Back by popular demand—or force of habit—are the Sports Illustrated college football most intriguing lists. First: most intriguing coaches of 2024. Next: most intriguing quarterbacks. Now: most intriguing non-quarterbacks.
1. Travis Hunter, DB-WR, Colorado Buffaloes
There are a lot of irreplaceable players on either side of the ball in college football, but Hunter has that designation on both sides for Colorado. Playing for Deion Sanders, the most accomplished two-way player of the previous 40 years, Hunter is out-Priming Coach Prime in terms of high-impact presence on the field at all times. He averaged 115 snaps per game in 2023, an unmatched workload nationally, spending slightly more time on defense (cornerback) than offense (wide receiver) plus a smattering of plays on special teams. Hunter tied for the team lead in interceptions (three) and pass breakups (five) while also leading the Buffs in receptions per game (6.3)—and he played only nine games due to injury. The NFL will probably view Hunter as a cornerback first and receiver second, but maybe he can play both there, too?
2. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State Buckeyes
Nothing underscored the Buckeyes’ all-in pursuit of a national title like snagging the Alabama Crimson Tide transfer and Georgia native away from the Southeastern Conference in mid-January. With an already loaded roster, Ohio State landed arguably the top overall player in the portal in Downs, who led the Crimson Tide in tackles with 107 as a freshman. (If Downs’s toes hadn’t landed out of bounds to nullify an interception of J.J. McCarthy on the first play of the Rose Bowl last season, that College Football Playoff semifinal might have taken on a different tenor.) Downs has sufficient athletic talent to stoke some two-way speculation of his own, possibly getting some action at running back in Chip Kelly’s offense.
3. Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Gordon’s “punishment” for a summer DUI could be more carries in early-season games against lesser opponents, according to the Stillwater Mullet himself, Mike Gundy. If so, that would provide a pathway to top his nation-leading 1,732 rushing yards from 2023—a season in which Gordon had only 19 carries in the first three games. Gordon is a big-play runner waiting for a crease; his 24 scrimmage plays of 20 yards or more are the most of any returning player. He finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting last season—highest among running backs, and believed to be the highest ever for a player named Ollie. If the Cowboys contend for the title in the wide-open Big 12, he could be in the mix again.
4. Walter Nolen, DT, Mississippi Rebels
In July, none other than Nick Saban validated the Rebels as SEC title contenders because they have—at last—improved themselves on the line of scrimmage. “I think this is the first time Ole Miss can really match up” in the trenches, Saban said. Lane Kiffin brought in several wide bodies to make that upgrade on both sides of the ball, but none of the newcomers exemplifies the commitment to being bigger and stronger more than Nolan. The 290-pound sophomore had 8½ tackles for loss and four sacks last season, starting to deliver on his billing as the No. 1 recruit in the nation in the class of 2022.
5. Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon Ducks
Trying to find stability in a chaotic home life in Alabama, Johnson moved in with his coach at Pinson Valley High in 2018. The coach’s name: Patrick Nix, whose son, Bo, also happened to be the team quarterback. They played together as teenagers, went their separate ways within the state for college, then both wound up at Oregon last season. It was like old times: Johnson caught 86 passes for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns, and Nix went on to become a first-round NFL draft pick. Now, Johnson will play a fifth year of college while the guy he considers a brother will startdddddfdsdsfdsafds for the Denver Broncos. Despite his size (5’10”, 160 pounds), Johnson has 227 career receptions and could be Dillon Gabriel’s No. 1 receiving option.
6. Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan Wolverines
He’s like a volcano—dormant for long periods of time, then capable of a spectacular eruption. As a sophomore in 2022, Edwards jolted Penn State with a 67-yard touchdown run; Ohio State with TD runs of 75 and 85 yards; Purdue with a 60-yard run in the Big Ten championship game; and TCU with a 54-yard sprint in the College Football Playoff semifinals. Then, amid great expectations, Edwards did almost nothing of note for the entire ’23 season—until he snapped off TD runs of 41 and 46 yards in the first half of the national championship game against the Washington Huskies. With a large hole to fill at quarterback, the Michigan offense would love to get greater every-down production out of Edwards—while still enjoying the occasional long-distance TD jaunt.
7. Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama Crimson Tide
In a world where linemen are routinely well in excess of 300 pounds, Brailsford is a “lightweight” throwback. Alabama lists him at 290, which is a notable increase from the 275 he played—and excelled—at last season at Washington. If Brailsford ends up being a consensus All-American (something which seems entirely possible at this juncture) he will tie Tyler Linderbaum of Iowa for the lightest offensive lineman to earn that distinction in the last eight years. Quickness and intelligence helped Brailsford crack an elite starting lineup at Washington as a redshirt freshman, where he handled much bigger nose tackles. Now we’ll see how well his game translates to the ultimate grown-man league, the SEC.
8. Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona Wildcats
The huge Hawaiian had plenty of offers to jump in the portal and leave Tucson after the departure of head coach Jedd Fisch, but he opted to stay and play another season with quarterback Noah Fifita. McMillan is 6’5”, 210 pounds and used his size to make contested catches downfield—his 15 receptions of 30 yards or more was tied for second nationally. New offensive coordinator Dino Babers is gushing about McMillan’s work in preseason camp: “The only person I’ve seen with a catch radius like that is Larry Fitzgerald. … I’m just telling you he’s not normal. He may be better than anyone I’ve ever coached.”
9. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State Broncos
How did a back this talented end up with a scholarship offer list consisting almost entirely of Ivy League programs, service academies and mid-major teams? Spending three years in Italy with his family stationed on a military base had something to do with it, as did being a defense-only player during his first couple of high school seasons in Texas. Boise State made an offer in the spring of 2021, got a commitment in the fall and then got him enrolled, whereupon he became an instant-impact freshman with 821 rushing yards. Last season, he blew up into a star, with more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage and 19 total touchdowns. Then he turned down all the tampering suitors to stay on the blue turf and chase a playoff bid.
10. James Pearce Jr., DE, Tennessee Volunteers
The Volunteers haven’t produced the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft since Peyton Manning in 1998. With a big season, Pearce could be the next one. He’s long (6’5”), explosive and bendy, NFL-friendly attributes that helped him post 16 quarterback hurries, 14½ tackles for loss and 10 sacks as a sophomore last season. (Iowa won’t forget him anytime soon after Pearce had an interception, a forced fumble, 1½ sacks and a touchdown in a bowl-game rout of the Hawkeyes.) Pearce could use some additional heft (he’s 242 pounds), which would help him hold up in the running game against SEC-sized linemen—with just 28 total tackles last season, it was pretty much a get-in-the-backfield-or-bust approach.
11. Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri Tigers
Every school wanted Burden coming out of high school in St. Louis, and keeping him from leaving the state marked the first huge recruiting win for Eliah Drinkwitz. (That coup came with the help of a potato chip endorsement his freshman year, and other NIL deals have followed.) Now the Burden-Drinkwitz partnership has a chance to peak with a playoff run in the wideout’s third and almost certainly final college season. Burden is the leading SEC returnee from 2023 in receptions (86), receiving yards (1,212) and touchdown catches (nine), having meshed with quarterback Brady Cook and coordinator Kirby Moore. (He’s also got company in a stacked Mizzou receiving corps, which has kept defenses from tilting the field completely to stop Burden.)
12. Barrett Carter, LB, Clemson Tigers
A lot of people expected Carter to be in the NFL by now—himself, perhaps, included. But he made what he described as a very hard decision to return for a fourth season at Clemson, and he brought big goals with him back to campus. “I’m coming back to bring a national championship back to this program, graduate, become a captain and just set myself up for my future,” he said last December. Carter is a stat-stuffing linebacker, with 151 career tackles, 21 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and three interceptions.
13. Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU Tigers
Have the Tigers figured out what to do with arguably their most gifted player? We’ll see. Perkins was a game wrecker coming off the edge as a freshman, racking up 13 tackles for loss, 7½ sacks, 14 quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. Then first-year coach Brian Kelly moved Perkins to inside linebacker for the opener against the Florida State Seminoles and it was a failed experiment, so he wound up spending more time at his old position. The numbers were roughly the same as his freshman season, but Perkins’s impact was lessened and the LSU defense as a whole was lousy. Now he’s back on the inside to start this season under new defensive coordinator Blake Baker. The one team that doesn’t want to see him is Arkansas—in two games against the Razorbacks he’s racked up five sacks and four forced fumbles.
14. Zachariah Branch, WR-KR, USC Trojans
The great-nephew of famed NFL receiver Cliff Branch showed that speed runs in the family. He scored touchdowns four different ways as a freshman: rushing, receiving, on a punt return and a kickoff return. Branch’s 20.8 yards per punt return led the nation, and his prowess on returns forced teams to consider kicking the ball away from him and sacrificing field position. The next step will be implementing Branch further into the USC passing game, where there should be more opportunities after a lot of turnover in that unit.
15. Luke Lachey, TE, Iowa Hawkeyes
Another receiver with a famous football surname, Lachey is the son of former Ohio State great and longtime NFL player Jim Lachey. Not only that, Jim is on the Buckeyes’ radio crew, which could get a bit awkward when the Hawkeyes come to the Horseshoe in October. It’s a homecoming for Luke, who grew up in Columbus but was not offered a scholarship by the team he grew up rooting for. Luke Lachey’s third year at Iowa was off to a great start with 10 catches in two games, but a broken leg early in the third game ended his season and helped doom Iowa’s passing game to ineptitude. With Lachey back and offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz gone, maybe things get much better. Maybe.
16. Abdul Carter, DE, Penn State Nittany Lions
Carter burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2022. While still an impact player in ’23, his production slipped in total tackles (56 to 48), tackles for loss (10½ to 5½) and sacks (6½ to 4½). This season, after a position change from linebacker to defensive end, the expectation is that his ability to disrupt an opposing backfield will be maximized. At 6’3” and 250 pounds, his body type is more suited to line play than linebacker, and Penn State has a need at the position after the departures of top-100 NFL picks Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac. The Nittany Lions were second nationally in yards allowed per game and per play, and might need to continue to win games defensively. Carter will be vital in that regard.
17. Dillon Bell, WR-RB, Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs have a thousand very good players, but Bell might be the X-factor in their offense this fall. His versatility led to increased touches at the end of last season in multiple roles, with 325 all-purpose yards in Georgia’s final four games. The Houston product took handoffs, caught passes, returned kicks—and even threw a touchdown pass against Tennessee. In an offense that is incorporating a lot of new skill players while facing three quality defenses in September—Clemson, Kentucky and Alabama—Bell is a familiar talent for quarterback Carson Beck and coordinator Mike Bobo to lean upon.
18. Damien Martinez, RB, Miami Hurricanes
With Martinez and Washington State Cougars transfer quarterback Cam Ward, Miami was the biggest portal beneficiary of the Pac-12 being stripped for parts. The Hurricanes haven’t had a 1,000-yard rusher since 2016, and haven’t even had a 700-yard guy since ’18. Martinez might be the one to change that. The transfer from Oregon State racked up 2,167 yards on the ground in his first two seasons of college ball, despite having only five games of 20 or more carries. (He’s five-for-five gaining 100 yards in those games.) At 232 pounds, Martinez has the heft to pound out first downs (39 carries of 10-plus yards last season) but also enough speed to break away (four carries of 40-plus yards).
