Latest news with #breakoutcandidates
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Patriots training camp breakout candidates: DeMario Douglas could level up
Patriots training camp breakout candidates: DeMario Douglas could level up originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston When the Patriots begin training camp practices Wednesday, they'll hope the date also marks the beginning of a long, drawn-out journey during which they exceed expectations. The Patriots are coming off back-to-back four-win seasons, and while they are expected to be a fringe playoff team by some, they are — generally speaking — not considered to be a group that will make more than a peep in January. If they're going to start trending toward becoming a truly competitive bunch in 2025, they'll need a handful of players to emerge as more useful than anyone anticipated. Those types of 'breakouts' sometimes can be pegged before the regular season even arrives. Evidence crops up as early as August, in the throes of sun-drenched camp practices. Who might those 'breakout' candidates be in Foxboro this summer? Glad you asked. We've identified five… 1. Starter who levels up: DeMario Douglas, wide receiver The Patriots are going to need as many electric playmakers as they can get if they want an offensive attack that can legitimately contribute on a team that hopes to win more than half its games. Douglas has the kind of athleticism in short-to-intermediate spaces that makes him difficult for defensive backs to smother, which he showed yet again this spring. He led Patriots wide receivers in catches (66) and yards (621) last season, and now paired with slot-friendly coordinator Josh McDaniels, he has an opportunity to improve upon both. If he does, and if Drake Maye puts his trust in him, Douglas could turn himself into someone who is considered one of the top true slots in the conference. In 2023, as a rookie, Douglas ranked fourth in the NFL among all wideouts with 7.0 yards after the catch per reception. In camp, in a new scheme, he may show signs that he's about to … y'know … pop … in the regular season. 2. Rookie thrust into a big spot: TreVeyon Henderson, running back Teams that draft running backs in the top 40 tend to fall into two buckets: 1) Loaded rosters that have a need at the position and simply couldn't pass on a top-tier talent at one of the game's most devalued spots, or 2) Rosters in desperate need of offensive talent that have big plans for their young runner. The Patriots feel like the latter. Though Rhamondre Stevenson and Antonio Gibson are both capable runners, there's no reason for McDaniels not to use Henderson on a regular basis. He has enough juice to be considered an explosive play waiting to happen, and the thing that often keeps young backs sidelined — their pass-protection savvy — happens to be one of the Ohio State product's strengths. He looked ready to contribute in OTAs, and that should continue even after the pads come on this summer. 3. Day 3 pick built for today's NFL: Craig Woodson, safety The NFL is experiencing a bit of a tight end resurgence. Teams are using theirs more frequently, and deploying more than one tight end on a regular basis. It's looking like the 1990s out there at times. How can defenses keep up? Players like Woodson, who are versatile enough to cover from various alignments and violent enough to handle the physical demands of slowing down an offense's version of a power forward. Woodson was one of New England's best players in rookie minicamp, and he carried that into spring workouts, where he did not look out of place playing alongside veteran expected starters. If he continues on that trajectory, he could be viewed as a 'breakout' player this summer and parlay that into a regular role come the fall. How rookie DB Craig Woodson's versatility could benefit Patriots defense 4. Day 3 pick built for Mike Vrabel's defense: Joshua Farmer, defensive tackle It'll take a few days, but when the pads come on for the first time, all eyes will be on the defensive line. Christian Barmore and Milton Williams are the big-money talents in the middle, their shoulders bearing the weight of great expectations. But if they are to be at their best, they're going to need others to share the workload. Farmer looks like one of the best bets to take on the snaps that allow players like Williams and Barmore the occasional breather. The Florida State product plays with the kind of violent demeanor Vrabel has appreciated in years past, and his long arms (35 inches) could allow him to play a variety of techniques and in a variety of different situations. 