Top 12 Breakout Stars After Week 1 of the 2025 College Football Season
We know a bit more than we did a week ago after a full slate of action and some massive games to open the season.
Several under-the-radar players shined in high-profile games, while others capitalized on easier matchups to grab the spotlight.
There were a handful of guys we couldn't stop talking about following Week 1 of the college football season who we hadn't really heard much from before.
From some spectacular defensive playmakers to a trio of dynamite freshman quarterbacks and another three big-time transfer signal-callers, guys around the nation cemented themselves and perhaps their teams as ones to watch.
To appear on this list, you need to either be a young guy making his mark early or an upperclassman who'd never thrived on a Power Four stage like they did this weekend. So, that disqualifies longtime major conference starters such as FSU's Tommy Castellanos or TCU pass-catcher Jordan Dwyer.
Here are the breakout players in college football after one week of action.
Joey Aguilar, Tennessee Volunteers Quarterback
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It's hard to say a 24-year-old sixth-year senior broke out of anything, but few around the nation likely knew much about Joey Aguilar until he debuted for the Tennessee Volunteers this weekend.
He'd been relegated to a footnote in the Nico Iamaleava saga. Aguilar came over from UCLA in what essentially was a trade of quarterbacks when his counterpart left Rocky Top for the Bruins.
But the former two-year starter at Appalachian State passed his first test resoundingly in a 45-26 win over Syracuse, completing 16-of-28 passes for 247 yards and a trio of touchdowns. He ran Josh Heupel's up-tempo offense effortlessly, and Tennessee was able to play with pace and constantly be in attack mode.
There were some hiccups and high passes, but Aguilar also made big plays like a beautiful 73-yard bomb to redshirt freshman receiver Braylon Staley.
It was a strong first impression for a program looking to get back to the College Football Playoff.
Hank Beatty, Illinois Fighting Illini Wide Receiver/Punt Returner
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It's difficult to make too much of Illinois' 52-3 rout of Western Illinois in Week 1, but when you post numbers like sophomore all-purpose star Hank Beatty did, you can't ignore it.
The 5'11", 185-pound senior has never eclipsed 300 receiving yards in a season or scored more than a touchdown. But in that Week 1 win, all he did was lead the nation in all-purpose yards and earn Big Ten special teams player of the week.
Beatty's 133 punt-return yards on four returns set the new school single-game record, surpassing the great Red Grange's 125 yards against Nebraska in 1923. Beatty also had a 69-yard return for a touchdown.
Additionally, he caught five passes for 108 yards, and he showed he's worthy of that bigger role he carved out for himself after last year's 90 receiving yards in the Citrus Bowl win over South Carolina.
Devon Dampier, Utah Utes Quarterback
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When Devon Dampier was making defenses pirouette a season ago as New Mexico's quarterback, you probably weren't paying much attention. After all, the Lobos are rarely featured on TV.
For anyone wondering how it would translate at a Power Four school, the 5'11", 204-pound junior showed he'd be just fine in the Utah Utes' 43-10 rout of UCLA late Saturday night.
After Dampier followed offensive coordinator Jason Beck to Salt Lake City, he took his team on the road to the Rose Bowl to open the season, and coach Kyle Whittingham's team dismantled the Bruins.
The win was thorough, but Dampier was the star. He looked like a Heisman Trophy candidate while completing 21-of-25 passes for 206 yards and a pair of touchdowns while running for 87 more and another score.
He gives Whittingham an element the Utes haven't had under center in a while, and they're a threat in the Big 12 again.
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Mario Craver, Texas A&M Aggies Wide Receiver
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The Texas A&M Aggies lacked explosive offensive playmakers around Marcel Reed last year, but that doesn't seem to be an issue in 2025.
After grabbing veteran receiver KC Concepcion in the transfer portal, the Aggies thought they had their superstar, and he may well be after a strong first game. But the guy they got from Mississippi State upstaged him.
