Tradition, discipline, brotherhood: What it’s like to play football at Army, Navy
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Heather Dinich
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Heather Dinich
ESPN Senior Writer
- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of Indiana University
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Chris Low
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Chris Low
ESPN Senior Writer
- College football reporter
- Joined ESPN.com in 2007
- Graduate of the University of Tennessee
THE STEEP CLIMB up Stony Lonesome Road is harrowing, even for the fittest of Army’s football players. When the shuttle buses aren’t running in the winter, team members hoof it from their barracks to the Kimsey Athletic Center for offseason mat drills at 5 o’clock in the morning, typically in freezing temperatures with a layer of snow on the ground.
The last thing they see before making the final left turn is the historic “Beat Navy” house, built in 1875 and used to accommodate distinguished guests. The building, with its illuminated sign out front, is a reminder that the football mission at Army is clear. It’s why you see “BEAT NAVY” signs everywhere in and around West Point, New York, from the Food Mart Go Army convenience store in nearby Fort Montgomery to the urinals in the football complex. Yes, the urinals.
In downtown Annapolis, Maryland, the waterfront home of the U.S. Naval Academy, souvenirs with GO NAVY BEAT ARMY are in storefronts everywhere — year-round — but on campus, everything ramps up during “Army Week.” That’s when the coaching staff double-checks every door is locked. It’s when mascot security is turned up a notch. (In 2012, Navy’s goat mascot went missing and was found next to a grass median on Army-Navy Drive in Crystal City near the Pentagon.) It’s when the scout team wears black stripes on their helmets to mimic Army’s players.
Because of who the players are — and the soldiers they will soon become — the Army–Navy rivalry game, which will be contested for the 125th time Saturday in Landover, Maryland, is unlike any other in the country, drawing a global audience of our nation’s armed forces past and present.
But as the college football landscape continues to rapidly shift, the lives of students at Army and Navy have become a larger outlier than ever before.
“Their entire day is filled,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “And it’s not just classes, it’s legitimate classes. And they’ve got things in the evening within their company and military responsibilities. They don’t get sleep like you do at another place.”
There’s also no money for name, image and likeness — the United States Department of Defense prohibits players from endorsing any products or having any sponsorships. The academies do not allow redshirting. There are no sweeping roster changes from the transfer portal. Anyone who transfers into the U.S. Military Academy or the Naval Academy has to start all over as a freshman academically and go through the military training and dreaded “plebe” orientation, making it highly unlikely any junior football player wants to tackle that challenge.
And yet there’s still so much to play for.
“A lot of what we talk about is serving something bigger than yourself,” Navy senior fullback Daba Fofana said. “Now, there is that aspect of you want to put food on the table for your family and all of that, but the reason you play football and the reason that you serve in the military isn’t for yourself. It’s for the love of the game, love of your country, the love for your brothers.”
“I’m glad guys at other schools are getting paid big money in NIL,” Army junior linebacker Kalib Fortner said. “They should be. But that’s not our purpose. It’s the brotherhood that’s at the center of everything we do and fight for, playing for your brother that’s right beside you in the locker room, the one who lives down the hall from you in your barracks, every cadet who’s ever come through here, and most importantly, our country.”
ESPN shadowed Fortner, Army’s leader in tackles for loss this season (8.5), and Fofana, a team captain, attending classes with the players, as well as practice and position meetings — even Bible study — to illustrate what a typical day is like for an athlete at one of the academies.
As Army and Navy prepare to play the 125th edition of “America’s Game,” they do so entrenched in their military history, adhering to strict traditions in an era of college football that has drastically changed around them.
DABA, FROM THE Mandingo tribal word meaning hard worker, is named after his paternal grandfather. His father is from the Ivory Coast, but Fofana grew up in Cumming, Georgia, where he wrestled, ran track and played football.
It’s a long way from the Yard, the nickname given to the Naval Academy that dates back to the word “dockyard” during the Revolutionary War.
Like any college, the Yard is buzzing with activity — students with backpacks crisscrossing campus to get to their next class. Unlike most other places, though, you need a valid picture ID to get past the MA (Master-at-Arms) at Gate 1, and don’t even think about driving on campus without a credential from the United States Department of Defense or a Naval Academy ID card.
Not only is it hard to get in, the midshipmen need permission to get out.
There are more than 4,400 students in the Brigade of Midshipmen, and they all live in Bancroft Hall, a sprawling dormitory complex that includes 3.8 miles of corridors and eight wings divided into 36 companies.
Fofana wakes up each morning around 7 in a tiny dorm room that’s about 100 square feet, a utilitarian space devoid of any decorations, pictures or posters. He typically leaves around 7:20 a.m. and doesn’t come back until around 9 p.m. There’s no rug on the tile floor, and each room has a shower and a sink, but the bathrooms are communal. There are two raised wooden beds that each accommodate a desk and chair underneath, with no clutter on the desktops, save for a few neatly stacked papers. On the floor sits a black mini-refrigerator, which Fofana received special permission for.
“I just have the stuff that I need in here,” he said.
Fofana learned to quickly and expertly make his bed with hospital corners every morning before leaving his room, and any extra blankets have to be folded on top. It’s one detail that will be checked during two routine inspections each semester, “alpha and bravo.” Normally, he said, study hours are “sacred,” but once every semester, all midshipmen go through a white-glove test — a 40-point inspection called bravo that includes making sure the floors are waxed and that all uniforms are hanging dark to light, left to right. Students are allowed three “hits” on the inspection, and if they fail on a fourth, they have to take it again.
There’s a laundry service that does the dry cleaning for the dress uniforms, and a cart comes around the halls once a week to collect other clothes. Everyone has to be in their company spaces by 11 each night, and sign a paper confirming it with the company deck officer.
“It was very much a culture shock,” Fofana said of his arrival at Navy. “At the beginning of plebe summer, as soon as I walk through my door, you walk in and you start getting yelled at all of a sudden, I’m like, ‘Oh, shoot.’ And the first two weeks were a pretty hard adjustment, just because of the lifestyle and all that stuff. But after that, I ended up easing into things and figuring out a rhythm.”
After all, he’s got a PlayStation in his room. Both Army and Navy are in the EA Sports NCAA football game, but their players don’t receive any NIL money, unlike the $600 that players who have opted in at other schools receive.
“I’m just happy to be a part of the game,” Fofana said. “It’s a childhood dream of mine.”
FORTNER AND HIS twin brother Liam, a receiver at Army, grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee. They won back-to-back state championships together at Central High School, and Kalib was a three-time all-state selection. They signed their scholarship papers with Army together on Dec. 17, 2020.
Up by 6:15 every morning, Kalib Fortner’s day begins at 6:50 when cadets assemble in the quad for predawn formation. Breakfast in the mess hall is mandatory and begins at 6:55 a.m. Fortner doesn’t return to his barracks during the season until 8:30 or 9 p.m.
Fortner lives on the second floor of the Eisenhower Barracks, named after former general and President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a 1915 West Point graduate. There’s very little space between the two beds in his room, which he shares with Charlie Barnett, a junior kicker. There’s a desk at the foot of his bed and two portable fans.
“The smell is nothing like it was my freshman year at Sherman Barracks, when we had to leave our windows open, but you still have to air it out sometimes,” Fortner joked.
The only real decor is a collage of pictures of Fortner’s longtime girlfriend, Morgan McSwain, just above his desk. The floor is tile, and there’s nothing on the walls, which are painted a bland off-white.
There’s no television. “Wouldn’t have time to watch it if I did have one,” he said. There’s no mini-fridge, either. Fortner uses his school-issued laptop to watch game tape and also has an iPad and may watch other games on it. There’s a sink in the room, but that’s it. The toilets and communal showers are at the end of the hallway. There aren’t any elevators in his barracks, which have six floors.
Every Monday, the cadets have mandatory main inspection. Fortner is up at 6:15, shaves, gets his uniform ready and climbs the seemingly endless flight of stairs to “The Shelf,” which overlooks the rest of the barracks in the main courtyard. Fortner is a squad leader in the First Regiment and has to inspect seven cadets in his company when they get to the top.
“Gotta make sure their shoes are shined, their belts are in line, that they have their dog tags and proper haircuts,” Fortner said. “It’s a laundry list.”
AT 7:20 A.M., on a “tactical Thursday” when nearly everyone is required to dress in identical fatigues, Fofana walked through the side door of Bancroft Hall, which is essentially a food factory equipped to feed all 4,400 midshipmen in 20 minutes. By rule, he takes his hat off inside the building. A patch on the left arm of his uniform reads “DON’T TREAD ON ME,” and the pin with three gold stripes on the front of his chest indicates he’s a team captain, an honor recognized throughout the school.
“You’re at a leadership school,” longtime Navy assistant coach Ivin Jasper said. “That’s the role you’re going to be in once you leave school. It’s getting that early start on it.”
Each sports team has its own table in-season, and Fofana sat down for breakfast at table No. 42, which had a yellow FOOTBALL sign on it. He piled sausage and eggs on his plate and had a glass of orange juice. Several trays packed with pancakes were scattered around the table, with teammates grabbing food and passing it around like a supersized holiday dinner.
Fofana has a 3.69 GPA and is majoring in applied physics while pursuing a career in medicine; he hopes to be a doctor in the orthopedics field. This fall, he’s taking 16 credits and said the most difficult course is called Introduction to Aeronautics, a study of concepts such as fluid motion, airfoil and wing theory, and wind tunnels. (The students call the class “planes.”)
His class schedule on this particular Thursday began at 8:30 a.m. in Luce Hall Room 114 with Stoic Philosophy and Leadership. Fofana was one of the first students in the room.
“What do we want to know about each other today?” professor Marcus Hedahl said to start the class, asking each person in the room to share an album, song or artist they enjoy listening to.
The purpose of the class, Hedahl said, is to teach the midshipmen how to think, not what to think. It’s a leadership class that looks at diverse cultures.
As Fofana left his stoic philosophy class and made his way to Autonomy and Control Naval Weapons Systems in Rickover 1061, he joined a flood of classmates walking through a hallway adorned with posters of famous leaders, including Bill Belichick, Gregg Popovich and George Washington.
The focus of this next class is the mechanics of how weapons systems work. On the floor at the front of the room, in front of a dry erase board, was a blue, inert (key word) 5-inch gun shell. If it’s blue, it’s a dummy weapon used for instruction.
The theme of the day was sensors, as in night cameras, smart watches and heart sensors. The students call professor Lieutenant Commander Christopher Jeffries, who is also dressed in fatigues “sir,” and he stayed at the front of the room by a lectern as he taught, explaining to the small group that they need to know how a GPS works and not to depend on it — because sometimes it doesn’t. He showed a video of an F35 plane that continues flying even after the pilot has been ejected.
Before turning his attention to football in the afternoon, Fofana worked on his physics research project, where he used a confocal microscope to look at a sample DNA salt solution.
“There’s a lot of pressure, anxiety,” Newberry said of the academic demands on the players. “I want football to be an outlet for them. When they get over here, I really want it to be the best part of their day. That doesn’t mean we’re not going to do hard things. But we’re going to have fun in the process of doing those things.”
A CIVIL ENGINEERING major, Fortner is taking 16½ credit hours this semester. His five classes include Structural Analysis and Platoon Operations. He took a heavier load during last spring semester (21 credits) and made the dean’s list.
In the spring, he took a class called Survival Swim.
“You had your uniform on, your rifle, everything,” he said, “and then there was also a class called Military Movement, essentially gymnastics, but I passed them both fine.”
