College football season approaches, ushering in a cohort of under-the-radar players expected to break out. These 'sleepers' have generated program-level excitement despite lacking national recognition or ESPN top-100 placement. Some sleepers are transfers seeking fresh starts; others have developed within their programs and are ready for expanded roles. Last year's sleepers included All-America honorees and NFL draft picks, illustrating the potential upside. The compilation highlights 43 players across varied positions, including seniors returning from injury and prospects poised to replace departed standouts, with profiles detailing class, measurements, recent stats, and recruiting background.
College football games are mere days away, which means a new group of budding players is about to be revealed. We're not talking about Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, Clemson's T.J. Parker, Notre Dame's Jeremiyah Love, Alabama's Ryan Williams or a certain Texas quarterback from a famous football family. The players in this cohort haven't occupied the national stage, and some aren't even in the community theater phase of their stardom. But they have generated excitement within their programs, and according to their coaches and teammates, will be showcasing their talents in big ways this fall. They are commonly known as sleepers.
Some might ring a bell, either from their recruiting profiles, transfer announcements or production in previous seasons. But none appears in ESPN's list of top 100 players for the 2025 season. Last year's sleepers list included standouts such as Marshall defensive end Mike Green, a second-team All-America selection and a second-round NFL draft pick, and Cal linebacker Teddye Buchanan, an FCS transfer who earned first-team All-ACC honors.
Class: Senior Height/weight: 6-foot-3, 258 pounds 2024 stats: Sat out the season because of injury. He played 13 games and had 17 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery, 1 quarterback hurry in 2023 ESPN recruiting snapshot: Three stars, No. 50 defensive end, No. 4 in Pennsylvania Penn State brings back several standouts from a top-10 defense but must replace All-American defensive end Abdul
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