College football is back and with it comes tailgating, excitement, and a roller coaster of emotions, whether your team wins or loses. There are players who have plenty of hype entering the season but aren't proven, and players who are proven but have high expectations, and players who are looking to break out that aren't receiving a lot of attention.
With that being said, here are 42 college football players that every fan should pay attention to.
1. J.T. Daniels
School: University of Southern California
Position: Quarterback
J.T. Daniels is a 6'3" freshman this coming season but is supposed to be a senior in high school. He graduated early and reclassified to come to USC, and this young quarterback is the expected heir-apparent to Sam Darnold, who was drafted with the third overall pick by the New York Jets back in April.
2. McKenzie Milton
School: University of Central Florida
Position: Quarterback
McKenzie Milton was a key cog of a UCF team that finished 13-0 and was a self-proclaimed national champion in the 2017-2018 season, culminated by a defeat of Auburn in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl (Auburn defeated the national champion Alabama Crimson Tide), and has a new coach in town. Josh Heupel is in to replace Scott Frost, and it will be interesting to see how the coaching change affects the performance of the team, especially the quarterback.
3. Ed Oliver
School: University of Houston
Position: Defensive Lineman
Ed Oliver was a top recruit entering the 2016 season, and then-coach Tom Herman out-recruited the other schools in the state of Texas to get him. Oliver has had a huge impact with his play and almost everybody expects him to play out of his mind in 2018 since he has already announced his intention to enter the NFL Draft after the season.
4. Tua Tagovailoa
School: University of Alabama
Position: Quarterback
Tua Tagovailoa is a rising sophomore out of Hawaii and is most famously known for throwing the game-winning touchdown pass to beat Georgia in the 2018 national championship game. Tagovailoa hasn't started a game yet in college, but there's so much hype around him that people are expecting him to win the Heisman trophy.
5. Bryce Love
School: Stanford
Position: Running Back
Since Bryce Love attends a school in the west coast, not everybody gets to see him play due to most of his games starting after people on the east coast go to bed. But still, Bryce Love is worth every minute of attention he can get because he is the defending Doak Walker award winner.
6. Kyler Murray
School: Oklahoma
Position: Quarterback
Murray was the ninth overall pick in the 2018 MLB draft, and his agent expects that Murray will pursue baseball after the 2018 football season since his baseball contract is approximately $5 million in value. Murray is also replacing last year's Heisman Trophy winner in Baker Mayfield, who also was the number-one overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns.
7. Trevor Lawrence
School: Clemson
Position: Quarterback
Lawrence is a true freshman this season and was the number-one quarterback recruit in the 2018 recruiting class. Many people are expecting that Lawrence will take the job away from incumbent senior Kelly Bryant, and it's a matter of time to see just when he will. He's as good as advertised, especially based on what he put on display in the Clemson spring game.
8. Miles Sanders
School: Penn State University
Position: Running Back
Sanders' predecessor was drafted with the second overall pick to the New York Giants in Saquon Barkley. Barkley is a freak athlete and Sanders has big shoes to fill. How he does as the feature back as Barkley's main replacement will be interesting to see.
9. A.J. Dillon
School: Boston College
Position: Running Back
Dillon burst onto the scene especially in the later portion of his freshman season, rushing for over 150 yards in five of his last seven games, including a 272-yard game against Louisville.
10. Devin Bush
School: Michigan
Position: Linebacker
Devin Bush plays sideline-to-sideline in Michigan's defense, and he's as physical as they come. He'll be anchoring a defensive unit that was in the top-five in total defense from a year ago.
11. Will Grier
School: West Virginia
Position: Quarterback
Grier is back for his final year of eligibility and is expected to be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12 conference, one that is known for incredible offense. Grier is expected to contend for the Heisman and also has to balance being a father on top of being a student-athlete.
12. Benny Snell
School: Kentucky
Position: Running Back
Benny Snell gets a bit of a bad rap since he was ejected for "contact with an official." Plenty of controversy surrounded that ejection, but Snell is one of the more talented running backs in the country and will lead a squad looking to do better than 7-6 from a year ago, a record that could have been better if they didn't leave people wide open (see 2:09 and 5:04).
13. Nick Bosa
School: Ohio State University
Position: Defensive End
Bosa entered college the same time that Ed Oliver did, and Nick is proving to be better than his older brother Joey. Nick Bosa leads one of the most feared defensive lines in all of college football.