During his Structural Analysis class, a required course for civil engineering majors, Fortner and his brother Liam worked together drawing frames on a chalkboard (yes, an old-school black chalkboard). They erased part of the structure they were drawing and started again. “It’s deflection of beams and frames, even harder than it sounds,” Fortner said.
After his final Wednesday morning class, Fortner hustled to pre-lunch formation, where cadets gather with their companies to take accountability and make any pertinent announcements before marching into the mess hall. This week, the week of the Air Force game, cadets wore camouflage fatigues, camouflage hats and brown boots. They walked briskly and alertly, always with their heads up and prepared to salute an officer, and seeing a cadet with his or her face buried in a cellphone would be akin to seeing Bigfoot.
The campus is referred to as “post,” and is very contained. West Point covers 16,000 acres on the west bank of the Hudson River, about the size of Manhattan. “But post is pretty condensed, making it easy getting to and from classes and meeting with professors,” Fortner said. Washington Hall is the mess hall, and just out front is a statue of the first U.S. president. A helicopter landed on the lawn adjacent to the statue just after the cadets sat down at their tables for lunch. “It’s probably a general,” Fortner said.
The mess hall houses 4,000 cadets, and Fortner sat at one of the first three tables with the rest of the football team. Breakfast and lunch are mandatory for cadets. On their table was a sign that read: “Heavy, Heavy,” meaning they get a little more food in a meal served family style. The players spoon out meat, green beans and macaroni onto their plates. There are bags of rolls on two corners of the tables, and a couple of pitchers of water (no ice). Some of the players drink Hoist, an electrolyte hydration beverage approved for use by the U.S. military.
Fortner sort of picked at his lunch and didn’t eat much.
“I don’t usually eat a whole lot here. I’ll get some snacks at the football complex before practice,” he said.
The mess hall is massive, majestic and full of history. There’s a huge raised platform in the middle known as the “poop deck,” and special guests will visit periodically to address the cadets, who greet the guest by standing at attention. The same goes for any formal dinner.
Among the guests during his time at Army: former President Barack Obama, Hall of Fame basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski (a West Point graduate), multiple high-ranking generals and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Even the Stanley Cup, won last season by the Florida Panthers, was raised on the poop deck in October, with team captains Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Aaron Ekblad whipping the corps into a frenzy. Panthers owner Vincent Viola is a West Point graduate. Barkov brought the house down when he screamed, “Beat Navy!”
“I’m not sure a day goes by when you don’t hear that, and it doesn’t matter where you are or who you run into,” Fortner said.
AT 3 P.M., Fofana grabs a seat at the end of the table in a small room for his meeting with the fullbacks and quarterbacks. He’s wearing his football pads and eating an Uncrustable while they watch film of the previous day’s practice. At the head of the table, working the video clips and running through film is first-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic.
As the meeting broke, Cronic said, “Daba’s got it.”
“1, 2, 3, FAMILY!” the players yelled together.
There are 180 players on the Navy roster — there’s no limit to team size. Newberry said because other programs are so focused on the portal, more talented high school players are available for Navy to recruit.
“We’re being a lot more selective, and a lot more picky with who we’re taking,” Newberry said.
When practice began, it was unusually hot for a September afternoon.
At 4:10, as the Midshipmen were finishing up stretching, one player yelled, “Where else would you rather be?”
“Nowhere!” the team responded.
Fofana is listed at 5-foot-8, and that’s probably a little generous. Most of the players at the academies are noticeably smaller than the elite recruits who typically populate blue-blood football programs, but there’s a self-awareness about it that drives them.
“These guys are going to be bigger and stronger than you,” barked Jason MacDonald, who spent his first four seasons at Navy coaching the fullbacks.
“No offense, young man, but the linebacker you face will be bigger,” MacDonald told another player. “You gotta sink lower.”
Fofana is the No. 2 fullback on the depth chart, but he has received one of the highest honors a Navy athlete can get — being voted a team captain by his teammates. As a team captain along with senior linebacker Colin Ramos, Fofana also leads Navy’s leadership council, which is composed of one player for each position group.
“Be your own blocker,” MacDonald directed as Fofana ran through the spring-loaded machine with his eyes down. “Hit it, hit it, hit it! Eyes up!”
“That could be the difference between a 5-yard gain and a touchdown,” he said. “Hear me?”
“Yes sir!”
Newberry said Navy never has more than two hard days of practice in a row because “everybody can’t really handle it.”
“You have to be really conscious of all that they have on their plate, mentally and physically.”
At 7 p.m., following a long day, practice and more treatment — and ordering Chick-fil-A for dinner — Fofana headed back up the stairs in Ricketts Hall, where the pastor, Bill McKinney, was leading a discussion on faith, and his wife, Barbara, was handing out brownies and milk to about a dozen players in the room.
It’s September, and some players were wearing T-shirts that had BEAT ARMY written on their backs near the collar. As the pastor spoke, to his right on the wall behind him was a picture of Navy’s band, holding up poster letters that spelled “BEAT ARMY.”
FORTNER HAS A short window to go back to his barracks and change into his football practice shirt and shorts and maybe get in a little studying before the buses start running at 1:30 p.m. to take the players up to the Kimsey Athletic Center and practice fields adjacent to Michie Stadium.
None of the players want to miss the bus because they know how grueling that climb to the top can be. The buses don’t run when the weather is nasty in the winter, and Fortner said the summer bus schedule can be tricky too.
“I know what it’s like climbing that hill when it’s 20 degrees and a foot of snow on the ground,” he said. “I think one of the hardest days I ever had was going from there to boxing class. Demanding doesn’t begin to describe it.”
Treatment for the players begins at 1 p.m. followed by weightlifting for different groups. Fortner also had a leadership council meeting. The team meeting was at 3:20 p.m., followed by Fortner’s inside linebackers position meeting.
Army’s inside linebackers coach is Justin Weaver, who was also Fortner’s coach the year he was in the academy’s prep school in 2021. As the linebackers watched tape together, Weaver barked, “Every first-down marker is a trench, but we had sawed-off shotguns in all those trenches.”
There’s never any doubt, even in football position meetings, that you’re at a military academy.
“When y’all go out and lead soldiers and set up training, expect them to execute. Trust your training,” Weaver said as he looked around the room.
“Consistency over time is toughness. Anybody can do something once.”
Army coach Jeff Monken likes to refer to his program and his players as the “last of the hard.”
“I brought it with me from Georgia Southern,” said Monken, who coached there from 2010 to 2013 before coming to Army. “This is the last generation willing to accept the hard, and these kids at Army embody that. You hear people in all walks of life saying they’re soldiers. We are. That’s why we’re here.”
Just like the players’ academy duties, Army’s practices are regimented, intense and unrelenting. At one point Monken climbed on top of a cart and screamed, “It’s time to f—ing start practicing the way we’re supposed to. Are we going to talk about it or f—ing be about it?” The level of discipline on the Black Knights was clear in their 35-14 win over Tulane last Friday in the AAC championship game, when Army became the first FBS team in at least 20 years to have no turnovers, no penalties and no punts in a game, according to ESPN Research.
Army has an indoor practice facility but uses it only when severe weather forces its hand. The backdrop for the field, especially once the leaves begin to turn, is gorgeous. And you know you’re not at just any practice when midway through, a group of parachuters comes sailing in over the fields. And then a few minutes later, Army helicopters come roaring overhead.
As the players spread out to stretch toward the end, coaches bellowed, “Finish the day!”
The team dinner, catered by a local restaurant during the season, is served at 7:55 p.m. on the fourth floor of the football complex. The players chowed down on wings, then slowly made their way to older-looking school buses painted white, and back down the hill to their barracks.
The “Taps” bugle call is played at 11:30 p.m., when all cadets must return to their rooms. Even after a 12- to 13-hour day, Fortner finds himself up past “Taps” on some nights.
“There’s no such thing as wasting time here at West Point,” he said. “You find time to study, nights when you get back from practice, pockets during the day and sometimes in the early morning hours.
“It’s not easy here and not for everybody. People ask, ‘How do you juggle it all?’ My answer is that being on the football team here forces you not to be a procrastinator. Time is money. Time is valuable, and time is important.”
Fortner’s “lazy” day during the season is on Sunday when he might sleep in until 9. But then it’s time to get up, and he says, go “kick some ass” the rest of the week.
FORTNER DOESN’T HAVE a car. Cadets aren’t allowed to have one until the second semester of their junior year. But he’s heard the stories of high-profile players around the country driving Lamborghinis.
“Is that true … Lamborghinis?” Fortner asked with an incredulous smile.
No Army players receive any NIL money, although Fortner said he gets a $358 monthly stipend from the U.S. military. Much of that is used for incidental expenses such as his laundry and haircuts. There’s only one transfer player on the team, backup center Kyle Kloska, who came from Central Michigan.
“Part of what’s so cool about this place is that it hasn’t changed. It’s not going to change,” Fortner said. “We’re not here to cash checks. We’re here to serve each other on this football team and later on our country.”
The midshipmen also receive a monthly stipend, but they pay for everything they have — things like their computer equipment, laundry, haircuts and uniforms — making it basically an interest-free loan that they’re paying back over their four years. As a plebe, more is taken out. There is also an opportunity to take out a $32,000 loan as when they are juniors at an interest rate somewhere around 4%, a benefit also available to cadets at Army.
“We’re a unicorn right now,” said Navy’s Newberry, whose roster does not include any fifth-year players. “We still truly are a developmental program. Everywhere else in the country, rosters are flipping over semester to semester — not year-to-year. How do you really build a culture? In relationships, trust takes time. We have that here.”
Monken said “society has a head start” on Army when it goes out to sign high school players on the recruiting trail. Like Newberry, he doesn’t operate in a world with NIL or the transfer portal.
“Kids have been told they should look out for themselves and build their own brand, and so the music and the social media and TV is about individual success, wealth and power,” Monken said. “That’s completely opposite than it is here. We are fully committed to training these young men to be servant leaders. So you bring guys like that in here, and they’re already wired that way to serve the team and to do what’s best for the team.
“We don’t promise a jersey number. We don’t promise starting time. We don’t have money to say, ‘Oh, we’ll give you this much money.’ No, it’s just to be a part of this. We sell this place and what this is and what it can do for them for their future, our culture.”
Army athletic director Mike Buddie, who pitched in the major leagues, said it’s not easy to find 17- and 18-year-olds who are willing to serve their country and give up five years of their mid-20s to do so, even if they go in as officers. Plus there’s always the specter of war.
“But for the ones that it does resonate with, once they’re here, they’re here and they’re committed,” he said. “For the most part, they’re coming here for the mission of the academy. They’re not coming here to improve their [NFL] draft status. I think we have fewer distractions. It’s a hell of a lot easier to build cohesion and chemistry.
“It makes it easier for coaches to coach and develop and hold kids accountable because these kids are held accountable from the moment they wake up until the moment they go to bed.
“It’s just part of their DNA, which I think they respond very well to coaching.”
JASPER, THE LONGTIME Navy assistant coach, said it’s been a tradition of his to get dressed early and walk around the field at the Army-Navy Game.
“I love coaching in that game,” Jasper said. “It’s hard to really explain it, to be on the winning side. And the other side? You don’t even want to think how the other side is feeling. It is devastating. People don’t understand it. If you’re not in that inner circle where you understand, you don’t understand.”
