The Pigs of Tomorrow: Looking Ahead to the 2025 Class
As per end-of-year tradition, VP takes a stab at identifying some freshmen contributors for the next season.
Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to lift no heavy-ass weights.
- Ronnie Coleman, bodybuilder
Hello pigs, welcome back. Last year I took a stab at identifying some true freshman signees who I thought could make an immediate impact in the CFF ecosystem. Predictably, the hit rate for those names was abysmal. To be fair, though, that article specifically focused on three and four star players, which tied my hands somewhat.
This go around, I’m placing no such restrictions on myself, namely because a lot of the year one studs this past season were blue chip prospects like Alabama’s Ryan Williams, and LSU’s Caden Durham. It wasn’t really like that before in the CFF world—and maybe 2024 was an outlier year—nonetheless, I think it makes sense to cast a wider net for today’s exercise.
Expanding on my earlier point, the 2024 freshman class was fairly bi-modal. The two groups of freshmen that produced were either blue chip prospects at high P4 programs (UGA, LSU, OSU, Alabama…) or unknown/unranked commodities at G5s (e.g., Ahmad Hardy at ULM, Fluff Bothwell at South Alabama).
Predicting the latter group is a fool’s errand, as these guys are barely in evaluators’ databases half the time. The former group are a little easier. Still, it’s not a given that a high pedigree recruit at a P4 program will succeed (especially so in year one). So without further ado, let’s get into this thing.
QB
Julian Lewis, Colorado (6’0.5, 185)
Considering the circumstances of Lewis’ recruitment (reclassifying to 2025, originally committed to USC, flipped to CU), it seems logical to think that he’ll be the designated replacement for Shedeur Sanders after he leaves for the NFL (presumably this spring). Lewis, as specified, is originally a class of 2026 player, and I’m always a bit worried about players who move up a level. However, Alabama’s Ryan Williams has quieted some of those concerns in my head for the time being.
Is Lewis another Ryan Williams? Probably not, but he has been on the national radar since he was in middle school, with talking heads in Georgia making early comparisons to Trevor Lawrence. Had Lewis stayed in his class, perhaps he would have made good on that promise, but we’ll just have to settle with his four star ranking coming out of high school now.
Colorado’s staff have shown an uncanny loyalty to their star transfers and recruits over the last two seasons, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, so my thinking is that Lewis will have a good shot at the starting role in 2025. Whether or not he’s good enough to take it and run with it, however, is another question.
KaMario Taylor, Mississippi State (6’3.5, 205)
There appears to have been a mini disaster this December in Starkville with rumours of a potential Jackson Arnold acquisition leading to the departure of one Michael Van Buren, who looked pretty damn good this year as a true freshman.
The Bulldogs ended up whiffing on Arnold, who signed with Auburn, so now they find themselves in a similar position to last year: with a veteran Blake Shapen returning, and an incoming freshman QB with a lot of promise.
Shapen will almost assuredly get the first crack (by default) at starting again, but he is coming off of a major injury, so who knows how he’ll look. Taylor is a former top-150 recruit from the state of Mississippi, who has great size already. UGA, among other SEC schools, made a late push to sign him.
Bryce Underwood, Michigan (6’3.5, 205)
It’s hard to imagine that Michigan would have spent all that money just to keep Underwood off the field for the entirety of 2025. I would be surprised if he’s the starter to begin the year, but I’ll be equally surprised if he’s not by November. I would imagine that there will be a similar career path to Florida’s DJ Lagway last year. Though in that case an injury forced Florida’s hand probably sooner than they would have liked.
Underwood was originally committed to LSU, but is now likely the highest paid CFB player in America strapping up with the Wolverines.
RB
Shekai Mills-Knight, Ole Miss (6’1, 215)
Sacré Bleu! The SEC saw a ton of true freshmen make an impact in 2024, which was highly unusual. UGA’s Nate Frazier, LSU’s Caden Durham, and the WR duo of Cam Coleman and Ryan Williams emerged as their team’s top playmakers down the stretch.
Enter Ole Miss signee, Shekai Mills-Knight, who originally hails from Montreal, Quebec, in Canada. He was a riser later in the cycle as he moved to Tennessee, where he started blowing up with offers.