5. Undrafted rookie with a shot at the roster: Brock Lampe, fullback The undrafted rookie who generated the most buzz in the spring, by a wide margin, was Eastern Washington wideout Efton Chism III. His ability to stop on a dime and create separation was on display on an almost-daily basis, to the point where it wouldn't come as a shock if he ultimately made the roster. He's on the 'breakout' radar. But so is Lampe, despite the fact that he won't be stealing many headlines in camp. Why? McDaniels has long liked to have a fullback on his roster. Lampe plays fullback. He aligned there in spring practices — and early in practice periods, as in just behind quarterback Drake Maye — after thriving there at Northern Illinois. Is there a chance the Patriots turn to someone else at that position? Either a tight end already on the roster or someone completely new to the team? Sure. But as of right now, if McDaniels wants a lead blocker for his runners in two-back sets, Lamps looks like the most likely to take on the James Develin or Jakob Johnson role. How he performs when the pads come on in camp and he's tasked with blowing up a linebacker should go a long way in determining whether or not he'll be a long-term fixture. Patriots Mailbag: Uncovering UDFA gems, and other roster questions
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
2025 breakout tight ends for fantasy football, headlined by Hunter Henry, Brenton Strange
We're at the finish line of my fantasy football 2025 breakouts series, and I saved the best … eh, well, biggest for last. Yes, the big boys are my final group of breakout candidates. Given the scarcity at the tight end position, I will provide five names with the potential to return high value. You can call them sleepers, breakouts, value picks … whatever. But you should certainly think about calling their names on draft day — that is if you don't get a Tier 1 tight end. Yes, given the cost of the Tier 2 options, I'm most likely to opt for a Tier 1 tight end or wait until the very end of drafts to take a flyer. After all, TE11 is boring and highly replaceable. I want someone with a chance to surprise and break into the Top 10 for a fraction of the cost. On the one hand, some might say it won't get much better for Hunter Henry after leading the Patriots in targets, receptions and receiving yards last year — 97-66-674, with the 66 receptions tying DeMario Douglas. On the other hand, you can — and I will — argue that the passing game will improve in Drake Maye's second season, leaving more meat on the bone for Henry. Even if Henry only repeats his career-high 97 targets from last year, he has room to improve on a per-reception basis, both in yards and touchdowns. Advertisement Two things in Henry's favor are his red zone target rate and the return of Josh McDaniels, who was with Henry in New England in 2021 when Henry posted career-highs in red zone targets (17) and touchdowns (9). That Tom Brady dude was also gone, with Mac Jones at the helm, so don't fret about it being all about the quarterback. In fact, with Maye's improvement should come a return to touchdown success, as Henry had just two scores on 16 red zone targets last year. Henry won't be more than a back-end TE1, but he hasn't finished even that high since 2021. We're still waiting for Trevor Lawrence to be the 'generational talent' he was billed as coming out of college, but he has the weapons around him to live up to his draft capital (if the talent is there). Brian Thomas Jr. is a stud; Travis Hunter was a Tier 1 NFL Draft wideout regardless of his defensive ability; and Dyami Brown is an interesting deep threat as the No. 3 receiver — never mind the Jaguars' backfield and the breakout potential of Brenton Strange. Despite having a mere 45.4 Route% last year, Strange had 53 targets for a stat line of 40-411-2, seeing targets on 19.3% of his routes run. Additionally, Strange had a near-identical 1.50 YPRR to then-teammate Evan Engram's 1.51, who is now in Denver. There is the risk of Strange never rising higher than fifth place in targets, given the weapons in Jacksonville. Nevertheless, he is worth a lottery ticket at the end of drafts because if Strange sees 90+ targets, a Top-10 finish is in play. I was a big fan of Isaiah Likely's talent pre-draft, but I was definitely not a fan of his landing spot. Likely has spent most of his time in Baltimore playing second fiddle to Mark Andrews, though he did enjoy a semi-breakout last year. There are many calling for a full breakout season from Likely in 2025, and