Sophomore stock watch: Second-year outlooks for all 32 five-star prospects from 2024 recruiting class

It is often said, and holds true, that a player takes their biggest leap between their first and second years of college football. It certainly makes sense, given that sophomores or redshirt freshmen have had a year to adjust to an different level of the sport, both mentally and physically. 

That rapid development is especially important in the transfer portal era. Teams can cut bait with a prospect that isn’t panning out or, vise versa, a player who feels like he isn’t getting properly developed — or maybe isn’t receiving what he was promised in the recruiting process — can look for a more suitable home. 

This condensed timeline has led to true freshman playing a bigger role on their respective teams. Even if that’s the case, that first full offseason between the freshmen and sophomore years is crucial for an athlete’s future. 

As most teams are in the midst of — or at the very least close to starting — their respective spring practice slate, let’s evaluate the outlook for each five-star prospect from the 2024 recruiting class entering the 2025 season. Think of this as a blue-chip stock report. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 1 Natl., No. 1 WR 

Everybody knows Smith by now. The best wide receiver in college football? Without a doubt. The best offensive player in college football? Probably. A legitimate Heisman Trophy contender? Definitely. The 6-foot-3 superstar terrorized opposing secondaries with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, shattering Ohio State and Big Ten true freshmen records for receiving along the way. Moving forward, the sky is the limit, especially that he’s now the totally unquestioned leader of the Buckeyes’ wide receiver group in the wake of Emeka Egbuka’s departure. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 2 Natl., No. 1 CB 

Daylen Everette is locked in as one of Georgia’s starting cornerbacks after deciding to return for his senior season. The Bulldogs also bring back junior Daniel Harris, who started a few games near the end of the 2024 season. After appearing in four games as a true freshman, Robinson should still have every chance to push for a big role. His main competition will be Harris. Even if he can’t grab a starting spot, there’s a good chance he’ll be the first cornerback off the bench for the Bulldogs.

247Sports Ranking: No. 3 Natl., No. 1 QB 

Lagway is firmly entrenched as Florida’s starting quarterback. After starting the season in a timeshare with Graham Mertz, he took full control of the offense when Mertz tore his ACL in a Week 7 loss to Tennessee. Lagway took full advantage of the opportunity, flashing his big arm and his plus athleticism while throwing for 1,915 yards and 12 touchdowns in what amounted to just over half a full season of reps. He needs to improve his decision-making (he threw nine interceptions last season) and his consistency, but those are fixable issues that normally get ironed out with age and experience. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 4 Natl., No. 1 DL 

Though 247Sports classified McCray as a defensive lineman out of high school, the 6-foot-6 and 267-pound sophomore has settled in as a jumbo edge rusher for Florida. Florida returns Tyreak Sapp (who eschewed the NFL Draft for another year in Gainesville) and George Gumbs Jr. (who led all Gators edge rushers in snaps last season) but there are snaps to be had for McCray entering 2025. The Gators lost quite a few ends to the transfer portal, including Jack Pyburn, who had 60 tackles and one sack last season. The fact that McCray appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman certainly indicates that Florida’s staff plans to get him on the field somehow. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 5 Natl., No. 2 WR 

Coleman put together a solid season with 37 catches for 598 yards (third-most in Auburn history for a first-year player) and eight touchdowns. He did all that while only playing in 11 games, and in spite of the fact that the Tigers had a revolving door at quarterback. The hope is Auburn solidified its QB situation by adding former Oklahoma standout and five-star prospect Jackson Arnold. If Arnold works out, Coleman will reap the benefit of stability and make a big leap as Auburn’s top receiving option. 

Williams Nwaneri, EDGE, Nebraska 

247Sports Ranking: No. 6 Natl., No. 2 DL 

Nwaneri the third-highest ranked prospect to sign with Missouri in the 247Sports era, and did so out of in-state Lee’s Summit North High School. But he couldn’t quite break through in his first season with the Tigers. After playing in four games in 2024, he entered the transfer portal, where he ranked as the No. 34 overall prospect, and committed to Nebraska. He certainly has the build, at 6-foot-6 and 260 pounds, but Nwaneri needs to refine his game if he wants to break through in a Nebraska defense that returns the likes of Keona Davis and Cameron Lenhardt on the ends. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 7 Natl., No. 2 QB 

Raiola, like Lagway, is Nebraska’s unquestioned starter. Unlike Lagway, Raiola assumed that role from the moment he stepped foot on Nebraska’s campus. He impressed in his collegiate debut against UTEP, throwing for 238 yards and two touchdowns on a 70.4% completion percentage. The rest of the year was up and down, though. Raiola managed 2,819 yards passing — seventh in the 18-team Big Ten and tossed 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions — all but two of those interceptions came in conference play. Still, the talent is evident, and he should refine his game as he acclimates to a higher level of competition. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 8 Natl., No. 3 WR

