- Clemson’s Cade Klubnik leads the list of quarterbacks: The rising senior is the top returning quarterback in college football after making a massive jump as a junior.
- Caleb Downs is at the top once again: The Ohio State star is PFF’s top returning safety for the second year in a row.
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The 2025 college football season is just around the corner, and while fans are focused on new recruits and rising stars, it’s the returning veterans who often shape the playoff race and define the season’s biggest moments.
With the transfer portal, coaching changes and NFL departures reshuffling rosters across the country, it’s more important than ever to know which proven playmakers are still in the mix. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the top returning players heading into the 2025 college football season, using PFF’s advanced grades and data to spotlight the athletes poised to make the biggest impact.
QUARTERBACK
1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
2. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
3. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
There might not have been a more improved quarterback in college football this past season than Klubnik. After placing 102nd among FBS signal-callers in 2023 with a 63.9 PFF passing grade, he ranked fifth in 2024 with an 87.7 mark. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders threw more touchdowns than the junior (36), and those two are projected top-five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Klubnik also ranked fifth in big-time throws (28).
The top quarterback recruit in the 2022 class is finally starting to live up to the hype and has the potential to take a loaded Clemson roster to the promised land as a senior.
RUNNING BACK
1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2. Isaac Brown, Louisville
3. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
The Fighting Irish’s elite run game and stellar defense led them to the national championship game this past season, and the former should still be present in 2025 thanks to Love.
The sophomore was the second-most valuable running back in the nation, according to PFF’s wins above average metric, while his 91.0 PFF grade ranked fifth. Love’s 38% forced missed tackle rate placed second among Power Four running backs this past season, and his 6.9 yards per carry ranked third. His fantastic athleticism allows him to run through or hurdle defenders, making him a threat to score from anywhere on the field.
WIDE RECEIVER
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
2. Ryan Williams, Alabama
3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Smith entered Columbus as the highest-rated recruit from the 2024 class and the highest-rated wide receiver recruit in Ohio State history. Suffice it to say, the Florida native faced sky-high expectations.
And he lived up to them. Immediately.
As a true freshman, Smith was the most valuable receiver in college football, according to PFF’s wins above average metric. His 89.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024 ranked third and is more than four points higher than any other returning wideout. He also led the Power Four with 15 receiving touchdowns while trailing only Tetairoa McMillan in receiving yards (1,311).
Smith is an athletic freak at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds with an incredibly refined skill set for someone who turned 19 years old in November. Not only is he the best returning receiver in college football, but he’s the best returning player in college football.
TIGHT END
1. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
2. Jack Endries, Cal
3. Max Klare, Ohio State
Once a four-star quarterback recruit, Stowers has made the transition to tight end look seamless. No returning tight end in college football has been as valuable as him over the past two seasons, according to PFF’s wins above average metric.
The New Mexico State transfer is an elite athlete, placing above the 99th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. That movement ability makes him especially dangerous after the catch, as Stowers ranked third among Power Four tight ends with 13 forced missed tackles and fourth in yards after the catch (373) this past year. He and quarterback Diego Pavia will form the nation’s best quarterback-tight end pairing next season.
OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Spencer Fano, Utah
2. Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
3. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Fano was the easy choice to lead this list as he led all FBS tackles with a 93.0 grade this past season. That’s mainly due to his dominance in the run game, as the Utah native’s 93.6 run-blocking grade was the best in the country by over three points. He also finished as the second-most-valuable Power Four tackle according to PFF’s wins above average metric, trailing only a projected top-15 pick in Kelvin Banks Jr.
Fano is no slouch as a pass protector either, earning a top-30 pass-blocking grade among Power Four tackles (79.5). While some length concerns could push him inside to guard in the NFL, he’s still an elite athlete with dominant tape as just a true sophomore.
INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
1. Jake Slaughter, Florida
2. Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
3. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
One year after placing eighth on this list, Slaughter tops it after a stellar redshirt junior season. He was the only Power Four center to earn 80.0-plus PFF grades as a pass blocker and a run blocker. Even more impressive is that he faced a murderer’s row of defensive tackles, including Walter Nolen, Alfred Collins, Shemar Turner, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott and Joshua Farmer. All of those players should be selected in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Slaughter’s 85.8 PFF overall grade since 2023 trails only Jackson Powers-Johnson among Power Four centers. He moves very well at 6-foot-4 and 308 pounds, allowing him to dominate in a zone blocking scheme.
INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
1. Peter Woods, Clemson
2. Zane Durant, Penn State
3. Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Woods spent most of his sophomore season playing out of position at edge defender yet still earned an impressive 83.3 PFF grade. Over his first two years of college football, he ranks as both the highest-graded and most valuable returning Power Four defensive tackle, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
Since 2023, Woods leads all returning Power Four interior defenders with an 89.7 run-defense grade and a 14.9% pass-rush win rate. His combination of power and agility at 6-foot-3, 315 pounds makes him a nightmare matchup for opposing offensive linemen.
EDGE DEFENDERS
1. Colin Simmons, Texas
2. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
3. T.J. Parker, Clemson
Simmons entered college with a ton of hype as a top-15 overall recruit and has somehow already exceeded expectations. The Texas native was the sixth-most-valuable edge defender in the nation according to PFF’s wins above-average metric. He trailed only Abdul Carter, Jack Sawyer, Mike Green, Josaiah Stewart and JT Tuimoloau in that metric. Simmons ended up winning the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, which is given to the best true freshman in America.
His 18.6% pressure rate was a top-15 mark in the nation, and he was no slouch as a run-defender either, posting a 73.4 run-defense grade. Simmons’ elite combination of bend and advanced pass-rushing moves is reminiscent of Von Miller.
LINEBACKER
1. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
2. Taurean York, Texas A&M
3. Whit Weeks, LSU
Hill was a five-star recruit and immediately lived up to the hype, starting as a true freshman. He is constantly around the football, whether as a run defender, a pass rusher or in coverage. Since 2023, his 32 coverage stops are tied for the most among FBS linebackers and his 10 sacks and five forced fumbles are tied for the most among Power Four linebackers. Hill racked up 127 plays where he made first contact on a ball carrier in that same span, the most of any returning Power Four linebacker.
Hill is a versatile athlete who wears many hats for the Longhorns’ defense and could find his way into the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
CORNERBACK
1. Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
3. D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Since PFF began its top returning players at every position series in 2020, only seven rising true sophomores have been at the top of their respective positions. Three of those seven come this year, with Moore rounding out the bunch.
Moore finished his true freshman season as the third-most-valuable corner in college football according to PFF’s wins above average metric, trailing only Jahdae Barron and Travis Hunter. He was especially good in Notre Dame’s man-heavy scheme, as his 82.5 grade in man coverage was third among all corners in the nation. The former three-star recruit is a smooth athlete at 6-foot-2 who mirrors receivers at an elite level already. In fact, he only allowed 16 of his 42 targets in single coverage to be caught.
SAFETY
1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
2. Koi Perich, Minnesota
3. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Downs is the top returning player at his position for the second year in a row, joining an exclusive list of players.
Top Returning Players at Their Position for Multiple Years in PFF’s Rankings
| Name | Position | School | Seasons |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson | 2019, 2020 |
| Derek Stingley Jr. | CB | LSU | 2020, 2021 |
| Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia | 2023, 2024 |
| Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State | 2024, 2025 |
Lawrence, Stingley and Bowers went on to become top-15 NFL draft picks, an achievement Downs seems poised to accomplish next April. He projects as the top player in the 2026 NFL Draft right now.
Downs, who transferred from Alabama last offseason, has been the most valuable safety in college football over the past two seasons, according to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. His 91.7 PFF overall grade in that span ranks second among FBS safeties, while his 91.2 PFF coverage grade places third. Downs is also a fantastic run defender, leading all players on this list with 35 run-defense stops and an 88.5 PFF run-defense grade since 2023.
The 20-year-old can thrive at free safety, slot cornerback and in the box, and he’s a dynamic punt returner, as well.
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