took a slight step back last season as Penn State’s run blocking also as a whole took a step back. This upcoming season should be a bounce-back year for Penn State as they bring in former Kansas offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki who orchestrated an offense that featured Devin Neal. I expect this offense to become more two-dimensional with the progression of Drew Allar but still lean on the duo of Singleton and Kaytron Allen.
At 6’0” and 226 lbs, Singleton possesses the size, has shown the necessary athletic ability, and has the recruiting pedigree as the former RB1 in his recruiting class to be an elite running back at the next level. He just needs to put together a strong junior season for him to skyrocket up everyone’s boards by the start of the draft season.
1.08 - Carson Beck - QB - Georgia - RS Sr
Carson Beck already has the stereotype as the safest quarterback prospect in this upcoming class. He isn’t a flashy player with physical abilities that jump off the screen, but he plays within himself and is effective in a very talented Georgia offense. Beck was outside the top 100 quarterbacks in big-time throw percentage, but in the top 10 in yards per attempt and top three in adjusted completion percentage (per PFF). He took what he was given and let his players make plays for him while not putting the ball in jeopardy. If he can take another step forward this season, he should be a solid quarterback prospect for next season while maybe not providing an exciting ceiling.
1.09 - Trevor Etienne - RB - Georgia - Jr
Etienne might be an under-the-radar pick to be selected this early in next year’s draft as he split Florida’s backfield the past two seasons with Montrell Johnson. But if you turn on the tape, Etienne has looked incredibly impressive during his stint with Florida. But now, he will be part of the Georgia Bulldogs’ offense. An offense that has pumped out running backs consistently over the past decade-plus. I expect Etienne to lead this backfield and make his case as one of the top backs in this upcoming NFL Draft Class.
1.10 - Ollie Gordon II - RB - Oklahoma State - Jr
The Doak Walker Award winner from last season exploded onto the scene with over 2,000 all purpose yards and 22 total touchdowns. He has prototypical size at 6’2” and 215 lbs and was able to put together production in both the rushing game and receiving game as a true sophomore. There doesn’t look like there is any reason for him to slow down in 2024 with Oklahoma State’s excellent offensive line from last season returning. He could quickly become one of the top backs in an already loaded running back class.
1.11 - Shedeur Sanders - QB - Colorado - Sr
Everyone has heard about Shedeur Sanders and the Colorado brand. People are going to continue to hear about Sanders and Colorado this season, but what remains a question is whether that hype will translate to on-field success. Sanders put up impressive stats and was an early Heisman candidate through the first few weeks of the season last year as Colorado started to exceed expectations. But as soon as they started facing significantly better defenses, things started to fall apart.
Despite the impressive stat lines that Sanders put up, there was a clear concern with some of the deeper metrics and his play on the field. He took way too many sacks which on one hand preserved his top 10 adjusted completion percentage, but on the other hand, led to a top 25 pressure-to-sack percentage and 49 sacks (per PFF). To be fair, the offensive line he’s working with was suspect at best, but he didn’t help the operation as he consistently held onto the ball for far too long. The tools are there, but there are things for Sanders to clean up if he is going to be a 1st round NFL Draft selection that people are excited to draft.
1.12 - Devin Neal - RB - Kansas - Sr
Devin Neal was a dark horse favorite of mine last season, but he decided to return for his senior season in Kansas. He’s a do-it-all back with solid size as he’s listed at 5’11” and 215 lbs. He provides an efficient and elusive runner as he rushed for over 1,000 yards the last two seasons and produced a 113.1 elusive rating per PFF. On top of his rushing, he is a more than capable receiver out of the backfield with over 20 receptions in the last two seasons. Kansas will have a new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season so we’ll see if the offense has the same hum it had to it last season. Regardless, I expect Neal to be the lead back in this offense that will continue to lean on his talents.
1.13 - Damien Martinez - RB - Miami - Jr
Martinez has been an instant impact player for Oregon State since his freshman year in 2022. The 6’0” 232 lb true freshman was a surprise breakout as he was only a three-star recruit per 247Sports. But despite that, he accrued over 1,000 all-purpose yards in both of his first two seasons before transferring this past Spring to Miami.
