Stetson Bennett is the latest college football walk-on turned legend
Some of the best stories in college football history include walk-on players blossoming into stars — just ask Stetson Bennett. The Georgia Bulldogs quarterback started his career as a walk-on for the team in 2017 but ended it as a UGA football legend.
Bennett helped his Bulldogs defeat the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs 65-7 in the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship game, becoming the first team since the Alabama Crimson Tide (2011-12) to win consecutive national titles. Bennett finished Monday’s game with 304 passing yards and six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing).
The Bulldogs signal-caller also led Georgia to a 2022 CFP title with a win over Alabama, which ended a 40-season title drought for the school. Given his resume, Bennett could go down as one of the most successful players in the school’s history.
Bennett’s memorable career with Georgia reminds us of other former walk-ons who made a name for themselves on the collegiate gridiron.
WR, Clemson Tigers (2014-2018)
Renfrow, a longtime Tigers fan, walked on at Clemson in 2014 and redshirted his freshman year. He earned a scholarship in 2015.
The legend of Renfrow grew because of his performance in the 2017 CFP title game. He caught 10 passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, one of his scores was the game-winner that gave Clemson its first national championship since 1981.
Renfrow became a reliable option for quarterbacks Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence during his four-year tenure with the Tigers. According to Clemson’s football website, Renfrow finished his career fifth in receptions (186) and 11th in receiving yards (2,133) in school history. In 2018, he earned the Burlsworth Trophy, awarded to the best college football player who started as a walk-on.
QB, Texas Tech Red Raiders (2013)
QB, Oklahoma Sooners (2015-17)
Mayfield joined the Red Raiders as a freshman walk-on in 2013 and was named the starting quarterback after first-string signal-caller Michael Brewer suffered a back injury. He finished his freshman year at Texas Tech with 2,315 yards passing, 12 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma after one year at Texas Tech. He sat out the 2014 season because of the NCAA’s transfer rules and made his debut in 2015. Over three seasons with the Sooners, Mayfield threw for 12,292 yards, 119 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
He finished with a 33-6 record as a starter at Oklahoma, earned the Burlsworth Trophy twice (2015 and 2016) and received the Heisman Trophy in 2017.
TE, Central Michigan Chippewas (2007)
DE, Wisconsin Badgers (2008-10)
Before Watt chased quarterbacks for a living, he caught passes from them. He played tight end for Central Michigan during his freshman year and then transferred to Wisconsin as a walk-on defensive end. After redshirting in 2008, he became a force off the edge.
Watt started all 13 games in 2009 and finished in the top three in tackles for loss (15.5), pass breakups (5), sacks (4.5) and fumble recoveries (2) on the team.
In 2010, Watt won the Ronnie Lott Trophy, awarded to a defensive player who excelled on the field and showed exceptional character off of it. Watt also earned a first-team All-Big Ten nod and a second-team AP All-American selection that season. Watt finished his Badgers career with 106 total tackles, 36.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks.
LB, USC Trojans (2004-08)
Matthews arrived at USC in 2004 as a walk-on but didn’t get on the field until 2005. As a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 12 games. In 2006, Matthews earned a scholarship from the Trojans and won the team’s special teams player of the year award.
In 2007, Matthews received more playing time and continued to excel on special teams. He started at linebacker as a senior and accumulated 57 total tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Matthews finished his USC career with 97 total tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks.
WR, Miami Hurricanes (1997-2000)
Moss joined the Hurricanes’ football team as a walk-on in 1997. He earned a scholarship during his freshman season and became an all-purpose playmaker.
Moss starred as a receiver and returner for Miami during his four-year career. In 1999, he scored six touchdowns and led the team with 54 receptions and 899 receiving yards. In 2000, Moss set the single-season NCAA record for punt return touchdowns with four. He also racked up 45 receptions for 748 yards and five touchdowns that season.
Moss received one second-team All-Big East designation (1998), two first-team All-Big East nods (1999, 2000) and won Big East Offensive Player of the Year and Special Teams Player of the Year honors (2000) at Miami. Moss is the school’s leader in all-purpose yards (4,394), career receiving yards (2,546), punt return yards (1,196) and punt return touchdowns (6).
The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.
Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.
On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.
With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.
Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet
Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.
Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.
2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.
Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.
2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet
Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.
Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.
2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet
Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.
Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.
2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet
Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.
Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.
2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet
Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.
Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.
2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet
Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.
Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.
2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet
Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.
Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.
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