While College Football was once a run-first sport, as the quarterbacks weren't that good, the game has vastly shifted. Innovations to offensive play calling, along with quarterbacks reaching higher athletic heights, have shifted College Football into an era of explosive offenses. The development at the quarterback position is only helped by the fact that the College level has developed athletic specimens at the Wide Receiver position.
A College Football offense is truly at its most elite form when it has a Heisman level quarterback and a wide receiver, which was last seen when DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy with Mac Jones finishing in the Top 3.
Heading into the 2025 College Football season, it feels as if we're entering a season with some of the best quarterback and wide receiver talent we've seen at the College level. Across the Country, elite NFL Draft prospects and Heisman contenders return which will make for an exciting race for the College Football Playoff.
Heading into the season, the following teams have one of the best passing duos in the Country.
One of the biggest storylines of the offseason was Penn State getting quarterback Drew Allar back for one more season as he was a projected 1st round pick in the NFL Draft. After Penn State's deep College Football Playoff run, returning Allar sets the Nittany Lions up to once again compete for the Big 10 and potentially the National Championship.
In his second season as Penn State's starting quarterback Allar took a massive jump in production passing for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns with 8 interceptions. While Allar loses the ultimate safety blanket in Tyler Warren, he should have his best supporting cast yet in 2025.
The biggest addition for this team came in the Spring as the Nittany Lions were able to lure in Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena. The past several seasons have been defined by Penn State lacking the playmakers on the outside to beat the Nation's best teams but, with Pena that should change. In 2024, Pena caught 84 passes for 941 yards and 9 touchdowns and will be the most explosive playmaker Allar has had.
Heading into the 2025 season, Hugh Freeze finds himself on the hot seat after an abysmal 5-7 season where the Tigers went 2-6 in SEC Play. As the offense crumbled in 2024, Hugh Freeze is tasked with finding a way to field an offense that's capable of winning games in the SEC in order to save his job.
As Payton Thorne departs, Hugh Freeze and his staff will be leaning on Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold to live up to his recruiting ranking. In his lone season starting at Oklahoma, Arnold underwhelmed but struggles on the offensive line and injuries to the entire wide receiver room may be to blame. At Auburn, Arnold will play behind a much stronger offensive line, and he'll have an elite wide receiver room, which should help him bounce back.
The headline player in Auburn's wide receiver room is Sophomore, Cam Coleman who had an impressive Freshman season. While Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams filled the headlines, Coleman quietly caught 37 passes for 598 yards and 8 touchdowns, with quarterback play that slowed his production. If Arnold can play better than what Auburn had last season, the offense and Cam Coleman will look leaps and bounds better, and it'll compete in the SEC.
Following a disastrous season for the Oklahoma Sooners, Brent Venables was forced to move on from his offensive coordinator. The Sooners brought in Washington State Offensive Coordinator Ben Arbuckle to fill the role after his great season for the Cougars. The biggest part of hiring Arbuckle may be the fact that he was able to get his quarterback John Mateer to follow him to Norman.
After sitting behind Cam Ward at Washington State, John Mateer used his first season as the starter to burst onto the scene passing for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns with just 7 interceptions while rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. Mateer has the dual threat ability and the talent to become a superstar at Oklahoma finally bringing the Sooners back to National Relevance.
John Mateer will be leaning upon a bounce back season from Wide Receiver Deion Burks. After transferring in from Purdue, Deion Burks dealt with injuries which kept him off of the field limiting him to just 31 catches for 245 yards and 3 touchdowns. If Burks is able to return to form following the injury, the Sooners will have another electric weapon to go along with Mateer and Jaydn Ott.
As Jalen Milroe departs for the NFL, a new era begins in Tuscaloosa as Ty Simpson is expected to takeover as Alabama's starting quarterback. Simpson has spent plenty of time in Alabama's quarterback room but, has just 50 career attempts meaning he lacks playing experience. While Simpson lacks experience, playing in Kalen DeBoer and Ryann Grubb's offense will make his transition easy.
Part of making Ty Simpson's transition easier is the fact that he has one of the best wide receivers in the Country in Ryan Williams. As a True Freshman, Williams exploded onto the scene catching 48 passes for 865 yards and 8 touchdowns with some of the most jaw dropping plays of the season. Having a more traditional quarterback in Ty Simpson bodes well for Williams hitting the next level which is great news in Tuscaloosa.
The end of the 2024-25 College Football season brought the breakout of Washington quarterback Demond Williams Jr. While Williams appeared in every game, he started the Huskies final two games against Oregon and Louisville completing 43 of 52 attempts for 575 yards and 5 touchdowns with just one interception while adding another 65 yards and a score with his legs. After getting a ton of experience, Williams enters the season with the ability to help bring the Huskies back to National contention.
