Faculty soccer’s offseason is the very best time for speculating. Spring follow is over, the switch portal is closed and — except you actually care about recruiting or the potential impression of the Home vs. NCAA settlement and its implications on income sharing — there’s not a complete lot of stories to dissect between now and August.
So it is at all times a enjoyable train to look forward. Right here at CBS Sports activities, we have got you lined in practically each conceivable method with prime 25 rankings, energy rankings for every Energy 4 convention and even an inventory of the prime 150 gamers for the 2025 season.
There’s at all times the potential to transcend, although. Particular person awards do not headline faculty soccer, nevertheless it’s at all times enjoyable to see which gamers are honored with trophies on the finish of the season. With loads of intel from spring follow, some prime choices are rising, which incorporates the vaunted Heisman Trophy.
So let’s take a stab at figuring out the winner of every of school soccer’s main awards in 2025. The Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards — granted yearly to the highest participant in faculty soccer — have been excluded. No disrespect meant, it is simply that they have an inclination to overlap with the Heisman.
Heisman Trophy
Prediction: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Smith’s already the very best participant in faculty soccer and he is solely been within the sport for simply over a full 12 months. Although the Heisman not often goes to a large receiver, Smith has the aura, media recognition and expertise befitting faculty soccer’s prime award. It is not laborious to see him accumulating not less than 1,500 yards receiving and 20 touchdowns for the Buckeyes in 2025, particularly with fellow prime possibility Emeka Egbuka off to the NFL. And it isn’t like defenses can key in on Smith alone; Ohio State’s large receiver room is packed to the gills with expertise. He is an unstoppable drive and — as long as he meets expectations — he’ll be in New York by 12 months’s finish. Smith is the neatest guess to win the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards, as effectively. A +1400 guess to win the award in keeping with FanDuel Sportsbook, Smith is behind three quarterbacks in Texas‘ Arch Manning (+700), LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier (+900) and Clemson’s Cade Klubnik (+900). That provides much more worth to an already sensible preseason guess.
Biletnikoff Award (High Receiver)
Prediction: Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Let’s go forward and get this entry out of the way in which, as effectively. If Smith wins the Heisman, there is no query he’ll add the Biletnikoff to his trophy case. Even when Smith one way or the other falls out of Heisman rivalry, he is the clear favourite for his position-specific award.
Davey O’Brien Award (High Quarterback)
Prediction: Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
There’s loads of nice quarterbacks to select from in 2025, however Klubnik has some distinct benefits. He is extra cellular than different veterans like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier — including one other avenue of manufacturing. He is additionally extra skilled than younger weapons like Texas’ Arch Manning, Florida’s DJ Lagway or South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers. Klubnik additionally advantages from a wonderful supporting class, highlighted by the ACC’s prime returning receiver in Antonio Williams, and it looks as if he is actually clicking with offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, who can engineer an explosive passing assault.
100 Days Out: Faculty soccer names, video games, storylines to comply with as we depend all the way down to the 2025 season
Chip Patterson
Doak Walker Award (High Operating Again)
Prediction: Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton is one other strong candidate, however he’ll be splitting carries with Kaytron Allen. Love will probably be a authentic workhorse for the Preventing Irish, particularly since they will be breaking in a model new beginning quarterback in both CJ Carr or Kenny Minchey. Neither Carr nor Minchey have performed significant snaps, so Notre Dame will lean on Love early within the 12 months to maintain the offense in rhythm. Irrespective of the time of 12 months, although, he’ll be the highest offensive possibility for a Notre Dame workforce eyeing a return to the Faculty Soccer Playoff Nationwide Championship.
John Mackey Award (High Tight Finish)
Prediction: Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt
Not there is a dearth of gifted tight ends in 2025, however there aren’t as many massive names on the place as there have been a 12 months in the past. Stowers is a first-rate breakout candidate. The previous Texas A&M and New Mexico State quarterback flourished in his first 12 months as a pass-catcher with the Commodores. He led the workforce in receiving and was named a 2024 first-team All-SEC choice after tallying 49 catches for 638 yards and 5 touchdowns. Stowers is a plus athlete and, in contrast to different candidates like Ohio State’s Max Klare, he is the unquestioned prime possibility in Vanderbilt’s passing assault.
