PFF names Top 10 breakout player candidates for 2024 college football season

One of the most thrilling aspects of college football is that there seems to be a new breakout player every year, a guy who goes from relative anonymity to household name in the span of a season.

The 2024 campaign will have no shortage of possible options for breakout players, with several schools hopeful for stars to emerge from certain corners.

Pro Football Focus took a stab at highlighting 10 college football breakout candidates, and On3 recaps their selections to spotlight several of this year’s potential new stars.

QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee

The former five-star prospect has been the man in waiting at Tennessee for a year, patiently biding his time behind Joe Milton. Now his time has arrived. Luckily for the Volunteers, they already have some semblance of an idea of what Iamaleava is capable of.

As a freshman in 2023, Iamaleava came in and directed things for the Volunteers during the team’s bowl game. He was quite good doing so, going 12-of-19 for 151 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 27 yards and three scores. Expect several more multi-touchdown games like that for Iamaleava in the fall.

QB Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma

Like Iamaleava, Arnold was a freshman in 2023 who got a little bit of run and offered small glimpses of what he could do. Spoiler: It was quite enticing for Oklahoma fans. Arnold should be an excellent dual-threat prospect going forward.

During the team’s Alamo Bowl appearance last winter, Arnold went 26-of-45 passing for 361 yards and two touchdowns, but he did throw three interceptions. He’ll have to work to cut down on turnovers in 2024, but there’s little doubt Arnold can fill up a stat sheet.

WR Kyren Lacy, LSU

Lacy has been remarkably steady over the past four years in college, putting up two solid years of production at Louisiana and two quality years at LSU. He’s coming off something of a breakout campaign in 2023, going for 558 yards and seven touchdowns receiving.

But Lacy’s inclusion on this list is as much about opportunity as potential. With Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. gone, LSU has need of a wideout to step up in a big way. That gives Lacy the potential to be a breakout player this fall.

QB Conner Weigman, Texas A&M

There’s been little doubt for a while now that Weigman is the quarterback of the future for the Aggies, he just needs to be able to stay healthy. If he can do that, he’ll be right in the running for breakout player of the year in College Station.

Each of the last two years Weigman has thrown for around 900 yards with eight touchdowns, and he’s only thrown two interceptions combined across the two seasons. He hit 68.9% accuracy in 2023, too, a marked improvement from the 2022 campaign when he finished at 55.3%. Stay healthy and keep improving and he could be a real surprise in the Southeastern Conference.

CB Ja’den McBurrows, Michigan

The first defensive player on the breakout player watch list from Pro Football Focus, McBurrows is a former three-star recruit who has significantly outplayed his ranking. And the Wolverines will have need of someone stepping up at the cornerback position after a few key departures, including that of Mike Sainristil.

According to PFF, in 2023 McBurrows was targeted 13 times and gave up only five catches for 40 yards. He also picked off a pass and broke up two others, a pretty solid interference rate in the secondary. Look for more in 2024.

QB Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky

Opportunity awaits for transfers, particularly at the quarterback position. And Vandagriff gets a fresh start after getting stuck behind Carson Beck at Georgia. He will immediately look to captain the Wildcats from under center.

Vandagriff to this point has thrown only 21 career passes, but PFF has him rated highly thanks to his ratio of big-time throws to turnover-worthy plays. Of course, maintaining that healthy ratio as the full-time starter is easier said than done. Still, PFF sees the potential here.

TE Oscar Delp, Georgia

Like Lacy, Delp stands to benefit from a superstar in front of him departing. And Delp has had the luxury of watching Brock Bowers to see what made him so effective. If he’s picked up some quality tips, that could really help.

Delp has proven to be a fairly effective player after the catch, with PFF noting 50% of his yardage came after the catch a year ago. He also broke five tackles on 24 catches, helping earn additional yardage after the snag. Can he keep building in 2024?

RB Jordan James, Oregon

James is probably the player on this list that is the most proven, and it’s a little hard to call someone a true breakout player when they rushed for 759 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago. Still, PFF includes him on the list so we do too.

The talented Oregon running back showed how explosive he can be last year, averaging 7.1 yards per carry. If he can replicate that again with Bucky Irving now gone and a likely increased workload, Oregon will be in great shape in the backfield.

QB Miller Moss, USC

Like Iamaleava and Arnold, Miller is getting love on the breakout player list thanks to an incredible bowl appearance in relief of the team’s starting quarterback in 2024. Moss was lights out in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville, going 23-of-33 passing for 372 yards and six touchdowns.

Moss is former high four-star prospect with all the tools. He’ll also have plenty of weapons at USC, plus one of the best quarterback coaches in the country in Lincoln Riley. That’s quite the recipe for success.

S Sonny Styles, Ohio State

The second defender on our breakout player list, Styles also hails from the Big Ten. He’s a hybrid defender who can line up in a number of spots, including safety and linebacker. At 6 foot 4, 230 pounds, he has the versatility to rush the passer or drop back in coverage.

PFF notes that he had five quarterback pressures and two sacks in 26 pass-rush snaps, while giving up only 117 yards on 20 targets in 2024. That kind of production makes him a shoe-in candidate for this list.

There you have it. Ten players that every college football fan should circle going into the season. They’re guys who could go from relative unknowns to absolute staples in the college football world come 2024.