“The truth is, you could lose every other game and beat Army and Air Force and people would be happy,” Newberry said. “I wouldn’t be happy, but people would be.”
Mike Viti, Army’s assistant head coach for the offense, played in the rivalry as a fullback for the Black Knights from 2004 to 2007. He says this game is “sacred” for both sides, and when he speaks, everybody connected with the Army program listens. After graduation, Viti served a deployment as a platoon leader in the Arghandab River Valley in Afghanistan and earned a bronze star and combat action badge. He lived on an outpost that was attacked virtually every day by the Taliban.
“I believe in my heart that this place is already a magnet for personalities like a Fortner and many other guys like him. They seek and respect and value the rawness of what this is,” Viti said. “They came to this place and games like Army-Navy to actually become who they want to become in life.”
A year ago, Fortner was the star of Army’s 17-11 win over Navy. He had a strip sack of Navy quarterback Tai Lavatai in the third quarter, picked up the fumble and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown. He also made a touchdown-saving tackle in the final seconds.
How did his life change after being named MVP in a win against Army’s biggest rival?
“Probably more officers coming up to me walking to class and saying my first and last name, even some instructors recognizing me on post,” Fortner said. “You hear a lot of ‘Beat Navy’ wherever you go around here, but I heard a lot of that the next week.
“People remember what you do in that game. … You’re at a place where presidents went to school, famous generals, the best of the best in our country. Yeah, it’s a football game, but you’re representing all of those people.”
Monken has seen the rivalry from both sides. He was an assistant under Paul Johnson at Navy from 2002-07, and when he arrived at Army in 2014, the Black Knights had lost the last 12 meetings. Monken wasn’t bashful about saying it was time to make it a rivalry again.
A soldier’s duty is to complete his mission.
“We hadn’t been completing our mission in this series,” Monken said.
There are “Beat Navy” signs everywhere — on stair steps, on the weights in the weight room, on the walls in team meeting rooms, the sides of trailers, in the locker room, even in the bathrooms. As the players walk onto the practice field, there’s a clock counting down the hours, minutes and seconds to the game.
Contrast that to when Monken took over at Army.
“There was a little sign about this big underneath the upper cabinets,” said Monken, holding up his hands a couple of feet apart. “That was it. Nowhere else.”
Entering Saturday’s game, Army has won six of the past eight meetings with Navy. The Midshipmen won every game in the series from 2002 to 2015 until Army upset No. 25 Navy 21-17 in 2016.
The pendulum has swung, but Monken knows any momentum in a rivalry like this one comes with a caveat.
“It’s only as good as this year,” he said.
With its AAC championship victory, the Black Knights reached the 11-win plateau for just the second time in program history. For Monken and everyone else associated with the team, while the first conference championship in the history of Army football has punctuated a season to remember, it will hardly define it.
“We take pride in holding ourselves accountable in everything we do,” Fortner said. “And in football, that means beating Navy.
“That’s how you’re judged here, and that’s the way it should be.”
Ohio State won the national championship.
Ohio State had the most talented roster in the country.
The first is a fact. The second is, technically, an opinion — one shared by everyone on ESPN’s committee selecting the top 100 players of the 2024-25 season — but it’d be tough to come up with a compelling argument for someone else.
(ESPN’s selection committee included Bill Connelly, David Hale, Chris Low, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti.)
Indeed, 10% of our top 100 list is Buckeyes, and that is probably too conservative a judgement of Ohio State’s roster. Our list doesn’t include Quinshon Judkins, despite his 121 scrimmage yards and three touchdowns in the national title game. It doesn’t include Cody Simon or Sonny Styles, who both had more than 100 tackles this season, or Denzel Burke, who was one of the better DBs in the country, and it includes just one member of an offensive line that owned the postseason.
But ranking the top 100 players is no easy task, and frankly, we had to make some room for the rest of the country.
So Ohio State carved out a huge chunk of real estate, with Jeremiah Smith, Will Howard and Jack Sawyer among the players who used the playoff to climb the list, but the 90 other slots included a plethora of big names (17 quarterbacks) and lesser-known players who had impressive seasons (11 Group of 5 players). We prioritized players who proved their greatness over the full season, which meant some tough injury-related cuts such as Will Johnson and Benjamin Morrison, as well as shunning some clear-cut NFL prospects, such as Luther Burden III and Mykel Williams, who just didn’t put up the numbers in 2024 to warrant inclusion.
The result is a celebration of some of the most exciting players (Cam Ward and Travis Hunter), up-and-coming stars (Smith, Colin Simmons) and under-the-radar talents (Shaun Dolac, Desmond Reid). Read on and remember that if someone deserving didn’t make the cut, it’s Ohio State’s fault.
— David Hale
Jump to: 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26 | 25-1
LB, Clemson, Senior
Stats: 42 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10.5 TFLs
Preseason ranking: 15
Carter was Clemson’s most versatile defender and defensive leader in 2024. He finished with 82 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and 8 QB hurries. Carter excelled as a pass rusher (13 pressures), a run defender (11 tackles for a loss or no gain on runs) and in pass defense, breaking up nine passes on 388 snaps in coverage. He finished his four-year stint at Clemson as one of the school’s most prolific defenders, racking up 231 career tackles. — Hale
WR, Ole Miss, Senior
Stats: 60 receptions, 1,030 yards, 7 TDs
Preseason ranking: 38
Harris was limited by a lingering groin injury this season, but when healthy, he was one of the most dynamic receivers in college football. The 6-3, 210-pound senior played in just eight games but still managed to lead Ole Miss with 60 catches and 1,030 receiving yards. Harris became just the sixth Ole Miss receiver in history to have 1,000 receiving yards in a season. — Chris Low
OG, North Carolina, Senior
Stats: Allowed 3 pressures in 816 snaps, 4 blown run blocks
Preseason ranking: NR
The winner of the ACC’s top blocking award, Lampkin hardly looks the part of a star in the trenches, but he plays like a giant. Lampkin — 5-11, 290 pounds — arrived at UNC as a transfer from Coastal Carolina, and former head coach Mack Brown even admitted he doubted Lampkin could hold up against the bigger, stronger competition in the ACC. Not only did Lampkin hold his own, he thrived. Over 816 snaps at right guard, Lampkin allowed just three pressures and had just four blown run blocks, paving the way for a UNC offense that rushed for 182 yards per game and helped Omarion Hampton to become a finalist for the Doak Walker Award. — Hale
OT, Minnesota, Senior
Stats: 2% pressure percentage, 5th best among Big Ten OTs, min. 400 snaps
Preseason ranking: 59
There’s a reason Ersery is projected to be a potential first-round draft pick. Though there wasn’t much flashy about him or Minnesota this season, the Gophers’ offensive tackle was a reliable force all season long. At 6-6 and 330 pounds, Ersery’s mobility and ability to eliminate defenders, made him an easy All-Big Ten first team choice. — Paolo Uggetti
WR, Louisville, Senior
Stats: 61 receptions, 1,013 yards, 9 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Brooks arrived as a transfer from Alabama and immediately became Louisville’s most dangerous player in the passing game. He caught at least four passes for at least 70 yards in nine of his first 10 games, and he finished the year with 61 catches for 1,013 yards despite missing the bulk of the Cards’ final three contests. He was a big-play threat, with nine catches on throws 20 yards or more downfield, but also a physical runner who racked up the 11th-most yards after contact of any receiver in the country. — Hale
RB, Auburn, Senior
Stats: 187 carries, 1,201 yards, 8 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Hunter finished his career fourth all time among Auburn’s rushing leaders with 3,371 yards. The 5-10, 209-pound senior had a career-best 1,201 yards this season, which ranked second among all SEC players. Hunter rushed for 278 yards, the most by any FBS player on the season, in a 24-10 win over Kentucky on Oct. 27. He had 214 of those yards in the second half, which was a school record. — Low
RB, Pitt, Junior
Stats: 184 carries, 966 yards, 5 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
At 5-7, Reid was often dwarfed by the defenders tasked with bringing him down, but more often than not, he made them look foolish trying. Few players were as elusive in 2024, and few made a bigger all-around impact. Reid finished with 966 rushing yards, 579 receiving yards and 159 punt return yards, notching 10 total touchdowns — including at least one each rushing, receiving and on returns. How unlikely is that stat line? In the past 20 years, former Clemson great C.J. Spiller is the only other FBS player with a 900/500/150 yardage split and a touchdown in each category in the same season. — Hale
S, Texas, Senior
Stats: 41 solo tackles, 1 FF, 5 INTs, 6 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
A Clemson transfer who helped Texas improve from 116th in pass defense in 2023 to first in the regular season this year, he was a physical player whose big hits stopped runners cold. His interception in the second overtime against Arizona State clinched a CFP quarterfinal win for the Longhorns. He had career highs in every major category this year despite missing a game with injury, with 69 tackles, 11 passes defensed and 5 interceptions, which tied teammate Jahdae Barron for the SEC lead. — Dave Wilson
C, Florida, Junior
Stats: Played 800 snaps, pass-block grade of 83.9
Preseason ranking: NR
Florida’s offensive line improved steadily toward the latter part of the 2024 season when the Gators won their past four games, and Slaughter’s play in the interior of that line was a big reason why. A redshirt junior, Slaughter announced that he would return for the 2025 season after allowing just one sack and one quarterback hit this past season, according to Pro Football Focus. — Low
QB, Texas, Junior
Stats: 3,472 yards, 31 TDs, 12 INTs
Preseason ranking: 23
Ewers threw for 3,472 yards and 32 touchdowns to 12 interceptions this year, and he was the only quarterback in the country to lead his team to the CFP for the second straight year. He completed 65.8% of his passes. He averaged 241 passing yards per game, but 291 over the Longhorns’ four postseason games, including 358 against Georgia in the SEC championship game. — Wilson
RB, Texas Tech, Junior
Stats: 286 carries, 1,505 yards, 17 TDs
Preseason ranking: 37
Brooks became Texas Tech’s all-time leading rusher (4,557) this season and was the only Power 4 running back to top 100 yards in every game he played in this year, finishing with 1,505 yards in 11 games. He was second in the Big 12 in rushing to UCF’s RJ Harvey and fifth in the FBS. Brooks scored 17 touchdowns, including three scores in three different games, including the regular-season finale against West Virginia when he had 188 rushing yards. His 23 career 100-yard games are the most in school history and fourth in Big 12 history behind Cedric Benson, Darren Sproles and Ricky Williams. — Wilson
WR, Arizona State, Sophomore
Stats: 75 receptions, 1,101 yards, 10 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
After an injury sidelined him for most of the 2023 season, Tyson returned to earn third-team AP All-America honors for the Sun Devils. He caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns, but he was unavailable for ASU’s CFP quarterfinal game against Texas. — Kyle Bonagura
DT, Michigan, Junior
Stats: 18 solo tackles, 3 sacks, 5 PDs
Preseason ranking: 75
Grant teamed up with All-American Mason Graham to give Michigan the top defensive tackle combination in college football. He led Michigan with two fumble recoveries and ranked second on the team with five pass breakups, while adding 3 sacks, 6.5 tackles for loss and 3 quarterback hurries. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors and third-team AP All-America honors, and he had four tackles and a tackle for loss in Michigan’s 13-10 upset win over rival Ohio State on Nov. 30. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. lists Grant as the No. 19 overall prospect for the upcoming draft and the No. 4 draft-eligible defensive tackle prospect. — Jake Trotter