Rimington Award (High Middle)
Prediction: Jake Slaughter, OL, Florida
Slaughter would probably have been the primary middle off the board if he declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, however he elected to run it again for one more 12 months with what seems like a promising Florida workforce. He is lengthy been an anchor in the midst of the Gators’ offensive line, and he is coming off a 2024 season by which he earned second-team CBS Sports activities All-American and first-team All-SEC honors. Slaughter took 402 pass-block snaps final 12 months and solely allowed one sack, in keeping with Professional Soccer Focus. That sort of dominance at a key place ought to web him some {hardware}.
Bednarik Award (High Defender)
Prediction: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
If you have not seen, there is a glut of expertise in Columbus. Downs would not boast the counting stats one would anticipate from a participant with a lot hype — he completed the 2024 season with 48 tackles and two interceptions — however that is as a result of opposing offenses know to not check him. Given all that Ohio State has to exchange defensively 2025, Downs needs to be extra of a frontrunner and focus. That additionally means he’ll put up some massive numbers whereas operating everywhere in the subject for the Buckeyes.
Thorpe Award (High Defensive Again)
Prediction: Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
As with Smith, so with Downs. If Downs goes to win one of many awards given to school soccer’s prime defender, he’ll be greater than worthy for the dignity bestowed upon defensive backs on the finish of the 12 months.
Bronko Nagurski Trophy (High Defender)
Prediction: T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson
The choice to incorporate two awards honoring the highest defensive participant in faculty soccer got here down to 2 elements: defenders not often win the Heisman and the Bednarik and Nagurski voters have proven a willingness to go in several instructions in latest seasons. As an example, the Nagurski award usually goes to gamers alongside the defensive entrance. Few are higher there than Parker — the nation’s prime returning sack artist after attending to the quarterback 12 instances final season. He may face some stiff competitors from younger studs like South Carolina’s Dylan Stewart and Texas’ Colin Simmons, however Parker’s confirmed manufacturing provides him the sting (pun meant) at this level.
Why Clemson’s Dabo Swinney stays essentially the most constant drive in faculty soccer amid sweeping modifications
Brandon Marcello
Outland Trophy (High Inside Lineman)
Prediction: Peter Woods, DL, Clemson
It helps Parker’s case that he’ll have a star like Woods enjoying alongside him. Woods is the kind of defensive deal with that routinely instructions double groups, liberating up different gamers on the protection to wreak havoc within the backfield. However Woods has loads of upside of his personal due to his freakish athleticism, burst and motion abilities from the inside.. He tallied 8.5 tackles for loss and three sacks final season.
Butkus Award (High Linebacker)
Prediction: Anthony Hill Jr., LB, Texas
Hill is without doubt one of the most versatile defenders in faculty soccer. The 6-foot-3, 237-pounder has the requisite measurement to hurry off the sting however his pace implies that he is additionally comfy enjoying off the ball, the place Texas employs him essentially the most. Irrespective of the place he’s on the sector, he prospers. He began all 16 video games for the Longhorns in 2024 and completed the 12 months with 113 whole tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks, one interception, two go deflections and 4 compelled fumbles.
SEC post-spring energy rankings: Texas takes prime spot, LSU tasked with battling lofty expectations
Will Backus
Lou Groza Award (High Placekicker)
Prediction: Dominic Zvada, Okay, Michigan
It is not an exaggeration to say that Zvada was Michigan’s Offensive MVP final season. He was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award and a unanimous first-team All-Large Ten choice after hitting 21 of his 22 subject aim makes an attempt, together with an ideal 7 for 7 mark on kicks of not less than 50 yards.
Ray Man Award (High Punter)
Prediction: Rhys Dakin, P, Iowa
Iowa is a punting manufacturing unit. The Hawkeyes have one other actually good one in Dakin, who averaged 44.1 yards per boot as a real freshman final season whereas totaling 2,822 yards along with his leg, rating eighth nationally. He additionally led the Large Ten with 29 punts downed contained in the 20-yard line.