It looked early on that Wisconsin may be his collegiate destination, but evidently he was determined to stay in SEC country signing with the Rebels. What are the chances Lane actually rolls with a freshman at tailback? Slim to none, they’re hosting transfer RBs on campus right now as we speak. Still, there is a lot of intrigue within the recruiting industry in Mills-Knight.
Jon Denman, TCU (5’10, 195)
TCU needed a tailback to step up in the worst way this season, and they didn’t really get it. In fact, they definitely didn’t get it, as they were reduced to using WR Savion Williams as a wildcat QB to ignite the run game later in the season. That may have been jolly good for his CFF shareholders, but it was a problematic sign for a program that has been something of a CFF RB factory under Sonny Dykes.
The Cam Cook experiment never quite got off the ground, and Jeremy Payne and Trent Battle also got their chances, but the quest for a workhorse RB continues in Fort Worth. Enter Jon Denman, a three star RB who played two-way in high school as both a runner and a safety. When he wasn’t laying people out on the gridiron, he was also a basketball player.
247’s Gabe Brooks suggested that Denman could play at the FBS level on either side of the ball, and also highlighted his physical nature as a player. The interesting part? He ran a sub-11 100 meter time in March of 2024. Size, physicality, and speed—it’s usually a winning combo.
Alvin Henderson, Auburn (5’9, 200)
Alvin Henderson won the Mr. Football award in the state of Alabama as a senior, and when you look at his high school stats, it’s not hard to see why. His junior season total of 68 scores is seventh all time in a single-season in high school football history. He held every offer you’d imagine, with UGA, Alabama, and Florida State all wanting a piece at one point.
Auburn were the lucky winners in the end, but will Freeze unleash him in year one? Starter Jarquez Hunter figures to move on after this season, so there will be an opening, but it’s always more likely that a more senior player fills in. They could also go portal like they did at QB, despite signing a five star QB this past cycle.
Jabree Wallace Coleman, Penn State (6’0, 205)
Coleman was the first commit in UGA’s 2025 class once upon a time. Well, things have changed since then, and now Coleman looks to be one of the heir apparent’s to the Singleton/Allen duo. While it’s not even a given that both runners leave, it does feel likely that at least one does. Quinton Martin has failed to make much of an impact as a freshman, despite many opportunities with blowouts vs. inferior competition.
Coleman comes from a high level high school in Philadelphia, and the fact that UGA accepted his commitment two years out from signing day tells me at the very least there’s some talent here. If the room clears out in from of him, all the better. It is hard to play immediately as a freshman in a high P4 conference like the B1G, so this is definitely a long shot.
Nino Hill, Buffalo (6’0, 185)
For all the talk about P4 prospects, it was the G5 guys at the top of the freshman RB pecking order in 2024. ULM’s Ahmad Hardy and South Alabama’s Fluff Bothwell were both highly productive this past season, and given the lack of competition on the roster compared to P4 programs, it’s not hard to figure out why the path could be easier for the G5s to have a breakout frosh campaign.
Pete Lembo took over as the Bulls head coach after Maurice Linguist left to coach the secondary at Alabama last offseason. Lembo’s first year was a boost to the running back position as Al Jay Henderson become a #VolumePig in MAC play starting in October. Henderson, as far as I know, can return but I haven’t heard anything specifically. Regardless, it’s time to get the word out that UB is a RB friendly system in CFF again. Thank the gods, am I right? That 2020 season under Leipold felt so far away these past few seasons.
Nino Hill is probably not a name you’ve heard much about. He’s a lowly three star prospect but he does hail from Canton, Ohio, which I view as a good omen. According to 247 Sports, the Ohio State Buckeyes offered Nino in June, 2024.
WR
Caleb Cunningham, Ole Miss (6’2, 190)
There’s an old saying around the VP headquarters that goes: “Every great SEC program has a little bit of Mississippi in them”. Cunningham was first committed to Alabama, then flipped late in the cycle to Ole Miss. ON3 lists him at 6’2, but 247 Sports has him at a lowly 6’1.
The five star man-child was the #1 player in Mississippi, so you know he had some serious NIL figures thrown at him from both Mississippi and Mississippi State. In fact, early signs pointed towards the Bulldogs eventually signing him, but Ole Miss and Alabama surged later on.
