Ranking the most valuable players in the country in 2025

The 2025 college football season will be marked by significant change for those atop the sport. Six of the 12 teams that made the College Football Playoff last season will have a different starting quarterback when the new year begins. Three of the 4 semifinalists will transition to new quarterbacks. In the first year of the 12-team CFP, experience behind center was one of the most valuable things a team could have.

Will that prove to be a hallmark of the CFP, or simply a storyline from the inaugural Playoff? We’ll see. A number of the sport’s best teams last season are pivoting to young, unproven players at quarterback in 2025. 

The defending national champs are expected to turn to Julian Sayin, a second-year quarterback with 4 career appearances and 12 career pass attempts. The only unbeaten team from the 2024 regular season is expected to move to third-year man Dante Moore, who threw 8 passes last season as the Ducks preserved a redshirt year for him. Texas is moving on from Quinn Ewers to Arch Manning. Georgia is moving on from Carson Beck to Gunner Stockton. Alabama will have a quarterback battle. Notre Dame, Indiana, and Ole Miss are all moving to new quarterbacks. 

On the heels of a season marked by parity, I’m curious to see if a slight changing of the guard at quarterback shuffles the AP and CFP rankings in a significant way. Does Arizona State ascend to top-5 status with Sam Leavitt at the controls? Does Clemson finally return to the mountaintop? Does a team like Oklahoma bounce back in a major way? Does a running back finally capture another Heisman Trophy? 

There are some outstanding players throughout college football who will be stepping into the spotlight for the first time in 2025. There are some players who emerged in 2024 and will take the step toward superstardom in 2025. 

In every case, the 12 players you’ll see below are crucial to their team’s success in 2025 and have the chance to dramatically alter their team’s ceiling.

Here are the 12 most valuable players in the country entering the 2025 season.

Honorable Mention: John Mateer, Oklahoma QB

I will be one of Mateer’s biggest champions throughout the spring and summer months ahead. The Washington State transfer moved to Oklahoma this winter alongside his offensive coordinator and his quarterback coach, and the Sooners are placing a tremendous amount of trust in Mateer being able to translate what he did against Mountain West competition to the SEC. Quite literally, Brent Venables’ job depends on Mateer being as-advertised. The Sooners had a good enough defense last season to keep them in most games. They just missed on their quarterback evaluation and their offensive coordinator hire. The results were disastrous. With Wazzu, Mateer ran for 826 yards, threw for 3,139 yards, and found the end zone 44 times. He ended the year ranked seventh among all FBS quarterbacks in EPA.

12. Devon Dampier, Utah QB

Dampier, like Mateer, is a transfer quarterback who will be joined by his old offensive coordinator in his new home. If Dampier is good, Utah can absolutely win the Big 12 in 2025. (The Utes are +1800 to do so at bet365, and they’re one of the breakthrough teams I’m targeting this offseason.) 

During the Utes’ 7-game losing streak last season, they played in 5 games decided by 8 points or less. They lost by 3 to a ranked Iowa State team, by 1 to a top-10 BYU team, and by 8 on the road against the eventual Big 12 champs. The defense was outstanding, finishing 15th nationally in adjusted EPA per play, according to Game on Paper. The offense was just stuck in the mud again. 

Injuries to Cam Rising and poor play from Isaac Wilson led to a miserable season on offense for Utah in 2024. Per Game on Paper, Utah’s offense ranked 127th in adjusted EPA per play. Andy Ludwig stepped down in October and Utah replaced him with New Mexico’s Jason Beck.

Beck and Dampier helped New Mexico put together one of the best offenses in the nation in 2024. The Lobos ranked 13th in adjusted EPA per play and 12th in success rate. They were a devastating run team that rarely went backward. 

Dampier was among the national leaders in EPA per rush while finishing with a 90.0 overall offensive grade from PFF. He forced 54 missed tackles last season and had 40 explosive runs. In 12 games, he ran for 1,166 yards. 

He needs to develop as a pure passer this offseason. He threw 12 interceptions on the year and completed just 57.9% of his passes. The big-play ability is there, but he had 5 multi-pick games and was much better in play-action spots than straight dropbacks.   

