Spring Football 2025: Ten Players Ready for the Big Sophomore Leap

Demond Williams Jr., Washington

One of my favorite things about college football is seeing fresh players rise into the spotlight, and have their respective "breakout" moments. Whether it's the former blue-chip, high-profile prospect or the lightly recruited underdog who finally gets a chance, these types of stories add to the unpredictable nature of college football. That's why my annual, "Ten Players Ready for the Big Sophomore Leap" article is one of my favorites every year. I mean, what better way to pass the time as we inch towards the fall, than wild speculation? This will now be my seventh (!) straight year making this list and every year I add to my many hits and frankly many misses. In that spirit, it's time to unveil my 2025 list, with 10 players ready for their breakthroughs in their sophomore seasons. 

(* Note - list includes redshirt freshman, true sophomores, and redshirt sophomores)

1. K.J. Bolden, S, Georgia

(2024 Stats: 59 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 interception)

There's always a bit of a gray area here determining which players have already had their respective "breakout" moments, and after a superb freshman campaign, you could argue K.J. Bolden is already established. However, I think 2025 is the year he goes from a great freshman to one of the best players anywhere in college football - period. The former five-star prospect, who was originally committed to Florida State before flipping to his home state Georgia Bulldogs, was one of the best defenders on this team down the stretch last fall. In the Tennessee game and in the SEC Championship Game in particular, you'll see Bolden lining up all across the field and making his presence felt both in coverage, and coming up and making plays in run support. Now, the Bulldogs will lean even more on the sophomore safety after sending their usual wave of defenders off to the NFL, including superstar safety Malaki Starks. Bolden will not only have to cover more ground than ever before, he'll play a key leadership role in this defensive backfield. Beyond him and senior JaCorey Thomas, who is expected to step into a starting spot after playing in all 14 games as a reserve in 2024, this is a secondary that breaks in a bunch of new faces from the portal. If he can acclimate to this new role, and it certainly looks like Bolden has the pedigree to do just that, Georgia has their next great defensive back - and one that could be in the Jim Thorpe Award mix when it's all said and done this fall.

2. Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington

(2024 Stats: 82-105 (78.1%), 944 yards, 8 TD, 1 INT)

Demond Williams Jr. felt like a must-have for this list after the way he finished the 2024 campaign. It was clear down the stretch head coach Jedd Fisch was turning to the future of the program in Williams when he benched veteran Will Rogers, first in a loss to Oregon to cap off the regular season and then the Sun Bowl against Louisville. There was already palpable buzz around Williams after appearing in several games throughout the regular season, but five total touchdowns in the bowl game has Washington fans thinking big in 2025. The sophomore was originally a Fisch commit at Arizona before following his coach to the Pacific Northwest, and Fisch has been raving about him ever since. The hype didn't die down when Williams put together a strong showing in the spring, silencing any doubts about who will lead the Husky offense this fall. With his dual-threat ability and set to play in a wide-open offense, Williams could be among the best returning quarterbacks in the Big Ten this upcoming fall. Add in the fact he'll be throwing to a potentially elite receiver corps that includes Denzel Boston and a host of incoming transfers, it's not surprising that Washington fans are thinking for their sophomore signal-caller in 2025. 

3. Luke Reynolds, TE, Penn State

(2024 Stats: 9 receptions, 111 yards, 1 TD)

Tyler Warren is now an Indianapolis Colt, leaving a gaping hole in the Penn State offense after the tight end caught 104 passes for 1,233 yards and took home the John Mackey Award. Fortunately, the Nittany Lions have plenty back for offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to work his magic in 2025, including quarterback Drew Allar, but tight end remains a position group to watch heading into the fall. Penn State has long been a program that utilizes two tight-end sets heavily and while Kotelnicki is unlikely to be as creative with the position as he was this past season with Warren, it should still feature heavily in this offense. That bodes well for sophomore Luke Reynolds, who we saw flashes of last fall, but who could be in store for greater things in 2025. Veteran Khalil Dinkins is still the likely starter heading into the season, but Reynolds offers the upside to be a breakout candidate. He was the country's top tight end in the 2024 recruiting class and did enough to warrant the attention of the coaching staff last season, appearing in every game. He's a superb athlete for the position with soft hands, and he received rave reviews coming out of spring camp. Penn State is hopeful the returning talent and work they did in the portal upgrades their receiver room, but this still feels like a perfect scenario for a promising young tight end to show out, especially with a proven veteran getting him the football in Allar.

