The vast majority of College Football players rise in popularity by making the big plays on the field that make them a star. The other way players live in the minds of College Football fans is when an announcer calls out a name that truly makes you question if they said the right name.
In the modern NIL era, the players with the most unique names now have a path to capitalizing off of their names which has created great partnerships like Kool-Aid McKinstry and Kool-Aid as well as DeColdest Crawford and air conditioning companies.
Ahead of the 2025 College Football season, we researched each College Football roster, identifying the most unique names in the country to build the 2025 College Football All-Name team.
It remains to be seen as to whether or not Gunner Stockton can live up to the level that Stetson Bennett played at leading Georgia to a pair of National Championships or even Carson Beck who had two productive seasons. Given that sentiment the name Gunner Stockton alone screams star quarterback with a name that would've been perfect to play for Mike Leach. With a name like Gunner, anything less than an incredible passing season would be a waste of a great name.
If Montana signed a running back named Tommy Rabbit, it would be one of the best names in the sport but, Tommy Running Rabbit takes it to another level. Last season, Tommy Running Rabbit used his redshirt season and will look to contribute this season on special teams. Even if Running Rabbit doesn't see the field in his career, he'll have a chance to go down as an All-Name Team Hall of Famer.
When Rhino Tapa'atoutai steps into the starting lineup, the game plan for the Arizona Wildcats should be to run directly behind him. If you want anyone clearing the way up front, it's a guy named Rhino which is the perfect name for an offensive lineman.
There may not be a better name to position match than SMU offensive lineman King Large. When Rhett Lashlee was recruiting King Large, all he truly needed to do was look at the name and see that at 316 pounds, the size matched Large's legal name, and it should've pushed him to the top of the recruiting board.
In College Football, Big Al is most known for being the mascot of the Alabama Crimson Tide, but if Appalachian State goes on a run in the next few seasons, that could change. The Mountaineers' True Freshman lives up to the name at 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, and when he steps on the field, it'll be incredible to see.
The West Virginia Mountaineers used the transfer portal this offseason to bring in a starting offensive lineman, and they couldn't have landed a better name on paper in Walter Young Bear. The Tulsa transfer is a Redshirt Senior, so he may not live up to the "Young" part of his name, but, at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, he's certainly built like a bear.
Oftentimes, College Football coaches will tell their players to be the hammer and not the nail, for Virginia Tech offensive tackle Hannes Hammer, it's in his name. The Hokies lost some key pieces on the offensive line to the transfer portal but, with a Hammer on the offensive line, they should be in a great place to rebound.
As Rowdy Beers isn't currently on a College Football team, the All-Name team will have to settle for Rocky Beers. There are plenty of popular players on Colorado State's campus but, Rocky Beers is most likely the highest selling jersey on campus and possibly in the history of the school.
Kirby Smart may have recruited Nitro Tuggle because he was a Top-100 recruit and a High School All-American but, all he really needed to see is that it was a wide receiver Nitro Tuggle. When you watch Nitro Tuggle play, he lives up to the name as an explosive playmaker who should make a massive impact for the Boilermakers.
This offseason, the Purdue Boilermakers landed a wide receiver from USC and Georgia and he's a thriller. When Purdue's offense is on the field this season, keep an eye out for Michael Jackson III as he's already planning to moonwalk when he scores.
Purdue brought in receiver Michael Jackson III. What’s in store if the King of Pop’s namesake finds the end zone? pic.twitter.com/2WBQOhB3BA
— Sam King (@samueltking) August 5, 2025
As soon as every college football player arrives on campus, they start their journey to becoming a legend. The California Golden Bears have a player that started that path before arriving on campus in Legend Journey. The redshirt Freshman got some experience in the LA Bowl against UNLV and will look to make a big impact in his second season.
This past recruiting cycle, the Boise State Broncos signed edge rusher Bol Bol who was one of the top recruits out of Washington. Bol Bol is not the son of former NBA Star Manute Bol nor is he the former Oregon Basketball star but, he's a 6-4 pass rusher that will look to unleash havoc on opposing offenses.
Some defenses have a "WOLF" position, the Memphis Tigers will have Wolf in the middle of their defense in the coming years. The True Freshman joins the program with one of the best names in the Country, and if being named Wolf wasn't cool enough, being named Wolf Walker is truly incredible.
There may not be a bigger sports fan than the father of Bowling Green linebacker Gideon Lampron as he gave his son the middle name ESPN. The story goes that Lampron's father snuck the name onto the birth certificate, and his son now has an incredible middle name for an athlete. Hopefully, Lampron can make a big enough play this season to crack SportsCenter's Top 10 plays.
Hands down, the best name in College Football belongs to Central Arkansas cornerback Dude Person. Dude Person is most similar to the generic name a video game gives a create a player before you name them, which makes the name perfect.
During the Brian Kelly era, the LSU Football team has constantly been hurt by their lack of a defense wasting a Heisman season from Jayden Daniels and two first round receivers in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. Heading into the 2025 season, LSU hopes to have solved it's issues on defense but, the Tigers may have solved a problem without even trying to fix it.
This offseason, the LSU Football team lost defensive back Major Burns to the NFL. One of the players stepping in to replace Burns in the secondary is true freshman cornerback DJ Pickett. Going from a defensive back with the name Major Burns to a name pronounced like pick-it is a massive win for the Tigers defense.
As a defensive back in College Football, you'd better have the speed, the agility, and the mobility to keep up with highly developed wide receivers. Rice Defensive Moh Bility has it in his name as he's got the perfect name to be an elite athlete. Heading into his Redshirt Junior season, Moh Bility will look to crack the starting lineup on defense, but if it were based on name alone, he would've started as a freshman.
From Nicholls State to LSU to UTSA and now at Incarnate Word, Pig Cage is one of the best names in College Football. The journeyman defensive back will get the chance to make a true impact at defensive back after spending most of his time as a reserve safety and a key special teamer for UTSA.