11. DJ Lagway, Florida QB

Florida’s second-year quarterback has an absurd ceiling. Like, “best player in the country” ceiling. As a first-year passer forced into an unexpected starting role by injury, Lagway completed 59.9% of his attempts for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns. Lagway made 7 starts as a true freshman and took over for Graham Mertz for good in mid-October. Florida went 6-1 in games where Lagway started. The only loss, a 14-point defeat against Georgia, saw Lagway leave early on a cart with a hamstring injury. 

He threw for 226 yards and a touchdown in an upset win over LSU, managed a win over Ole Miss well enough with 2 touchdowns and a pick, and threw for 305 yards in the Gasparilla Bowl win over Tulane. 

Lagway was exceptional right away as a downfield passer. He had 15 big-time throws against only 1 turnover-worthy play on throws that traveled at least 20 yards, per PFF. His 95.6 passing grade on deep throws ranked third in the FBS and his 8.8% big-time throw rate on all plays led all qualified passers. Lagway has unbelievable arm talent. He has to improve on the intermediate parts of his game but if he does, he turns the Gators into a legitimate problem for every contending team in the SEC.

10. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina QB

Sellers ended the year eighth among SEC passers in total EPA and 10th in QBR. In what was his first season as the full-time starter at South Carolina, there were tough moments but plenty of reasons to be excited about the future. He completed 65.6% of his passes, averaged 8.5 yards per attempt, threw 2 touchdowns for every pick (18 to 7), and hurt defenses with his ability to improvise. 

It took Sellers some time to find his footing. And he finished the season with the third-most turnover-worthy plays of any SEC quarterback (19). Accuracy needs to improve, but he was outstanding on deep passes (95.2 PFF grade) and deadly with play-action. Like Lagway, Sellers was a lethal quarterback in standard downs. How much growth does he show as a straight dropback passer? That’ll be the difference between South Carolina stumping for a Playoff spot at the end of the year and South Carolina having one locked up. 

9. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB

Love is the most talented running back in college football. He was one of the most impressive running backs in the country last season as a sophomore when he ran for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns. He ranked top 30 nationally in rushing yardage despite being outside the top 70 in carries. Love had 711 yards after contact and 62 missed tackles forced. He was in the same conversation as Ashton Jeanty as one of the most elusive backs in the country. 

As Notre Dame pivots to a new quarterback in 2025, Love looks like an obvious talent to reorient an offense around. He’s capable of 98-yard touchdown runs and highlight reel hurdles when battling illness and knee injuries. What’s he capable of when he’s at full strength? 

The Irish have to replace their defensive coordinator as well, and they open the season with games against Miami and Texas A&M. We should see a lot of Love. 

Is he a Jeanty-like player who can carry an offense? On talent alone, perhaps. Can he handle that kind of workload? With Jadarian Price also coming back, he probably won’t have to. Even still, a healthy Love has the ability to lead Notre Dame back to the CFP.

8. Caleb Downs, Ohio State DB

Downs might be the best defender in the country returning for the 2025 season. He’s certainly the best defensive back. And he’ll be a top-10 draft pick when he declares for the NFL. Downs was 1 of only 4 qualified defensive backs last season who had at least an 85.0 PFF grade both in run support and in coverage. 

He’s an outstanding tackler in the open field. He’s a brilliant player who seems to make key plays in clutch moments. And he’s only 2 seasons into his collegiate career. 

Last season, Downs posted 82 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 6 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. He was targeted 32 times in coverage, didn’t give up a touchdown, and allowed just a 52.6 passer rating to opposing quarterbacks who threw at him. He was named a unanimous All-American for his efforts.

7. Carson Beck, Miami QB

It didn’t work for Beck and Georgia last season. He missed his go-to receivers from the year prior. He didn’t get consistent play from his receivers. And he didn’t trust in the plan enough to take what was in front of him, hunting big plays too often and getting burned. When Beck finally started to settle in late in the campaign, a season-ending injury was lurking right around the corner.

