The 2024 recruiting cycle is starting to look less like a class and more like the engine room for college football’s title picture.
Across the sport, teams with real championship aspirations are leaning hard on sophomores and high-impact newcomers to supply the star power needed for a 15- to 16-game run. And when you scan the landscape, a familiar pattern jumps out: plenty of the biggest names shaping the 2026 season came out of the 2024 recruiting cycle.
Notre Dame is a prime example. Starting quarterback and captain CJ Carr sits near the top of the sport’s quarterback conversation, and he’s surrounded by a 2024 class that looks loaded with difference-makers.
That group includes cornerback Leonard Moore, linebacker Kyngstonn Viliamu-Asa, offensive linemen Guerby Lambert and Anthonie Knapp, defensive end Boubacar Traore, safety Brauntae Johnson and running back Aneyas Williams. Several of those players are already stars, while others are knocking on that door.
Ohio State has its own pile of elite talent from that cycle. Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 wide receiver in the country, headlines the group, and he’s joined by quarterback Julian Sayin, safety Jaylen McClain, linebacker Payton Pierce and defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.
Texas is also getting major mileage out of its 2024 haul. Defensive end Colin Simmons, wide receiver Ryan Wingo and offensive lineman Brandon Baker all came from that class, and they’re part of why the Longhorns are among the favorites to win the title in 2026.
Oregon’s path is similar. The Ducks are counting on 2024 recruits Ify Obidegwu, Jeremiah McClellan and Aaron Flowers to play major roles as they chase big things this season.
That’s the bigger point here: programs all over the country are depending on members of the 2024 recruiting cycle to carry heavy loads, whether those players arrived through high school recruiting or the transfer portal.
The preseason award watch lists tell the same story. The Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Biletnikoff Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award all feature several players from the 2024 cycle, including Carr, Sayin, Smith, Moore, Viliamu-Asa and Coleman.
Of course, the class doesn’t own the entire conversation. Oregon quarterback Dante Moore has drawn plenty of attention, and so have Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, Texas quarterback Arch Manning and Miami wide receiver Malachi Toney.
Still, the 2024 class has a strong claim on being the center of gravity this season. Carr is the preseason Heisman favorite.
Smith and Moore are among the best players in the country. And around them is a deep group of impact players on title contenders, ready to shape highlight reels and, potentially, the championship race itself.
In Other News...
Notre Dame Opens Season With Adon Shuler Facing Heartbreaking Loss
Notre Dames season-opening week has been colored by a personal loss for one of its most important players. Don Shuler, the father of starting safety Adon Shuler, died, according to the familys announcement on social media, adding a painful note to a period when the Irish are getting ready to face Wisconsin and begin the 2026 season.
Adon Shuler has become a central figure in the defense and is a two-time team captain, which makes the timing especially difficult for a player expected to lead on and off the field. Family arrangements for Don Shuler had not been made public, leaving the program and its supporters waiting on more details while the focus shifts to how one of Notre Dames key veterans handles the days ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dame Camp Buzz Is Building Around 3 Irish Difference Makers
With Notre Dames opener getting closer, the chatter out of camp is starting to settle on three names that could matter a lot more by next fall than they do right now. Mylan Graham and James Flanigan are both being mentioned as possible starters at wide receiver, giving the Irish a couple of young options to watch as the offense continues sorting itself out.
Joey OBrien is in a different spot, but the buzz around him is growing for good reason. The true freshman safety has worked his way back from injury and is now listed as the top backup, putting him in position to push for playing time if he keeps trending up. For a team looking ahead as much as it is looking at the season ahead, those are the kinds of developments that can shape the depth chart before long. [Read more 🡒]
Notre Dames Captain Vote Revealed A Leadership Problem Freeman Welcomed
Notre Dame has settled on its four captains for the season, and the group says plenty about where the program stands under Marcus Freeman. Returning captains Drayk Bowen and Adon Shuler are back in the mix, while CJ Carr and Jordan Faison were added to the leadership circle after earning the respect of teammates in the vote.
Freeman said nine players drew meaningful support, which created more candidates than the team ultimately wanted to carry into the season. Rather than stretching the role too thin, Notre Dame kept the group at four for the third time in five years, a sign that the rosters leadership is spread deeper than usual even if only a few players will wear the title. [Read more 🡒]