Cunningham is a large body receiver who will most likely be behind a few transfers that have yet to be revealed to us yet. That’s been Ole Miss’ MO under Lane, at least. Cunningham looks like a classic ‘X’ receiver, and if he’s anything like some of the freshman ‘X’s from 2024, he could be a version of 2025’s Jeremiah Smith/Cam Coleman/TJ Moore. That being said, I’m still holding my breath on Aydin Williams from a few cycles ago to have his first big game at Ole Miss, he’s been buried behind transfers since he signed…
DaKorien Moore, Oregon (5’11, 185)
Any list like this would be remiss for not including the nation’s #1 prospect at the WR position. Especially considering we saw what was essentially the WR1-3 according to last year’s rankings dominate freshman WR production in 2024. I (along with the recruiting industry) do not view Moore as another Jeremiah Smith. For one, he’s smaller, even compared to Ryan Williams, who was over 6-foot on signing day. Cam Coleman was the other one that popped off this year and he—like Smith—was 6’3 coming out of high school.
Moore will probably require more of adjustment from a physical standpoint than the the top three from last year, however, it’s important in this day and age of CFB to make note of how his recruitment unfolded.
He was always near the top of his class when early rankings came out—running a 10.4 100 meter sprint and playing at a school like Duncanville will do that for you. He was originally committed to LSU, but then decomitted, initially looked like he’d end up at Texas, only to pivot to the Northwest to play for Dan Lanning’s Ducks.
Now, I’m sure we all understand that Texas as a program has a lot of resources, and Steve Sarkisian runs a fairly WR-friendly offence. Moore was the #1 player in the state of Texas for the 2024 cycle. You can imagine that the Longhorns have a special package of some kind they offer to players of that status, and were probably willing to go into funny money territory when battling with the Ducks.
The point being, Moore is the type of player who probably wouldn’t be playing at Oregon under usual circumstances, and so the Ducks’ staff will probably do their very best to get him involved as early as possible. Of course, I said the very same thing about Micah Hudson with Texas Tech last year, and look how that turned out…
Quentin Gibson, Colorado (5’8, 165)
If you thought the last player was small, get a load of Gibson. Coincidently, the two faced off against each other in the Texas high school playoff. Gibson’s performance helped his team upset Duncanville High (back-to-back state champions) to advance to the Texas 2024 State Championship. The performance was so awe-inspiring, there were even some salacious tweets such as this after the game:
When I noticed that JuJu Lewis was also commenting on the thread I scratched my head wondering what the connection was… only to find out Gibson is also committed to Colorado.
CU is a program that relies on transfers more than high school players, so just like with Lewis in the QB section, it’s a long shot that a high school player will be contributing on day one. Then again, last year’s five star plus OL Jordan Seaton basically did just that.
However, CU tends to go heavy in the portal for skill position players, particularly at WR, and Gibson’s physique is probably not sufficient at the moment to be a contributor at the collegiate level.
If Jimmy Horn and LaJontay Wester clear out at the slot position, I’d feel more confident in Gibson getting on the field in 2025 in some capacity. This is a player I could see blossoming in year three, or even year two so long as the infrastructure that’s there now is still in place.
Talyn Taylor, Georgia (6’1, 175)
Georgia fans have clamoured for a five star WR since George Pickens was flipped from Auburn on signing day. Enter Illinois’ Talyn Taylor (a composite five star on ON3), who UGA fended off the likes of Ohio State and Ole Miss for. We’re used to programs like the Buckeyes and the Rebels landing top receivers, but Georgia? This is certainly an unusual phenomenon.
Taylor probably has the easiest path to the field of any of the five star WRs this year, as UGA desperately needs players who can get open and catch a football. Hell, if he could suit up now, he’d likely be in the starting rotation for the CFP. It remains to be seen whether Carson Beck comes back next year, but one thing I’m not uncertain on is that UGA’s staff will do everything they can to get Taylor ready to make an impact immediately, and to keep him happy to stay.
People will scoff—in fact, I can already hear them through the inbox—but UGA is one of the top passing teams by yardage this year in the SEC, and their top three receivers saw 44% of the total target share (and if Arian Smith could catch, he’d have gone over 1000 yards easily). The problem in the past with this program has been a spreading of targets. Will Taylor be a 1000+ yard guy even if he’s everything we hope he is? Probably not, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have a similar freshman season to George Pickens.
The thinning of depth due to NIL/transfer portal for a team like UGA that wants to spread snaps in this case can be a plus for CFFers.