RB, Jacksonville State, Senior
Stats: 279 carries, 1,639 yards, 25 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Stewart thrived in Rich Rodriguez’s offense this season, totaling 1,638 rushing yards and 25 touchdowns on the ground. He’s just the ninth player in the playoff era to top 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns rushing in a season, joining the likes of Derrick Henry, James Conner and Melvin Gordon. Stewart had eight multi-touchdown games, eclipsed 200 yards on the ground three times and finished with the seventh-most rushing attempts in the country, despite getting just eight carries in the first two games of the season. — Hale
LB, Pitt, Sophomore
Stats: 45 solo tackles, 7 sacks, 1 FF, 4 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Arguably the most versatile linebacker in the country in 2024, Louis did it all for Pitt. Louis racked up 105 tackles, picked off four passes, forced a fumble, and had 15.5 tackles for loss, 7 sacks, 27 pressures and 9 QB hurries. Louis and Utah’s Devin Lloyd, a 2021 consensus All-American, are the only two defenders in the past 10 years to rack up 100 tackles, 4 interceptions and 7 sacks in the same season. — Hale
WR, Maryland, Senior
Stats: 96 receptions, 1,124 yards, 9 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
On a team with mediocre QB play, Felton still managed to become one of the most reliable receivers in the country. He finished the season with 1,124 receiving yards, 9 touchdowns and 96 catches, tying Travis Hunter for the fourth most in college football. Felton had five 100-yard games and six games with at least nine catches. Felton racked up the fourth-most yards-after-catch in the country among wide receivers, and his 56 catches for a first down ranked third among wideouts. — Hale
QB, Navy, Junior
Stats: 1,353 yards, 13 TDs, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
The centerpiece to Navy’s offense in 2024, Horvath was a revelation. He was typically great in the option offense, rushing for 1,246 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he excelled as a passer, too, throwing for 1,353 yards and 13 scores with just four interceptions. — Hale
RB, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 144 carries, 1,016 yards, 10 TDs
Preseason ranking: 35
Despite splitting carries with Quinshon Judkins, Henderson had a huge senior season. He averaged 7.1 yards per carry, which leads all Power 4 running backs. Henderson also saved one of the best stretches of his career for Ohio State’s playoff run, totaling five touchdowns. He rushed for 1,016 yards and 10 touchdowns. Has also added 284 receiving yards on 27 receptions and another touchdown. — Trotter
C, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 0.90% blown-block rate
Preseason ranking: NR
Though he missed Ohio State’s last two regular-season games with a ruptured Achilles tendon, McLaughlin was named a consensus All-American and won the Rimington Trophy, given to the most outstanding center in college football. McLaughlin, who transferred to Ohio State from Alabama, became the fourth Ohio State center to win the Rimington. He anchored an offense up front that ranked second in the Big Ten with 37.2 points per game. — Trotter
DE, Oregon, Sophomore
Stats: 24 solo tackles, 10.5 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 INT
Preseason ranking: NR
The flashes that Uiagalelei showed in his freshman season turned into him filling a major role on the Ducks’ defense during this year. The sophomore from California made his presence felt nearly every time he saw the field, wreaking havoc on quarterbacks, forcing turnovers and helping Oregon’s defense hold its own in the Big Ten. — Uggetti
RB, Penn State, Senior
Stats: 172 carries, 1,099 yards, 12 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Alongside Kaytron Allen, Singleton powered one of the top running back duos in college football. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten with 3.69 yards per carry after contact. He led the league among running backs with 375 receiving yards on 41 receptions. Though Penn State came up short in the Capital One Orange Bowl playoff semifinal, Singleton ended the year with 84 yards and three touchdowns in the loss to Notre Dame. In total, he rushed for 1,099 yards with 12 touchdowns while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. — Trotter
WR, Iowa State, Senior
Stats: 87 receptions, 1,183 yards, 9 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Higgins was a third-team AP All-American after his performance for the Cyclones this season. He had 87 catches for 1,183 receiving yards, fourth most in the nation this season, along with nine touchdowns. He and teammate Jaylin Noel were the only pair nationally to each top 1,000 yards receiving. He had nine catches for 155 yards and a TD against Utah, one of his five 100-yard games this year. — Wilson
WR, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 81 receptions, 1,011 yards, 10 TDs
Preseason ranking: 28
Though often overshadowed by Jeremiah Smith, Egbuka has delivered a terrific final season in Columbus. A team captain, he posted a career-best 81 receptions to go along with 1,011 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. In the playoffs, he led the Buckeyes with 21 receptions, catching at least five passes in each of Ohio State’s four playoff wins to win the national championship. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranks Egbuka as the No. 4 receiver prospect in the upcoming NFL draft. — Trotter
WR, Washington State, Senior
Stats: 70 receptions, 1,189 yards, 14 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Williams turned in a monster final season for Washington State, catching 70 passes for 1,198 yards and 14 touchdowns. It was the most prolific of his five-year career in which he finished with 248 catches with 3,608 yards and 29 touchdowns. — Bonagura
QB, Notre Dame, Senior
Stats: 2,861 yards, 21 TDs, 8 INTs
Preseason ranking: 82
After three offseason surgeries, Leonard started slowly in his 2024 campaign; three games into the season, he still hadn’t thrown a touchdown pass. But when things clicked for Leonard, it changed everything for Notre Dame. Leonard sparked the passing game, ran with an edge that few other QBs could rival, and Notre Dame began blowing out most opponents en route to a national title game appearance. Leonard’s true impact, however, is hard to capture with just numbers. His desire to win showed up routinely in big runs through defenders or must-have throws when the game was on the line, and that helped Notre Dame to its best season in more than 30 years. — Hale
LB, UNLV, Senior
Stats: 69 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Woodard raised his game this fall, earning All-America honors and leading his team in solo tackles, assisted tackles, tackles against the run, tackles for loss, run stops, fumble recoveries and even pass breakups. Nationally, he ranked fourth in tackles (135) and tied for ninth in tackles for loss (17, behind only Shaun Dolac among linebackers). He also improved his tackle success rate from 85% to 92% this fall. — Bill Connelly
WR, Texas, Junior
Stats: 58 receptions, 987 yards, 9 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Golden transferred to Texas after Dana Holgorsen was fired at Houston, and he became Texas’ most important receiver this season, including grabbing eight catches for 162 yards in the SEC championship game loss to Georgia. On the season, he finished with 58 catches for 982 yards and nine TDs, including a 28-yard touchdown on 4th-and-13 against Arizona State in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl to force a second overtime. — Wilson
LB, Indiana, Junior
Stats: 49 solo tackles, 1.5 sacks, 4 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Fisher played a key role in Indiana’s remarkable turnaround. Fisher earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the Hoosiers, as Indiana ranked second in the league in defensive EPA (expected points added), trailing only Ohio State. He had 14 tackles in Indiana’s 20-15 win over Michigan on Nov. 9, as the Hoosiers reached 10 wins for the first time in school history. He ranked third in the Big Ten with 118 tackles. — Trotter
DE, Texas A&M, Junior
Stats: 27 solo tackles, 5 sacks, 1 FF
Preseason ranking: 29
In his one season at Texas A&M after transferring from Purdue, Scourton led the Aggies with 14 tackles for loss and five quarterback sacks. He had 10 of his tackles for loss against SEC opponents, which ranked second in the league. The 6-4, 280-pound Scourton was a second-team Walter Camp All-America selection and finalist for the Lott IMPACT Award. — Low
WR, Alabama, Freshman
Stats: 48 receptions, 865 yards, 8 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Williams had an electrifying start to his true freshman season with six of his 10 touchdowns (eight receiving and two rushing) coming in his first five games, including the game winner against Georgia on a highlight-reel 75-yard play. The 6-foot, 175-pound Williams was a second-team All-American by the AFCA and unanimous Freshman All-American. He averaged 18 yards per catch. — Low
RB, UCF, Senior
Stats: 232 carries, 1,577 yards, 22 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Harvey wrapped up a brilliant UCF career with 1,577 yards rushing and 25 touchdowns in 2024. He finished his career with 3,792 yards rushing, 720 yards receiving and 47 touchdowns, to leave as one of the best players in school history. — Bonagura
QB, Vanderbilt, Senior
Stats: 2,293 yards, 20 TDs, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
One of the SEC’s most entertaining and impactful newcomers, Pavia helped guide Vanderbilt to its first winning season in 11 years. He energized Vanderbilt’s entire team after playing two seasons at New Mexico State and earned second-team All-SEC honors from the AP in his first season in the league. The 6-foot, 207-pound senior was granted an injunction by a judge after starting his career in junior college, which will allow him to return for the 2025 season. — Low
LB, Notre Dame, Senior
Stats: 55 solo tackles, 2 sacks, 5 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
Notre Dame’s all-time leader in games played and a longtime special teams standout, Kiser finally became a full-time starter in 2024 and thrived, leading the team in tackles, tackles against the run and forced fumbles. He lines up at ILB and OLB and sometimes in the slot, and he raised his coverage game in 2024 as well. His 90 tackles and 55 solo tackles were both career highs. — Connelly
DE, Boise State, Senior
Stats: 28 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks
Preseason ranking: NR
Though Jeanty gathered plenty of the shine for the Broncos this season, what Hassanein did on the defensive side of the ball should not go unnoticed. The senior built upon his breakout junior season and was a force to be reckoned with on the defensive line alongside Jayden Virgin-Morgan. — Uggetti
S, South Carolina, Junior
Stats: 57 solo tackles, 4 INTs, 2 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Emmanwori was the leader in total tackles (88) on a South Carolina defense that finished 14th nationally in yards per play allowed (4.84). The 6-3, 227-pound junior was named a first-team All-American by the AP and Sporting News and was a three-year starter for the Gamecocks. He was a unanimous first-team All-SEC selection and declared for the NFL draft after the Gamecocks’ bowl loss to Illinois. — Low
QB, South Carolina, Freshman
Stats: 2,534 yards, 18 TDs, 7 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Sellers capped a stellar first year as South Carolina’s starting quarterback with a sensational performance in a 17-14 road win over rival Clemson in the regular-season finale. His 20-yard touchdown run with 1:08 to play won it for the Gamecocks. The 6-3, 242-pound redshirt freshman finished with 3,208 yards in total offense and accounted for 25 touchdowns (18 passing and seven rushing). — Low
LB, Iowa, Senior
Stats: 53 solo tackles, 1 sack, 2 FFs, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Higgins earned unanimous All-American honors and was named the Big Ten’s Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. He finished second in the league with 120 tackles and four interceptions — no player in college football had more than 100 tackles with four picks. He topped the Big Ten with 120 tackles and a tackling rate of 92.3%. He also led the Hawkeyes with four interceptions and two forced fumbles. — Trotter
QB, Penn State, Junior
