9 Potential Breakout College Football Stars To Keep An Eye On Heading Into The 2024 Season

It may have taken close to nine months, but college football fans can officially rejoice now that the 2024 season is here—one that’s overflowing with intriguing storylines and promises to be thrilled with the drama we’ve come to know and love.

There are plenty of players and teams that have already cemented themselves as the cream of the crop, but one of the things that makes college football so great is knowing they’ll likely be joined by some others who will use the season as their coming-out party.

There’s only so much you can do to predict how things are going to play out over the course of the 2024 college football season when everything is said and done, but there are plenty of signs that suggest there are a number of players on the verge of a major glow up.

I can’t promise everyone on this list will live up to expectations by the time the end of the campaign rolls around (and there will certainly be others not included who manage to make a name for themselves), but you’re still going to want to keep an eye on these guys.

Nico Iamaleava—QB, Tennessee

There probably isn’t a single player in college football this year who’s managed to generate more buzz concerning their potential than Nico Iamaleava.

The five-star recruit was ranked near the top of his class and spent the 2023 season backing up Joe Milton at Tennessee before getting his lone start in the Citrus Bowl (where he passed for a touchdown and punched it in three times on the ground while leading the Volunteers to a 35-0 win over Iowa).

The 6’5″ dual-threat QB may find himself dealing with a bit of a learning curve once he’s thrust into the starting role as a redshirt sophomore, but all signs indicate he’s more than ready to handle the pressure.

Oscar Delp—TE, Georgia

Georgia is going to have a very hard time replacing Brock Bowers after the standout tight end who served as the centerpiece of their offense last year was scooped up by the Raiders in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

I don’t think anyone is expecting Oscar Delp to fill that void entirely, but there’s still plenty of chatter concerning the potential upside of the junior TE who recorded 253 passing yards and three touchdowns while primarily serving as Bowers’ backup in 2023.

It does seem like Delp will be competing with Standford transfer Benjamin Yurosek for reps when the season kicks off, but it would appear he has the edge based on everything that’s come out of Athens over the summer.

Jeremiyah Love—RB, Notre Dame

As is the case with most of the players on this list, Jeremiyah Love is getting his first real chance to shine this season after being previously relegated to a backup role.

Audric Estime handled the bulk of the rushing duties at Notre Dame in 2023 before he was drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round, which means Love will have the chance to show what he’s made of as a sophomore.

Love racked up 385 yards on the ground while averaging 5.4 yards on his 71 carries (one of which ended in a touchdown). He was also deployed sparingly in Notre Dame’s passing games (eight receptions for 77 yards), but the Fighting Irish should be able to capitalize on the talents of an RB who’s as quick as he is versatile now that he has the chance to adopt a more prominent role.

Kyren Lacy—WR, LSU

Kyren Lacy took a backseat in LSU’s offense last season thanks to a stacked wide receiving corps led by Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., who were each rewarded for their stellar play after being respectively drafted by the Giants and the Jaguars in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Lacy still recorded a respectable 463 receiving yards while catching seven touchdowns, and Brian Kelly says he’s fully embraced the role of the team’s No. 1 option at wide receiver this season.

His success is fairly contingent on the accession of QB Garrett Nussmeier (who has some big cleats to fill in the wake of the departure of Jayden Daniels), but if they can develop some chemistry, he’ll have plenty of opportunities to shine.

Marvin Jones Jr.—DL, FSU

All of the guys I’ve mentioned so far are poised to make a name for themselves on the offensive side of the ball, but there are plenty of players who have what it takes to make a similar impact defensively.

That includes Marvin Jones Jr. (not to be confused with the NFL wide receiver of the same name), who opted to transfer to Florida State this year in search of a more prominent role after two seasons at Georgia.

The embarrassment of riches the Bulldogs had during his time in Athens limited Jones to 12 tackles and a single sack in 2023, but the defensive lineman showed a ton of promise while practicing with the Seminoles and should significantly improve on those stats based on his current trajectory.

Sonny Styles—LB, Ohio State

Sonny Styles is one of the more interesting names on this list, as the 6′ 4″, 235-pound junior spent his first two seasons at Ohio State playing safety even though plenty of people thought he had more potential as a linebacker.

That hypothesis will be put to the test this year, as all signs point to Styles winning the battle with fellow LB C.J. Hicks to start on the weak side while teaming up with Cody Simon.

There are understandably some questions about how he’ll adjust to his new position, but if he’s able to learn the ropes, there’s a very good chance he’ll be a nightmare for opposing offenses.

Ja'Den McBurrows—DB, Michigan

There are obviously a ton of questions surrounding Michigan heading into 2024, as last season’s national champions are dealing with a new head coach and the loss of 13 players who were selected in the NFL Draft in the wake of their title run.

That includes Mike Sainristil, the All-American cornerback who was scooped up by the Commanders in the fourth round. However, his departure has presented senior Ja’Den McBurrows with a golden opportunity to prove he has what it takes to replace the man he spent most of last year backing up.

McBurrows played 182 snaps in 2023 while recording seven tackles, and he also hauled in an interception while breaking up a couple of passes while being targeted on 13 occasions.

The former three-star prospect has grappled with injuries during his time in Ann Arbor, and while a breakout year is far from assured, the pieces are certainly there to be put together.

Peter Woods—DT, Clemson

There was plenty of hype surrounding Peter Woods when he arrived at Clemson for his freshman year in 2023 after helping his high school team in Alabama secure four straight state titles

The 6′ 3″, 315-pound defensive tackle has put on 40 pounds since joining the Tigers as a five-star recruit who was the best player at his position in his class, and he recorded 27 tackles while forcing a fumble in the 12 games where he primarily served in a backup role during his freshman year.

He’ll be able to take advantage of a more consistent role as a sophomore, and based on how he’s progressed, his impact will be hard to ignore.

Jackson Arnold—QB, Oklahoma

We kicked things off with a highly-touted quarterback who’s gotten the chance to step into a starting role, so we might as well finish with another one.

Jackson Arnold primarily served as the backup to Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma in 2023, but he did see some action before being upgraded to QB1 after his predecessor announced he was transferring to Oregon ahead of the Sooners’ appearance in the Alamo Bowl.

Arnold may not have dazzled in the 38-24 loss where he was intercepted three times, but the five-star recruit now has a full offseason of preparation under his belt and a couple of dangerous options at wide receiver thanks to Deion Burks and Nic Anderson.

He’ll also be facing off against Nico Iamaleava and Tennessee on September 21st, and fans who tune into that game should be in for a treat.