that's why I included him, but I'm hesitant to fully buy-in. Advertisement Likely produced a 16-180-3 line through Week 5 of 2024, when Andrews' mug was on the side of a milk carton. The rest of the season (10 games)? Likely delivered 26-297-3. In fact, Likely had just three games where he ran over 67% of the routes, and only one of those three came after Week 7. My argument against teammate Zay Flowers as a WR2 can also be applied to Likely. If Andrews is hurt or traded, wheels up, Goose! Likely would be a surefire Top-10 tight end. In lieu of that, I'll let someone else draft Likely and deal with the frustration of not knowing whether to start or even drop him every … single … week. The deepest of any name here, Theo Johnson, isn't for anyone outside of a deep league or tight-end premium setup (gross), and even then, he's still a long shot. Still, Johnson has Jason Witten-like fantasy upside, and the Giants don't have a locked-in, guaranteed No. 2 option in the passing game. Yes, Wan'Dale Robinson saw the second-most targets (140), nearly doubling Darius Slayton's 71, but even so, Robinson turned them into a mere 699 yards and 3 touchdowns on 93 receptions. Inefficient much? Slayton is a fine downfield threat, but Johnson did post a line of 43-29-331-1 in his rookie season, in just 12 games, with a 54.7 Route%. Even if Johnson can be Witten, he'd need a minimum of 100 targets to push the Top 10 in fantasy. But given the Giants' depth chart — and quarterbacks — it's not out of the question. I saved Kyle Pitts for last because half of you would have stopped reading immediately had he been higher — 'Been there. Done that. I'm out!' I get it. Pitts is like Taco Bell at 2 a.m. when you're 30-plus years old. It sounds so tasty, and then you get it and have regrets … for days. We all remember Pitts' historic rookie season (68 receptions, 1,026 yards), but we also want to forget all three subsequent seasons. The past two preseasons have also come with excuses and reasons to buy back in. I couldn't get on board last year, but order me a Crunchwrap, because here I am! At least this is like getting a crunch wrap for free, as Pitts is going in the Round 12-13 range based on early ADP. What's the worst that can happen? Besides diarrhea? If Pitts looks as terrible as ever, you drop him after 2-3 weeks. However, Michael Penix is the quarterback for 2025, and he didn't throw a single off-target pass in Pitts' direction. Okay, sure, the counterargument is Penix targeted Drake London eleventy billion times, and Pitts just 10 times in three games. Still, we're talking about Penix's first three NFL starts, and Zac Robinson enters his second season as the offensive coordinator, looking to maximize Pitts' talent. Darnell Mooney is a real threat as the No. 2 wideout, but Pitts has a chance to rebound — four years later — if Robinson utilizes him more out of the slot and out wide, as Pitts had just 94 of his rookie yards when inline. (Brenton Strange: Troy Taormina / Imagn Images)
Fox News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Top 10 Breakout Candidates Heading Into the 2025 College Football Season
Imagine sitting around last summer, long before the college football season officially began, and throwing around the following predictions: — Former Ohio State quarterback Kyle McCord, whose career with the Buckeyes never quite panned out, would lead the nation in passing after transferring to Syracuse of all places. — Former Michigan State quarterback Sam Leavitt, who hardly touched the field for the Spartans, would lead downtrodden Arizona State to the College Football Playoff. — Two of the three players with the most receptions of anyone in college football would be tight ends, with Harold Fannin Jr. of Bowling Green leading the way at 117 catches and Tyler Warren of Penn State right behind him at 104. — A freshman safety from Minnesota, Koi Perich, would finish tied for fourth nationally and lead the Big Ten in interceptions (four) to earn second-team All-America honors. The rapid ascension of players barely old enough to vote — and, in the case of Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams last year, those who are still a few months shy of that right — are part of what makes college football so wonderful. Fans and analysts alike never quite know who will come to dominate the sport as the seasons turn from summer to fall. The near-constant moving and shaking associated with the transfer portal only strengthens the year-to-year uncertainty. This year in college football should be no different. So with that in mind, here are 10 