College football training camps have commenced this week, signaling the start of the 2024 season. As the season begins to unfold, stars begin to shine including new names on the scene.
Here are some names with which you should familiarize yourself. A couple listed may be established talents flying under the radar, but are ready to fully sprout their wings. Others have been waiting for their chances patenitly. Of course, some have arrived at the new addresses seeking greener pastures via the transfer portal.
Regardless of their paths to this point, these guys are the playmakers, the game-changers, who can significantly impact the 2024 season.
- Quarterback Cameron Ward (Miami): Hardly a newcomer, but before the season concludes, he could have the Hurricanes primed for a playoff spot and in conversations about the Heisman. The 6-2, 222-pound senior has 13,874 career passing yards with 119 touchdown passes and 16 additional scores as a foot soldier after stops at Incarnate Word and Washington State. He was recognized as the FCS National Freshman of the Year with the Jerry Rice Award.
- Quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (LSU): Occasionally termed a “gunslinger,” the 6-2, 200-pound player demonstrated his skills in his first college start against Wisconsin in the bowl game, completing 31 of 45 for 395 yards and 3 scores. Despite holding the clipboard for Jayden Daniels, he made 18 appearances. He made huge strides in spring drills and has picked up where he left off in camp thus far.
- Running back Ashton Jeanty (Boise State): The nation’s leading rusher in 2023 with 1,347 yards (6.1 average) and 14 touchdowns, accounting for 1,918 total yards and 19 TDs as a runner and receiver. The 5-8, 210-pound, 20-year-old may be the best runner in college football few know about. He has produced 2,168 rushing yards and 21 TDs with 57 catches for 724 yards and 5 touchdowns. He can run inside or outside with power.
- Running back Kyle Monangai (Rutgers): The 5-9, 210-pound junior paced the Big Ten with 1,262 yards (9.8-yard average) and 8 scores. He was the MVP of the Pinstripe Bowl. Following a 7-5 campaign, Rutgers could be a surprise with Monangai playing a major role. He was the first Scarlet Knight runner to exceed 1,000 yards in a season since 2012.
- Running back Makhi Hughes (Tulane): The sophom*ore was the first freshman in 129 Green Wave seasons to rush for 1,000 yards, accumulating 1,378 yards and 7 touchdowns. That was the 4th highest in school history. Phil Steele ranks him as the 11th-best runner in the country.
- Defensive end Nic Scourton (Texas A&M): After spending 2 seasons at Purdue, he tallied 8 sacks and 42 pressures in 2023. While with the Boilermakers, he collected 72 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks. The 6-4, 280-pound player with 4.7 forty speed is expected to be a high first-round draft pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (Arizona): Another talent few are familiar with, but the 6-5, 215-pound player with 4.5 speed was a second-team All-American last season after catching 90 passes for 1,402 yards and 10 TDs. A five-star prospect in the 2022 class, he was slotted as the 4th best target in the class. He was the 2021 National Gatorade Player of the Year. Called “T-Mac,” he is a legitimate Biletnikoff candidate.
- Defensive end Ashton Gillotte (Louisville): Ranked among the top 2-3 pass rushers in the country, the 6-3, 275-pound senior is a freakish athlete, boasting a 36″ vertical, 4.75 forty, and 390 lbs. power clean. He was a two-star prospect and carries that as motivation. He has 29 tackles for loss, 22 sacks, and 59 pressures in 37 contests. He is compared to former Louisville star Elvis Dumervil, who had 365 tackles and 105.5 sacks during his NFL career.
- Quarterback Dylan Raiola (Nebraska): The 2024 five-star recruit, ranked the 2nd best in the class, is billed as the most significant recruit in modern-day Cornhusker history. The 6-3, 220-pound player had 250 passing attempts at Buford High School (Georgia) before suffering his first interception. His dad, Dominic, was a 14-year veteran center for the Detroit Lions. His godfather is Lions’ Matthew Stafford. He also excels in baseball with an 89 mph fastball.
