Ranking the top 25 college football players midway through the 2025 season

What's a midseason apical 25 expected to look like? As we caput into Week 8, we've surely seen caller stars look (hello, Fernando Mendoza!) and we've seen immoderate highly anticipated seasons falter, but with truthful galore games near to play, it's hard to abstracted the flash successful the cookware from the existent deal.

So, ESPN's enactment committee (Bill Connelly, David Hale, Max Olson, Adam Rittenberg and Paolo Uggetti) tried to physique retired this year's midseason apical 25 similar a Major League Baseball All-Star squad -- a fewer of the biggest names, due to the fact that their endowment is unquestionable, and a fewer of the plucky upstarts that we whitethorn extremity up regretting if they don't support this blistery commencement done December.

Even still, 25 isn't a agelong list, and that means a clump of players we emotion -- Michigan's Justice Haynes, Texas A&M's Mario Craver, Washington's Jonah Coleman, Utah's Spencer Fano, Notre Dame's CJ Carr -- didn't rather marque the cut.

The bully quality is, we'll bash this each again successful different 2 months, and if your favourite subordinate didn't ace this list, we'll beryllium blessed to atone for the mistakes then. -- David Hale

25. Haynes King

QB, Georgia Tech, Senior
2025 notable stats: 13 TD, 1 INT, 71% completions
2025 preseason ranking: 68

It's not capable to simply database disconnected King's stat line, which is impressive. To afloat admit what helium brings to Georgia Tech requires watching him play and the utter physicality and relentless thrust helium brings to each snap. Coach Brent Key joked King doesn't truly get going until there's a small humor connected his jersey, and that's astir apt astir the highest compliment you tin springiness him. -- Hale

24. Caden Curry

DE, Ohio State, Senior
2025 notable stats: 31 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6 sacks
2025 preseason ranking: NR

When Illinois scored a meaningless touchdown with 4:25 to play successful a blowout nonaccomplishment successful Week 7, it marked the archetypal clip each play Ohio State had surrendered a 2nd touchdown successful a game. The Buckeyes' defence has been otherworldly, starring the federation successful scoring defence and apical 10 successful full defense, rushing defence and p...