Not to be outshined by Smith among freshman wide receivers, Williams earned first-team All-SEC honors after hauling in 48 catches for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He wasn’t able to maintain an explosive start — 462 of those yards and five of those touchdowns came in the first four games of the season — so there’s the potential for him to blow that production out of the water as a sophomore. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 9 Natl., No. 1 EDGE 

Tennessee has recruited the edge position extremely well under coach Josh Heupel That makes Ross’ path to the field — on defense, at least — a bit murky. Though the Vols have to replace All-SEC edge rusher and likely first-round NFL Draft pick James Pearce Jr., Joshua Josephs — one of the best run-defending EDGEs in college football — elected to come back as the likely starter. Junior Caleb Herring, a former blue-chip prospect in his own right, is also probably ahead of Ross in the pecking order as well. Tennessee does rotate along its defensive line a lot, though, and Ross was a key special teamer as a freshman, so the opportunity is there to work his way into a role off the bench. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 10 Natl., No. 1 LB 

Georgia has to replace the top-shelf production of versatile linebacker Jalon Walker, but the Bulldogs return one starter in CJ Allen and another player with tons of experience in Raylen Wilson. That leaves Williams likely battling for one of the key depth spots after appearing in 12 games last season. It isn’t a bad spot to be in, given how the Bulldogs like to rotate their linebackers. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 11 Natl., No. 3 DL 

Miami lost a trio of super seniors along its defensive line in Simeon Barrow Jr., Elijah Alston and C.J. Clark. That opens the door for Scott to nab a starting role alongside veteran players like Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. — who is making his way back from an injury-riddled 2024. It’ll be a step up for Scott, who posted seven tackles and one sack off the bench last season. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 12 Natl., No. 2 CB

Mbakwe signed with Alabama as one of the top cornerback prospects in the nation and spent a majority of the 2024 season in the secondary, where he totaled 15 tackles, two pass breakups and one interception. But ahead of Alabama’s ReliaQuest Bowl showdown against Michigan, Mbakwe moved to wide receiver. It looks like that brief experiment stuck, as Mbakwe is working with the offense this spring. Though the pedigree is there as a dynamic athlete, he could have trouble breaking through in a crowded room that includes the aforementioned Williams, Germie Bernard, transfer addition Isaiah Horton (Miami), and returning depth pieces Jalen Hale and Cole Adams. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 13 Natl., No. 1 OT 

Seaton made a huge splash when he signed with Colorado and coach Deion Sanders over the likes of Tennessee, Ohio State and Oregon. He parlayed that recruiting momentum into an immediate starting spot at left tackle, bringing a much-needed injection of elite talent to Colorado’s maligned offensive line. After playing well enough to earn 247Sports True Freshman All-American honors, the only thing that changes for Seaton entering 2025 is that he’ll be blocking for quarterback other than Shedeur Sanders. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 14 Natl., No. 2 LB 

Brown appeared in all 14 games and even logged six starts with the Tigers last season, finishing the year with 87 total tackles (the most by a Clemson freshman since 1995), 11.5 tackles for a loss and five sacks. Suffice to say he’s secured a starting spot entering 2025 and, given the increased opportunity, could put up All-American numbers. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 15 Natl., No. 1 S 

Bolden followed in former Georgia safety Malaki Starks‘ footsteps by making a major impact in his first year with the Bulldogs. He logged 59 total tackles, two for a loss, one sacks, one forced fumble and one interception. Now he’ll be tasked with helping replace the production lost by Starks’ departure as a full-time starting safety. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 16 Natl., No. 1 ATH

Texas A&M endured a complete overhaul to its receiving corps in the offseason after losing Noah Thomas (transfer), Jabre Barber and Jahdae Walker. In fact, Bussey is the only returning receiver with at least five career receptions. Naturally, the Aggies put a lot of effort into reinforcing the position via the transfer portal by signing Kevin Concepcion (NC State), Mario Craver (Mississippi State) and Jonah Wilson (Houston), but this is a prime opportunity for Bussey to establish himself as a leader in the group. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 17 Natl., No. 4 DL 

Oklahoma is stacked along the defensive line with a pair of seniors in Damonic Williams and Gracen Halton. Sophomore Jayden Jackson — though he doesn’t get his own entry in this article — deserves special mention as a 2024 SEC All-Freshman selection. That means Stone will have to fight hard for snaps and a consistent spot in the rotation. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 18 Natl., No. 5 DL 