He sought a fresh start this offseason, putting off the NFL Draft (a smart decision) to enter the transfer portal and give it another go at a national championship. In Miami, he found a natural partner. The Hurricanes are hoping for another one-hit wonder at the quarterback spot after Cam Ward came in and elevated the group to Playoff contention. 

Beck has NFL-caliber skills. Miami will put a good offensive line in front of him and a pair of solid tailbacks next to him. But you do have to wonder about the receiving options. Miami is replacing its top 4 wide receivers and its top tight end from last season’s offense. The ‘Canes added LSU transfer CJ Daniels and blue-chip wideout Josh Moore. 

Miami could win 10 games again with Beck at the controls. Even in spite of the bumps, Beck finished the 2024 season 12th nationally in QBR. With 7,426 passing yards, 52 touchdowns, and 27 career starts for a contending team, there aren’t many quarterbacks in the country who are more proven than Beck. 

6. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU QB

Joe Burrow sat and waited. Jayden Daniels didn’t reach his peak form until a transfer. Garrett Nussmeier sat and waited. All 3 quarterbacks are very different players of course, but in terms of talent, LSU once again has a quarterback capable of contending for the Heisman Trophy. (Only Arch Manning has shorter odds to win the Heisman than Nussmeier, who is +900 at DraftKings.)

At times last season, Nussmeier looked like the best quarterback in the country. He threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns as a full-time starter for the first time. He has some gunslinger tendencies in his game, but Nussmeier’s arm talent is elite. 

The Tigers are entering a pivotal Year 4 under Brian Kelly, and they have pushed their chips all in. They signed a top-10 high school class and currently have the nation’s top-ranked transfer class. That portal haul includes 3 wide receivers who should all be in the rotation this season and 2 tight ends. 

After ending the year in the top 25 in EPA per dropback, LSU could conceivably field one of the 10 or 15 most devastating passing games in the country next fall. Nussmeier gets another full offseason to run the show and gain comfort doing so. LSU has to improve elsewhere, but if Nussmeier is a legitimate Heisman contender, the Tigers will be in consideration for the CFP. 

5. Devonte Ross, Penn State WR

Drew Allar didn’t complete a single pass to a Penn State wide receiver in the Nittany Lions’ 27-24 loss to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl. It was a tidy bow to wrap up a disappointing season for the Penn State pass-catchers. 

Tyler Warren was a do-everything tight end who finished with 1,233 receiving yards, but no other player averaged more than 50 receiving yards per game. And Penn State didn’t have a single wide receiver who caught more than 5 touchdowns from Allar all year. 

The Nittany Lions’ starting quarterback dealt with his fair share of criticism, but he needed help beyond just Warren. And this wasn’t a one-off. Penn State hasn’t had a true go-to weapon out wide since Jahan Dotson left town in 2021. 

It might finally have one in Ross, a Troy transfer. 

As a junior last fall, the 5-11 Ross caught 76 balls for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns. I’m curious where Penn State chooses to line Ross up. He spent nearly 80% of his snaps last season lined up out wide and had an average depth of 10.2 yards downfield on his targets. 

But his build isn’t much different from that of Tez Johnson, who was a slot man for Troy before 2 standout seasons at Oregon. Ross is 5-11 and slight. He’s explosive and can make a defensive back look foolish (see: Iowa) with his footwork. 

As a big-play weapon who forces defenses to account for him, he’s the perfect player for Andy Kotelnicki’s pre-snap shenanigans. 

4. Cade Klubnik, Clemson QB

Many believe Klubnik is the best returning quarterback in college football heading into the 2025 season. 

Last fall, Klubnik took off in Garrett Riley’s system and produced by far his best year as a starter. He threw for 3,639 yards with 36 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. Clemson also unlocked another dimension within its offense with Klubnik as a runner; he had 7 rushing scores and 463 yards after just 321 rushing yards in his first 2 seasons with the program.

Klubnik figured out how to perform on the road and led Clemson back to the CFP. The Tigers won another ACC title and might be ready to return to national title contention in 2025. 

His game showed major growth last year. In 2023, Klubnik finished with a 63.9 PFF passer grade, which ranked 102nd among FBS passers. Last fall, he posted the fifth-best mark in the country at 87.7. 