Stats: 3,327 yards, 24 TDs, 8 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Allar took a big step in his second season as Penn State’s starter and first under coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who opened up the downfield passing game. The junior had 51 completions of 20 yards or more, up from 28 in 2023, and maintained his accuracy, completing 71.6% of his passes during the regular season and reaching 65% in all but two games. Allar’s 62.9 career completion percentage is first all time at Penn State, and he had multiple touchdown passes in seven games this past season. He must take the next step against elite Power 4 competition but will enter 2025 as one of the nation’s more accomplished QBs. His 3,327 passing yards rank third in Penn State single-season history. — Adam Rittenberg
DT, Notre Dame, Senior
Stats: 19 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks
Preseason ranking: NR
A five-year contributor from Lake Forest, Ill., Mills has been a steady star for three seasons. He helped to see the Fighting Irish through a run of injuries in 2024 and might have been the best player on the field in their first-round win over Indiana before suffering a season-ending injury of his own. More than a quarter of his tackles were at or behind the line in 2024. He had a team-best 7.5 sacks and 24 pressures this season (both career highs) despite lining up almost exclusively as a defensive tackle. — Connelly
OT, Oregon, Junior
Stats: 1.5% pressure pct., best among Big Ten OTs, min. 400 snaps
Preseason ranking: NR
Oregon’s offensive line got off to a rocky start this season, but once it found the right combination of players, the unit turned into one of the best in the country with the way it protected Dillon Gabriel, and it was anchored by Conerly. The left tackle from Seattle will surely be playing on Sundays in the near future. — Uggetti
S, Ohio State, Junior
Stats: 46 solo tackles, 3 FFs, 1 INT, 2 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Despite being overshadowed by fellow safety Caleb Downs, Ransom earned first-team All-Big Ten honors. He also had one of the biggest plays in Ohio State’s semifinal win over Texas. On second-and-goal from the Ohio State 1-yard line, he dropped Texas running back Quintrevion Wisner for a 7-yard loss. That set the table for Jack Sawyer’s game-clinching forced fumble he returned for a touchdown. Ransom ranks fourth on the Buckeyes with 72 tackles to go along with a sack, an interception and two pass deflections. — Trotter
WR, UNLV, Senior
Stats: 79 receptions, 1,041 yards, 11 TDs
Preseason ranking: 79
After a slow start following his All-American campaign in 2023, White showed out once again, recording five 100-yard games and spearheading UNLV’s second straight MWC championship game appearance. He recorded his second straight 1,000-yard season, thanks in part to a three-week binge of 400 yards and five touchdowns against Fresno State, Syracuse and Utah State. And his 2,524 combined receiving yards in 2023-24 rank second to only Tetairoa McMillan. — Connelly
QB, Arizona State, Freshman
Stats: 2,885 yards, 24 TDs, 6 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
The Michigan State transfer was a revelation in Tempe, where — with his arm and his legs — he helped guide the Sun Devils to the Big 12 title. With Leavitt in the lineup, ASU won 11 of its first 12 games before a double-overtime loss to Texas in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. He threw 24 touchdown passes and scored five on the ground. — Bonagura
QB, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 4,010 yards, 35 TDs, 10 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Howard saved the best stretch of his career for Ohio State’s playoff run. He has posted a QBR of 96.4 in the Buckeyes’ four playoff games, easily the best mark of any playoff passer. Howard has also brought an edge to the Buckeyes, with teammate Jack Sawyer calling him the “most resilient guy” he has ever met. Howard ranks second with a QBR of 89.6, trailing only Heisman finalist and potential No. 1 NFL draft pick, Cam Ward of Miami. Howard passed for 4,010 passing yards, 35 TDs with 10 INTs while completing 73.1% of his passes. He has also rushed for seven touchdowns. — Trotter
TE, Michigan, Junior
Stats: 56 receptions, 582 yards, 5 TDs
Preseason ranking: 26
Loveland sat out Michigan’s thrilling victories over USC and later Ohio State with injuries, but he still had a productive final season in Ann Arbor. Loveland ranked sixth among FBS tight ends with 58.2 receiving yards per game and led the Wolverines with 56 receptions for 582 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. lists Loveland as the No. 2 draft-eligible tight end and No. 21 overall player for the upcoming draft. — Trotter
DE, Indiana, Junior
Stats: 19 solo tackles, 10 sacks, 2 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
Kamara’s success in Bloomington didn’t come as a huge surprise. A second-team All-Sun Belt selection in 2023, Kamara showed he not only could perform but also excel in the Big Ten, earning first-team all-league honors and becoming Indiana’s first AP All-America selection in a decade. His 10 sacks marked Indiana’s most since 2008, and he ranked in the top 15 nationally in both sacks and tackles for loss (15), while also recording team highs in quarterback hurries (6) and fumbles recovered (3). — Rittenberg
LB, Oklahoma, Senior
Stats: 44 solo tackles, 1 sack, 8 PDs
Preseason ranking: 32
Stutsman was the leader of an Oklahoma defense that was much improved this past season, climbing from 79th in total defense (389.4 yards) in the FBS in 2023 to 19th (318.2). The senior from Windermere, Florida, ranked fourth in the SEC with 9.1 tackles per game and sixth with 110 stops overall. In three seasons, Stutsman had 376 tackles, 40 tackles for loss, 8 sacks and 3 interceptions. In 2024, Stutsman had 16 stops in a 35-9 loss to South Carolina and a career-high 19 tackles in a 30-23 loss at Missouri. — Mark Schlabach
QB, Clemson, Junior
Stats: 3,639 yards, 36 TDs, 6 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
After an uneven first two seasons at Clemson, Klubnik finally put it all together in 2024 and emerged as one of the best QBs in the country. Klubnik topped 4,000 yards of total offense and racked up 43 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions all season. His finish to 2024, however, might be the biggest reason for optimism moving forward. In his last three games, all vs. top-15 teams, he completed 62% of his throws for 878 yards with nine touchdowns. Klubnik likely enters 2025 as one of the favorites for the Heisman trophy. — Hale
OT, West Virginia, Senior
Stats: 0 QB hurries allowed, 0 sacks allowed in 34 of last 36 games
Preseason ranking: NR
Milum was named to multiple first-team All-America teams to become the 14th consensus All-American in West Virginia history. He did not allow a sack in 34 of his last 36 games, according to the school, and did not a allow a quarterback hurry in 2024. — Bonagura
CB, Indiana, Senior
Stats: 35 solo tackles, 3 INTs, 9 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Ponds was among the James Madison transfers who joined coach Curt Cignetti at Indiana, and he made an immediate impact there. He helped the Hoosiers rank No. 6 nationally in points allowed and No. 12 in pass efficiency defense, while earning first-team All-Big Ten honors. His 67-yard pick-six against Washington, with ESPN’s “College GameDay” in town, was among the more memorable plays of Indiana’s season. Ponds led the team in pass breakups (9) and finished second on the team in interceptions (3). He also blocked a punt at Michigan State that led to a Hoosiers safety. — Rittenberg
WR, Miami, Senior
Stats: 69 rec, 1,127 yards, 11 TDs
Preseason ranking: 66
At a school that has produced the likes of Michael Irvin, Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson, holding the all-time record for receiving yards is an impressive feat. That’s exactly what Restrepo accomplished in 2924, adding 1,127 yards to his career tally to finish with 2,573 — most in program history. Restrepo was the go-to target for Cam Ward, and he finished with 69 catches and 11 touchdowns — one of just three Power 4 receivers to tally a 60/1,100/11 line alongside Travis Hunter and Jeremiah Smith. — Hale
RB, SMU, Senior
Stats: 235 carries, 1,332 yards, 14 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
An underused receiver at Miami, Smith hit the transfer portal after 2023 in search of a fresh start. He found it with his former offensive coordinator — and current SMU head coach — Rhett Lashlee, who envisioned Smith as a tailback. The transition proved a stroke of brilliance, and Smith blossomed in the role, becoming one of the most explosive runners in the country. He had 10 games in 2024 in which he racked up at least 96 yards from scrimmage, and for the year, his 1,332 rushing yards ranked 15th nationally, his 1,659 scrimmage yards was ninth and his 18 scrimmage touchdowns ranked 13th. — Hale
LB, Alabama, Junior
Stats: 55 solo tackles, 5 sacks, 2 FFs, 1 INT
Preseason ranking: NR
At 21 years old, Campbell is still developing as an off-the-ball linebacker. He made quite an impact for the Crimson Tide this past season, leading the team with 117 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and 5 sacks. He also added 1 interception, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. Campbell was at his best in the Tide’s 42-13 victory at LSU on Nov. 9, piling up 10 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. — Schlabach
OG, Alabama, Junior
Stats: 87 knockdown blocks, 0 sacks allowed
Preseason ranking: 31
Alabama fans couldn’t blame Booker for the Crimson Tide’s struggles on offense this past season. He recorded a team-high 87 knockdown blocks and didn’t allow a sack in 715 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. Additionally, he surrendered only seven hurries and nine pressures. Booker, from New Haven, Connecticut, didn’t grade out below 89 this past season, per Alabama’s coaching staff. The physical run blocker gave up only one sack and nine pressures in his three seasons in Tuscaloosa. — Schlabach
DE, Clemson, Sophomore
Stats: 34 solo tackles, 11 sacks, 6 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
As good as any defender in the country over the second half of the season, Parker utterly dominated Clemson’s last six games on the D-line, in which he racked up 6 sacks, 12.5 tackles for loss and 4 forced fumbles. For the season, Parker ranked third in the ACC in sacks (11), second in TFLs (19.5) and second nationally in forced fumbles with six. He did all of that despite Clemson’s defensive line turning in its worst season overall in more than a decade. Expect even bigger things in 2025 as the Tigers reload upfront, building around Parker and fellow D-lineman Peter Woods. — Hale
CB, Tennessee, Sophomore
Stats: 26 solo tackles, 4 INTs, 7 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
McCoy was a welcome addition for Tennessee’s defense after playing at Oregon State as a freshman in 2023. With McCoy locking down his side of the field, the Volunteers improved from 64th in the FBS in pass defense (221.5 yards) in 2023 to 29th (189.3) this past season. McCoy’s 13 passes defended were the most by a Vols defensive back since 2021, and his SEC-leading four interceptions were the most since 2019. Three of his four picks came inside the Tennessee 3-yard line. According to PFF, his 90.3 coverage grade ranked second in the SEC and fifth among FBS cornerbacks. — Schlabach
DE, Virginia Tech, Senior
Stats: 29 solo tackles, 16 sacks, 3 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
Powell-Ryland finished just a half-sack shy of Donovan Ezeiruaku’s Power 4 lead, but when he was on his game, there might not have been a better pass rusher in the country. Powell-Ryland had three different games with at least three sacks each — vs. Old Dominion, Boston College and Virginia — something no power conference defender had done since Missouri’s Michael Sam in 2013. Powell-Ryland’s 15.1% pressure rate ranked in the top 10 among Power 4 defenders, and he added three forced fumbles and a blocked punt for good measure. — Hale
CB, Cal, Senior
Stats: 33 solo tackles, 1 FF, 7 INTs, 8 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
The nation’s leader in interceptions with seven, Williams was the star of a Cal defense that was among the most underrated units in the country in 2024. Williams allowed completions on just 42.6% of his targets, and he posted an opponent QBR of just 27.5. His first half of the season was otherworldly, with interceptions in five of his first six games, and though he cooled in the second half as QBs shied away from him, his 16 passes defended led all Power 4 players. — Hale
LB, Buffalo, Senior
Stats: 81 solo tackles, 6 sacks, 5 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