potential breakout candidates who might become household names in a few short months: *Recruiting rankings and historical data courtesy of Position: QuarterbackSchool: FloridaClass: SophomoreLast season: 115-of-192 passing for 1,915 yards, 12 TDs, nine INTs in 490 snaps In some respects, the fates of Lagway and Florida head coach Billy Napier have been intertwined ever since the five-star prospect committed to the Gators on Dec. 7, 2022, a few weeks before the conclusion of Napier's first season in charge. Lagway, the No. 7 overall player and No. 2 quarterback, headlined an incredible recruiting class that ultimately included five players rated among the top 90 prospects nationally. So, even as Napier's teams drastically underachieved on the field — he won just 11 of his first 25 games in 2022 and 2023 combined — decision makers at Florida were hesitant to make a coaching change that might cost them Lagway and other prized recruits. They held off long enough for Lagway to enroll ahead of the 2024 campaign and then, following a season-ending injury to starting quarterback Graham Mertz in mid-October, were afforded an early chance to see if their decision was warranted. By that point, Lagway had already widened eyes across the sport when he threw for a nation-best 456 yards and three touchdowns during the first start of his career against Samford in Week 2. But in leading Florida to a 5-1 record across the back half of a brutal schedule, including wins over then-No. 22 LSU and then-No. 9 Ole Miss, Lagway established himself as one of the most exciting young players in college football while simultaneously saving his coach's job as the Gators clawed to an 8-5 overall record and 4-4 mark in the SEC by winning their final four games. Lagway threw for 844 yards with six touchdowns and four interceptions during that stretch to earn Freshman All-America honors from a handful of media outlets. He was also named MVP of the Gasparilla Bowl after completing 22 of 35 passes for 305 yards and one touchdown in a comprehensive 33-8 win over Tulane. Position: QuarterbackSchool: Ohio StateClass: SophomoreLast season: 5-of-12 passing for 84 yards, one TD, zero INTs in 27 snaps No official decision has been made in an ongoing quarterback competition for the right to lead Ohio State, the defending national champions, onto the field in a pressure-packed season-opener against Texas on Aug. 30, but it's difficult to envision anyone other than Sayin winning the job. Sayin, a true sophomore, was a five-star prospect and the highest-rated quarterback in the 2024 recruiting cycle when he originally enrolled at Alabama in January of that year. The surprising and unexpected retirement of head coach Nick Saban, who'd played a significant role in Sayin's decision to join the Crimson Tide, sent Sayin into the transfer portal within a few weeks of arriving on campus. And that's when Ohio State head coach Ryan Day made the decision to pounce despite already having signed elite signal-caller Air Noland (No. 56 overall, No. 4 QB) in that same class, laying the groundwork for Noland's eventual transfer to South Carolina. Sayin quickly impressed both Day and then-offensive coordinator Chip Kelly with his lightning-fast release, tight-window accuracy and high-level processing skills that the coaches repeatedly praised throughout his first season with the Buckeyes, even as he sat behind starter Will Howard and backup Devin Brown on the depth chart. Lingering concerns about Sayin's size and physicality won't be easy to shake between now and Ohio State's first game — especially when juxtaposed with the brawny frame of Howard — but his arm talent alone should make it difficult for Lincoln Kienholz, a dual-threat player better known for his overall athleticism, to keep pace day after day in fall camp. Sayin is the most polished quarterback on the roster and best equipped to maximize the talents of wide receivers Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. He could be a multi-year starter for the Buckeyes in 2025 and beyond. Position: Running BackSchool: MissouriClass: SophomoreLast season: 237 carries for 1,351 yards and 13 TDs in 432 snaps Barely 10 months have passed since Hardy enrolled at Louisiana-Monroe as a sparsely recruited, zero-star recruit in the 2024 cycle. Though Hardy had rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 27 touchdowns during his senior season at Lawrence County High School in Monticello, Mississippi, the Warhawks were the only FBS program to offer him a scholarship. He won the starting job in fall camp for a run-heavy offense