- Wide receiver C.J. Daniels (LSU): Transfers from Liberty, arriving with dynamic playmaking skills. The 6-1, 200-pound player with 4.44 forty speed caught 106 passes for 1,954 yards and 21 touchdowns during his tenure at Liberty. Last season, he had 55 catches for 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns.
- Wide receiver Cam Coleman (Auburn): A five-star addition from the 2024 signing class, the 6-3, 188-pound player was ranked as the #2 receiver in the nation. A potential vertical threat, he possesses a rare combination of size, speed, and athleticism for someone who doesn’t turn 18 until later this month.
- Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (Penn State): The 6-5, 272-pound junior played in the shadow of 1st-round pick (Dolphins) Chop Robinson. With only 3 starts on his resume in his 26 appearances, he is anxious for a chance. In 2 seasons at Happy Valley, he has 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and 7 tackles for loss. He will play opposite projected 1st-round pick in the ’25 draft Abdul Carter, who should draw the “Lions’ share” of attention from opponents.
- Cornerback Marcelles Williams (USC): A four-star signee in the 2024 class, he demonstrated traits as a true freshman last spring that could offer him an opportunity to play a major role in the season opener vs. LSU. Keep this in mind: Ronnie Lott, Joey Browner, and Troy Polamalu, all USC and NFL greats, did not start early in their freshman seasons. Williams was a 4-year starter at prep power St. John Bosco. His brothers Max (USC) and Macen (Arizona) preceded him.
- Quarterback T.J. Finley (Western Kentucky): Not a name you expected to see on this list, I’ll wager, but he fits the profile. The 6-7, 255-pound junior was the nation’s 18th-ranked passer in 2023 at Texas State, slotted ahead of Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy and South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler, both now in the NFL. After stops at LSU (5 starts), Auburn (6 starts), and Texas State (13 starts), he completed 67.4% of his passes last season for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions. Former Ponchatoula High School star.
- Running back Devin Neal (Kansas): Last season, the 5-11, 215-pound player ran for 1,280 yards and 16 scores, recording consecutive 1,000-plus rushing seasons. Very elusive, he shows an amazing burst of speed. Currently with 3,077 yards and 33 career touchdowns, the senior is 765 yards shy of becoming the Jayhawks’ all-time leading rusher, overtaking Gale Sayers and John Riggins. He also excels in baseball.
- Wide receiver Evan Stewart (Oregon): Former Texas A&M Aggie arrives with 91 catches for 1,163 yards and 16 touchdowns to his credit during his 2 seasons there. The 5-11, 175-pound player from Frisco, Texas, was the state’s long jump champion with a 24′ 6.5″ leap and ranked 2nd in the triple jump (48’9″) to go along with a 10.58 hundred meters. Last season, he recorded an 11-catch, 142-yard performance vs. Miami.
- Running back Jevon Jackson (UTEP): Not a household name, and the Miners are not among the nation’s elite, but this 5-9, 200-pound dynamo was the 5th leading rusher in the nation last season with 1,373 yards (7.1 average) and 10 touchdowns. He’ll get a big test in the season opener vs. Nebraska.
- Quarterback Noah Fifita (Arizona): The Wildcats are expected to make a major splash in the Big 12 this season following a 10-3 finish last year. The 5-11, 194-pound freshman was at the throttle in 2023, guiding his squad to a 7-game winning streak to finish the campaign. Because of his success, he was cited as the Conference’s Freshman of the Year. He finished the season with 2,869 passing yards (72.4%), 25 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions, with a 354-yard, 2-TD performance in a 38-24 win over Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
- Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State): The #1 receiver in the 2024 class. With Marvin Harrison Jr. off to the NFL, there could be a major opportunity for the 6-3, 215-pound freshman. He has been mentioned in the same breath as former Buckeye elites Cris Carter, Garrett Wilson, David Boston, and Michael Thomas. His cousin is Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.
