The members of the Class of 2024 have been on campus for two seasons. Some will take more time to develop, but many have already emerged as stars.
Let’s look back at that class to see how the top players have performed and which ones have emerged as the best at each position.
Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite, and all QB pressure stats are from Pro Football Focus.
Quarterback
No. 1
Julian Sayin, Ohio State via Alabama (five-star, No. 6 overall)
Top six candidates
Sayin, Ohio State via Alabama
Dylan Raiola, Oregon via Nebraska (five-star, No. 21)
CJ Carr, Notre Dame (four-star, No. 68)
Demond Williams, Washington (four-star, No. 205)
CJ Bailey, NC State (four-star, No. 434)
Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State via North Texas (unranked)
Sayin has lived up to the hype, going 12-2 as a starter with a 75.9 percent career completion rate, 3,694 passing yards, 33 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Nobody, however, has won more games as a starter in this class than Raiola, who left Nebraska for Oregon this winter with a 13-9 record. He’s expected to serve as the backup to Dante Moore as he recovers from a knee injury.
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Williams, however, owns the best passing efficiency rating (164.6), according to TruMedia, completing 71.5 percent of his attempts for 4,009 yards, 33 touchdowns and only nine interceptions. He’s also rushed for the third-most yards (893) among QBs in his class. Bailey (5,518 yards, 42 TDs, 19 INTs) and Mestemaker (4,841 yards, 36 TDs, 11 INTs at North Texas) rank first and second in the class, respectively, in career passing yards and touchdowns. Carr (2,741 yards, 24 TDs, six INTs) is the 2026 preseason Heisman favorite, according to BetMGM.
The re-ranked No. 1: Carr. It’s a tough decision, but I went with Carr over Sayin due to his upside and star potential after his first season.
Running back
No. 1
Taylor Tatum, Oklahoma (four-star, No. 38 overall)
Top six candidates
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss via Missouri (four-star, No. 178)
Jadan Baugh, Florida (four-star, No. 381)
Isaac Brown, Louisville (three-star, No. 526)
Antwan Raymond, Rutgers (three-star, No. 801)
Wayshawn Parker, Utah via Washington State (three-star, No. 1,739)
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri via Louisiana-Monroe (three-star, No. 1,919)
Tatum has hardly seen the field at Oklahoma. Hardy’s 493 carries, 3,000 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns are the most for any running back in the class. Brown’s 2,057 rushing yards rank second to Hardy, and his 7.7 yards per rush are the best in the class. Baugh, Parker, Ryamond and Lacy each have rushed for 1,600-plus yards over the last two seasons. As far as receiving, Brown’s 43 catches for 200 yards are tops in the group.
The re-ranked No. 1:Â Hardy. He ran for 1,169 yards and nine touchdowns last season in 10 games against Power 4 opponents and did so mostly with a quarterback who ranked 71st overall and 11th in the SEC in passing efficiency.
Receiver
No. 1
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (five-star, No. 1 overall)
Top six candidates
Smith, Ohio State
Cam Coleman, Texas via Auburn (five-star, No. 3)
Ryan Williams, Alabama (five-star, No. 4)
T.J. Moore, Clemson (five-star, No. 23)
Nick Marsh, Indiana via Michigan State (four-star, No. 176)
Jacory Barney Jr., Nebraska (four-star, No. 459)
Smith’s numbers (163 catches, 2,558 yards, 27 touchdowns) are far superior to any other receiver in the class. Marsh and Barney are next on the list in terms of receptions, with 100 each. Wyatt Young, who recently transferred from North Texas to Oklahoma State, is second in receiving yards with 1,559. Williams has shown flashes of dominance at Alabama but has been far too inconsistent. Coleman is extremely talented and should thrive playing in Texas’ offense after two years at Auburn.
The re-ranked No. 1: Smith. It’s not even close.
Tight end
No. 1
Trey’Dez Green, LSU (four-star, No. 40 overall)
Top six candidates
Green, LSU
Luke Reynolds, Virginia Tech via Penn State (four-star, No. 71)
Elija Lofton, Miami (four-star, No. 274)
Decker DeGraaf, Washington (three-star, No. 824)
Willie Rodriguez, Kentucky (three-star, No. 841)
DJ Vonnahme, Iowa (two-star, No. 2,983)
There’s no clear-cut favorite at this position. DeGraaf leads all tight ends in the class with 47 career catches and 593 receiving yards. Green, however, ranks right behind him in both those categories with 46 catches for 534 yards, and he leads all tight ends with 11 TD receptions. Vonnahme, Reynolds and Lofton all have similar numbers through two seasons.