that would finish 51st nationally in rushing and made an immediate impression by carrying 19 times for 103 yards and one touchdown in a season-opening victory against Jackson State. It marked the first of eight 100-yard games for Hardy amid a workhorse season in which he averaged 19.8 carries per game and 23 per game across the second half of the year. He exceeded 200 yards in narrow losses to Marshall (25 rushes, 206 yards, 1 TD) and Arkansas State (30 carries, 204 yards, 2 TDs), which showcased his big-play ability with scores of 80 yards against the former and 72 yards against the latter. When the season ended, Hardy was the only freshman to rank among the top 20 nationally in rushing. Hardy's combination of youth and high-level production made him one of the most attractive tailbacks in the portal (No. 116 transfer, No. 6 RB) despite the modest level of competition he faced in the Sun Belt, which named him its Freshman of the Year. The only running backs ahead of Hardy in the transfer rankings were Justice Haynes of Alabama (No. 42 transfer, No. 1 RB); Rahsul Faison of Utah State (No. 49 transfer, No. 2 RB); Jaydn Ott of Cal (No. 50 transfer, No. 3 RB); Wayshawn Parker of Washington State (No. 100 transfer, No. 4 RB) and Fluff Bothwell of South Alabama (No. 112 transfer, No. 5 RB). How well Hardy handles the jump in competition to the SEC could hinge on his ability to continue making defenders miss at the same rate he did with the Warhawks. Hardy ranked third nationally in missed tackles forced last season with 93, according to Pro Football Focus, behind only Ashton Jeanty of Boise State (152) and Cam Skattebo of Arizona State (103). Position: Running BackSchool: LSUClass: SophomoreLast season: 140 carries for 753 yards and 6 TDs in 335 snaps Based on team statistics alone, the fact that LSU finished the 2024 season ranked 107th nationally in rushing yards per game (116.4) would seem to suggest the Tigers lacked an explosive lead back to pair with the passing exploits of quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. But the production that Durham put forth as both a runner and a receiving threat during his true freshman campaign has created plenty of excitement for a program with legitimate national championship aspirations this fall. Durham, who starred at Duncanville High School in the Dallas suburbs, was a four-star prospect and the No. 5 tailback in the country behind Taylor Tatum (Oklahoma), Nate Frazier (Georgia), Kevin Riley (Alabama) and Jordan Marshall (Michigan). He committed to the Tigers over strong recruiting interest from Oklahoma, where his mother ran track for the Sooners, and Texas A&M. Durham himself qualified for the state championships in the 100-meter dash and 4x100-meter relay during his time at Duncanville with a personal best of 10.28 seconds in the former. He made his first splash for the Tigers in Week 2 against South Carolina by carrying 11 times for 98 yards and two scores in a 36-33 victory that helped propel LSU toward a 6-0 start. Two weeks later, against South Alabama, Durham turned in arguably his finest performance of the season by rushing for 128 yards and a score while also catching three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown. In doing so, he became one of only two players at the FBS level to have a rush of 80-plus yards and a reception of 70-plus yards in the same game last season, joining UCF tailback RJ Harvey in that category. By season's end, Durham would eclipse 50 rushing yards eight times despite only averaging 11.7 carries per game. He finished as the team's leading rusher with 753 yards and also ranked first in the SEC among freshmen tailbacks. The expectation entering Year 2 is that Durham should be one of the best in the country at his position. Position: Wide ReceiverSchool: Michigan StateClass: SophomoreLast season: 41 catches for 649 yards and three TDs in 568 snaps There weren't many bright spots for a Michigan State offense that finished 110th overall (333.4 yards per game), tied for 123rd in scoring (19.3 points per game) and tied for 117th in passing touchdowns (13) during the debut season for head coach Jonathan Smith, formerly of Oregon State. But the emergence of youthful wide receiver Marsh, who set school records for most receiving yards and receptions by a freshman, was certainly atop the list. An in-state product from suburban Detroit, Marsh developed into a multi-positional star for River Rouge High School. He caught 41 passes for 718 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year while also rushing for 412 yards and six