Breakout stars to watch: College football’s next household names in 2025, non-QB edition

Some names in college football — like Arch Manning, DJ Lagway and Julian Sayin — already feel destined for the spotlight. And rest assured: quarterbacks will get plenty of attention in the months ahead. But today, we’re turning the pen elsewhere.

The 2025 season is rich with breakout potential across the board. From freak athletes on defense to skill players ready to take over game plans, this fall offers a chance for emerging stars to reshape the national conversation (no arm talent required). CBS Sports’ spring ranking of the Top 150 players featured mass turnover from last season; not one top-10 player for 2025 was featured in that spot to close 2024. 

Here are the non-QBs who could steal the show on Saturdays this fall. We’ll spare Jeremiah Smith, the best player in college football, from this list as well. 

Justice Haynes, Michigan RB

Michigan‘s running backs tend to have superstar status. Kalel Mullings went from linebacker to household name this past season. Donovan Edwards was a cover athlete for EA Sports College Football 25. Blake Corum was one of the best-known players in the sport. Hassan Haskins before him earned 2021 All-America honors. That’s the type of situation Haynes steps into as a transfer from Alabama.

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Shehan Jeyarajah

The Wolverines don’t have the infrastructure to be a pass-first team. They build around their offensive line, lack true playmakers at receiver and could end up starting a true freshman (albeit a talented one!) at quarterback.

That means they’re going to lean on the run, and that’s what they brought Justice Haynes in for.

Haynes ranked as a five-star recruit in the 2023 class and had a strong underclassman tenure with the Crimson Tide. He ran for 616 yards and nine touchdowns over two seasons, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.

There are also signs of the ability for Haynes to create on his own as he’s averaged 3.4 yards after contact in his career.

He’ll have far more opportunities to carry the ball in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and should be the focal point for one of the country’s best rushing offenses.

Cam Coleman, Auburn WR

Cam Coleman had a strong Auburn debut with 37 catches for 598 yards and eight touchdowns. But that’s only scratching the surface of his potential, especially when you consider how his 2024 class peers Smith and Williams instantly ascended to superstardom.

That’s the level Coleman can reach. The No. 5 overall player in the 2024 class is an athletic freak at 6-foot-3, 197 pounds.

He combines take-the-top-off-a-defense-speed with the ability to change speeds in an instant and to consistently win 50-50 balls with his size and strength.

There’s every reason to believe he’ll be better in 2025, too.

Auburn made a huge investment into its offensive line and quarterback out of the transfer portal, hoping to upgrade from an offensive line that ranked 84th in pressure rate allowed and a quarterback (Payton Thorne) who ranked 53rd in QBR. Auburn’s quarterback replacement, Jackson Arnold, isn’t necessarily a sure thing. But he’s a ceiling raiser.

Also, don’t forget about the addition of Georgia Tech star receiver Eric Singleton. His presence opposite or next to Coleman — Singleton spent time outside in the slot — will make it difficult for defenses to consistently shade coverage Coleman’s direction.

Spencer Fano, Utah OT

There isn’t much to fault in Spencer Fano‘s game. The 2023 True Freshman All-American and 2024 All-American has quietly emerged as one of the sport’s top offensive tackles.

After playing left tackle in 2023, Fano shifted over to the right side this past season and was almost flawless. After allowing a sack against Southern Utah in Week 1, he didn’t surrender another sack the rest of the year and allowed just nine pressures over those 11 games.

He also posted a 93.6 PFF run grade, which led all FBS offensive tackles.

Fano, who was just 240 pounds three years ago, is on the exact physical development track that you tend to see with many elite modern tackles.

He’s a plus athlete who has grown into his frame over the years and now projects as one of the sport’s best overall players ahead of his junior season.

By the way, the offensive tackle opposite Fano, Caleb Lomu, also projects as one of the top tackles in college football next year.

Peter Woods, Clemson DL

Peter Woods is already widely considered one of the sport’s top defensive linemen entering 2025. But he’s got a chance to emerge as a real force if he moves back inside next year.

The 6-foot-3, 315-pound Woods played a large chunk of the 2024 season on the edge as the Tigers sought more production from that position opposite T.J. Parker. But given Clemson‘s edge investment in the transfer portal — it brought in edges Will Heldt (Purdue) and Jeremiah Alexander (Alabama) — Woods projects to again play on the interior in 2025.

