Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter was a one-of-a-kind player and he owns a Heisman Trophy to prove it.
Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty was the breakaway king who put together the best college running back season since legendary Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State in 1988.
Hunter and Jeanty had the ultimate Big Man on Campus status last season and are now rookies in the NFL. It’s now time for other players to step up and make their mark.
So let us key on the replacements for the Big Men on Campus. Some are already apparent and others will emerge in September. Of course, we need two players to step up to replace Hunter.
As for the new Big Men on Campus, none were easier to forecast than Texas quarterback Arch Manning. His potential is why the Longhorns begin the season as the nation’s No. 1 team. And former Georgia star Carson Beck is surely more than a capable replacement at Miami for Cam Ward.
Here are the key replacements for the 2025 season:
Departed BMOC: Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter
Replacements: WR Joseph Williams, CB DJ McKinney
Williams was the American Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year for Tulsa last season when he caught 30 passes for 588 yards and five touchdowns. Nobody is expecting the transfer to approach Hunter numbers but he’ll likely challenge for a 1,000-yard season.
DJ McKinney was the other cornerback last season while Hunter was the star. Now he will be the top dog after having three interceptions last season. Oklahoma transfer Makari Vickers also is a player to watch at cornerback.
Departed BMOC: Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty
Replacements: Malik Sherrod, Sire Gaines
Fresno State transfer Sherrod and freshman Gaines will be splitting carries to start the season. Sherrod rushed for 966 yards in 2023 before being limited to four games last season due to injury, while Gaines had 156 last season in three games prior to being lost with an injury. They won’t be combining for Jeanty’s 2,601 on the ground but they do have enough potential to keep the dropoff from being too steep.
Departed BMOC: Penn State DE Abdul Carter
Replacement: Dani Dennis-Sutton
Sutton had 8.5 sacks last season while Carter was being double-teamed or even facing triple teams on the other side of the line. Now Sutton will be the feared guy expected to post 12 to 15 sacks and be a terror — even if approaching Carter’s level of domination isn’t realistic. His three-season numbers of 15 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions show he’s ready for the lead role.
Departed BMOC: Miami QB Cam Ward
Replacement: Carson Beck
Beck excelled while starting for Georgia the past two seasons and had 7,426 yards and 52 touchdown passes. While guiding the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in 2023, he completed 72.4 percent of his passes and tossed just six interceptions but he regressed last season to 64.7 percent and 12 picks. Obtaining a veteran replacement that has been through the wars to replace Ward is a huge bonus for the Hurricanes.
Departed BMOC: Texas QB Quinn Ewers
Replacement: Arch Manning
Manning was solid when replacing an injured Ewers last season and he finished the campaign with 939 yards, nine touchdowns and two interceptions along with four rushing scores. This is his third year in the system so he’s had ample time to master it and he should be one of the top quarterbacks in the country. Of course, he has the bloodlines of the Manning assembly line so anything short of stardom will be surprising.
Departed BMOC: Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel
Replacement: Dante Moore
Moore watched the precise Gabriel play last season and the offensive coaches are hoping there won’t be a large drop-off. Moore began his college career at UCLA and threw 213 passes in 2023 so he does have experience. The Ducks are used to rolling up points so Oregon’s win-loss record could take a hit if Moore doesn’t produce big.
Departed BMOC: Arizona State RB Cam Skattebo
Replacement: Kyson Brown
Skattebo became a national sensation while leading the Sun Devils to a surprise playoff berth and Brown says he relishes trying to prove people wrong about this season’s running game. Brown has been a backup the past two seasons and rushed for 351 yards in 2024, including a 100-yard game against Arizona. Army transfer Kayne Udho transferred in after rushing for 1,117 yards and 10 scores last season and he will certainly receive plenty of opportunities.
Departed BMOC: Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders
Replacement: Kaidon Salter
Liberty transfer Salter threw 32 touchdown passes in 2023 before the number dropped to 15 last season. He’s a veteran signal caller that avoids miscues (17 interceptions in 702 career attempts) and should provide the Buffaloes with consistent play. He won’t match Sanders’ passing-yardage totals but his stability and experience will be a plus for Colorado.
Departed BMOC: Penn State TE Tyler Warren
Replacement: Khalil Dinkins
Dinkins had just 14 catches last season while playing behind the stellar Warren and has 23 in three seasons but his role will be much bigger. His 4.5 40-yard dash time is reportedly a record for a Penn State tight end so he ought to be able to shed linebackers and stop in front of safeties and approach 50 receptions. Luke Reynolds had nine catches in a backup role and also will be utilized more this season.
Departed BMOC: Alabama QB Jalen Milroe
Replacement: QB Ty Simpson
Being on par with Milroe as a leader will be the biggest chore for Simpson, who has thrown 50 passes over the past three seasons. The timing of being the Crimson Tide quarterback is a little dicey after the program experienced some slippage during coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season. New offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb helped Michael Penix Jr. flourish at Washington and now his task is to mold Simpson into an upper-tier SEC quarterback.
–Field Level Media