Last season, Craver tallied 368 yards for Mississippi State. Now at Texas A&M, he's primed for a much larger role in the offense.
Craver broke out for eight grabs, 122 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Aggies' win over a tougher-than-expected UTSA Roadrunners team. While he isn't the biggest player on the field, the hiccup-quick pass-catcher made a huge impact.
Craver is a field-stretching force, and he will complement Concepcion's steady play-making ability to perfection. Throw in Terry Bussey, who is still trying to get acclimated to becoming a full-time receiver, and the Aggies look dangerous on the perimeter.
Mansoor Delane, LSU Tigers Cornerback
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LSU has struggled to live up to expectations over the past few years of the Brian Kelly era, and a large reason for that has been failures on defense.
That wasn't the case in the season-opening 17-10 win in a clash of juggernauts against Clemson. Coordinator Blake Baker's unit was disruptive and all over the field Saturday night, limiting Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback Cade Klubnik to just 262 total yards.
Mansoor Delane allowed just one catch on eight targets, and he broke up two passes and picked off Klubnik in the second half. He was the highest-graded player on the field for LSU, according to Pro Football Focus.
Delane starred last year for Virginia Tech by picking off four passes, but he was rarely discussed. On the big stage against the Tigers, he received a game ball.
"The goal isn't this, our goal is the national championship," he said, per Saturday Down South's Parker Gillam. "On to the next one!"
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, California Golden Bears Quarterback
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It's time to get excited about Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele.
The 6'3", 225-pound southpaw freshman made plenty of headlines before he played a snap for the California Bears, flipping from coach Justin Wilcox's team to sign with Oregon before realizing his mistake and transferring to Cal.
Cal briefly added veteran QB Devin Brown from Ohio State via the transfer portal. Sagapolutele beat him out in fall camp to win the starting job.
As it turns out, he's now turning heads for the right reasons after that tumultuous recruiting start. In a 34-15 rout of Oregon State, Sagapolutele completed 20-of-30 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. He also showed some mobility with 30 yards on two carries.
"He looked just like he does in practice. We're not surprised," Wilcox told SI.com's Jeff Faraudo.
Sagapolutele completed his first nine passes and tossed scoring passes on his first two series. Suddenly, there's a reason to watch the Bears for the first time since Jared Goff was in Berkeley.
This kid stole the show in a terrific week for freshmen around the nation.
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss Rebels Running Back
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Lane Kiffin and the Ole Miss staff recruited running back Kewan Lacy coming out of high school, but the sophomore from Dallas instead went to Missouri.
It didn't take him long to change his mind and transfer to Oxford. Once he did, it didn't take long for Kiffin to utilize him the way he'd hoped for Lacy to prove why he was such a valued commodity.
In the Rebels' 63-7 rout of Georgia State during the season opener, Lacy started and rushed for 108 yards on 16 carries, scoring three times. He showed the type of explosion Kiffin craves to help balance what should be a stout passing game.
"It was awesome. I just tell you how it is—we didn't have that a year ago," Kiffin told Rebels247's Tyler Komis.
The coach said the 5'11", 200-pound sophomore has a unique blend of power and speed, and those traits should help him be an every-down back in the rugged SEC. He may wind up being the biggest newcomer star at the position in the league.
Darian Mensah, Duke Blue Devils Quarterback
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Maybe Darian Mensah is worth the money, after all.
The 6'3", 205-pound signal-caller made headlines this offseason when he transferred from Tulane to Duke for an offer that was reportedly worth in the neighborhood of $8 million.
The former 3-star from California showed he had a ton of talent for the Green Wave, but it was quite a gamble for the Blue Devils to invest that type of money in a player who'd never thrown a Power 4 pass.
Mensah played a lead role in the 45-17 win over Elon, completing 27-of-34 passes for 389 yards and three touchdowns.
The competition kicks up a notch this weekend when Illinois heads to Durham, and a lot of eyes will be on Mensah. If he posts some big-time numbers against the Fighting Illini and leads Duke to a win, his star will continue to rise.
