It's hard to believe the college football season is just 7 weeks away. In fact, teams who have a week 0 game will begin fall camp later this month. Thanks to NIL, the transfer portal, and a new playoff system, there's plenty to talk about.
Let's discuss who the top returning offensive players are to get the juices flowing! Any of these players could take home the Heisman Trophy come December!
After a handful of National Championships, Georgia hasn’t missed a beat and might have even improved in the QB room with Carson Beck. Beck threw for nearly 4k yards last season on 72% CMP while scoring 28 total TDs to just 6 interceptions.
Although Georgia was barely left out of the CFP, this season should be a bounce back year for Beck and the Bulldogs who boast undeniable talent across the field.
Beck finished last season 4th in PFF’s wins above average metric behind three NFL 1st round selections this offseason.
A threat with his legs and arm, Jalen Milroe will look to bounce back from a tough Rose Bowl loss to Michigan last season under a new head coach and new era with the Crimson Tide.
Milroe is a big-play specialist with a 9.2% big-time throw rate in 2023 alongside 35 runs of 10 or more yards. After a benching early on in the season, Jalen came back and looked like a potential 1st round pick in the future with elite speed in every aspect of his game.
Kalen DeBoer helped Michael Penix and Washington become the most prolific offense on the west coast, so look for Milroe to benefit from this in Bama.
Ewers led Texas to a CFP birth and the Big 12 title last season with few turnovers and a couple big time throws later in the season for the Longhorns.
While the switch to the SEC will be something to monitor, Ewers has a chance to put up the biggest numbers in CFB this season with a big if. Jonathan Brooks, Xavier Worthy, AD Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders - 4 of his main offensive weapons from 2023 - are all in the NFL.
Ewers and Texas needs reliable hands early on in their SEC campaign to make the same noise in 2024.
Ollie Gordon of Oklahoma State is a no-brainer #1 RB this season and should be a 1st round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Gordon averaged around 150 yards on the ground over OK State’s last 11 games of 2023 while finishing the season with 1.7k rush yards (most in CFB).
With additional pass catching duties this season in a Big 12 without Texas and Oklahoma, Ollie Gordon could explode for 2k total yards in a Heisman worthy campaign.
Judkins will compete with Trey Henderson for carries out of the Buckeye backfield in the most prolific 1-2 punch in the nation after transferring from Ole Miss.
The Ohio State offensive line and running scheme should help Judkins reach his potential as a prototypical NFL running back that can run north to south in a blur.
Although QJ’s YPC went down in 2023, he still finished the year with 17 total TDs and over 1.2k total yards in a tough SEC conference. With less carries and a better line in front of him, look for incredible numbers from the new Buckeye this season.
Neal has put together back-to-back incredible seasons for the Jayhawks who seem to be a CFB threat this decade.
Devin has NFL type pace and stats over the last two seasons that jump off the page.
Over 2.3k rush yards and 25 rush TDs since 2022 rank him among the top returning backs in the country while added pass catching ability will give him even more of an impression on scouts this season.
Compared to Deebo Samuel multiple times last season, Luther Burden III out of Missou is a player to keep your eyes on for the next year.
He led all Power Five WRs in YAC, receiving yards after contact, missed tackles, and YPR run. He has the same frame as Samuel and in space, can make any man at any position miss.
He dropped just 4 of his 94 catchable targets in 2023 and is geared up to take an even bigger role this season for the Tigers who are a sneaky pick to end the season in the top 10.
Tet McMillan stays at U of A for another shot at CFP berth with QB Noah Fifita who would rank 4th on our QB list.
McMillan is a 6’5 wideout that has caught 18 TDs on 129 receptions with over 2k total yards in his two seasons with the Wildcats.
He had 17 contested catches last season which ranked 2nd in FBS while his drop rate was close to none. With his connection with his Quarterback Fifita (played together in middle and high school), the sky is the limit for this duo in 2024 in a new conference under a new head coach.
It isn’t a college football season if there isn’t an Ohio State wideout due to end up as a 1st round draft pick.
This season, it’s Emeka Egbuka’s turn. Egbuka’s 2023 campaign ended with injury, but he’ll come into 2024 as the WR1 for the Buckeyes as a smooth route runner that has reliable hands.
He’ll look to surpass his 2022 season stats where he put up over 1.1k yards on 74 catches and 10 TDs.