2025 Fantasy Football Devy Rankings: Top 10 College Prospects and Future NFL Stars

March 9, 2025

Top 10 college prospects - 2025 Fantasy Football Devy rankings: Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams, Arch Manning, Nicholas Singleton, DJ Lagway, and more player outlooks.

This time of year, the conversation about college football players mainly revolves around the NFL Combine and the upcoming NFL Draft. Our focus in the spring tends to be on players who'll soon be making their NFL debuts.

But there are still a lot of talented players who'll remain in college in 2025. Whether you play in a devy league where you can have these players on your fantasy roster already or you're just getting a head start on your research, RotoBaller has you covered.

Below are the top 10 college prospects for fantasy football devy leagues.

10. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU

Garrett Nussmeier doesn't have the same upside as recent LSU quarterbacks like Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels, but that doesn't mean he can't be a very good NFL player. Maybe he won't ever be a top-5 guy in the league, but Nussmeier could be a top-15 quarterback, with some seasons where he sneaks into the top 10.

There are two marks against Nussmeier, one of which can be fixed. The fixable issue was that he led the SEC in interceptions last year, tossing 12 picks during the season. The decision-making could use some work, but he has a big arm and should be able to improve his accuracy with coaching and more reps.

The bigger issue as far as fantasy goes is that Nussmeier is a nonentity in the run game. In a world where rushing ability continues to boost the fantasy value of dual-threat quarterbacks, Nussmeier likely will never be anything more than a sneak threat under center. That limits his fantasy upside, but his arm talent puts him in the top 10 right now.

9. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State

Spoiler alert: Carnell Tate's Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith will appear later in this list. Smith is an elite talent and it's overshadowed Tate a bit. However, don't let that make you think Tate is a slouch.

Two quick notes from talking with Carnell Tate:

- He's excited for Brian Hartline to take over the offense

- He doesn't know where the idea he was leaving started... "I bleed Ohio State"

It feels like Tate is one of the most underrated receivers going into next season: pic.twitter.com/8HLxKMlXnm

— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) February 24, 2025

In his second college season, Tate caught 52 passes for 733 yards and four touchdowns. Tate's a well-rounded receiver capable of doing all the things you want to see from an NFL wideout. Maybe he won't blow anyone away with his speed, but he can make tough catches in traffic and is a crafty runner with the ball in his hands.

8. Cam Coleman, WR, Auburn

In 2024, Cam Coleman caught 37 passes for 598 yards and eight touchdowns for Auburn. The freshman made a big impact as soon as he stepped on campus, catching a touchdown in his collegiate debut against Alabama A&M.

Coleman came on particularly strong late in the season, catching six touchdowns over the season's final three games, including a huge game against Texas A&M that saw him finish with seven catches for 128 yards and two touchdowns.

While he still needs to refine his game, Coleman is an explosive receiver who has no trouble getting open. He's going to terrorize opposing defenses for years to come.

7. LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina

LaNorris Sellers was the best surprise of 2024. The South Carolina quarterback took over as the team's starter and led it to nine wins, the most for the school since 2017.

Sellers completed 65.6 percent of his pass attempts for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while tossing seven picks. He also excelled on the ground, rushing for 674 yards and seven touchdowns.

With rushing ability being crucial to fantasy success, Sellers ranks as the devy QB3 right now. He still has kinks to work out with accuracy and timing, but his athleticism will make him a starting quarterback with the potential to be a consistently low-end QB1 at the next level.

6. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame

The 2025 rookie running back class is going to be extremely good and the next couple of draft classes after it won't have the same depth, but there are still a couple of very good college running backs who'll be in the NFL in 2026 and beyond.

Jeremiyah Love rushed for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns in his first year as a starter for Notre Dame, plus he added 28 receptions for 237 yards and two touchdowns.

Highest Graded Returning Running Back for the 2025 Season:

☘️ Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame: 91.0@NDFootball pic.twitter.com/1R5nCj4jWe

— PFF College (@PFF_College) February 14, 2025

There are some concerns about his smaller frame being an issue, but he does so much so well that he should be able to carve out a sizable role. Love has breakaway speed and can force misses out of the backfield while also being a plus receiver as well.

5. DJ Lagway, QB, Florida

Don't judge DJ Lagway by his freshman year numbers, which saw him complete 59.9 percent of his passes for 1,915 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He added 101 rushing yards.

You might look at those numbers and think ranking Lagway as the No. 5 devy prospect is a reach. Lagway indeed is more of a project at this point than the other quarterbacks mentioned here, but he has all the tools to be one of the NFL's top quarterbacks.

Lagway has a huge arm. He's a fast runner. He is the ideal size for a quarterback. He can stand in the pocket and get the ball out fast, but he can also make plays when things break down. He's still got to put that all together into a complete package, but he has the parts that make up a star.

4. Nicholas Singleton, RB, Penn State

Nicholas Singleton was smart to stay for one more season at Penn State. The 2025 running back class is stacked, but the 2026 class isn't, so Singleton stands to be the clear RB1 next year if he stays healthy.

Singleton has rushed for 32 touchdowns across three seasons with the Nittany Lions. 12 of those came in 2024, as did five receiving scores. He continues to expand his game.

He's the only guaranteed three-down back in the 2026 class. He has the speed to burst past defenders but also has the size and strength to lower his shoulders and bully players who try to stop him.

3. Arch Manning, QB, Texas

Well, well, well, what do we have here? Yes, it's another Manning. If you thought the NFL was free from Manning family domination, you thought wrong. Meet Arch Manning.

Projecting Manning to be the No. 1 devy quarterback involves some projection since he hasn't started a full season at the college level yet. However, the numbers and tape so far suggest a breakout 2025 campaign for Manning, putting him in play to be the No. 1 overall pick in 2026.

Arch Manning is reportedly creating a “whole new locker room vibe” as Texas’ QB1.

Manning is reportedly a very “vocal leader” and the players on Texas’ roster weren’t used to that with Quinn Ewers.

Several NFL scouts reportedly believe Manning “has the potential” to be the best… pic.twitter.com/XhlyrJwdzh

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) February 25, 2025

Manning has the pocket presence you expect from a member of the Manning family, but he also brings some legitimate speed to the field, unlike Peyton and Eli. He'll be able to make things happen when the protection breaks down.

The only mark against Manning is the limited experience. All he needs to do is play as he did in his 2024 spot starts when he takes over the full-time starting job next season.

2. Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama

As a freshman for Alabama, Ryan Williams caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. He also added two rushing scores, giving him 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Crimson Tide.

Williams is a big-play receiver who won't be eligible for the NFL Draft until 2027, but his elite profile has him No. 2 on this list already. He broke out as a freshman at the age of 17, stepping in and immediately making an impact.

The young receiver has been especially lethal once the ball is in his hands, showcasing an ability to gain big yards after the catch. The only real knock on him is that he's a little smaller than the No. 1 player on this list, but that won't prevent him from being a star.

1. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State

There really should have been no question about who No. 1 would be. Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith has the makings of the next great NFL wide receiver.

never seen a college WR explode off the line quite like Jeremiah Smith pic.twitter.com/fWc6LFLJnv

— Mike Renner (@mikerenner_) February 18, 2025

As a true freshman at Ohio State in 2024, Smith caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, with the yards and touchdowns leading the Big Ten. He does virtually everything at a high level. Smith can outrun any defender, or he can make tough contested catches.

Sadly, just like Williams, Smith also won't be eligible until 2027, which means there's still time for something to happen that would cause him to fall from the No. 1 spot. Right now, though, Smith is the best fantasy football prospect in college football.

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