Koi Perich was one of the best defensive playmakers in the Big Ten last fall and he was just a true freshman. His five interceptions led the conference, and he picked off more passes than he allowed touchdowns. He also forced a fumble and loffed three tackles for loss while making contributions on special teams. He’s set to play more offensive snaps in 2025, making him a potential Travis Hunter MK. II.
A CSN Freshman All-American in 2023 with the James Madison Dukes, D’Angelo Ponds transferred to the Indiana Hoosiers and somehow upped his game with the transition to the Big Ten. With 22 pass breakups and five interceptions over two seasons, throwing towards Ponds will sink your offense while he’s capable of flooding the box and impacting the game behind the line of scrimmage.
The Oregon Ducks made one of the biggest splashes in the transfer portal this offseason, landing an impact-making playmaker that will shore up a defense that was savaged by the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl. Dillon Thieneman is an elite sideline-to-sideline safety who can come downhill and lay the boom with the best of them. His sophomore campaign lacked some of the sizzle of a freshman season laden with honors, but Thieneman is a sensational, special talent regardless.
DJ Lagway played more football than Billy Napier and the Florida Gators initially intended last fall, but all that did was raise expectations and excitement for what comes this fall. There were some ups and downs and inconsistencies from the young passer in 2024, but the upside is undeniable. No quarterback returning to college football in 2025 threw for more yards per attempt last year than Lagway (10.0), who has an incredible receiving room to work with.
It’s easy to put Arch Manning’s positioning on this list of the top returning college football players for 2025 down to the legacy of his surname, but there’s much more to it than that. There’s a reason why Texas fans were clamoring for him to take the reins of the Longhorns offense at several points during last season. He offers an athletic threat at the quarterback position that the program lacked with Quinn Ewers and there’s no doubting his arm talent should make him one of the top passers in the 2025 season.
A CSN Second Team All-American in 2024, Anthony Hill Jr. enters the 2025 college football season as one of the top linebackers in the country. He’s been a high-level contributor for the Texas Longhorns since making his debut as a true freshman, and enters his junior campaign on the back of a season where he led the SEC in tackles for loss (17) and forced fumbles. A force coming downhill, he also impacts the passing game both with pressure and coverage capability.
Ahmad Hardy led all freshmen running backs with 1,351 rushing yards for the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks last fall, and he returns to college football in 2025 with the Missouri Tigers looking to prove himself at the SEC level. He’s one of the most elusive players you’ll see this coming season, while having the strength to stiff arm the best defensive players attempting to stop him. He’s easily one of the top running backs in the country, and his impact is being felt in recruiting for the team he departs.
A collarbone injury sustained in the regular season finale deprived the Arizona State Sun Devils of one of their greatest playmakers to end the 2024 season, but it appears like Jordyn Tyson will be fully healthy by the spring and ready to dominate as one of the best receivers in the country by the start of the 2025 campaign. He finished the year with three consecutive 100+ yard games, showcasing his reliable hands and unbelievable body control throughout the year.
Following his transfer from the James Madison Dukes to the Indiana Hoosiers, Mikail Kamara established himself as one of the top pass rushers in the country. The first-year Hoosier earned CSN First Team All-American honors after tallying 15 tackles for loss and 10 sacks with two forced fumbles, using his pass rush tool box to lead Indiana to one of the greatest seasons in program history. He’s set to dominate again in 2025.
LaNorris Sellers is one of the most exciting players at any position that you’ll see in college football this season. He could comfortably end up as the best quarterback in the country by the year is out. He’s a dangerous dual threat with the physical tools to dominate for the Gamecocks this fall. If he plays more consistently, the most productive season of his career should lead to team success and individual accolades.