The re-ranked No. 1: Green, slightly over DeGraaf.
TREY’DEZ GREEN! MONSTER! pic.twitter.com/1CK75NPu4Q
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 28, 2025
Offensive tackle
No. 1
Jordan Seaton, LSU via Colorado (five-star, No. 17)
Top six candidates
Seaton, LSU via Colorado
Brandon Baker, Texas (five-star, No. 32)
Nathan Roy, Minnesota (four-star, No. 183)
Anthonie Knapp, Notre Dame (four-star, No. 332)
Jacob Ponton, Texas Tech (four-star, No. 385)
Braydon Nelson, Oklahoma State via North Texas (three-star, No. 2,783)
Seaton started 22 games at left tackle for Colorado before leaving for LSU and a big NIL contract this winter. He allowed five sacks and 37 pressures in two seasons. Knapp, the leader among tackles in career starts with 27, allowed only one sack and nine pressures last season in 12 games. Roy became a full-time starter for the Gophers at left tackle in 2025 and allowed only three sacks and 12 pressures in 440 pass-blocking snaps. Ponton started all 14 games at right tackle for Texas Tech. Baker started 13 games as a sophomore and didn’t allow a sack. Nelson, who started 24 games at North Texas, transferred to Oklahoma State.
The re-ranked No. 1: Knapp. He’s allowed a few more sacks and pressures than Seaton, but he’s played five more games and faced better competition.
Interior offensive lineman
No. 1
Cooper Cousins, Penn State (four-star, No. 57 overall)
Top six candidates
Jake Guarnera, Michigan (three-star, No. 508)
Kyle Altuner, Virginia Tech (three-star, No. 547)
Kobe Branham, Arkansas (three-star, No. 1,064)
Harrison Moore, Florida via Georgia Tech (three-star, No. 1,297)
Ezomo Oratokhai, Northwestern (three-star, No. 1,298)
Michael Hershey, Maryland (three-star, No. 1,421)
Cousins has made two starts and played 349 snaps to this point in Happy Valley — not nearly as impactful as the other candidates on this list. Guarnera started the final 11 games for the Wolverines at right guard and graded out well as a run blocker, according to PFF. Altuner started all 12 games for the Hokies at center in 2025. Branham started 11 games at right guard for Arkansas. Moore started nine games at Georgia Tech in 2025 and then followed his offensive coordinator, Buster Faulkner, to Florida. Oratokhai started 13 games last season at left guard and has allowed only one sack and 13 pressures in his career. Hershey started all 12 games as a sophomore and didn’t allow a sack.
The re-ranked No. 1: Oratokhai. He made The Athletic’s Freshman All-American team and has a slight edge over Guarnera.
Defensive tackle
No. 1
Williams Nwaneri, Nebraska via Missouri (five-star, No. 8 overall)
Top six candidates
David Stone, Oklahoma (five-star, No. 9)
Justin Scott, Miami (five-star, No. 10)
Will Echoles, Ole Miss (four-star, No. 135)
Jide Abasiri, USC (four-star, No. 351)
Francis Brewu, Notre Dame via Pittsburgh (three-star, No. 481)
Mario Landino, Indiana (three-star, No. 2,660)
Nwaneri is one of several projected interior defensive linemen who have seen more action on the edge than inside. Stone has only made two starts in his career, but was highly impactful for the Sooners in 2025 (eight tackles for loss and 26 pressures). Scott started nine games for the Hurricanes. Echoles was an All-SEC performer with 68 tackles, 39 pressures and five sacks over the course of 15 starts as a sophomore. Abasiri started nine games for the Trojans in 2025 and had 3.5 sacks. Brewu started 13 games last season at Pitt and had 20 pressures. Landino started the last 11 games of the season for the national champions and had five sacks and two fumble recoveries.
The re-ranked No. 1: Echoles. He was highly productive and a full-time starter for a national semifinalist. His 43 pressures over the last two seasons are the most for an interior defensive lineman in the class.