Clarence Taylor, Colorado State (6’1, 165)
It’s not often that you see a player from Alabama sign with CSU, so I’m going to take it as a sign that CSU’s staff really, really wanted Taylor. If true, that would mean that Taylor is probably going to see the field early. Coach Norvell’s offence has shown itself to be WR friendly in the past, with the likes of Romeo Doubs and Tory Horton coming through his Nevada and CSU programs.
The three star WR out of Pleasant Grove is the highest rated player CSU signed this cycle.
Jase Nix, San Jose State (5’10, 160)
SJSU’s offence produced the most prolific receiver in CFB this past season, so naturally CFFers will be keeping a close eye on this roster. As of now, OC Craig Stutzmann is still on the staff, which is an important ingredient in this equation.
While it’s unlikely that a true freshman will be the guy to replace Nick Nash in the offence, Nix was SJSU’s highest rated player they signed this past cycle. According to ON3, he held a P4 offer from Arizona. Other offers included San Diego State and Nevada.
Nash was a boundary player standing at 6’3 inches tall, but Stutzmann has worked magic with 5’11, 180 pound Joey Hobert at Utah Tech and Texas State (went over 1000 yards both seasons).
*There is a discrepancy in his listed metrics. ON3 has him at 5’10, 160, while 247 has him listed 5’9, 175.
Landon Roldan, Georgia (6’0, 180)
Similar to Taylor, UGA needs playmakers in the worst way right now and the freshman class of WRs will be counted on in 2025. The comparisons to a former UGA great, Ladd McConkey, may seem lazy on the surface (we get it, he’s a white WR from North Georgia), but beyond the surface the similarities are pretty striking.
Roldan will be entering UGA at almost the same physical specifications as McConkey, who himself was listed at 6’0, 175 upon his arrival. Most importantly, their skillsets appear very similar, and both were late risers in their cycles. Here’s a snippet from 247 Sports’ evaluation of Roldan:
Late-blooming wide receiver known for his straight-line speed, quick acceleration and crisp route running. Excels in stretching defenses and consistently creating separation downfield. Also demonstrates strong run-after-catch abilities as he breaks tackles and finds green grass. Tested off the charts summer before senior season, which put him firmly on the radar of college coaches.
From a pure CFF standpoint, I understand those who will view UGA WRs with skepticism, I’m in the same boat. However, OC Mike Bobo has several 1000-yard WRs in his repertoire from his time at CSU, and UGA has proven over the last few seasons that they will play freshmen a lot when needed, and if they’re good enough.
I think Roldan’s name is one to tuck away for C2C formats, and CFF dynasty formats in particular. It’s not fair to expect him to be Ladd McConkey, but his profile offers a lot of similar elements at this stage in the game.
TE
Linkon Cure, Kansas State (6’6, 220)
Kansas State had to fend off a myriad of bandits at the end of this past recruiting cycle to secure Cure’s signature. Oregon, in particular, was coming aggressively for the five star player out of Kansas. Which reminds me, when was the last time there was a five star athlete coming out of the Sunflower State?
Needless to say, they are few and far between, which makes sense as to why the Wildcats worked so hard to keep him. KSU was once a solid system for the TE position under OC Colin Klein. Klein has since moved on but the head coach remains, and with a talent like this coming in at TE, you have to feel that there will be a concerted effort to get Kure up to speed. His physique suggests he’s more of a receiver than classic TE at the moment.
Elyiss Williams, Georgia (6’7, 240)
I have been writing about Williams for two years at this point and in one article on Campus2Canton in 2023, I dubbed him ‘The Chosen One’. That’s because I’ve not seen an athlete like him before. My comp for him this past spring was a former UGA five star TE Darnell Washington (see article below), but Williams has a lot more flexibility and twitch in his body compared to DW.
His high school doesn’t throw it often, so his career stats won’t wow the observer. However, his athleticism is off the charts from the film (he’s also an elite basketball player), and he chose wisely in terms of a collegiate system to feature his skillset. Williams is the kind of player that you look to get involved as much as he can handle to keep from transferring. He’s such a unicorn of an athlete that there will be schools constantly back channelling to acquire him regardless.
He’s rated the #1 or #2 TE according to different services. However, he’s a unanimous #1 on the VP-Freakazoid-scale, which NFL GMs tell me is highly valued around draft time.
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