Legitimate weapons at receiver emerged and that helped Clemson’s straight dropback game, too. In 2023, Klubnik had a 65.7 PFF passer grade and 11 turnover-worthy plays on straight dropbacks. Per Game on Paper, Clemson ranked 81st nationally in EPA per dropback that season. 

Last fall, Klubnik finished with an 83.1 passer grade and only 5 turnover-worthy throws on straight dropbacks. And Clemson jumped to 30th in EPA per dropback. 

With another step from Klubnik, Clemson will be pushing for a first-round bye.

3. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State WR

As a freshman, Smith was the best wide receiver in college football. As a sophomore, Smith is quite possibly the best player in college football. 

In 16 games, Smith had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged 3.2 yards per route run, the 10th-most among FBS receivers with at least 50 targets. He averaged 17.3 yards per reception, the second-most among FBS receivers with at least 100 targets. And from that group, Smith was 1 of only 2 receivers in the country without multiple drops. 

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith led all FBS receivers in wins above average.

With Emeka Egbuka moving to the NFL, both of the Buckeyes’ top tailbacks moving on, and Ohio State pivoting to a new quarterback, Smith becomes the focal point of the offense. As a refined receiver with a “throw it anywhere” catch radius, Smith is going to get constant attention from opposing defenses. 

2. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State QB

Running back Cam Skattebo needs to be replaced, and Arizona State is going to have a hard time finding a 1-for-1 kind of replacement. The Sun Devils might be able to replace his production in the aggregate, but the bowling ball tailback’s penchant for playmaking will be missed. 

Arizona State needs Leavitt to take another step. Fortunately, he looks like one of the brightest passers in the country and he has one of the best offensive minds in the country as his head coach. 

In 2023, Arizona State ranked 119th nationally in adjusted EPA per play. In 2024, Arizona State ranked eighth. After just 23 pass attempts as a freshman at Michigan State, Leavitt transferred to Arizona State, won the starting job, and threw for 2,885 yards with 24 touchdowns against 6 interceptions. ASU went from 3-9 to Big 12 champs. 

Leavitt was outstanding in Kenny Dillingham’s offense. His 88.5 PFF offensive grade was ninth among qualified passers. His 1.1% turnover-worthy throw rate was tied for the third-lowest among qualified passers. He also forced 34 missed tackles as a runner on the ground. 

1. Arch Manning, Texas QB

We saw Manning throw 5 total times as a true freshman in 2023. Last season, we saw him start against Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State — defenses that ranked 80th and 127th nationally in adjusted EPA per play. Manning completed 41 of his 60 pass attempts (68.3%) in those 2 games for 583 yards (9.7 per pass) and 4 touchdowns against 2 picks. 

Manning flashed enough of his potential that fans were ready to move on from Quinn Ewers even as Texas was making its way into the Playoff. It is, however, fair to say that Manning is still mostly an unknown. 

How exactly does he react in a hostile environment against, say, Ohio State? I don’t think there’s another player in the country who is more valuable to his team in 2025 than Manning is, and I don’t actually know if he’s going to win the Longhorns games against Ohio State and Georgia on the road. 

Texas is coming off back-to-back seasons during which it played for a conference championship and played in the CFP. If the Longhorns take a step back in 2025, will Ewers get his flowers? 

Of course, Texas is losing more than just Ewers. And the departing quarterback had a bad season last fall. He had 13 more turnover-worthy plays than he did in 2023. He had twice as many interceptions, had a lower completion rate, averaged fewer yards per pass, and averaged a shorter depth on his targets. But Ewers still helped Texas to a 21-5 record as a starter over the last 2 years. He won road games at Alabama and Michigan. He won a Red River game, won a Big 12 title, and won 2 Playoff games. 

That’s a lot to live up to. But for a former No. 1 overall recruit who has arguably the heaviest last name a quarterback can have, Manning is no stranger to expectations. And when he replaced an injured Ewers in the UTSA game, his first play was a 19-yard touchdown pass. His third play was a 67-yard touchdown run. 

Manning might just be awesome.