Ole Miss DT Will Echoles man-handling the RG at the point of attack 👀 pic.twitter.com/4aBjvPbxhg
— Last of the Fullbacks (@TheLastFullback) September 17, 2025
Edge rusher
No. 1
Dylan Stewart, South Carolina (five-star, No. 15 overall)
Top six candidates
Stewart, South Carolina
Colin Simmons, Texas (five-star, No. 18)
Marquise Lightfoot, Miami (four-star, No. 31)
Kameryn Crawford, USC (four-star, No. 66)
Kam Franklin, Ole Miss (four-star, No. 79)
Sahir West, UCLA via James Madison (unranked)
No edge rusher in the class has been more productive than Simmons, who has 21 sacks and 105 pressures in 29 career games. Stewart, a second-team All-SEC pick in 2025, is next in pressures with 88. Lightfoot has played only 287 snaps, but his 31 pressures are eye-opening. Crawford, a 12-game starter, has been a steady performer at USC. Franklin started 15 games and ranked second among all edge rushers in the class with 48 pressures in 2025. West, the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year last season, had 14 TFLs and seven sacks for James Madison last season.
The re-ranked No. 1: Simmons, though Stewart has also been very impactful.
Linebacker
No. 1
Justin Williams, Georgia (five-star, No. 5 overall)
Top six candidates
Sammy Brown, Clemson (five-star, No. 19)
Chris Cole, Georgia (five-star, No. 29)
Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, Notre Dame (four-star, No. 51)
Xavier Atkins, Auburn (four-star, No. 334)
Ty’Anthony Smith, Texas (four-star, No. 350)
Khmori House, Arkansas via Washington and North Carolina (three-star, No. 592)
Brown, an All-ACC first team selection in 2025, leads all linebackers in the class with 169 tackles and 10 sacks. Cole has started only one game, but is ready to take on a bigger role in 2026. Villamu-Asa, slowed by knee injuries, has started only three games, but his 34 pressures are the most of all linebackers in the class. Atkins earned first-team All-SEC honors in 2025, leading Auburn with 84 tackles, 17 TFLs and nine sacks. Smith is poised to be a star at Texas this fall. House, who is at his third school after stops at Washington and North Carolina, ranks fourth among linebackers in the class with 119 tackles over 24 games.
The re-ranked No. 1: Brown. He gets the nod in a narrow margin over Villamu-Asa and Atkins.
Cornerback
No. 1
Ellis Robinson, Georgia (five-star, No. 2 overall)
Top six candidates
Robinson, Georgia
Zabien Brown, Alabama (five-star, No. 30)
Xavier Lucas, Miami via Wisconsin (four-star, No. 374)
Leonard Moore, Notre Dame (four-star, No. 432)
Ashton Hampton, Clemson (three-star, No. 628)
Zashon Rich, Kansas State (three-star, No. 2,081)
Robinson was the FWAA Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 after he tied for the SEC lead with four interceptions. Brown has 28 starts in two years at Alabama and has five interceptions. Lucas started 13 games for a much-improved Miami secondary in 2025. Moore, a 20-game starter for the Irish, is tied with Tulsa’s Elijah Green for the most interceptions (seven) in the class among corners. Hampton, a 17-game starter, has 74 tackles, eight passes defensed and three interceptions in two seasons at Clemson. Rich has been a pleasant surprise in Manhattan and is second among corners in the class with 12 passes defensed.
The re-ranked No. 1: Moore. You couldn’t go wrong with Brown either.
Safety
No. 1
KJ Bolden, Georgia (five-star, No. 13 overall)
Top six candidates
Bolden, Georgia
Koi Perich, Oregon via Minnesota (four-star, No. 70)
Ricardo Jones, Vanderbilt via Clemson (four-star, No. 153)
Faletau Satuala, BYU (four-star, No. 345)
Marcus Neal, Penn State via Iowa State (three-star, No. 1,082)
Ja’Marley Riddle, Georgia via East Carolina (three-star, No. 1,726)
Bolden was a second-team All-SEC selection as a sophomore, starting 14 games and finishing second on the Bulldogs with 76 tackles. Perich was outstanding in his two seasons at Minnesota, both on defense and special teams. Jones has the most takeaways among all safeties in the class with eight, including an ACC-leading six (five INTs, one fumble recovery) last season at Clemson. Satuala started seven of BYU’s 14 games last season and stuffed the stat sheet with 84 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, two forced fumbles, three interceptions and seven passes defensed. Neal started 12 games for Iowa State last season and followed coach Matt Campbell to Penn State. Riddle starred at East Carolina for the past two seasons, totaling 136 tackles and seven takeaways (six interceptions).
The re-ranked No. 1: Bolden. You can make an argument for Perich and his playmaking ability, but Bolden has been a consistent frontline performer for a conference champion.