19. Will Johnson, CB, Michigan Wolverines
The second-generation Michigan cornerback is in the argument to be considered the best player in college football and a potential No. 1 draft pick. At 6’2”, 202 pounds, Johnson is a long and strong corner who might end up getting the Darrelle Revis treatment this fall—teams may stop throwing in his direction. Johnson has seven interceptions in two college seasons, having wasted no time breaking into the lineup of a stacked Wolverines defense as a true freshman out of Detroit. Now we’ll see whether Johnson follows the path of another all-time Wolverines great, 1997 Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson, by adding some receiver or kick-return duties to his work at defensive back.
20. Beaux Collins, WR, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Collins is another offensive player seeking to make the big plays that never happened often enough at Clemson. A top-10 wide receiver recruit out of California, the 6’3” Collins chose the Tigers over a legion of other schools (including Notre Dame). He played right away, but his progress plateaued across three seasons—31 receptions, then 22, then 38—so he hit the portal. Notre Dame, which continues to mine the ACC for veteran talent, will put Collins outside as a target for Duke Blue Devils transfer QB Riley Leonard. For a Fighting Irish program that has struggled lately to showcase non–tight end receivers, this could be a win-win situation for player and program.
21. Chandler Martin, LB, Memphis Tigers
An undersized high-school prospect, Martin got scant interest from FBS-level programs and wound up at East Tennessee State. His production there earned him a spot at Memphis, where he led the team in tackles (95) and tackles for loss (17). Iowa State is certainly aware of Martin’s ability after he racked up a Liberty Bowl–record five tackles for loss against the Cyclones to close the 2023 season. Memphis’s chances of making a run at the American Athletic Conference title and a potential playoff berth is led by quarterback Seth Henigan on offense and the high-motor Martin on defense.
22. Barion Brown, WR-KR, Kentucky Wildcats
The blade-thin receiver/returner from Nashville led the NCAA in kickoff return touchdowns last season with three. That included a crucial 100-yard runback against rival Louisville to end the regular season, then another 100-yarder against Clemson in the Gator Bowl. Brown scored as a receiver and a runner against the Tigers, showcasing himself as an all-around threat. A 10-catch, 145-yard performance against eventual national champion Georgia as a freshman in 2022 was the first high-profile indicator of his talent. Now he will be catching passes from former Bulldogs quarterback Brock Vandagriff.
23. Thor Griffith, DT, Louisville Cardinals
A Harvard transfer named Thor absolutely is making this list with no questions asked. The Harvard-to-Louisville transfer route is one less traveled, athletically or otherwise. (Especially otherwise.) But Griffith, packing a degree in economics with a minor in Celtic languages and literature, made that move in pursuit of top-end competition and a potential pro football career. The New Hampshire product produced 33½ tackles for loss and 13½ sacks in three seasons for the Crimson. At 320 pounds packed onto a 6’2” frame, he fills a run-stopping need in the middle of the Louisville defense. But he’s also athletic enough to run a sub-five-second 40-yard dash.
24. Abu Sama III, RB, Iowa State Cyclones
Is he a one-blizzard wonder? A snow sensation only? Or a young talent on the verge of a breakout season? Sama ran wild against Kansas State last Nov. 25, producing 276 rushing yards in the snow on just 16 carries and scoring on runs of 60, 71 and 77 yards. His total production in the other 11 games he played: 338 rushing yards and three TDs. But Sama did have a couple other long touchdown runs as a freshman, one of 59 yards against the BYU Cougars and a 55-yarder against the TCU Horned Frogs. So the home-run threat is real, and could be on greater display this season with lacking any other returning backs with appreciable power-conference experience.
25. Rasheem Biles, ST-LB, Pittsburgh Panthers
He was the ultimate specialist as a freshman. Biles led the nation and tied the school record with three blocked punts (against West Virginia, North Carolina and Florida State) while recording just two total tackles (an assist against Notre Dame and a solo stop against Boston College). But the linebacker who had a splashy spring game and could play his way onto the field this season on downs other than fourth.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 25 Most Intriguing College Football Non-Quarterbacks for 2024.