additional scores on 46 carries, all of which made him the No. 176 overall prospect and No. 30 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle. Marsh originally committed to Michigan State in the summer of 2022 before decommitting the following spring, opening the door for schools like Georgia Tech, Kansas, Penn State, Pitt and Colorado to host him for official visits. But he re-committed to the Spartans on July 7, 2023, and signed his letter of intent later that year. A quiet season-opener against Florida Atlantic gave way to the finest game of Marsh's young career when he caught eight passes for 194 yards and a touchdown in the 27-24 win over Maryland on Sept. 7. His 77-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the longest by a Michigan State player since former wideout Jayden Reed caught an 85-yard score against Youngstown State in 2021. It marked the first of two 100-yard games for Marsh, who finished eighth in the Big Ten in yards per catch (15.8) and second among the conference's freshmen at 59 receiving yards per game. Marsh proved particularly effective between the hashes, with more than 29% of his receptions coming across the middle on throws measuring 10 yards or fewer downfield, according to Pro Football Focus. Of his 62 total targets last season, more than 40 of them were on throws that attacked the middle at various depths. His connection with second-year starting quarterback Aidan Chiles, who was turnover-prone last season, will be a key barometer for Michigan State's offense this fall. Position: Wide ReceiverSchool: WashingtonClass: Redshirt juniorLast season: 63 catches for 834 yards and nine TDs in 767 snaps During Boston's freshman year at Washington in 2022, which happened to be the debut season for aerially inclined head coach Kalen DeBoer, the Huskies led the nation in passing at 369.8 yards per game. During Boston's sophomore year in 2023, which ended with a trip to the national championship game, Washington finished second in the country in passing at 343.7 yards per game as quarterback Michael Penix Jr. became a Heisman Trophy finalist after throwing for 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns. But despite the gaudy numbers his team was producing across those record-setting campaigns, Boston, a former three-star recruit, only caught seven passes for 66 yards combined. The reason? A host of NFL draft picks ahead of him on the wide receiver depth chart: Rome Odunze went No. 9 overall to the Chicago Bears, Ja'Lynn Polk went No. 37 overall to the New England Patriots and Jalen McMillan went No. 92 overall to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the spring of 2024. The deck finally cleared last fall under first-year head coach Jedd Fisch, formerly of Arizona, and Boston responded by leading the Huskies in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns during the regular season. He was particularly effective over the first half of the year, with all nine of his touchdowns coming on or before Oct. 12 and both of his 100-yard games coming in late September against Big Ten opponents: seven catches for 121 yards and two scores against Northwestern; six catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns against Rutgers the following week. He went on to set a new career high with nine receptions for 99 yards in a 26-21 win over USC in early November. Part of what makes Boston's outlook in 2025 so exciting is the transition at quarterback from former Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers, who was benched before the end of last season, to pulsating sophomore Demond Williams Jr., a true dual-threat prospect. Williams made the first start of his career in a blowout loss to Oregon in the regular-season finale before electrifying the fan base by throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns in a one-point loss to Louisville in the Sun Bowl. Moving forward, Williams and Boston could form one of the more exciting tandems in the Big Ten this fall. Position: Tight EndSchool: Penn StateClass: SophomoreLast season: Nine catches for 111 yards and one TD in 267 snaps More than any other offensive player on this list, Reynolds' inclusion is rooted almost exclusively in projection and anecdotal evidence rather than on-field production given his limited role last fall. The ubiquitous presence of All-American tight end Tyler Warren, who caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and eight touchdowns to lead Penn State in all three categories, not to mention his 26 carries for 218 yards and four rushing scores as a wildcat