4. Drelon Miller, WR/RB, Colorado

(2024 Stats: 32 receptions, 277 yards, 3 touchdowns)

For the first time since beginning his college football coaching career, Deion Sanders will not have his son under center. And with Shedeur now a Cleveland Brown, the Colorado offense is in for a makeover, with a trio of candidates battling to replace him in Liberty transfer Kaidon Salter, highly touted freshman Julian Lewis, and holdover Ryan Staub. Yet, the quarterback battle isn't the only significant change this passing attack is set to experience in 2025. Colorado's top four receivers, including Heisman winner Travis Hunter, are all off to the NFL, taking with them over 3,000 yards and 32 touchdowns. Needless to say, the Buffaloes are going to be desperate for playmakers on the perimeter, the ideal situation for a rising sophomore like Drelon Miller. Even buried on the depth chart last fall, Miller flashed ample potential during his freshman season, with 32 catches. He was particularly effective down the stretch, going over the century mark against Utah for the first time in his career, and following it up with a five-catch day against Kansas the next week. Now, the big news out of the spring for Miller was that he was taking reps at running back, and is likely to see usage at the position throughout the 2025 season. It's clear the Colorado staff is incredibly high on the dynamic sophomore and will look to get the ball to him early and often. He could be the type of Swiss Army knife offensive player that becomes a regular on highlight reels this fall - and keeps Colorado in the Big 12 Title hunt.

5. Nitro Tuggle, WR, Purdue

(2024 Stats: 3 receptions, 34 yards)

After a one year pit stop at Georgia, Nitro Tuggle is set to return to his home state of Indiana, giving Barry Odom a portal victory as he overhauls this Purdue roster. Tuggle not only has one heck of a name for a receiver, he was quite the talent coming out of high school as a four-star prospect who had interest from programs throughout power conference football. He was unsurprisingly buried on the depth chart at Georgia during his one season there, but enters a perfect situation with the Boilermakers. This is an offense that has been almost completely turned over this offseason under Odom, and snaps at receiver are up for grabs. Tuggle was suspended in the spring but reports out of camp are that none of the new transfer pieces on this roster solidified the No. 1 spot for offensive coordinator Josh Henson. It wouldn't be shocking if Tuggle is a guy who may not have been cut out for one of the true elites of the sport with the Bulldogs, but ends up at a power school close to home and shows out. This is a program that has shown they can produce All-American receivers over the last decade and even if this offense will look a bit different under Odom and company, perhaps Tuggle is the latest in line. 

6. Selman Bridges, CB, Arkansas

(2024 Stats: 1 pass deflection)

Aside from a pass deflection in the season-opening romp of Arkansas Pine-Bluff, we didn't see much production from Arkansas freshman Selman Bridges last fall across seven appearances. So, why do I envision a potential breakout for Bridges in 2025? He has a prime opportunity on this Razorback defense and the physical tools to acclimate to a new role quickly, even if growing pains are to be expected from a young defensive back in the SEC. At 6'3" with long arms, it's supremely difficult to fit balls into tight windows against a player like Bridges, and his multi-sport experience in high school of basketball and track shows out on the football field. And it's clear that this Arkansas staff believes he can put those physical tools to work this season, as he spent nearly the entire spring in position as a starting cornerback. It was the perfect opportunity for the youngster to make an impression with new secondary coach Nick Perry, who comes from the Seattle Seahawks and has been tasked with rebuilding a group that underwent major personnel turnover this offseason. Still, Bridges will have to fend off several transfers that are set to join this Razorback defense in fall camp. But, you get the sense his potential will be enough of a selling point here that he's in good position to see significant playing time, and with a soft schedule through September, Bridges could make his presence felt quickly in Fayetteville.

7. Jordan Marshall, RB, Michigan

(2024 Stats: 31 carries, 120 yards)

The obvious priority in Ann Arbor heading into 2025 is to fix a passing offense that was almost nonexistent during a rocky last fall. Yet, it shouldn't be overlooked that the Wolverines also said goodbye to their top two rushers from last year, as Kalel Mullings and Donovan Edwards both exhausted their eligibility. The duo combined for over 1,500 yards and 16 touchdowns despite running into stacked boxes on this one-dimensional defense. With the pair both sitting out the ReliaQuest Bowl win to focus on the NFL Draft, we may have gotten a glimpse into the future of the position for Michigan, as freshman Jordan Marshall scampered for 100 yards on 23 carries against Alabama. Of course, this wasn't a Tide defense playing at 100 percent considering how many players had also opted out for them, but it was quite an impressive feat for a player that had seen just eight carries across his young career up to that point. Looking ahead to 2025, Marshall has a chance to see plenty of action in a Wolverine offense that is still going to look to pound the rock. He will battle Alabama transfer Justice Haynes for opportunities, who comes over after two seasons with the Tide, but I get the sense this staff will find plenty of chances to get Marshall the ball. 