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Blake Brockermeyer

In that case, Woods will almost certainly be one of the country’s best defensive tackles. He’s a nimble 315-pounder with the ability to collapse the pocket and importantly eat up blocks in the run game. Don’t be shocked to see Woods’ name in the All-American mix after next season and high up in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon EDGE

Meet “Young Concrete,” the brother of DJ Uiagalelei, who broke out in 2024 with 10 1/2 sacks for Big Ten champion Oregon.

Matayo Uiagalelei profiles as a high-round NFL Draft pick with his combination of size — 6-foot-5, 270 pounds — length and athletic ability, someone who can change direction and bend with the best edges in the country despite his size.

Few, if any, defensive players are more proven nationally than Uiagalelei entering next season. Expect him to be among the players in the conversation as a first-rounder come 2026. More importantly, he has the type of production and name recognition for a premier program to emerge as one of the true stars of the sport.

LT Overton, Alabama EDGE

LT Overton never did live up to his potential at Texas A&M. He reclassified as a high school junior from the 2023 class to the 2022 class, joining what was, at the time, the No. 1 recruiting class in history. But Overton never did breakout in College Station, Texas, playing a rotational role for two seasons before entering the transfer portal and landing at Alabama.

That marriage worked beautifully. Overton put on nearly 20 pounds in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, emerging as an ideal edge defender in the Tide’s 3-4 defense. Overton, with the extra weight, proved to be an excellent run defender while also leading the Tide with 39 pressures.

Given another season in Kane Womack‘s system and another year of development — remember, this should be Overton’s junior season — he could easily emerge as one of the top defenders in the sport and an early first-round pick with an eye toward 2026.

Anthony Hill Jr., Texas LB

There isn’t much Anthony Hill Jr. doesn’t do for the Longhorns.

He spends time at both middle and weak-side linebacker. Hill is a devastating run defender and a sideline-to-sideline eraser with 113 tackles and a SEC best 17 tackles for loss this past season. He also continues to be one of the defense’s best pass rushers when called upon, totaling 23 pressures and eight sacks despite taking just 74 pass rush snaps in 2024, according to PFF.

Hill is a do-it-all piece for the Longhorns and is already on track to be one of the program’s best defenders of the 21st century. Expect him to be an All-American in 2025 and enter the mix as a high-round 2026 NFL Draft pick.

Suntarine Perkins, Ole Miss LB

I love players who profile as off-ball linebackers with the explosiveness and bend to double as devastating pass rushers. It’s a niche that’s almost exclusive to the college game because of the size of pro offensive lines.

That’s the role Hill serves at times for Texas. But it’s really Suntarine Perkins who defines that archetype in the SEC.

Perkins is just 6-foot-1, 210 pounds. He’s not built to fight in the trenches from down to down.

But when called upon as a pass rusher, Perkins is a devastating asset. He finished the 2024 season with 14 tackles for loss, 10 1/2 sacks and 43 pressures despite playing just 258 pass-rush snaps.

But Perkins is also an improving player in the other aspects of the game. While Ole Miss mostly used him as a situational pass rusher in 2023 as a true freshman, Perkins spent much more time in early-down situations and as a pass defender this past season.

Given another year to learn Ole Miss’ scheme and continue his physical development as a run defender, he could emerge as one of the sport’s truly devastating all-around defenders.

OJ Frederique Jr., Miami CB

It’s hard to have a much better true freshman season than OJ Frederique Jr., who finished as a True Freshman All-American in 2024 with 21 tackles, one interception and seven passes defended. Perhaps most importantly, Frederique rarely allowed completions. Opposing passers completed just 36.8% of their attempts against him, which was the third-lowest rate in the Power Four.

Teams rarely bothered to even pick on the true freshman despite how often opponents had to throw to catch up to Miami‘s high-scoring offense. Frederique was targeted 36 times compared to 47 and 62 targets respectively for his fellow starters Jadais Richard and Daryl Porter.

The 6-foot, 180-pound sophomore-to-be is a sure tackler with excellent ball skills. He’ll continue to be one of the best cornerbacks in the country.

KJ Bolden, Georgia S

KJ Bolden never did emerge as a full-time starter for Georgia in 2024, but he played 552 snaps and was a 247Sports True Freshman All-American in his debut. Now with superstar safety Malaki Starks moving on to the NFL, Bolden looks like the next man up for the Bulldogs.

The No. 1-ranked safety in the 2024 class is a playmaker on the backend of the defense who excels both in coverage and as a run defender in the box when called upon. He’s best as a space-eating eraser on the back end of a defense, however, thanks to his 10.7-second speed in the 100-meter dash.

Georgia will always have an elite defense. Bolden will be a foundational piece of that effort next year and beyond.