quarterback, meant that additional opportunities for Reynolds and position mate Khalil Dinkins (14 catches, 122 yards, 2 TDs) were difficult to find last fall. Though Reynolds appeared in all 16 games as the Nittany Lions reached the College Football Playoff semifinals, he only caught passes in five of them and, at one point, went more than a month between receptions from Sept. 28 against then-No. 19 Illinois to Nov. 16 against Purdue, when he hauled in his only touchdown. Most of his contributions while averaging 16.7 snaps per game came as a run blocker for an offense that led the Big Ten in rushing and ranked 17th in that category. But Reynolds arrived at Penn State with quite the pedigree after earning a five-star ranking from 247Sports and finishing as the top player at his position in the 2024 cycle. His stock began to soar the previous summer, in 2023, when Reynolds traveled to California for the Elite 11 Finals, where he had the chance to catch passes from some of the best quarterbacks in the country. He had barely cracked the top 1,000 prospects in the country when that competition began but would end the summer in the top 50 nationally — a meteoric rise given the time span. Originally a high school quarterback himself, Reynolds had decided to make a full-time transition to tight end ahead of his senior season at Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. He went on to catch 48 passes for 754 yards and eight touchdowns while flashing the kind of speed and overall athleticism generally reserved for wide receivers. And now that Warren is gone to the NFL — he was picked No. 14 overall by the Indianapolis Colts — Reynolds has the chance to become a preferred target for quarterback Drew Allar and offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki in 2025. Position: Defensive LineSchool: Ohio StateClass: SophomoreLast season: Seven tackles, seven QB pressures, two passes defended in 141 snaps One of the prevailing storylines surrounding Ohio State's national championship last season was the value of experience for a team that did an exemplary job preserving its roster over the winter. By retaining key pieces from a 2021 recruiting class that ranked No. 2 in the country coming out of high school, the Buckeyes entered the year with a handful or more of NFL-caliber players who formed the backbone of head coach Ryan Day's squad. That the Buckeyes went on to have 15 players selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, including seven in the first two rounds alone, offered even more proof of how skilled the team's nucleus really was. No position group housed more future pros than the defensive line, which saw all four starters drafted: Tyleik Williams at No. 28 overall, JT Tuimoloau at No. 45 overall, Jack Sawyer at No. 123 overall and Ty Hamilton at No. 148 overall. Their collective stranglehold on available snaps last season is why most college football fans probably aren't familiar with Houston. But those in and around the Ohio State program believe Houston, a former five-star prospect and the No. 26 overall player in the 2024 recruiting cycle, might be the program's next great defensive lineman. Houston chose the Buckeyes from a loaded crop of suitors that included Georgia, Clemson, USC and Alabama, among others, with the Crimson Tide making such a strong push last December that some industry experts predicted a last-minute flip. In the end, however, defensive line coach Larry Johnson and the Buckeyes held firm to a player who is now the ninth-best defensive linemen to sign with the program in the recruiting rankings era behind Tuimoloau, Sawyer, Noah Spence, Nick Bosa, Chase Young, Zach Harrison, Adolphus Washington and Taron Vincent — a star-studded group of contemporaries. A significant chunk of Houston's rookie season was spent adjusting from defensive end to defensive tackle, the role he is expected to fill in 2025. His playing time increased throughout the year and peaked during the College Football Playoff when he averaged 13.8 snaps per game. Position: EdgeSchool: South CarolinaClass: SophomoreLast season: 23 tackles (including 11 for loss and 6.5 sacks), 51 QB pressures, three forced fumbles and two fumbles recovered in 538 snaps For South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer, who took over the program ahead of the 2021 campaign, his first few years with the Gamecocks represented something of a contradiction between on-field results and off-field recruiting. When it came to the former, Beamer put forth a modest 20-18 overall record during his initial three seasons, none