After ranking second nationally in tackles in 2022 (147), Dolac returned from a 2023 injury to top himself. He led all of FBS with 168 tackles. Buffalo’s entire defense was designed to leverage ball carriers toward its linebackers, and Dolac vacuumed up nearly every tackle opportunity available. Dolac wasn’t just a tackling machine — he also ranked tied for sixth nationally with 18.5 TFLs. No linebacker had more. He’s a ball hawk, too! Dolac tied for fourth nationally with five interceptions. — Connelly
DE, Tennessee, Junior
Stats: 23 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks, 1 FF
Preseason ranking: 1
Pearce was one of the SEC’s most dominant pass rushers the past two seasons, helping the Volunteers reach the CFP in 2024. His 18.7% pressure rate was second-best among all defenders in the FBS this past season, leading to 7.5 sacks and 43 quarterback hurries. The former five-star prospect from Charlotte, North Carolina, had 71 tackles, 29.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks and three forced fumbles the past three seasons combined. He’s a projected first-round pick in the NFL draft. — Schlabach
OL, Georgia, Senior
Stats: 1 sack allowed, 500 snaps in 10 games
Preseason ranking: 17
It was probably no coincidence that Georgia’s offense found its footing once Ratledge returned to the lineup late in the season. He missed four games in 2024 after undergoing “tightrope” surgery for a high left ankle sprain. Easily recognized by his moustache and mullet, Ratledge was a mainstay up front for the Bulldogs. According to PFF, Ratledge allowed one sack in 500 snaps in 10 games in 2024. He had a PFF pass-blocking grade of at least 80.0 in each of the past three seasons and surrendered only 13 pressures in 1,016 pass-blocking snaps since 2021. — Schlabach
QB, Army, Senior
Stats: 41 total TDs, 2,666 total yards, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Army won the AAC in its first attempt, leaping from six wins to 12 in the process, and Daily’s presence in a redesigned, retro-fied offense was the driving force. He rushed for at least 110 yards 11 times and threw for 1,000 yards despite throwing fewer than eight passes per game. Despite changes in blocking rules that particularly limited option attacks, Army’s option ruled in 2024 because of Daily. He ranked fourth nationally in rushing yards (1,659) and led the nation in rushing touchdowns (32) as a quarterback. — Connelly
QB, Washington State, Sophomore
Stats: 3,139 yards, 29 TDs, 7 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Perhaps the best dual-threat quarterback in the country, Mateer did it all in his only season as Washington State’s starting quarterback. He threw for 3,139 yards with 29 touchdown passes and ran for another 826 with 15 touchdowns. He was among the most coveted players in the transfer portal before transferring to Oklahoma. — Bonagura
QB, Syracuse, Senior
Stats: 4,779 yards, 34 TDs, 12 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
Perhaps no one took advantage of his transfer move more last season than McCord, who left Ohio State for Syracuse and had the best season of his college career. In the Orange’s offense, McCord was able to not just throw the ball a lot (592 pass attempts!), but he was also able to show off his efficiency and arm talent. He threw for nearly 5,000 yards on his way to leading Syracuse to a 10-win season. — Uggetti
QB, Ole Miss, Senior
Stats: 4,279 yards, 29 TDs, 6 INTs
Preseason ranking: 41
Overshadowed by Alabama’s Jalen Milroe and Georgia’s Carson Beck before the 2024 season, Dart proved to be the SEC’s most consistent quarterback this past season. Dart led the SEC and was third in the FBS with 329.2 passing yards per game. He completed 69.3% of his attempts and averaged an SEC-best 10.8 yards per attempt to go with 29 touchdowns and six interceptions. This past season, Dart set Ole Miss single-season records in total offense (4,774), passing yards (4,279) and passing efficiency (180.7), among others. — Schlabach
DE, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 35 solo tackles, 12.5 sacks, 2 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
A former top-five recruit with an incredible skill set, Tuimoloau had confounded many around Ohio State, because of inconsistent performances. But he saved his best for last, becoming one of the nation’s most disruptive pass rushers, especially during Ohio State’s CFP run. He recorded 5.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss in wins against Tennessee, Oregon and Texas, and recorded 21.5 tackles for loss, third-most in all of college football. Tuimoloau earned All-Big Ten honors and has recorded half of his career sacks total this season (12.5). — Rittenberg
DE, Marshall, Sophomore
Stats: 38 solo tackles, 17 sacks, 3 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
A Virginia transfer, Green lit up in his redshirt freshman season — in the last five games of 2023, he produced 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks — and maintained that level through all of 2024. He had at least one tackle for loss in 11 games and at least two in six, and he earned Sun Belt Player of the Year honors while leading a surprise conference title run. His 22.5 TFLs rank second in FBS, and it took Abdul Carter (23.5) 16 games to top what he did in 13. — Connelly
WR, Oregon, Senior
Stats: 83 rec, 898 yards, 10 TDs
Preseason ranking: 18
Despite missing two full games and dealing with an injury, Johnson had a proper follow-up to his 1,000-plus-yard season in 2023. The chemistry that Johnson had with Bo Nix is well-chronicled, but Johnson’s ability to step into the role of the Ducks’ No. 1 wideout and create an essential connection with Dillon Gabriel made him an integral part of Oregon’s potent offense. — Uggetti
OT, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 1 of 5 players in FBS with at least 250 snaps at both LT and LG
Preseason ranking: 57
Ohio State’s offensive line had a bumpy situation because of injuries, but things could have been significantly worse without Jackson’s versatility and talent. After earning All-Big Ten honors at guard in 2022 and 2023, Jackson shifted to left tackle midway through the season, as starter Josh Simmons and backup Zen Michalski both went down with injuries. Jackson went on to earn All-Big Ten honors again, consistently preventing sacks on quarterback Will Howard and helping the offense hit its stride for its national title run. — Rittenberg
DT, Oregon, Senior
Stats: 27 solo tackles, 5 sacks, 2 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
All season long, Harmon’s presence on the defensive side of the ball was something opposing teams had to worry about. Even if his numbers don’t necessarily pop like others, Harmon’s ability to disrupt at and through the line of scrimmage was an invaluable part of Oregon’s defensive strength. — Uggetti
LB, Texas, Sophomore
Stats: 59 solo tackles, 8 sacks, 4 FFs, 1 INT
Preseason ranking: 64
Hill led Texas in tackles for loss with 16.5, and he recorded 116 tackles and eight sacks. At 6-3 and 235 pounds, he played sideline to sideline, and most notable against Oklahoma, he had 11 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, two sacks, a forced fumble and a quarterback hurry. Along with Collin Simmons, he will be the face of the Texas defense next season. — Wilson
S, Georgia, Junior
Stats: 77 tackles, 4 TFLs, 1 INT, 3 PBUs
Preseason ranking: 10
Starks was the quarterback of Georgia’s secondary, and his versatility allowed his coaches to move him around a lot during the 2024 season. He led the Bulldogs with 77 tackles with one interception and three pass breakups this past season. Starks started 14 of 15 games as a freshman in 2022, when the Bulldogs won the second of their back-to-back national titles, and was a consensus All-American as a sophomore. — Schlabach
WR, Arizona, Junior
Stats: 84 rec, 1,319 yards, 8 TDs
Preseason ranking: 13
A finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s top receiver, T-Mac was a bright spot on an otherwise disappointing season for Arizona. He caught 84 passes for 1,319 yards with eight touchdowns and was perhaps the most dangerous deep threat in the country. He turned in one of the best single-game performances of the season — regardless of position — when he caught 10 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns in the first game of the season. — Bonagura
RB, Notre Dame, Sophomore
Stats: 163 carries, 1,125 yards, 17 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
College football was loaded with incredible running backs in 2024, but Love might have been the flashiest. Give him a reason to hurdle someone, and he’ll do it. He might do it for no reason. Notre Dame’s offense was at its most dangerous when he was at his healthiest, but even with a bum knee, he made maybe the two most exciting plays in the CFP semifinals — a rugged short touchdown and a glorious, hurdle-aided two-yard gain. His 98-yard touchdown run against Indiana was the longest run of the CFP era and tied for the longest run in Notre Dame’s storied history. — Connelly
DT, Ole Miss, Junior
Stats: 26 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks
Preseason ranking: NR
A change of scenery was exactly what the former five-star prospect needed, as Nolen blossomed in his first season at Ole Miss in 2024. After barely scratching the surface of his talent in two seasons at Texas A&M, Nolen was the anchor of the No. 2 run defense (80.5 yards) in the FBS in his only season with the Rebels. He tied for the team lead with 14 tackles for loss and was fourth with 6.5 sacks. He is one of only 14 consensus All-Americans in school history. — Schlabach
QB, Indiana, Senior
Stats: 3,042 yards, 29 TDs, 5 INTs
Preseason ranking: NR
The Canadian who transferred from Ohio was a perfect fit to lead the offense and help Indiana to a historic season, culminating with a College Football Playoff appearance. Rourke had eight games with multiple touchdown passes, finishing with a single-season team record 29. He had only one multi-interception performance and set a team record for completion percentage (69.4), eclipsing 65% in seven consecutive games. Rourke also battled through a thumb injury on his throwing hand that required surgery and, as revealed after the season, a torn ACL in his right knee. — Rittenberg
WR, San José State, Senior
Stats: 104 receptions, 1,382 yards, 16 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
An SJSU lifer, Nash threw for 1,317 yards before moving to receiver in 2022. Then the damnedest thing happened: He became one of the better wideouts in the Mountain West in 2023, then became maybe the best receiver in the country in 2024. He won a triple crown of sorts, leading FBS wideouts in receptions (104), yards (1,382) and receiving touchdowns (16). He did most of his damage out of the slot, catching 84 balls for 1,165 yards. (Those numbers were also first in FBS.) — Connelly
OT, LSU, Junior
Stats: Allowed 2 sacks, 5 QB hits, 11 pressures in 866 snaps
Preseason ranking: 6
The 6-6, 323-pound left tackle was a mainstay on LSU’s offensive line from the day he stepped foot in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He started each of the 38 games in which he played, logging a total of 2,554 offensive snaps during his career. This past season, Campbell played every offensive snap in 11 of the Tigers’ 12 games. He surrendered two sacks and five quarterback hits all season, according to Pro Football Focus. — Schlabach
DE, Ohio State, Senior
Stats: 25 solo tackles, 9 sacks, 3 FFs, 1 INTs
Preseason ranking: 33
Sawyer delivered one of the iconic defensive plays in Ohio State history in the Buckeyes’ 28-14 victory over Texas in the playoff semifinal. The senior sacked quarterback Quinn Ewers, forcing a fumble that he then returned 83 yards for the game-clinching touchdown — the longest fumble return in Cotton Bowl and CFP history. Sawyer is a major reason the Buckeyes won their first national championship since 2014. He also became the first FBS player in a decade to record a sack with multiple pass breakups in three straight games, according to ESPN Research, all coming during Ohio State’s playoff run. — Trotter
RB, North Carolina, Junior
Stats: 281 carries, 1,660 yards, 15 TDs
Preseason ranking: 27
In any year that didn’t include Ashton Jeanty, Hampton’s production would’ve been considered a triumph. Despite North Carolina’s offense being in tatters for much of the season — including starting three different QBs — he was a star from the outset. After rushing for 1,500 yards in 2023, Hampton somehow improved on that tally without Drake Maye in the backfield with him in 2024. He finished the season with 1,660 rushing yards, the third most nationally, and was one of just three players in the country to finish with more than 2,000 yards from scrimmage.