McKinley emerged as a key figure in LSU’s defensive line rotation as the 2024 season wore on and had a breakout game against Oklahoma with four tackles and two sacks. Though the Tigers have plenty of bodies along the line of scrimmage, McKinley is among the most talented, and he should push for a starting role in the spring. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 19 Natl., No. 2 EDGE 

Stewart is poised to become a household name. He formed the SEC’s top pass-rushing duo in 2024 with Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner Kyle Kennard, as the two combined for 18 sacks. With Kennard off to the NFL Draft, Stewart — a 2024 first-team All-SEC selection — is poised to shine in the spotlight. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 20 Natl., No. 3 QB

Sayin initially signed with Alabama, but quickly entered the transfer portal in the wake of Nick Saban’s retirement and landed at Ohio State. In his first year with the Buckeyes, Sayin sat behind Will Howard and Devin Brown. Howard is out of eligibility and Brown transferred, which puts Sayin is in line to start for the reigning national champs, especially since Ohio State didn’t add a quarterback during the winter transfer window. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 21 Natl., No. 4 WR 

Moore came in at a huge position of need for Clemson and established himself as a reliable option for Cade Klubnik from Day 1. The two combined for 651 yards and five touchdowns. Moore will maintain his starting spot alongside Antonio Williams and fellow 2024 signee Bryant Wesco. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 22 Natl., No. 3 CB 

Brown earned the starting job out of the gates and solidified his status as a rising star with a game-winning interception in Alabama’s thrilling triumph over Georgia. That was one of three interceptions — tied for the team lead — for Brown in 2024 and he’s back in Tuscaloosa to lead a deep Crimson Tide secondary. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 23 Natl., No. 3 LB 

Like fellow 2024 signee Justin Williams, Cole is battling for more playing time at linebacker after earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman team last year. He had 16 tackles, two for a loss, and tied for the team lead with two fumble recoveries. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 24 Natl., No. 6 DL 

Young was pressed into action in the latter half of 2024 after Notre Dame suffered a plagued of defensive line injuries. He finished the year with 23 total tackles, three for a loss, and 1.5 sacks. Though Young performed well with his increased opportunities, Notre Dame brings back a stacked defensive end group with the likes of Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore (both returning from injury), Junior Tuihalamaka and Joshua Burnham. 

Micah Hudson, WR 

247Sports Ranking: No. 25 Natl., No. 5 WR 

It’s already been a wild ride for Hudson. He was part of Texas Tech’s impressive 2024 signing class but did not make a meaningful impact in his first year with the Red Raiders. That led to his first trip to the transfer portal, where he initially signed with Texas A&M. However, ahead of his team’s spring practice slate, Aggies coach Mike Elko revealed that Hudson re-entered the portal. That leaves Hudson’s college football future up in the air right now. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 26 Natl., No. 3 EDGE 

Oregon returns its starting edge-rushing tandem of Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. That means Rushing, who preserved his redshirt eligibility by playing in four games last season, will battle for a top reserve spot ahead of the 2025 season. 

Gatlin Bair, WR, Oregon 

247Sports Ranking: No. 27 Natl., No. 6 WR 

The blazing-fast Bair is currently on a Mormon mission and will not return to Oregon until 2026. The Ducks are well-stocked at wide receiver in the interim. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 28 Natl., No. 4 EDGE 

Simmons has tremendous breakout potential after winning the 2024 Shawn Alexander Freshman of the Year award. He was the only Texas defender with at least nine sacks and 14 tackles for loss and he also wreaked havoc with three forced fumbles and one interception. Simmons should be Texas’ top pass rusher, even with standouts Trey Moore and Ethan Burke coming back for another year. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 29 Natl., No. 1 TE 

Reynolds is one of the most important second-year players in the nation. He’ll be tasked with picking up the production left by Mackey Award winner Tyler Warren, who was the heartbeat of Penn State’s offense in 2024. Though Reynolds probably won’t bring the versatility that Warren did, he does have the receiving chops to provide a reliable target for quarterback Drew Allar. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 30 Natl., No. 5 EDGE 

Keldric Faulk, who had 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks last season, will gobble up most of the snaps at Auburn’s defensive end spot. But Williams has the opportunity to snag the No. 2 role. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 31 Natl., No. 4 CB 

Mincey signed as a cornerback but has since found a home at safety. Bray Hubbard projects as the top option at one of Alabama’s safety spots, though Mincey has the requisite athletic traits to star on the back end and compete for a bigger role. 

247Sports Ranking: No. 32 Natl., No. 7 WR 

Texas is, once again, remaking its wide receiver room after losing Isaiah Bond, Matthew Golden and Silas Bolden. Wingo is an ideal candidate to pick up the slack and establish a nice rapport with new quarterback Arch Manning after catching 29 passes for 472 yards and two touchdowns.