How will Lane Kiffin handle pressure of pass-or-fail season at LSU? (2:20)The SEC Now crew describes how far the Tigers must go in Kiffin’s debut season in order for it to be considered a success with harsh critics at the ready. (2:20)
The top teams in college football are loaded with names that roll off the tongue, preseason All-Americans and potential first-round NFL draft picks.
But for any team to have a high level of success, it needs contributions up and down the roster. Star power alone won’t cut it.
So we asked our college football reporters for a player on each team in our updated Way-Too-Early Top 25 who may not be on the radar of most fans but could play a significant role in a conference race or the chase for a College Football Playoff bid.
Under-the-radar player: RB Simeon Price. While much of the discussion around the Ducks’ running back room understandably revolves around Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr., both of whom had stellar freshman seasons, the addition of Price could prove to be just as important. Price, a transfer with stops at Mississippi State, Coastal Carolina and Colorado, should balance out the room with his ample experience and veteran presence. — Paolo Uggetti
Under-the-radar player: TE Walker Lyons. Lyons was a meaningful contributor at USC last season, but after catching 20 passes for 223 yards, he made the decision to transfer to BYU. In Provo, his role should grow. Part of that is because he’s a reliable pass-catching option, but there is also a real need for the Cougars in the absence of many experienced receivers. He drew rave reviews in spring practice and is set to have a breakout season. — Kyle Bonagura
Under-the-radar player: CB Jalen Mayo. The Cougars found an intriguing answer to replace Latrell McCutchin Sr. at corner via the portal in Mayo. The 6-foot-2 cover man comes in with three years of starting experience from his time at FCS Stephen F. Austin and Division II Virginia Union and has snagged 10 interceptions in his career. Mayo played opposite Minnesota Vikings draft pick Charles Demmings last season and is eager to prove he’s up next by making the move to the Big 12. — Max Olson
Under-the-radar player: LB Payton Pierce. The Buckeyes had both starting linebackers from last season — Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles — go in the top seven of the NFL draft. That doesn’t mean linebacker will suddenly become a weakness for the Buckeyes. With Reese and Styles gone, Pierce, who had 44 tackles as a reserve last season, looks ready to step into a starting role. The No. 5 inside linebacker recruit in the country two years ago out of Lucas, Texas, Pierce chose Ohio State over the Longhorns. In Pierce and rising sophomore Riley Pettijohn, the Buckeyes have a promising young linebacking tandem to retool the defense around. — Jake Trotter
Under-the-radar players: TE Ethan Barbour. Georgia has some question marks at receiver after four key contributors left, so perhaps it’s time for the Bulldogs to get back to throwing to their tight ends. Georgia is loaded at the position with Lawson Luckie, Jaden Reddell and Elyiss Williams coming back. The Bulldogs also signed Kaiden Prothro of Bowdon, Georgia, who was the No. 1 tight end in the Class of 2026, according to ESPN Recruiting. But Georgia’s coaches were very high on Barbour before he broke his ankle in the second game of the 2025 season. Kirby Smart loves his toughness, blocking ability and versatility. He’s a capable pass catcher too. — Mark Schlabach
Under-the-radar player: S Brauntae Johnson. The redshirt sophomore from Fort Wayne, Indiana, isn’t going by “Tae” anymore, so it’s time to learn his full name — you’ll be hearing it often. Johnson had a strong season as a redshirt freshman, but it happened quietly, as he was in the secondary with cornerback Leonard Moore, who drew the national spotlight. Johnson won’t be a secret anymore. He has the potential to be one of the best safeties in the country this fall. He played in 10 games last year and started eight, finishing fourth on the team with 48 tackles (35 solo) and was second with four interceptions. He makes game-changing plays and has the ability to disrupt passing lanes. He also returned a blocked punt for a touchdown against Texas A&M and had a pick-six in the first quarter at Pitt. — Heather Dinich
Under-the-radar player: LB Rasheem Biles. The Longhorns needed a replacement for the versatile Anthony Hill Jr., and found one in Biles, a Pitt transfer who didn’t attract as much attention as some of the Longhorns’ other heralded portal acquisitions. Steve Sarkisian said during spring practice that he knew Biles was flashy, but his physicality stood out. At Pitt last year, he had 101 tackles, 17 tackles for loss (which ranked in the top 10 nationally), 4.5 sacks and two interceptions he returned 85 yards for two touchdowns. — Dave Wilson