Miami has been active in the portal bringing in key additions to take advantage of a win-now type of season for the Hurricanes. I expect Damien Martinez to be the lead back for Miami as talented running back Mark Fletcher suffered a Lisfranc injury in the bowl game last season. It’s uncertain if Fletcher will be ready for the start of the season, but the addition of Martinez likely signals that Fletcher will not be ready and if he is he may not be 100%. A big season at a big-name brand like Miami could be just what Martinez needs to jump into the national media and boost his early draft stock.
Honorable Mentions
Quarterbacks:
There are a lot of names to keep an eye on this upcoming season, and any one of them could climb their way into the first round of rookie drafts next season. Quinn Ewers is a name that headlines the list as he was an elite prospect but has yet to show that elite talent consistently (only when he plays against Alabama apparently). But he’s a player that could take another step this season and be a legitimate option early in the NFL Draft as he will be just 22 next season despite the redshirt junior status thanks to his reclassification. Connor Weigman is another highly-rated prospect, but he has struggled to stay healthy. When Weigman has been on the field, he has showcased his talent but has yet to put together a full season.
Jalen Milroe showed how dynamic he is as an athlete last season, but can he improve enough as a passer to be a realistic NFL quarterback prospect? Garrett Nussmeier is another SEC quarterback name to keep an eye on. LSU has raved about him since he’s been on campus and he’s patiently waited for his moment behind Jayden Daniels. The sample size is small, but he is a player I’m personally very high on in this LSU offense to make some noise. There are quite a few other names to keep an eye on like Penn State’s Drew Allar and two more experienced quarterbacks in Miami’s Cameron Ward and Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart.
Running backs:
Even more running backs in this class have serious chances to make a jump into the first round come next Spring (some of which already have a very strong case). To lead off this list is Ashton Jeanty who is already getting buzz in the community. He had a stellar sophomore campaign for Boise State but tended to struggle against the higher-level defenses he faced. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders is now at South Carolina looking to recapture the hype he had two years ago before an injury-riddled 2023. Omarion Hampton was a star last season with over 1,700 all-purpose yards and 16 all-purpose touchdowns who is listed with prototypical size.
DJ Giddens is a dark horse not many are talking about but had a stellar 2023 season and looks to replicate that again in 2024. Kaytron Allen and Jamarion Miller both share their respective backfields but are both very talented backs in their own right. They might not light up the box scores, but if people are paying attention, they have real NFL traits. Finally, Jaydn Ott has been Cal’s offense for the past two years and projects to be again in 2024.
Wide Receivers:
While this is a shallow wide receiver class, it seems like we have a clear elite tier this early on. But there are still names to keep an eye on like electric return man Barion Brown out of Kentucky. Kentucky hasn’t had much consistency at the quarterback position, but Brown looked like a potential star when Will Levis was leading the team in 2022. He faltered a bit in 2023 as a true receiver, but a strong 2024 could do wonders for his NFL Draft stock.
Former Alabama and current Texas wide receiver Isaiah Bond is a speedy wide receiver in the Jaylen Waddle mold that people should keep their eyes on in 2024. And finally, you have to mention Travis Hunter who is for sure declaring for the NFL next year. But the question is, which position does he play? If he’s a full-time wide receiver, he could be a fantasy star.
Tight Ends:
I didn’t mention any tight ends in the main article, but that’s not because there are none. There are plenty of intriguing tight ends for fantasy purposes that might be coming out this upcoming season, and just about all of them come from colleges that are notorious for putting out excellent tight end talent. Starting with Luke Lachey who started the season off “hot” in 2023 with Iowa but was injured and only played in 3 games. He was a significant part of the offense in 2022 as the second leading receiver only behind Sam LaPorta. I expect him to bounce back in 2024 and make a name for himself as a top tight end prospect this upcoming year. Tyler Warren is a big tight end out of Penn State who has slowly improved each of the last 4 seasons.
Ben Yurosek, originally out of Stanford, has transferred to Georgia where he looks to be an instant impact-receiving threat similar to his time at Stanford. Colston Loveland has a chance to be the clear-cut TE1 in this class with another step forward this season. He is one of the few true junior prospects that sticks out after accruing 649 receiving yards last season. I expect a slight step back in the box scores with the loss of JJ McCarthy, but Loveland looks like he has the tools to succeed at the next level already. Finally, Mason Taylor is another receiving threat tight end who will be a true junior next season with hopes of making a big enough impact to make the move to the NFL early. But, he might be a guy that returns for a senior season that we are talking about more for the 2026 NFL Draft.
