- Clemson’s Cade Klubnik leads the record of quarterbacks: The rising senior is the highest returning quarterback in faculty soccer after making a large leap as a junior.
- Caleb Downs is on the prime as soon as once more: The Ohio State star is PFF’s prime returning security for the second yr in a row.
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The 2025 faculty soccer season is simply across the nook, and whereas followers are targeted on new recruits and rising stars, it’s the returning veterans who typically form the playoff race and outline the season’s largest moments.
With the switch portal, teaching adjustments and NFL departures reshuffling rosters throughout the nation, it’s extra essential than ever to know which confirmed playmakers are nonetheless within the combine. Here’s a position-by-position breakdown of the highest returning gamers heading into the 2025 faculty soccer season, utilizing PFF’s superior grades and knowledge to highlight the athletes poised to make the largest influence.
QUARTERBACK
1. Cade Klubnik, Clemson
2. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
3. Carson Beck, Miami (FL)
There may not have been a extra improved quarterback in faculty soccer this previous season than Klubnik. After inserting 102nd amongst FBS signal-callers in 2023 with a 63.9 PFF passing grade, he ranked fifth in 2024 with an 87.7 mark. Only Cam Ward and Shedeur Sanders threw extra touchdowns than the junior (36), and people two are projected top-five picks within the 2025 NFL Draft. Klubnik additionally ranked fifth in big-time throws (28).
The prime quarterback recruit within the 2022 class is lastly beginning to reside as much as the hype and has the potential to take a loaded Clemson roster to the promised land as a senior.
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RUNNING BACK
1. Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
2. Isaac Brown, Louisville
3. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
The Fighting Irish’s elite run recreation and stellar protection led them to the nationwide championship recreation this previous season, and the previous ought to nonetheless be current in 2025 due to Love.
The sophomore was the second-most useful operating again within the nation, in response to PFF’s wins above common metric, whereas his 91.0 PFF grade ranked fifth. Love’s 38% compelled missed sort out price positioned second amongst Power Four operating backs this previous season, and his 6.9 yards per carry ranked third. His implausible athleticism permits him to run by means of or hurdle defenders, making him a risk to attain from wherever on the sector.
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WIDE RECEIVER
1. Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
2. Ryan Williams, Alabama
3. Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State
Smith entered Columbus because the highest-rated recruit from the 2024 class and the highest-rated large receiver recruit in Ohio State historical past. Suffice it to say, the Florida native confronted sky-high expectations.
And he lived as much as them. Immediately.
As a real freshman, Smith was probably the most useful receiver in faculty soccer, in response to PFF’s wins above common metric. His 89.8 PFF receiving grade in 2024 ranked third and is greater than 4 factors greater than another returning wideout. He additionally led the Power Four with 15 receiving touchdowns whereas trailing solely Tetairoa McMillan in receiving yards (1,311).
Smith is an athletic freak at 6-foot-3 and 215 kilos with an extremely refined talent set for somebody who turned 19 years previous in November. Not solely is he the very best returning receiver in faculty soccer, however he’s the very best returning participant in faculty soccer.
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TIGHT END
1. Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
2. Jack Endries, Cal
3. Max Klare, Ohio State
Once a four-star quarterback recruit, Stowers has made the transition to tight finish look seamless. No returning tight finish in faculty soccer has been as useful as him over the previous two seasons, in response to PFF’s wins above common metric.
The New Mexico State switch is an elite athlete, inserting above the 99th percentile in PFF’s Game Athleticism Score metric. That motion capacity makes him particularly harmful after the catch, as Stowers ranked third amongst Power Four tight ends with 13 compelled missed tackles and fourth in yards after the catch (373) this previous yr. He and quarterback Diego Pavia will type the nation’s finest quarterback-tight finish pairing subsequent season.
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OFFENSIVE TACKLE
1. Spencer Fano, Utah
2. Francis Mauigoa, Miami (FL)
3. Kadyn Proctor, Alabama
Fano was the straightforward selection to steer this record as he led all FBS tackles with a 93.0 grade this previous season. That’s primarily because of his dominance within the run recreation, because the Utah native’s 93.6 run-blocking grade was the very best within the nation by over three factors. He additionally completed because the second-most-valuable Power Four sort out in response to PFF’s wins above common metric, trailing solely a projected top-15 choose in Kelvin Banks Jr.
Fano is not any slouch as a go protector both, incomes a top-30 pass-blocking grade amongst Power Four tackles (79.5). While some size considerations may push him inside to protect within the NFL, he’s nonetheless an elite athlete with dominant tape as only a true sophomore.
