Every season, each College Football program is banking on breakout performances from several pieces on its roster. Whether it's a player who has already flashed their ability or a former highly ranked recruit, several players breaking out is the best formula for putting together a great season. When a program is finally thrusting a former 5-star recruit into action, the excitement and expectations only get higher.
While some 5-star recruits arrive like Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams, or DJ Lagway, others take more time to burst onto the scene as superstars. Eventually, the 5-star recruits typically do make their way into a starting role and either live up to the expectations or underwhelm which can set a program back.
Heading into the 2025 College Football season, these former 5-star recruits are on the clock as their time as key pieces truly begins or is nearing its end.
The Texas Tech Red Raiders got a massive splash win in the 2024 recruiting class landing 5-star Micah Hudson keeping him In-State while holding off Texas and Texas A&M. Hudson then got off to a slow start missing the entire Spring with a back injury before missing the final 3 games of the season with an injury.
The offseason got hectic for Texas Tech and Micah Hudson as transfer chaos quickly ensued. Hudson entered the transfer portal quickly ending up at another In-State school with the Texas A&M Aggies. In March, Mike Elko confirmed that Hudson was no longer with the program and when the Spring transfer portal opened, Hudson returned to Texas Tech.
As Micah Hudson returns to Texas Tech, he returns to a roster loaded with talent after the Red Raiders went out an loaded up in the transfer portal. As the team looks to make a run to the College Football Playoff, Micah Hudson stepping up and living up to his potential would give the team one of the best wide receiver duos in the Country with Caleb Douglas.
Cormani McClain was one of the most sought after players in the 2023 recruiting class as each of the In-State Florida schools pushed for a commitment. Instead it was Deion Sanders and the Colorado Buffaloes who were able to win out in a crowded recruitment. McClain's time at Colorado ended rather quickly as McClain didn't see the field much with reported drama behind the scenes fueling the departure.
McClain ended up returning home joining the Florida Gators as a walk-on just a year after being a Top-15 recruit in the class. After appearing in just 3 games for the Gators, Cormani McClain is now in line to start in Florida's secondary. In his three games, McClain finished the year with 5 tackles, 1 pass breakups, and a pick-six against Kentucky.
CORMANI MCCLAIN PICK 6 🐊pic.twitter.com/AeoO60CvOs
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) October 20, 2024
While McClain hasn't had the start to his career that many would've thought, entering his Junior season he can still put together an impressive season and leave for the NFL Draft like many expected. McClain still has the elite top end speed and impressive length that could make him one of the top cornerbacks in the Country.
When Dante Moore was coming out of High School, he was a prized 5-star commit, but his path to becoming the starter at Oregon was not typical. Moore flipped his commitment late in the cycle, committing to UCLA where he'd get to start immediatley. His true freshman season had some ups and downs as he passed for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. After the season, Moore made the rare decision to transfer to Oregon, taking a step back and learning from Dillon Gabriel.
After taking the back seat for a year, Dante Moore is back at the helm of an offense this time taking over a playoff contender in Oregon. After winning the Big 10, the Ducks return a talented roster and if Moore is able to replicate what Gabriel did in one season, Oregon could easily find itself deep in a Playoff run. Moore has the athletic traits and the pedigree to be one of the best quarterbacks in College Football and if he can reach his ceiling, the Ducks are a threat to repeat as Big 10 Champions.
As a recruit, Jackson Arnold was a consensus 5-star recruit landing at Oklahoma as their clear star of the future. While Dillon Gabriel was putting together an impressive season, the fanbase still wanted to see Arnold in action so much that they weren't disappointed when Gabriel entered the transfer portal. Arnold's first season was underwhelming as he and Michael Hawkins both rotated in an offense that had a ton of flaws.
After one season as Oklahoma's starter, Arnold lands elsewhere in the SEC as he's the Auburn Tigers projected starter. Auburn had their own quarterback issues last season as Payton Thorne struggled immensely, which left Hugh Freeze searching for an answer.