8. Austin Simmons, QB, Ole Miss

(2024 Stats: 19-32 (59.4%), 282 yards, 2 touchdowns)

Austin Simmons isn't just taking over the reins of an SEC program, he has to replace that school's all-time leading passer, with Jaxson Dart now a New York Giant after wrapping up his collegiate career with nearly 12,000 passing yards and 81 touchdowns. Needless to say, that's a lot pressure on a young quarterback without a ton of game experience, but Simmons doesn't seem to be shying away from the spotlight. On the contrary, he's seemed to embrace it throughout the offseason, and Lane Kiffin seems to be confident in what his sophomore QB can be, even after bringing in Oklahoma State transfer Maealiuaki Smith this spring. Simmons has had two seasons to sit behind Dart and learn, as he will technically be a redshirt sophomore this fall. You couldn't think of a better situation for a quarterback like Simmons than learning from Dart for multiple years, although his game is almost sure to look a little bit different. Simmons isn't likely to run as much as Dart - he looks to be more of a prototypical pocket passer than other quarterbacks we've seen under Kiffin, as he stands 6'4" and 215 pounds. Yet, Simmons has a huge arm and is going to take his shots down the field, in a Rebel offense that is going to spread the ball around. Sure, Lane will look to simplify things early on, but he's always been aggressive in what he does, and this Ole Miss offense will still boast plenty of talent. However, finding chemistry early on with some of the new faces at receiver could be make-or-break for Simmons. Power conference transfers like De'Zhaun Stribling and Harrison Wallace III dot the roster, as does highly touted frosh Caleb Cunnigham, but there will be little time to waste before Ole Miss jumps into their SEC schedule the second game of the year against Kentucky. 

9. Darrion Dupree, RB, Wisconsin

(2024 Stats: 79 carries, 317 yards, 1 TD, 12 receptions, 119 yards)

After a frustrating two seasons with Phil Longo in charge of the offense, Wisconsin is poised to return to their ground-and-pound ways with the hire of offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes. With Chez Mellusi graduated and Tawee Walker hitting the portal, that means a new figurehead will be leading the way in the Badger backfield in 2025. The most likely candidate? Sophomore Darrion Dupree, who was a pleasant surprise as a true freshman and who has been receiving plenty of attention over the offseason. Dupree isn't considered the big-play threat that fellow returnee Cade Yacamelli is, but he feels like more a traditional, throwback Wisconsin tailback. He's a relentless runner who always falls forward, but has just enough wiggle and shiftiness in the open field to rack up yardage. His numbers were solid last season but with so much carries up in the air, it feels like almost a given we'll see a major leap forward from him. Dupree's hands are another selling point - he's not going to go out and catch 50 passes a season, but you get the sense the Badgers will look to get him the football early and often this upcoming fall. There's not a lot of better situations to be in nationally than the feature back at Wisconsin and Dupree feels like the right guy at the right time to get this program back to their roots between the tackles.

10. Za'Quan Bryan, CB, Minnesota

(2024 Stats: 19 tackles, 5 pass deflections, 1 interception)

All eyes on the Minnesota defense are pointed towards superstar sophomore Koi Perich, who was one of the most impactful defenders in the country en route to earning Freshman All-American honors. However, I'm not sure there's a greater X-factor on this Gopher roster than redshirt sophomore Za'Quan Bryan. With Justin Walley gone after an impressive four seasons in Dinkytown, cornerback is a clear position of need for the defense, and has been for the last several years. Jaylen Bowden was a nice pickup from FCS North Carolina Central, but Bryan is still the alpha of the room after appearing in 12 games and making three starts in 2024. We've seen the potential from Bryan in short spurts before with his athleticism and ability to come up and make an impact in run support. The bowl win over Virginia Tech in particular was a moment where we saw just how bright his future was, with his first career INT and a pair of tackles for loss. Does that mean he's ready to take the next step? Certainly the opportunity is there and with how well the Gophers have developed their defensive backfield over the last half-decade, he's worth betting on.