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INTERIOR OFFENSIVE LINEMEN
1. Jake Slaughter, Florida
2. Ar’maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M
3. Iapani Laloulu, Oregon
One yr after inserting eighth on this record, Slaughter tops it after a stellar redshirt junior season. He was the one Power Four heart to earn 80.0-plus PFF grades as a go blocker and a run blocker. Even extra spectacular is that he confronted a assassin’s row of defensive tackles, together with Walter Nolen, Alfred Collins, Shemar Turner, Deone Walker, Omarr Norman-Lott and Joshua Farmer. All of these gamers ought to be chosen within the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Slaughter’s 85.8 PFF general grade since 2023 trails solely Jackson Powers-Johnson amongst Power Four facilities. He strikes very nicely at 6-foot-4 and 308 kilos, permitting him to dominate in a zone blocking scheme.
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INTERIOR DEFENSIVE LINEMEN
1. Peter Woods, Clemson
2. Zane Durant, Penn State
3. Tim Keenan III, Alabama
Woods spent most of his sophomore season enjoying out of place at edge defender but nonetheless earned a formidable 83.3 PFF grade. Over his first two years of faculty soccer, he ranks as each the highest-graded and most dear returning Power Four defensive sort out, in response to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric.
Since 2023, Woods leads all returning Power Four inside defenders with an 89.7 run-defense grade and a 14.9% pass-rush win price. His mixture of energy and agility at 6-foot-3, 315 kilos makes him a nightmare matchup for opposing offensive linemen.
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EDGE DEFENDERS
1. Colin Simmons, Texas
2. Dylan Stewart, South Carolina
3. T.J. Parker, Clemson
Simmons entered faculty with a ton of hype as a top-15 general recruit and has in some way already exceeded expectations. The Texas native was the sixth-most-valuable edge defender within the nation in response to PFF’s wins above-average metric. He trailed solely Abdul Carter, Jack Sawyer, Mike Green, Josaiah Stewart and JT Tuimoloau in that metric. Simmons ended up successful the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, which is given to the very best true freshman in America.
His 18.6% strain price was a top-15 mark within the nation, and he was no slouch as a run-defender both, posting a 73.4 run-defense grade. Simmons’ elite mixture of bend and superior pass-rushing strikes is harking back to Von Miller.
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LINEBACKER
1. Anthony Hill Jr., Texas
2. Taurean York, Texas A&M
3. Whit Weeks, LSU
Hill was a five-star recruit and instantly lived as much as the hype, beginning as a real freshman. He is consistently across the soccer, whether or not as a run defender, a go rusher or in protection. Since 2023, his 32 protection stops are tied for probably the most amongst FBS linebackers and his 10 sacks and 5 compelled fumbles are tied for probably the most amongst Power Four linebackers. Hill racked up 127 performs the place he made first contact on a ball provider in that very same span, probably the most of any returning Power Four linebacker.
Hill is a flexible athlete who wears many hats for the Longhorns’ protection and will discover his method into the primary spherical of the 2026 NFL Draft.
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CORNERBACK
1. Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
2. Jermod McCoy, Tennessee
3. D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Since PFF started its prime returning gamers at each place sequence in 2020, solely seven rising true sophomores have been on the prime of their respective positions. Three of these seven come this yr, with Moore rounding out the bunch.
Moore completed his true freshman season because the third-most-valuable nook in faculty soccer in response to PFF’s wins above common metric, trailing solely Jahdae Barron and Travis Hunter. He was particularly good in Notre Dame’s man-heavy scheme, as his 82.5 grade in man protection was third amongst all corners within the nation. The former three-star recruit is a easy athlete at 6-foot-2 who mirrors receivers at an elite degree already. In reality, he solely allowed 16 of his 42 targets in single protection to be caught.
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SAFETY
1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State
2. Koi Perich, Minnesota
3. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon
Downs is the highest returning participant at his place for the second yr in a row, becoming a member of an unique record of gamers.
Top Returning Players at Their Position for Multiple Years in PFF’s Rankings
| Name | Position | School | Seasons |
| Trevor Lawrence | QB | Clemson | 2019, 2020 |
| Derek Stingley Jr. | CB | LSU | 2020, 2021 |
| Brock Bowers | TE | Georgia | 2023, 2024 |
| Caleb Downs | S | Ohio State | 2024, 2025 |
Lawrence, Stingley and Bowers went on to change into top-15 NFL draft picks, an achievement Downs appears poised to perform subsequent April. He initiatives as the highest participant within the 2026 NFL Draft proper now.
Downs, who transferred from Alabama final offseason, has been probably the most useful security in faculty soccer over the previous two seasons, in response to PFF’s Wins Above Average metric. His 91.7 PFF general grade in that span ranks second amongst FBS safeties, whereas his 91.2 PFF protection grade locations third. Downs can be a implausible run defender, main all gamers on this record with 35 run-defense stops and an 88.5 PFF run-defense grade since 2023.
The 20-year-old can thrive at free security, slot cornerback and within the field, and he’s a dynamic punt returner, as nicely.
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