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ESPN names Top 25 newcomers in college football in 2022

IMG_0985by:Griffin McVeigh•08/10/22•

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LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 23: Caleb Williams (13), USC quarterback, and head coach Lincoln Riley, in the USC Football Spring Game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, April 23, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

With the use of the transfer portal in today’s college football, there are continually newcomers joining top-level programs. Especially with this past coaching carousel, elite-level players were on the move, proving to be one of the craziest cycles in the history of the sport. Add in recruiting classes and coaches will always have more than a handful of new faces on campus.

A couple of weeks before the season begins, ESPN decided to rank the top 25 newcomers in all of college football. There’s not much surprise at the top, with three of the top five being quarterbacks. Overall, the position has six players make the list, while there are only eight defensive players.

Top 25 newcomers in college football

  1. USC QB Caleb Williams
  2. USC WR Jordan Addison
  3. Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart
  4. Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel
  5. Alabama CB Eli Ricks
  6. Notre Dame CB Brandon Joseph
  7. Nebraska EDGE Ochaun Mathis
  8. Ole Miss RB Zach Evans
  9. Alabama RB Jahmyr Gibbs
  10. South Carolina QB Spencer Rattler
  11. USC WR Mario Williams
  12. Alabama WR Jermaine Burton
  13. Michigan OL Olu Oluwatimi
  14. USC RB Travis Dye
  15. Nebraska QB Casey Thompson
  16. LSU OT Will Campbell
  17. Jackson State CB Travis Hunter
  18. Washington State QB Cameron Ward
  19. Penn State EDGE Chop Robinson
  20. LSU DL Mekhi Wingo
  21. Texas A&M WR Evan Stewart
  22. Texas A&M DT Walter Nolen
  23. USC RB Raleek Brown
  24. Florida State EDGE Jared Verse
  25. Florida State RB Trey Benson

USC duo takes top two overall spots

USC hit the jackpot this offseason, firstly by landing Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma. With him came Caleb Williams and eventually Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison followed suit. They are expected to run the most explosive offense in all of college football but are not expected to be alone.

Two running backs also make the list, with Travis Dye coming into the program via Oregon and Raleek Brown being a true freshman. Another wide receiver in Mario Williams, another former Oklahoma product, will make a major impact for the Trojans as well.

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Two Texas A&M freshmen expected to make impact

Head coach Jimbo Fisher was able to sign a generational recruiting class for Texas A&M, signing a slew of five-star prospects. Two of the best were named to ESPN’s list, with wide receiver Evan Stewart and defensive tackle Walter Nolen both being further down the top 25.

Stewart has already impressed with his speed in fall camp, hoping to finally be the missing piece the Aggies have been looking for at receiver. As for Nolan, he was ranked the top prospect in the class for a long time and is seemingly already breaking through in a crowded defensive line group.