College football 2025: 25 players to watch on offense

In the last two seasons, Allar has thrown 49 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. In 2024, Allar threw for 3,327 yards, the most of any returning quarterback in the Big Ten, while leading the Nittany Lions to a 13-3 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff, where they beat Boise State, then lost to Notre Dame. A Heisman Trophy contender, Allar, owner of the school's career record for completion percentage (62.9), has the talent, experience and supporting cast to get Penn State back to the Playoff.

While the aforementioned Drew Allar is a Bona fide Heisman contender, Altmyer might be a serious dark horse. Following a 10-3 finish and bowl victory in 2024, the Illini are a sexy pick to crash the CFP party. An All-Big Ten preseason selection, Altmyer is expected to lead the way after he set career highs with 2,717 passing yards, 22 touchdowns (against just six interceptions) a 144.0 passer rating. Now, it's time to see if Almyer can handle the hype.

Klubnik seemed destined to be among the best quarterbacks in the nation, even back in 2022, when he made his much-anticipated first collegiate start. Spanning 37 career games, Klubnik has thrown for 7,180 yards, including 3,639 with 36 touchdowns and just six interceptions last season, when he helped the Tigers to a rather surprising ACC championship and spot in the College Football Playoff. Clemson could be even better in 2025, but Klubnik's play is likely to dictate the level of his team's success.

Apparently, this won't be Manning's last season in Austin. Reports are out that he might stick around through the 2027 campaign. Well, perhaps that depends on how well his anticipated '25 goes. Perhaps no player will be under the spotlight more than Manning, who is leading what's arguably the best team in the nation entering this season. Manning's two-season college career has spanned 11 game appearances and 969 passing yards with nine touchdowns. But, he's been hyped since grade school, and finally gets his time in the national spotlight.

Another Heisman Trophy candidate. However, the preseason scuttlebutt has been about Nussmeier's health, specifically tendinitis in his knee. While that will be watched closely, it appears Nussmeier, who threw for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season, will be ready to go now that he has finally gotten his chance to be the man under center for LSU. Cutting down on the interceptions will be key since the Tigers are hoping for big things in 2025.

One half of Penn State's stellar backfield duo, Allen has rushed for 2,877 yards, averaging 5.1 per carry, with 24 touchdowns during 42 career college games over three seasons in Happy Valley. In 2024, Allen, a bruising, power back, set a career best with 1,108 of those yards, and is back to help the Nittany Lions in their attempt at a repeat appearance in the College Football Playoff.

The sky appears to be the limit for Brown, who enjoyed a tremendous freshman campaign for the Cardinals, rushing for 1,173 yards, the third-highest in the ACC, and 11 touchdowns. Whether Brown can better that overall performance in 2025 remains to be seen. But, if there is one running back on this list that the casual college football fan should keep an eye on in 2025, it should be Brown.  

The Ducks made a big splash in the transfer portal for this season, and Hughes could end up being the biggest get of the haul. In his previous two seasons at Tulane, the 5-foot-11, 210-pound Hughes totaled 2,779 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. While the competition will get tougher in the confines of the Big Ten, it will be fun to see how the talented Hughes will stack up.

Notre Dame's success in 2024 was mostly attributed to the strong play of quarterback Riley Leonard, but Love made huge strides, as well. In his second season with the Irish, Love busted out for 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns. Twice, Love ran for 130 yards or more, but might have a chip on his shoulder after he was held to just 68 rushing yards on 21 carries against Georgia, Penn State and Ohio State in the final three playoff games. 

The other half of Penn State's star backfield. "Nick the Quick" is the speedster between he and good buddy Kaytron Allen, and has totaled 2,912 yards, good for 5.8 per carry, and 32 touchdowns during 41 games over three seasons with the Nittany Lions. Like Allen, Singleton also set a career high for rushing yards with 1,099, while posting a team-best 12 rushing scores. The chemistry with Allen -- on and off the field -- has helped Singleton elevate his game, and they have one more shot at collegiate greatness.

In 38 collegiate games spanning three seasons and three different schools, Sarrat has totaled 177 receptions for 2,848 yards with 29 touchdowns. He recorded 53 catches and eight of those TDs during Indiana's remarkable run to the College Football Playoff in 2024. Sarrat will have a new quarterback in Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, so we'll see where 2025 takes him and the Hoosiers in terms of building on last season's success.

There is certainly an argument to be made that Smith is the best player in college football. In his first season at Ohio State in 2024, Smith caught 76 passes and set team highs with 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns for the national champs. He's fast, has great hands, and plays more seasoned than his 19 years on the planet would dictate. However, it will be interesting to see what Smith has in store for Year Two, especially with Ohio State's uncertainty at quarterback.