of which included a winning record in the SEC. But in terms of the latter, Beamer has orchestrated an incredible jolt that elevated South Carolina from the 80th-best class in 2021 to three consecutive classes ranked among the top 25 in the country. No recruit personifies those efforts more than Stewart, a five-star prospect and the No. 15 overall player in the 2024 cycle. Stewart was the highest-rated edge rusher in the country coming out of high school and became the sixth-best signee in program history behind Demetris Summers in 2003, Marcus Lattimore in 2010, Jadeveon Clowney in 2011, Zacch Pickens in 2019 and Jordan Burch in 2020. So it was of little surprise to anyone when Stewart, who chose South Carolina over Ohio State, exploded out of the gates for six quarterback pressures, 1.5 sacks and two forced fumbles in the opening game of his career against Old Dominion last August. Stewart went on to crack the starting lineup by mid-September and finished the season having amassed a team-best 51 pressures, including 25 amid a particularly torrid four-game stretch against Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Missouri. His final tallies of 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, which fell just shy of Clowney's program rookie record of eight, were enough for Stewart to earn unanimous Freshman All-American honors. The only FBS freshmen with more sacks were Texas' Colin Simmons (nine) and UTEP's Kyran Duhon (seven), though Stewart eclipsed both in total pressures. There's little question that he'll be among the most productive, and most feared, pass rushers in the country this fall. Position: SafetySchool: Notre DameClass: Redshirt sophomoreLast season: 59 tackles, five passes defended, three INTs (including one returned for a TD) in 768 snaps Even though Notre Dame ran into the offensive buzz saw that was Ohio State during last year's national championship game, surrendering more than 30 points for just the second time all season, there's no denying how dominant the Fighting Irish's defense was across an otherwise remarkable campaign. Under the direction of defensive coordinator Al Golden, who has since been poached by the Cincinnati Bengals for the same position, Notre Dame finished 11th in total defense (307.4 yards per game), tied for fourth in scoring defense (15.5 points per game) and fourth in passing defense (169.4 yards per game). The driving force behind such dominance was an exceptional secondary that consisted of cornerbacks Christian Gray, Leonard Moore and Jordan Clark along with safeties Xavier Watts and Shuler, a first-year starter and former four-star prospect in the 2023 cycle. With Watts and Clark now gone to the NFL — the former was a third-round pick by the Atlanta Falcons; the latter signed with the New York Jets as an undrafted free agent — Shuler is expected to be a leading figure for new defensive coordinator Chris Ash, who previously served as the head coach at Rutgers from 2016-19 before spending the last few years in the pros. Shuler logged the third-most snaps (768) of any defender last season, behind Watts (970) and Gray (796), and he finished fourth on the team in tackles with 59. He also tied for second on the Fighting Irish with three interceptions, one of which he returned for a 36-yard touchdown in a win over Georgia Tech. His missed tackle rate of 20.9% will need improvement between now and Notre Dame's high-profile season-opener against Miami (Fla.) on Aug. 31, especially without the All-American Watts alongside him, but Shuler should be the anchor for a secondary that still expects to be among the best in the country for 2025. Position: Punt ReturnerSchool: ArkansasClass: Redshirt sophomoreLast season: 20.6 yards per punt return, two punt return touchdowns; 62 receptions for 656 yards and six TDs in 431 snaps from scrimmage Special teams additions don't often receive much publicity in a transfer portal era dominated by high-priced quarterbacks and skill players, but Shanks deserves some recognition here. Shanks led the nation in punt return average (20.6 yards per attempt) and tied for the national lead in punt return touchdowns (two) in 2024 while also starring as an undersized wide receiver at UAB. He led the Blazers with 62 receptions for 656 yards and six touchdowns to earn third-team All-AAC honors on offense in addition to his first-team All-AAC recognition as a returner. There's a good chance he'll flip the field a time or two for Arkansas this fall. Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13. 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