Whether or not Jackson Arnold is able to live up to his High School recruiting ranking will be a massive storyline for the 2025 College Football season. Hugh Freeze is on the hot seat at Auburn and his tenure at Auburn could be decided by Arnold's play. The Tigers will have a far improved offensive line than Arnold had at Oklahoma, and one of the Nation's best wide receiver rooms which should only help Arnold reach his potential.
The journey of former 5-star quarterback Malachi Nelson is one of the most intriguing storylines in all of college football. Coming out of High School, Nelson was a consensus 5-star recruit signing with USC and Lincoln Riley in what appeared to be a match made in heaven. Instead after just one season, Nelson transferred to Boise State where he once again found himself serving a backup role.
Heading into his third season, the former 5-star recruit finds himself at his third school looking to break through with the UTEP Miners. Heading into the Summer, Nelson is still in a quarterback battle but, he has his best chance to finally break through and show that he can live up to his potential. If Nelson can win out in the quarterback battle and finally get onto the field, the Miners could return to contention in Conference USA.
After a breakout 2024 season, the South Carolina Gamecocks enter the season as a dark horse to make the College Football Playoff. Expectations are sky high for this team in part because of the breakout season LaNorris Sellers just had as he enters the season as a Heisman front runner and a projected 1st round pick.
Among the weapons LaNorris Sellers will be counting on this year is former 5-star wide receiver Nyck Harbor. Last season, Harbor started to show his potential as he caught 26 passes for 376 yards and 3 touchdowns but, in 2025, he'll need to take the next step if the Gamecocks offense is going to emerge. Harbor is built like a video game create-a-player at 6-foot-5 with legitimate track speed, which should make him an exciting receiver to watch this season.
Coming out of High School, Devin Brown was another consensus 5-star recruit ranking as the top overall player in his class according to On3. During his time at Ohio State, Brown had to sit behind several elite quarterbacks which has kept him from ever earning a starting role at the College level. After a third season at Ohio State, Devin Brown entered the transfer portal landing at Cal.
Devin Brown is tasked with replacing a productive quarterback in Fernando Mendoza who transferred to Indiana and he'll be tasked with doing so without one of the best weapons in the Country in Jadyn Ott who transferred this Spring. During his career, Brown has attempted just 48 passes which makes it difficult to project how much of an impact he'll have but, if he can live up to his potential, Cal can take another step toward competing in the ACC.
In the 2023 recruiting class, the only player that was ranked higher than edge rusher Keon Keeley was Nico Iamaleava which speaks to how highly regarded Keon Keeley was. As is the standard at Alabama, it's really hard to make your way onto the field on the defensive line as Nick Saban stacked NFL caliber players on a yearly basis.
Heading into his 3rd season in Tuscaloosa, this could finally be the year that Keon Keeley starts to show some of the potential that made him one of the Nation's elite recruits. One of the issues for Alabama in 2024 was that the Crimson Tide lacked that elite level pass rusher that disrupted it's opponents game plan. If Keeley can put everything together this season, he should become a key pass rusher for the Crimson Tide with a chance to break out.
As a True Freshman, watching Harold Perkins Jr terrorize offenses, it was hard to imagine he'd ever see a 4th season in College Football as he looked like a potential Top 5 pick. As a Sophomore, Perkins moved to linebacker which was supposed to best suit his size and skillset but, it was an underwhelming season. As a Junior, Perkins tore his ACL but, prior to the injury he still looked to be a shell of the player he was a Freshman.
Now entering his fourth season in Baton Rouge, the LSU Tigers have College Football Playoff goals and one of the players the Tigers will be counting on is Perkins. The big question is whether the staff will try him again at Linebacker, move him back to edge rusher, or move him to the STAR position which could allow him to play some of both roles. If Harold Perkins Jr is ever going to put it all together, this season has to be the year for both parties given their expectations.