Williams' assumes the starting role with one of the best assets a quarterback can have with a go-to Wide Receiver in Denzel Boston. After catching just 7 passes in his first two seasons, Boston burst onto the scene catching 63 passes for 834 yards and 9 touchdowns. The program has been on an incredible run producing NFL talent at the WR position and Boston appears next in line to ascend into 1st round pick territory.
For years College Football fans especially Texas fans have been waiting to finally see Arch Manning take over the offense at Texas. Heading into 2025, Manning has all of the hype whether it's because of his last name or his talent, he's being considered a Heisman candidate and a first round pick before he's the starter in Austin.
During his first two seasons at Texas, Arch Manning got plenty of playing time especially when Quinn Ewers was injured which should help his transition. Last season, Manning passed for 939 yards and 9 touchdowns with 2 interceptions completing 67.8% of his passes. The area that's most exciting about Manning's game is his ability to make plays with his legs rushing for 108 yards and 4 touchdowns.
The Longhorns top receiver will likely be a former 5-star recruit himself in rising sophomore Ryan Wingo. In a Wide Receiver room loaded with NFL Talent, Wingo was able to carve out a significant role catching 29 passes for 472 yards and a pair of touchdowns averaging 16.3 yards per catch. As the Longhorns leading returning receiver, Wingo will have to step up and lead a room of relatively unproven receivers.
Coming off of a National Championship winning season, the Ohio State Buckeyes are undergoing a ton of roster changes. One of those changes is losing quarterback Will Howard to the NFL and replacing him with Sophomore Julian Sayin. Coming out of High School, Julian Sayin was one of the most sought after players in the Country signing briefly with Alabama before transferring to Ohio State.
As a Freshman, Julian Sayin attempted just 12 passes but, the talent is clearly there with the former 5-star recruit. Sayin impressed this Spring lining him up to earn the starting job which is likely why Devin Brown and Air Noland transferred before Spring practice and he'll have an easy transition with a loaded group of weapons.
There isn't a better weapon to have on your side in all of College Football than Sophomore Jeremiah Smith. As a True Freshman, Jeremiah Smith was arguably the best player in the Country dominating the moment he stepped on the field. After catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, everyone is going to ask how incredible of a season can Smith put up especially as the Buckeyes lose two elite running backs.
The biggest news for the offseason for the LSU Football team wasn't their massive transfer portal class or signing another recruiting class rather it was getting Garrett Nussmeier back for his final season. At times during his first season as a starter, Nussmeier looked like the best quarterback in the Country passing for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The LSU offense was far too reliant on Nussmeier and the Tigers improving on the ground should actually help Nussmeier
Returning alongside Garrett Nussmeier is his leading receiver from last season Aaron Anderson. While the Tigers added elite playmakers in Nic Anderson and Barion Brown, the added size and speed on the outside only helps Anderson who will work out of the slot. After catching 61 passes for 884 yards and 5 touchdowns, Anderson's production should only rise as attention goes to Nic Anderson and Barion Brown.
The Clemson Tigers enter the season as National Championship front runners coming off of a season where they won the ACC. The Tigers return a loaded roster headlined by their star quarterback Cade Klubnik. After passing for 3,639 yards and 36 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions, Klubnik returns for a 3rd season with serious Heisman potential.
Klubnik's Heisman potential can be reached thanks to the fact that he'll return a loaded group of wide receivers with 3 potential leading wide receivers. The most talented of the trio is Antonio Williams who returns after catching 75 passes for 904 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Heading into the season, Cade Klubnik and Antonio Williams are projected 1st round picks which brings you back to some of the past groups that Dabo Swinney has won with. While the Tigers return a loaded defense, if the offense is able to live up to its potential, Clemson's easily a front-runner to win it all.
Heading into the 2025 season, the Arizona State Sun Devils having the Nation's most dynamic duo may come as a surprise to some but, it shouldn't be. Sam Leavitt returns as one of College Football's most dynamic playmakers coming off of a breakout season where he passed for 2,885 yards and 24 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions. Leavitt also brings a dynamic ability to create big plays with his feet which will make the Sun Devils impossible to defend.
Jordyn Tyson didn't get to play on the National Stage in the College Football Playoff after suffering a shoulder injury in the Sun Devils' final regular season game. Despite missing time, Tyson put together an incredible season catching 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns.
As the duo returns for the 2025 College Football season, they'll form a dominant duo that can help the Sun Devils return to the Playoff. Both players putting together a great season will likely result in both players being taken in the 1st round of the NFL Draft, which would be an incredible feat for Arizona State.