Under-the-radar player: DT Mario Landino. Landino was overlooked on a decorated defensive line but made key contributions during the team’s national title run. A first-year starter alongside Tyrique Tucker, Landino had five sacks for the season, recovered two fumbles in the semifinal win against Oregon and recorded three pass breakups. The 6-foot-4, 284-pound Landino recorded sacks against both Ohio State and Oregon and two sacks against Illinois. He enters his true junior season as a core member of returning defenders — Tucker, linebackers Rolijah Hardy and Isaiah Jones, safety Amare Ferrell — charged with stabilizing an elite unit after a wave of key departures. — Adam Rittenberg
Under-the-radar player: DE Hayden Lowe. Lowe got to Miami last year as a five-star prospect, and within the first few weeks of practice, coaches thought he would be able to make an immediate impact. But he got hurt and missed the season, giving him valuable time to watch and learn from Akheem Mesidor and Rueben Bain Jr. With Mesidor and Bain off to the NFL, Miami has a definite need at the defensive end spot. Outside of transfer Damon Wilson II, Miami doesn’t have much in the way of proven talent at the position. But the early returns on Lowe are promising. “My expectations for him are through the roof,” coach Mario Cristobal said. — Andrea Adelson
Under-the-radar player: WR Kenny Johnson. Texas Tech brought in four wide receivers via the portal this offseason to help replace the production of NFL-bound starters Caleb Douglas and Reggie Virgil. Johnson, a Pitt transfer, is ready to take the next big step in his senior year after earning honorable mention All-ACC recognition last season as the Panthers’ second-leading receiver with 695 yards and five TDs on 48 catches. He should have a chance to shine alongside returning wideouts Coy Eakin and Micah Hudson. Don’t be surprised if Johnson also emerges as an impact punt returner for the Red Raiders. — Max Olson
Under-the-radar player: WR Caleb Cunningham. The Rebels lost a plethora of receivers to the NFL draft and transfer portal, including leading receivers Harris Wallace III and De’Zhaun Stribling, who both turned pro. Cayden Lee transferred to Missouri; Winston Watkins joined former coach Lane Kiffin at LSU. The Rebels grabbed a handful of receivers out of the portal, but they’re also counting on Cunningham to emerge as a playmaker this season. He flipped from Alabama to Ole Miss late in November 2024. He has great size (6-foot-3, 190 pounds) and was a standout at Choctaw County High in Ackerman, Mississippi. He had one catch in 2025. — Mark Schlabach
Under-the-radar player: RB Rueben Owens II. Owens wasn’t under the radar as a recruit, rushing for more than 7,000 yards and 100 TDs and becoming one of the most coveted prospects in the 2023 class. But he has yet to reach his potential during his A&M career because of injuries. Owens led all SEC freshmen in 2023 in all-purpose yards with 743 but suffered a foot injury in a scrimmage in 2024 and was limited to 66 yards in two games before running for 639 last year. In 28 career games, he has topped 20 carries just once, last year against Mississippi State, running for 142 yards. At full speed, Owens has star potential. — Dave Wilson
Under-the-radar player: S Ty Benefield. Granted, Benefield was among the top additions Lane Kiffin made through the portal, but he did not generate as much buzz as Sam Leavitt or Princewill Umanmielen. Early in spring, Kiffin praised Benefield as having an “ultra-elite” skill set and mindset, and that should serve him well as he makes the transition to the Power 4 level. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound safety from Boise State started 33 games for the Broncos — including 28 straight — and was the first defensive player to commit to Kiffin out of the portal. LSU has several holes to fill in the defensive backfield, so his addition is huge for a unit looking for experience and consistency. — Andrea Adelson
Under-the-radar player: DE Taylor Wein. A second-team All-SEC selection last fall, Wein still might not be the first face you think of within a defensive core that returns veterans like Peyton Bowen, Jayden Jackson and Kip Lewis. But the redshirt junior is no secret around Norman after his breakout campaign on one of the nation’s top defenses a year ago. Wein not only led the Sooners in TFLs (15), sacks (seven) and pressures (35), but he stepped up when it mattered most in 2025, surging after Oklahoma lost star pass rusher R Mason Thomas to injury and starring in the program’s road win at Alabama in November. With Thomas off to the NFL, Wein has every opportunity to make another star turn this fall. — Eli Lederman
Under-the-radar player: S Rod Moore. The NCAA granted the two-time captain a sixth season of eligibility, potentially giving the Wolverines a difference-maker on the back end of their defense. The question is whether Moore can regain the form he had in 2023. Moore tore his ACL during spring practice in 2024, then had to have a meniscus procedure on the same knee. He missed the entire 2024 season and played only three games last year. Moore was a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023, manning a key role on Michigan’s national championship defense. — Jake Trotter