QB, Colorado, Senior
Stats: 4,134 yards, 37 TDs, 10 INTs
Preseason ranking: 24
A possible No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, Sanders ranked fourth in the nation with 4,134 yards passing for an improved Colorado team that missed out on the Big 12 title game because of a tiebreaker. His 37 touchdowns passes ranked second — behind only Cam Ward — all of which came despite a porous offensive line that allowed him to be sacked more times than any quarterback in the country (42). — Bonagura
DE, Boston College, Senior
Stats: 37 solo tackles, 16.5 sacks, 3 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
Ezeiruaku entered 2023 with ample hype, and he was at times excellent, but the pressures rarely turned into sacks, as he finished with just two all season. In 2024, however, he got home as often as anyone. Ezeiruaku finished the season with a Power 4-best 16.5 sacks, adding 20.5 tackles for loss and 15 QB hurries. He had multiple sacks in six of his 12 games, including 3.5 in his BC finale against Pitt. — Hale
S, Ohio State, Sophomore
Stats: 48 solo tackles, 2 INTs, 6 PDs
Preseason ranking: 11
Downs was arguably the most significant transfer addition for Ohio State, which picked up a safety who started throughout his true freshman year for former Alabama coach Nick Saban. He became a consensus All-America selection in his first year as a Buckeye, while also earning the Big Ten’s defensive back of the year award. Downs delivered highlights almost every week, displaying advanced knowledge of the game for a younger player, as well as superior talent. He helped not only in pass coverage but as an effective run stopper, and his 79-yard punt return touchdown against Indiana created separation in an eventual blowout. He ranked third on the team with 81 total tackles. — Rittenberg
RB, Iowa, Junior
Stats: 240 carries, 1,537 yards, 21 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Johnson didn’t enter the season as Iowa’s starter, but he soon emerged as one of the nation’s best backs. He had 685 rushing yards and nine touchdowns in the first four games, averaged 5.6 yards per carry or better in the first nine games and reached the end zone at least once in the first 11 contests. Johnson was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award and a second-team AP All-America selection. He set single-season team records for points (138), total touchdowns (23) and rushing touchdowns (21). — Rittenberg
RB, Tennessee, Junior
Stats: 258 carries, 1,491 yards, 22 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Sampson brought balance to Tennessee’s high-flying offense in 2024, setting school single-season records with 1,491 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year and helped lead the Volunteers to a spot in the College Football Playoff. Sampson, 5-11 and 201 pounds, ran for 2,492 yards with 35 touchdowns in three seasons. He was one of UT’s fastest players and was clocked at 22-23 mph on the Catapult system. — Schlabach
LB, Georgia, Junior
Stats: 38 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks
Preseason ranking: 67
Walker had to wait three seasons to crack Georgia’s starting lineup, but it was worth the wait for the inside linebacker. He captured the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in the FBS after leading the Bulldogs with 10.5 tackles for loss and tying for the team lead with 6.5 sacks. He was a one-man wrecking crew in a 30-15 win at Texas on Oct. 19 with three sacks in the first half. — Schlabach
CB, Texas, Senior
Stats: 46 solo tackles, 5 INTs, 11 PDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Barron, a versatile corner who often moved around to match up with the opponents’ best receiver, won the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s best defensive back. Barron tied for the SEC lead with five interceptions and helped limit Ohio State phenom Jeremiah Smith to one catch for 3 yards in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic. He recorded 67 tackles and 11 passes broken up. — Wilson
CB, Notre Dame, Senior
Stats: 53 solo tackles, 1 FF, 6 INTs, 9 PDs
Preseason ranking: 52
A unanimous All-American in 2023 and a consensus All-American in 2024, Watts is the most decorated player for a gritty Notre Dame team that reached its first national title game since 1988. He lines up at safety, slot corner and linebacker, he’s a brilliant ball hawk, he’s good in coverage, and he might be even better in run support. Whatever Notre Dame needed, Watts delivered. — Connelly
TE, Bowling Green, Junior
Stats: 117 receptions, 1,555 yards, 10 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
Few players obliterate record books as much as Fannin did in 2024. He set the FBS record for receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) in a season, topped 100 yards in a game eight times and seemingly saved his best performances for the biggest moments: He caught a combined 19 balls for 282 yards against Penn State and Texas A&M, and in his final game, the 68 Ventures Bowl, he caught 17 passes for 213 yards. Absurd numbers for a tight end. — Connelly
DT, Michigan, Junior
Stats: 24 solo tackles, 3.5 sacks, 7 TFLs
Preseason ranking: 2
After propelling Michigan to its first national title in 26 years, Graham produced a final season that cemented his legacy as one of the best and most beloved interior linemen in team history. He started all 12 regular-season games and had multiple tackles in all of them, including a career-high seven in Michigan’s upset of Ohio State, which marked its fourth consecutive win over its archrival. The 320-pound Graham headlined one of the nation’s stingiest run defenses and created nightmares for centers and guards trying to block him. — Rittenberg
DE, South Carolina, Senior
Stats: 20 solo tackles, 11.5 sacks, 3 FFs
Preseason ranking: NR
Kennard had quite an impact in his only season at South Carolina, leading the SEC in tackles for loss (15.5) and sacks (11.5) with three forced fumbles. His single-season sack total ranks second in school history behind Jadeveon Clowney’s 13 in 2012. The Georgia Tech transfer won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player in the FBS, and he was named SEC Defensive Player of the Year by the coaches and the AP. — Schlabach
QB, Oregon, Senior
Stats: 3,857 yards, 30 TDs, 6 INTs
Preseason ranking: 16
Though the end to his long college career was not what Gabriel might have wanted, he once again changed teams and seamlessly fit in and helped author a high-powered offense. At Oregon, Gabriel arguably found the best version of himself, a combination of experience, production and winning while putting together his most efficient passing campaign of his career. It wasn’t a storybook finale, but it was a fitting way to cap off a unique career. — Uggetti
DE, Penn State, Junior
Stats: 43 solo tackles, 12 sacks, 2 FFs
Preseason ranking: 20
Carter wore the famed No. 11 jersey at Penn State and upheld its tradition of excellence. After playing linebacker for previous coordinator Manny Diaz, he shifted to defensive end under Tom Allen and became a dominant pass rusher with four multisack games and eight with at least one sack, and his 23.5 tackles for loss rank third in Penn State history. He was a consensus All-America selection and won the Big Ten’s awards for top defensive player and top defensive lineman. Carter returned from a shoulder injury to cause havoc against Notre Dame in the CFP semifinal. — Rittenberg
OT, Texas, Junior
Stats: 0.80% pressure pct., tied for third best among FBS OTs
Preseason ranking: 9
He is the first player in Texas history to win the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Award in the same season. He started 42 games, including 39 straight, at Texas after plugging in as a starter at left tackle as soon as he arrived on campus, and he was a leader on two CFP semifinal teams at left tackle. He allowed only one sack in 935 snaps in 2024, according to Pro Football Focus. — Wilson
TE, Penn State, Junior
Stats: 104 receptions, 1,233 yards, 8 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
He not only delivered the best season for a Penn State tight end — and one of the best in CFB history — but expanded the imagination of what can be done at the position. He was the team’s most featured target in the passing game with 104 receptions and 1,233 receiving yards — the most ever by a tight end at Penn State and the Big Ten. He also added 218 rushing yards and four touchdowns. His performance at USC — 17 receptions, 224 yards, one touchdown — won’t soon be forgotten. Warren’s 104 catches more than tripled his total from the 2023 season (34). — Rittenberg
WR, Ohio State, Freshman
Stats: 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, 15 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
As Ohio State became the nation’s preeminent wide receiver program, no freshman entered his first season with as much buzz as Smith. His practice exploits were legendary, and Buckeyes fans and opposing teams found out why. Smith broke all of Cris Carter’s Ohio State freshman receiving records, and his 15 touchdowns and 1,315 receiving yards both rank in the top five for the school’s single-season rankings. He won Big Ten awards for top freshman and top receiver and Rose Bowl MVP honors with 187 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon, which marked only the fifth time a player has had 175 receiving yards and two touchdowns in a CFP game. — Rittenberg
RB, Arizona State, Senior
Stats: 293 carries, 1,1711 yards, 21 TDs
Preseason ranking: NR
The former Sacramento State running back just missed out on a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony by finishing fifth in the voting. A do-it-all back, Skattebo carried 293 yards for 1,711 yards with 21 touchdowns. He also caught 45 passes out of the backfield for 605 yards and three more scores. His play was the catalyst for ASU’s run to the Big 12 title and College Football Playoff, where it narrowly lost to Texas in the quarterfinals. — Bonagura
QB, Miami, Senior
Stats: 4,313 yards, 39 TDs, 7 INTs
Preseason ranking: 56
That Miami didn’t reach its ultimate aspirations is no fault of Ward’s. He was everything Hurricanes fans could’ve hoped for — and then some. Ward led the country in Total QBR (88.7), passing touchdowns (39) and completions of 20 yards or more (74). He had 11 touchdown throws that gave Miami a lead, but his defense couldn’t get off the field enough late in the season to give him the chances he needed to lead the Canes to the promised land. Nevertheless, Ward turned in one of the great QB seasons in recent memory. — Hale
RB, Boise State, Junior
Stats: 374 carries, 2,601 yards, 29 TDs
Preseason ranking: 25
The best running back season since Barry Sanders’ 1988 campaign belonged to Jeanty, who not only put up ridiculous numbers but took a simple run play and turned it into must-watch TV over and over again. Jeanty was, simply put, unstoppable, and his play carried Boise State to a playoff berth and one of the program’s best seasons in recent history. In any other year, he would have been the Heisman winner. — Uggetti
WR/CB, Colorado, Junior
Stats: 96 receptions, 1,258 yards, 15 TDs, 4 INTs
Preseason ranking: 3
A once-in-a-generation player, Hunter won the Heisman Trophy after playing full-time both ways — as a receiver and corner — for the Buffaloes as they won nine games. On offense, he caught 96 passes for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns and was honored with the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver. On defense — the side on which he began his career — he was arguably the best cover corner in college football. It is an incredible combination that likely won’t be replicated for decades. — Bonagura
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David Schoenfield
Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner. It’s a remarkable achievement to survive the gauntlet of baseball writers to get elected to Cooperstown: After all, the Baseball Hall of Fame remains the toughest to gain entry to, especially via the BBWAA path of election.
This trio stands out for their disparate backgrounds. Suzuki — let’s just call him Ichiro — grew up in Japan, of course, and was a star in the Japan Pacific League at 20 years old before becoming the first Japanese position player to play in the majors when he signed with the Seattle Mariners in 2001 at 27. A California native, Sabathia was a high school baseball and basketball star in the Bay Area, growing to a towering 6-foot-6 and throwing 95 mph. Cleveland drafted him in the first round, and he was in the majors at 20 years old. Wagner grew up in rural Virginia and played at Division III Ferrum College. He wasn’t big, but his fastball was. The Houston Astros drafted Wagner in the first round, and he debuted at age 24 before turning into one of the most dominant relief pitchers of all time.
All three are now Hall of Famers. Let’s look at three reasons each player got there.
Why Ichiro Suzuki is a Hall of Famer
Ichiro was just one vote shy of becoming the second unanimous selection (Mariano Rivera did it in 2019). In one sense, maybe it’s a little surprising he had that many votes — you could argue Ichiro is perhaps a little overrated. After all, he had 60.0 career WAR in the majors; Bobby Abreu, by comparison, was on this ballot with 60.2 career WAR and received just 26% of the vote. Ichiro’s career 107 OPS+ is now the third lowest for any Hall of Fame outfielder, ahead of only Lloyd Waner and 19th-century speedster Tommy McCarthy. So why Ichiro?