14. Justin Herbert
School: Oregon
Position: Quarterback
Herbert was thrown into the fire as a true freshman after the experiment with Montana transfer Dakota Prukop failed to work out. It ultimately led to the firing of Mark Helfrich as the head coach, but Herbert has been a steady player in the past two seasons as Oregon tries to regain continuity in its coaching staff. Herbert is considered as a possible top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
15. Wilton Speight
School: UCLA
Position: Quarterback
Speight transferred from Michigan to finish out his eligibility, and is reunited with Jedd Fisch, his passing game coordinator at Michigan. It will be interesting to see if he wins the quarterback job to replace Josh Rosen, and how well Speight meshes with Chip Kelly, who enters his first season as UCLA head coach after four successful years at Oregon and four years coaching in the NFL, with one playoff appearance.
16. A.J. Taylor
School: Wisconsin
Position: Wide Receiver
With Quintez Cephus and Danny Davis III both suspended, A.J. Taylor now has to step into the number-on receiver role in Wisconsin's offense. Fans know about A.J. Taylor's ability, as evidenced by this one-handed catch in the Orange Bowl.
17. Sam Ehlinger
School: University of Texas
Position: Quarterback
Sam Ehlinger split time with Shane Buechele at quarterback in 2017, but it appeared that Ehlinger started to seize the position, and he battled again with Buechele for the job this summer. I expect that he'll win the job and lead the Texas offense this upcoming season, Tom Herman's second.
18. D'Andre Swift
School: University of Georgia
Position: Running Back
Both Nick Chubb and Sony Michel moved on to the NFL after fine careers at Georgia, and D'ondre Swift is the man to lead the charge at the running back position in Kirby Smart's third season at Georgia. Swift truly lives up to his name, as he has game-breaking speed to match his powerful frame.
19. Justin Shorter
School: Penn State University
Position: Wide Receiver
Shorter was one of the top-10 recruits in the 2018 recruiting class, and while he's not "short" by any stretch of the imagination, he will be a major weapon for quarterback Trace McSorley in the offense.
20. Trajan Bandy
School: University of Miami (Florida)
Position: Cornerback
Bandy was just at true freshman in 2017, but the kid can play. He's also got speed as he returned this interception for a touchdown. He'll aim to get the Turnover Chain going again in 2018.
21. Justin Fields
School: University of Georgia
Position: Quarterback
Fields was a top recruit in the 2018 class as a quarterback, and chose to sign with Kirby Smart in Athens. He had an injury during the past school year, and he'll be battling it out with Jake Fromm, the incumbent starter, but it remains to be seen how he's doing with his recovery and when he'll see the field as a true freshman.
22. Karan Higdon
School: Michigan
Position: Running Back
Higdon could have entered the NFL draft after last season but he was motivated to get better and lead an improved offense for Michigan, as the offense was anemic last season. Higdon has added 12 pounds of muscle this summer and aims to lead a physical style of play for the Wolverines team entering a critical year under Jim Harbaugh.
23. Joe Burrow
School: Louisiana State University
Position: Quarterback
Joe Burrow was formerly at Ohio State, but chose to transfer out of the program. By going to LSU, he's entering a situation where he may emerge as the best quarterback. He'll try to replace Danny Etling, a 7th-round draft choice of the New England Patriots. Burrow's development will be interesting to watch as he learns to read defenses from Dave Aranda, who runs one of the best defenses in the country.
24. Jawon Pass
School: Louisville
Position: Quarterback
Jawon Pass will have no problem living up to his last name since he's expected to be the starting quarterback, but he'll be thrown into the fire playing against Alabama in week one. Not only that, he's replacing the most prolific signal-caller in Louisville history — 2016 Heisman Trophy winner and 1st-round NFL draft pick Lamar Jackson.
25. Hunter Renfrow
School: Clemson
Position: Wide Receiver
Renfrow is most famously known for his game-winning touchdown reception in the 2017 national championship game vs. Alabama. Even though he's undersized, he plays big-time when it matters most, and he'll be counted on to be the number-one receiver for the Clemson offense.
26. AJ Brown
School: Ole Miss
Position: Wide Receiver
AJ Brown has big play ability, and even though Shea Patterson is now at Michigan, they still have a dynamic quarterback who can distribute the ball in Jordan Ta'amu.
27. Chase Winovich
School: Michigan
Position: Defensive End
Most fans already know about Rashan Gary, who was the number-one recruit in the 2016 class, but with Gary getting a lot of attention with double-teams, expect Winovich to get more production.