Sidney Stewart, Maryland Terrapins Edge
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Coming out of high school in Towson, Maryland, 6'2", 255-pound edge-rusher Sidney Stewart was overshadowed by Zahir Mathis in the Terrapins' 2025 recruiting class.
Coach Mike Locksley deployed both of his freshman stars in the season-opening dismantling of Florida Atlantic by a 39-7 score. While Mathis—a 4-star pledge who was once committed to Penn State but signed with the Terps—also showed out, Stewart had the better game.
The duo is going to be an exciting tandem to watch in 2025.
Stewart finished the game with five tackles, including three for a loss and a sack that resulted in a safety, while Mathis added a sack.
Before the season, Stewart told UMTerps.com's Brady Ruth: "I'm kind of like a hidden thing that we've got going on. I'm making a little bit of a buzz now, but right now not many people know who I am. I think that's probably our biggest advantage. We got a secret weapon."
He can't hide anymore.
Malachi Toney, Miami Hurricanes Wide Receiver
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Miami coach Mario Cristobal made one of the biggest transfer-portal splashes of the offseason when he convinced former Georgia signal-caller Carson Beck to eschew the NFL for South Beach.
Once he committed, though, the refrain became obvious: Who is he going to throw to?
After Game 1, the answer is "Malachi Toney." There was a lot of buzz around the 5'11", 188-pound former 3-star prospect from Fort Lauderdale, and there were reps to go around after the Hurricanes lost their top four receivers from last year's roster.
Toney seized them.
"He was our secret little weapon tonight," Beck told reporters following the game, per 247Sports' Blair Angulo. "I don't think he'll be a secret anymore."
He finished with six catches for 82 yards and a touchdown in a huge season-opening win over national runner-up Notre Dame on Sunday night in what wound up being one of the marquee games of the weekend.
For his efforts, Toney was named the 247Sports freshman of the week.
Bryce Underwood, Michigan Wolverines Quarterback
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There weren't a ton of style points in a shaky 34-17 win by Michigan over New Mexico on Saturday, but there were plenty of showcases for Wolverines fans to be excited about.
Former Alabama transfer running back Justice Haynes surpassed 100 rushing yards and scored three times to carry the offense, and elite 5-star freshman signal-caller Bryce Underwood made his debut.
The 6'4", 228-pound Detroit native who was the No. 1-ranked overall player in the nation and ultimately chose to stay home and play for coach Sherrone Moore after being committed to LSU for much of the 2025 cycle showed what he can do.
Underwood completed 21-of-31 passes for 251 yards and a touchdown. Former Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson called him "a grown…man," per The Michigan Insider's Sam Webb.
Ahead of the Wolverines' showdown with Oklahoma, Sooners quarterback Brent Venables compared Underwood to Trevor Lawrence, per Yahoo's Jordan Llanes.
Considering Underwood didn't have anywhere near his A-game, these are lofty compliments. He's well on his way to stardom.
Malik Washington, Maryland Terrapins Quarterback
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Let's face it: Maryland coach Mike Locksley needs to win soon.
After a 4-8 season a year ago, the Terrapins must show some signs of life in the Big Ten, or they could be looking for a new direction. Give it to him, though: The man knows how to recruit.
The second Terp on this list is the guy anointed as the program savior, true freshman quarterback Malik Washington, who beat out transfers Justyn Martin (from UCLA) and Khristian Martin for the starting job.
It's hard to believe it was ever in doubt after Washington's debut in a lopsided win over the Florida Atlantic Owls.
The 6'5", 231-pound first-year player completed 27-of-43 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He has all the tools to be elite.
"I saw a young quarterback really put it on himself to deliver some some great throws," Locksley told The Baltimore Sun's Edward Lee. "Did he play perfectly? No, not at all. There was a lot of improvement."
Locksley went on to note Washington missed some fall camp and should get better this week. If he keeps improving, he's going to be special.
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