The start of the 2025 college football season is just 12 days away, and it’s sure to start off with a bang.

Week 1 is set to feature a handful of electric heavyweight matchups of nationally top-ranked teams and a plethora of storylines, including first-year head coaches making their debuts and the impact of NIL and the transfer portal.

That said, FOX Sports’ RJ Young put together a list of one standout player from each of the top 10 teams in the AP Top 25 college football preseason poll, which was unveiled Monday.

[Related: RJ Young’s Ultimate 136 college football rankings]

Six of these 10 players will be facing off against one another in Week 1, as there are three top-10 tilts on the schedule: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 3 Ohio State, No. 4 Clemson vs. No. 9 LSU and No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 10 Miami (Fla.). 

10 Best College Football Players from AP Top 10 Teams

Stats: Started 26 games in two seasons for the Hurricanes, anchoring an offensive line that led the nation in scoring (43.9 points per game); projected to be the first offensive tackle drafted in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Mauigoa enters the year as one of the top OT draft prospects. At 6-foot-6, Mauigoa is massive and will be vital to protecting quarterback Carson Beck this season, giving the Hurricanes hope to make their first CFP appearance.

Stats: Finished fifth in FBS in passing yards (4,052 yards) and tied for eighth in pass touchdowns (29) last season.

Like Mauigoa, Nussmeier will also vie to be one of the top players selected at his position in the 2026 NFL Draft. He was one of the best passers in the SEC last year, which was his first season as a starter, while also having the pressure to replace then-reigning Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels. 

Stats: Freshman All-American and first-team All-SEC selection; one of seven SEC players to record 8 touchdown catches last season.

Williams had a season to remember in 2024, and he was only 17 years old. His touchdown catch that helped Alabama beat Georgia was widely viewed as one of the top plays of the season, showing his ability to make contested catches and speed. That also helped him earn a spot on the cover of “College Football 26.”

Stats: Led all Big Ten defensive backs with 104 total tackles last year with Purdue.

One of the best defensive players to transfer this past offseason, Theineman was a standout for a Purdue team that has been one of the worst programs in a power conference over the past couple of years. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2023, when he recorded six interceptions. 

Stats: Scored a rushing touchdown in 13 consecutive games last season, setting a Notre Dame record; was one of 10 FBS players to record 1,100-plus rushing yards and 19-plus total touchdowns.

Love was instrumental in Notre Dame’s breakthrough season, which ended with an appearance in the national championship game. His 98-yard touchdown run against Indiana was key for Notre Dame in its first-round win, which was also one of the five games he rushed for over 100 yards in.

Stats: Made 12 starts last season and finished second on the team with 76 total tackles.

Entering his junior year, Allen is part of the next wave of Georgia defenders with NFL promise. He’ll look to capitalize on a strong 2024 season, as the Bulldogs seek to make their first College Football Playoff semifinals for the first time in three years.

Stats: Top five all-time in Clemson history in passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts and completions; only player in FBS to throw for 35 touchdowns with six or fewer interceptions.

After an underwhelming first season as Clemson’s starting quarterback in 2023, Klubnik broke through in 2024. He certainly wasn’t the reason why Clemson lost to Texas in the CFP, either. He threw for 336 yards in that game as he seeks to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Stats: Set Ohio State freshman records in receptions (76), receiving yards (1,315) and touchdown catches (15); was tied for second in FBS in touchdown catches and fourth in receiving yards; his nine catches of 40-plus yards are tied for the most in the FBS.

Smith is arguably the best player in college football entering the 2025 season, with many preseason lists ranking him as such. Even though he’s only a sophomore, some have even said that he would’ve been a top-10 pick had he been draft-eligible following his freshman season. 

Stats: Finished tied for fifth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (13) and tied for sixth in sacks (8.5); also forced two fumbles and recorded 42 total tackles.

The Nittany Lions had several players that Young could’ve named the best on their roster. Drew Allar is viewed as one of the top quarterbacks in the nation entering the year, while Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen make up the best running back tandem in the sport. Sutton gets the nod, though, after his 8.5-sack season.

Stats: Only FBS or NFL quarterback in the past 25 years to record a 75-plus-yard touchdowb pass, a 65-plus-yard touchdown run and another 50-plus-yard touchdown pass in the same game; went 2-0 as a starter last year, throwing for 583 yards and totaling 5 touchdowns (4 passing, 1 rushing) in those two games.

Similar to Penn State, Texas also has a lot of returning players who could’ve been named the top player on its roster. Ultimately, Manning got the honor, and it’s hard not to see why. He showed his promise as one of the best quarterback prospects in recent memory in the handful of games he played in last year, showing tremendous arm strength and an ability to operate as a runner. 

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