28. Jeremy Larkin
School: Northwestern
Position: Running Back
Larkin is poised to replace the most prolific running back in Northwestern history in Justin Jackson, who was a 7th round draft choice to the San Diego Chargers.
29. Elijah Sindelar
School: Purdue
Position: Quarterback
Sindelar is set to have a healthy season in 2018, after playing the 2017 Foster Farms Bowl with a torn ACL. Impressively, he still led the game-winning drive to finish 7-6 in Jeff Brohm's first season as coach, so it will be interesting to see how he performs when he's healthy.
30. Michael Deiter
School: Wisconsin
Position: Offensive Lineman
Michael Deiter is back for his senior year to lead the most experienced offensive line in the country, and don't forget, he has the potential to score touchdowns too.
31. Trey Adams
School: Washington
Position: Offensive Lineman
Adams is the left tackle in Washington's offensive line, which has done a great job in the running game as well as protecting Jake Browning, which has led to 22 wins over the last two seasons. Adams is a projected top-10 pick in the 2019 NFL draft.
32. KJ Costello
School: Stanford
Position: Quarterback
Keller Chryst transferred to Tennessee so the position is Costello's to lose. He's shown that he's the guy to lead David Shaw's offense.
33. Trey Sermon
School: Oklahoma
Position: Running Back
Sermon is part of the plethora of skilled athletes on Oklahoma's offense. With speed at receiver and quarterback, Sermon presents yet another challenge for defenses to account for.
34. Jamauri Bogan
School: Western Michigan University
Position: Running Back
Bogan is the leading rusher who returns for Western Michigan's offense. Bogan is undersized at about 5'7" and 190 pounds, but he runs as hard as any power running back and is tough to tackle even though he is lighter than most running backs.
35. Drew Lock
School: Missouri
Position: Quarterback
Drew Lock enters his final season at Missouri, and as a player who is as physically ready for the NFL as anyone, he'll be looked to to provide the mental poise and leadership that NFL teams covet in a franchise quarterback.
36. Riley Ridley
School: University of Georgia
Position: Wide Receiver
Riley is the younger brother of Calvin Ridley who was a two-time national champion at Alabama and competed against Calvin in the 2018 national championship game. The younger Ridley held his own, scoring a 70-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. As a junior in 2018, Riley will be a heavily relied-upon target for either Justin Fields or Jake Fromm or both.
37. Devonta Smith
School: University of Alabama
Position: Wide Receiver
Smith will be just a sophomore in 2018, but he has "big play" written all over him. In the championship victory over Georgia, Smith caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa on a 2nd-down and 26 after a 16-yard sack. Smith provides an explosive component to the Alabama offense and has the speed to stretch any defense.
38. Mack Wilson
School: University of Alabama
Position: Linebacker
Alabama has been riddled with injuries in summer camp, and Wilson is the man making the defensive calls during the game. He'll have to be on his game for the Alabama defense to perform at its peak.
39. Joe Bachie
School: Michigan State University
Position: Linebacker
Joe Bachie is a fearless linebacker who isn't afraid to step in and make a tackle. He led the Spartans defense last year at the position en route to a 10-win season after his team won just three games the year before.
40. Tee Higgins
School: Clemson
Position: Wide Receiver
Higgins is a tall and lanky wide receiver who has game-breaking speed and is a vertical threat on any given play. Whether it's Trevor Lawrence or Kelly Bryant slinging the pigskin in his direction, Higgins will likely be open because of his ability to separate with speed and agility.
41. Felton Davis
School: Michigan State University
Position: Wide Receiver
Davis is back for his senior year and will be the no.1 receiver for Brian Lewerke in the Spartan offense. Davis has the size at 6'3" and can run the entire route tree as he uses his size to box out defenders.
42. Khalil Tate
School: Arizona
Position: Quarterback
Khalil Tate is regarded as a Heisman Trophy contender in 2018, and it's in large part due to his athletic ability at the quarterback position. With Kevin Sumlin in as the new coach, it will be interesting to see how Tate is used to run Sumlin's offense. Whether it's run like Sumlin used Johnny Manziel remains to be seen. Tate is a dual-threat quarterback and has the talent to put the Arizona offense on his back if it is needed.
Obviously, there are so many names that can be put here, but by NO means is this an exhaustive list. Plenty of talented players were left off of this list, but many of those players that were left off are already proven players, such as Alabama's Jalen Hurts or Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor. The players that aren't listed will catch your eye, but these guys listed will surely grab your attention if you watch college football this season.