There's added incentive for Tyson to shine in 2025 after a shoulder injury forced him to miss Arizona State's victory in the Big 12 Championship game and CFP double-overtime loss versus Texas last season. Prior to that, Tyson set team highs with 75 catches for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 2024 games. With expectations high for the Sun Devils in 2025, the key for Tyson is to stay healthy in order to remain a key factor.

Perhaps this Williams is not the prominent name among other offensive standouts on this list, but he and the aforementioned Cade Klubnik should be the driving force of Clemson's offense in 2025. Williams has endured a rather disjointed college career during his three seasons with the Tigers, but there's plenty to build on after he set team and personal bests with 75 receptions, 904 yards, and a co-ACC-leading 11 touchdown catches in 2024. 

Like Jeremiah Smith, Alabama's Williams is among the Heisman Trophy favorites after he burst onto the scene as a freshman with 48 receptions for 865 yards and eight touchdowns last season. While it was a disappointing season for the Crimson Tide in not reaching the CFP, Williams delivered some special moments. Notably, his memorable 75-yard go-ahead touchdown catch to beat Georgia. This year, Alabama is out to prove it has not slipped in terms of national prominence, and Williams is leading the way.

As if Ohio State needed more receiving weapons. Klare comes over from Purdue, where in two seasons he caught 73 passes for 881 yards and four touchdowns. Yet to catch an official pass with the Buckeyes, Klare is already expected to be a key contributor in 2025, and made the watch list for the Mackey Award. But, with the aforementioned Jeremiah Smith and budding star Carnell Tate in the mix, it will be interesting to see how many balls go Klare's way.

Coming off a 7-6 season, which included a win over then-No. 1 Alabama and a bowl victory, it will be interesting to see what's next for the upstart Commodores. What should be a given is that Stowers will be a major part of the offense. After his one season at New Mexico State, Stowers set team highs with 49 receptions, 638 receiving yards, and five touchdowns for Vandy in 2024, and has set himself up for potentially greater success this year.

A Rimington Trophy candidate, Slaughter was a first-team All-American selection by The Associated Press in 2024 while starting all 13 games for the Gators. In addition to his standout play anchoring Florida's offensive line, Slaughter continues to be hailed for his leadership, which will be key for a Florida squad looking to impress in 2025. 

Utah is another team that has the potential to surprise in 2025. Fano might be the Utes' best overall player. The star tackle was a second-team All-American from The AP, and rated out as the top returning offensive lineman in the country, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF). Not a bad guy to have paving the way to potential greatness. 

As noted already, Penn State boasts two of the nation's best running backs. The talented, 6-foot-4, 330-pound left guard Vega Ioane is a big reason. And we mean big. Ioane broke out in 2024, while starting all 16 games and help pave the way for the Nittany Lions rank fifth in the nation with 3,237 rushing yards. 

Mauigoa has started all 26 games he's played in two seasons for Miami. The star right tackle played in key role in the Hurricanes leading the country in both scoring (43.9 points per game) and average yards of offense (537.2). That certainly allowed Mauigoa's individual stock to rise, and set him up for possibly more accolades in 2025. 

In 2024, the Aggies ranked second in the SEC, averaging 195.8 rushing yards. Paving the way and opening holes was Reed-Adams, the 6-5, 325-pound guard, who was named to the Outland Trophy Watch List entering this season. While it's uncertain just how successful Texas A&M will be in 2025, big things (pun intended) are expected of Reed-Adams.

Georgia was in need of some true playmakers, and certainly got one when Branch transferred from USC. Whether catching the ball, running with it, or returning punts, Branch's blazing speed will be on display in 2025. In his two seasons with the Trojans, Branch caught 78 passes for 823 yards with three touchdowns. He returned 29 punts for 406 yards with a touchdown, and also returned 29 kickoffs for 547 yards and one score.

Reid stands all of 5-8, but he might be the most exciting player in the country. In three seasons between Western Carolina and 2024 at Pitt, Reid rushed for 2,689 yards with 22 touchdowns and caught 94 passes for 1,074 yards with five more TDs. No longer under the radar after amassing 1,545 yards from scrimmage in 2024. 

Zvada's first season at Michigan was quite memorable, after transferring from Arkansas State. Not only did he kick the game-winning field goal versus archrival Oho State. However, Zvada was an impressive 17-of-17 from 30 yards or more in 2024, and in his three collegiate seasons is 9-of-10 from 50 or more. For the Wolverines' sake, let's hope he's not their most consistent offensive weapon.