1. 3,000 career hits
OK, Ichiro was mostly a singles hitter, not hitting for much power with a career high of 15 home runs in a season, but he turned beating out infield singles and grounding base hits up the middle into an art form. He reached 200 hits his first 10 seasons with the Mariners, leading the league in seven of those years. Over the past 10 seasons, all major leaguers have combined for just 17 200-hit seasons — and the best of those was Ronald Acuna Jr.’s 217 hits in 2023, a total Ichiro exceeded five times, including a record 262 in 2004, a season he hit .372 (nobody has hit for as high an average since).
Considering he didn’t debut with the Mariners until his age-27 season, it remains remarkable that Ichiro is one of just 33 players with 3,000 hits. The other 32 averaged 994 hits through their age-26 season, with Wade Boggs’ 531 hits the lowest in the group. Of those to debut after 1930, all who are eligible for the Hall of Fame and not tainted by a betting or PED scandal were voted in on the first ballot except Craig Biggio (who took three tries to get elected). Getting to 3,000 hits made Ichiro an automatic selection.
Two keys to Ichiro’s hit total: his remarkable durability and the fact that he didn’t walk much (which is why he had a .400 OBP just once in his career). He averaged a remarkable 159 games played through his first 12 seasons, suffering just one minor stint on the injured list over that span. The sight of Ichiro constantly stretching between pitches and in the outfield is as much a part of his lasting image as him sprinting down the first-base line or racing into the corner to make another spectacular catch.
2. He was an inner-circle Hall of Fame talent
The earlier comparison to Abreu might suggest that Ichiro is a borderline Hall of Fame player. That belief, however, underestimates how transcendent Ichiro was at his peak — and that seven of his peak seasons came in Japan before he signed with the Mariners. While voters are voting on Ichiro’s accomplishments in only the major leagues, it seems fair to at least recognize that we witnessed only a portion of his greatness.
Consider this: In his first four seasons in the majors, from 2001 to 2004, Ichiro hit .339 and averaged 6.5 WAR per season. In Japan, Ichiro was a sensation right away, hitting .385 in his first full season, as good at age 20 as his final season in Japan, when he hit .387. We can thus assume he would have produced similar results in MLB from ages 20 to 26 as he did from 27 to 30. That adds up to an additional 45 WAR — on top of the 60 that Baseball-Reference credits him during his time in the majors.
How impressive would 105 career WAR be? Since the expansion era in 1961, only six position players have reached 100 career WAR: Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Rickey Henderson, Mike Schmidt, Albert Pujols and Joe Morgan. This suggests Ichiro belongs on that level of inner-circle appreciation.
Much of his value came from his all-around brilliance on the bases and as a right fielder (he won 10 Gold Gloves). Baseball-Reference credits him with plus-62 runs as a baserunner (18th all time) and plus-121 runs on defense (18th among outfielders). He had two of the most efficient base-stealing seasons of all time, going 45-for-47 in 2006 and 43-for-47 in 2008, plus he led the league with 56 steals in his MVP/Rookie of the Year season of 2001. As a right fielder, Ichiro combined impeccable instincts with a strong and accurate arm. He excelled at charging the ball quickly and preventing runners from advancing, and he never seemed to make a mistake in the field — indeed, he was charged with only 38 errors in 19 seasons.
So, yes, Ichiro was overrated as a hitter. But his all-around skills and peak performance correctly put him in a class among the elite of the elite.
3. Come on, he was Ichiro — an icon
In the end, sometimes “Hall of Famer” doesn’t need an argument; it’s just a description to explain the obvious: Ichiro is a Hall of Famer, no matter what the numbers do or don’t say. Who was cooler than Ichiro wearing his shades, pointing his bat at the pitcher in his pre-pitch ritual and then tugging at his right sleeve. Early in his first month in the majors, Mariners announcer Dave Niehaus made an instant legend of Ichiro with his description of his famous throw to nail Terrence Long at third base: “I’m here to tell you that Ichiro threw something out of Star Wars down there at third base!” Ichiro was a throwback to a different era of hitting. He was a trailblazer. An absolute one of a kind. Unanimous? He certainly should have been.
Why CC Sabathia is a Hall of Famer
Sabathia finished 251-161 with a 3.74 ERA, 61.8 WAR and a Cy Young Award with Cleveland in 2007. None of those numbers necessarily scream first-ballot Hall of Famer and, indeed, only Sandy Koufax has a lower career WAR among starting pitchers elected on their first ballot. Here’s how Sabathia made it.
1. A high peak level of performance
Sabathia had a five-year run from 2007 through 2011 in which he went 95-40 with a 3.09 ERA and 30.4 WAR while averaging 240 innings per season, which now seems like a Herculean workload. He won the one Cy Young Award and finished in the top five of the voting in the other four seasons. During those seasons, only Roy Halladay had a higher WAR among pitchers — and there was a big gap from Sabathia to Cliff Lee, the No. 3 guy who had 25.0 WAR — and nobody won more games.
Along the way, Sabathia famously carried the Milwaukee Brewers into the playoffs in 2008 — their first playoff appearance at the time since 1982 — starting on three days’ rest for his final three starts, including tossing a playoff-clinching complete game on the final day of the season. The next year, he signed with the New York Yankees and led them to a World Series title, going 3-1 with a 1.98 ERA in the postseason.
Sabathia fits into more of an old-school definition of a Hall of Famer: Was he the best at his position for an extended period of time? His 251 wins are the same as Bob Gibson and more than quality Hall of Famers such as Juan Marichal, Whitey Ford, Pedro Martinez or Don Drysdale. Those guys all felt like Hall of Famers, as did Sabathia. And he did enough around that peak — six other seasons with at least 3 WAR and appearing in 10 different postseasons — to merit selection.
2. The best of a generation
Indeed, Sabathia stands out along with Halladay (who was elected posthumously in 2019) as the bridge between the Martinez/Randy Johnson/Greg Maddux/Tom Glavine/John Smoltz group to the still-active trio of Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw, who came along a few years after Sabathia. Verlander has 262 wins, but Scherzer has 216 and is petering out. Kershaw has 212 and is coming off a two-win 2024 season. Zack Greinke finished with 225 wins. Even Halladay finished with just 203 wins.
Other than Andy Pettitte, who debuted six years before Sabathia and won 256 games, and Sabathia’s former teammate Bartolo Colon, who won 247, other pitchers from Sabathia’s generation didn’t last long enough for Hall consideration: Johan Santana had an amazing peak but won just 139 games; Felix Hernandez was on the ballot for the first time and received enough votes to stay on, but his last good season came at age 29; and Cliff Lee won 143 games and got injured. There are some other 200-game winners — Tim Hudson (off the ballot) and Mark Buehrle (still on) — but Sabathia was the rarity of his generation, combining both peak value and longevity.
3. Timing is everything
Sabathia’s vote total was, no doubt, helped by the general weakness of this ballot, where only Ichiro was a slam-dunk candidate. Voters want to vote players in, so in a sense, candidates are compared as much to the other players on the ballot as to Hall of Fame standards. If Sabathia was on the ballot in 2015 — a ballot that included Johnson, Martinez, Smoltz, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens and Mike Mussina — he doesn’t get in. But his “competition” on this ballot was the aforementioned Pettitte, Buehrle and Hernandez (the only other starting pitchers even on the ballot). This isn’t to knock Sabathia’s accomplishments, but it’s a truth of Hall of Fame voting results: The ballot itself matters. It took Mussina, with 270 wins and 82.8 career WAR, six times to get elected because he faced a lot of crowded ballots. This ballot was not crowded.
Why Billy Wagner is a Hall of Famer
On his 10th and final appearance on the BBWAA ballot, Wagner finally made it in after falling five votes short last year. He debuted with just 10.5% of the vote in 2016, so why now?
1. Once again … timing is everything
As with Sabathia, a lot of it came down to timing. Wagner’s first ballot in 2016 included 11 other players who are now Hall of Famers — plus Clemens, Schilling, Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent and Gary Sheffield. Voters can vote for a maximum of 10 players, so in many cases, there simply wasn’t enough room to vote for Wagner. He was fortunate to receive more than the 5% of the vote needed just to remain on the ballot.
As the ballot logjam slowly thinned out through the years, Wagner’s vote totals increased. Rivera was elected in 2019, so it’s no surprise Wagner saw his percentage increase from 16.7% in 2019 to 31.7% in 2020, which started his momentum toward eventual election. As Wagner got closer in 2023 and then last year, the final-ballot push that players often receive — see Tim Raines and Edgar Martinez as two others who got elected on their 10th ballot — pushed him over the 75% threshold.
2. He was one of the most dominant closers of all time
Look, Rivera is on his own mountain among relievers, but Wagner has a strong case for No. 2. Yes, Wagner is now just eighth in career saves — Kenley Jansen and Craig Kimbrel have passed him, and non-Hall of Famers Francisco Rodriguez and John Franco also have more — but only Rivera can match Wagner’s dominance.
Compare Wagner to Trevor Hoffman, who is second with 601 career saves to Wagner’s 422:
Hoffman: 2.87 ERA, 141 ERA+, 9.4 SO/9, .609 OPS allowed
Wagner: 2.31 ERA, 187 ERA+, 11.9 SO/9, .558 OPS allowed
No, Wagner didn’t rack up as many saves, but he also retired at the top of his game: In his final season, he had a 1.43 ERA, 37 saves and 104 strikeouts in 69 innings. He still had plenty of zip left in that fastball.
To put Wagner’s career numbers in perspective, among pitchers with at least 900 innings since the live-ball era began in 1920, he ranks:
• Second in ERA behind only Rivera’s 2.21
• First in strikeouts per nine innings
• First in lowest batting average allowed (.187)
• Second in lowest OPS allowed to Rivera’s .555
That’s Wagner: arguably the hardest pitcher to hit in MLB history.
3. Voters have been kind to closers
It didn’t hurt Wagner that closers have become the easiest position in which to get elected to the Hall of Fame. Starting with the first modern Hall of Fame relievers from the 1970s, Rollie Fingers and Goose Gossage, there are now eight closers in the Hall of Fame (counting Dennis Eckersley as a reliever, although he split his career between starting and relieving).
Among players who produced most of their value in the 1970s or later, the positional breakdown goes like this (leaving aside starting pitchers):
Reliever: 8 (Fingers, Eckersley, Bruce Sutter, Gossage, Hoffman, Lee Smith, Rivera, Wagner)
Catcher: 7 (Johnny Bench, Carlton Fisk, Gary Carter, Mike Piazza, Ivan Rodriguez, Ted Simmons, Joe Mauer)
Right field: 7 (Reggie Jackson, Dave Winfield, Tony Gwynn, Vladimir Guerrero, Larry Walker, Dave Parker, Ichiro Suzuki)
First base: 6 (Tony Perez, Eddie Murray, Jeff Bagwell, Jim Thome, Fred McGriff, Todd Helton)
Third base: 6 (Mike Schmidt, George Brett, Wade Boggs, Chipper Jones, Scott Rolen, Adrian Beltre)
Shortstop: 6 (Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, Cal Ripken, Barry Larkin, Alan Trammell, Derek Jeter)
Second base: 5 (Joe Morgan, Rod Carew, Ryne Sandberg, Roberto Alomar, Craig Biggio)
DH: 5 (Paul Molitor, Frank Thomas, Edgar Martinez, Harold Baines, David Ortiz)
Left field: 4 (Willie Stargell, Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson, Tim Raines)
Center field: 3 (Kirby Puckett, Andre Dawson, Ken Griffey Jr.)
Hmm. There does seem to be a lesson here that you can interpret either way: There are perhaps too many relievers — or not enough players at the other positions.
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