Week 1 of college football is nearly upon us, and there are some incredible matchups to kick off the 2025 season.
The most notable, of course, is the SEC–Big Ten showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, Aug. 30 on FOX.
This will be a pivotal year for the Big Ten, which has been hard at work to make its mark as the top conference in modern-day college football. Big Ten teams, Michigan and Ohio State, have won the past two College Football Playoff National Championships. Big Ten teams also went 4-0 against SEC teams in the CFP over that same span.
That got us thinking about the biggest stars in the Big Ten entering the 2025 season:
10 Best Big Ten Players Entering The 2025 Season
Makai Lemon #6 of the USC Trojans catches a pass during a spring football game in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)
Lemon had a breakout season during his sophomore year at USC, hauling in 52 passes for 764 yards and three touchdowns. It’s now time for Lemon to build on that foundation. He’s the only Trojan to make this list, so it’s clear their offense will go as he does. For the third consecutive year, USC has a new starting quarterback opening the season — this time it’s junior Jayden Maiava — and Lemon will certainly be his go-to target on the perimeter.
D’Angelo Ponds #5 during a game in Bloomington, Indiana on November 30, 2024 (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Ponds, a junior defensive back, enters his second season with Indiana. In 2024, he was second on the team in interceptions with three. After losing offensive coordinator Tony Sunsieri to UCLA, Ponds and Indiana’s defense will have to step up if the Hoosiers want to return to the CFP.
Gabe Jacas #17 during a game between Illinois and Kansas in Champaign, IL on September 7, 2024. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jacas showcased his ability to be a game-wrecker last season, racking up 74 total tackles, including 13 tackles for loss. He posted a career-high 8.0 sacks and was tied for the conference lead in forced fumbles (three). At 6-foot-3, 275 pounds and agile as can be, Jacas is the type of edge rusher that NFL teams clamor over. He’s likely to be a first-round draft pick in 2026, and his stock could rise into the top 10 depending on how he builds off last season.
Matayo Uiagalelei #10 of the Oregon Ducks during the first half of the Rose Bowl on January 1, 2025. (Photo by Ric Tapia/Getty Images)
Uiagaleilei is another one of these highly coveted pass-rushing prospects. In 2024, he had 10.5 sacks and matched Jacas’ total of 13 tackles for loss as a sophomore. With potential question marks on Oregon’s offense at wide receiver and quarterback, Uiagaleilei and the pass rush might have to be the leading unit on the team if the Ducks want to achieve another undefeated regular season.
Dillon Thieneman #31 during a game between Purdue and Indiana in Bloomington on November 30, 2024. (Photo by James Black/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Transferring from one Big Ten school (Purdue) to another (Oregon), Thieneman has already proved he can be an impact player, but now he can show how that impact translates to winning. Purdue went 5-19 over the past two seasons, but Thieneman surpassed 100 total tackles in each of those. Despite the Ducks going undefeated last regular season, their defense ranked 11th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed (130 per game). Thieneman’s ability to win at the second-level and prevent big plays on the ground will be crucial for Oregon to improve on that mark.
Drew Allar #15 during the first quarter of the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on January 09, 2025 in Miami. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Allar is the top quarterback on this list. Between his sophomore and junior seasons at Penn State, he increased his completion percentage from 59.9% to 66.5%. That improvement in accuracy helped the Nittany Lions make a run to the CFP semifinals. The stakes, though, have never been higher for Allar. He enters his senior season tied for the fifth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy (+1600) and he’s leading Joel Klatt’s preseason top-25 No. 1 ranked team. If everything goes right, he could be the top quarterback prospect in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Dani Dennis-Sutton #33 after forcing a fumble during the second quarter of the Orange Bowl on January 09, 2025. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Similar to Allar, Dennis-Sutton is an anomaly in college football. He’s entering his final year of college football with the program he started with. The edge rusher had his best season in 2024, recording 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss.
Nicholas Singleton #10 celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the Orange Bowl on January 09, 2025 in Miami. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Singleton rounds out the trio of tried-and-true Nittany Lions. Their continuity is part of why Klatt is so high on them this season. Singleton rushed for 1,099 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2024 and added 375 yards and five touchdowns through the air. His rushing ability keeps opposing defenses honest, while his consistent improvement as a route-runner has given Allar a safety blanket in the passing game.
Caleb Downs #2 celebrates an interception in the Cotton Bowl on January 10, 2025. (Photo by Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Downs was pivotal in Ohio State’s championship run last season. He had eight tackles for loss, an impressive number for a free safety. He came up big in the CFP semifinals when he had a tackle for loss and picked off Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers to seal the game.
Jeremiah Smith #4 after making a reception in the 2025 CFP National Championship Game in Atlanta. (Photo by CFP/Getty Images)
Smith has the talent to be the first wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy award since Devonta Smith. He dominated every opponent in the Big Ten conference during his true freshman season, leading the conference with 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. His magnum opus came in the Rose Bowl during the CFP quarterfinals when he torched Oregon for 187 yards and two touchdowns.
Honorable mentions:
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