College football's most underrated players entering 2024 season (2024)

Vanderbilt lostit* two quarterbacks that started in at least six games last season, but replaced those departures with one of the most underrated transfer portal pickups at the position this cycle. Former New Mexico State quarterback Diego Pavia shined during his two seasons with the Aggies, earning Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year and Second Team All-Conference USA honors in 2023. He also did what only one Vanderbilt quarterback has done in the past five seasons: win a road game against an SEC opponent. New Mexico State stunned Auburn last season as Pavia had one of his best single-game performances of the year with three touchdown passes. There is some familiarity for Pavia at Vanderbilt, where his former head coach Jerry Kill is a consultant.

Jaydn Ott likelydid not get the attention he deserved in previous seasons playing for a West Coast team in the Pac-12. The California standout running back quietly ranked among the top-10 nationally in rushing yards per game last season with an average of 109.58. Perhaps now with the Golden Bears moving to the ACC — yes, that is correct — in 2024, Ott will garner more recognition as one of the top running backs in the country. Ott led the Pac-12 in total rushing yards (1,315) and finished second in rushing touchdowns (12) in 2023. He also had a sizable workload, ranking 10th nationally in carries (246).

Nickolas Martin earned First Team All-Big 12 honors last season after leading the conference in total tackles (140). But on a national level, the Oklahoma State linebacker is still underrated ahead of the 2024 campaign. Martin was left off of every All-America list despite finishing sixth nationally in total tackles and 20th in tackles for loss (16.0). The rising senior standout for the Cowboys expects to be highly productive on defense again this season as he enters his second year as a starter.

The rise continues for Iowa State wide receiver Jayden Higgins. The former Eastern Kentucky standout made an immediate impact during his first season with the Cyclones in 2023, hauling in 53 passes for 983 yards and six touchdowns. He set an Iowa State bowl game record with 214 receiving yards against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl, building significant momentum as one of the top returning wideouts in the Big 12. Higgins had just three games with at least 100 yards receiving, but recordedat least three receptions in nine games last season. Another year of chemistry with Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht should increase his productivity as well.

Khalil Barnes earned Freshman All-American honors last season, but could soon become a household name around the ACC. The Clemson safetyis the first player in the Dabo Swinney era to record multiple forced fumbles and snag multiple interceptions as a freshman. Barnes finished with three each during the 2023 campaign while making 38 total tackles, including five for loss with a sack. He rated as a high three-star prospect coming out of high school, which made his instant impact somewhat of a surprise. However,Barnes' disruptive style of play willbe expected in 2024 as he tries to help Clemson get back on top in the ACC.

Tommi Hill has capabilities to be a two-way player at Nebraska, but the soon-to-be senior makes his greatest impact in the defensive secondary. Hill led the Huskers with four interceptions last season while making just seven starts on defense. He earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten after tying for a conference-high 13 passes defended. Hill ranked fourth in the Big Ten with his four picks. He also showcased his athleticism with six kickoff returns totaling 144 yards — an average of 24.0 yards per attempt. Hill is still somewhat raw as a coverage cornerback, but could be poised to make a significant jump in 2024.

Miles Frazier enters his third season as a starting offensive lineman at LSU, but has been overshadowed up front. The versatile lineman has 26 starts — 16 at right guard, nine at left guard and one at right tackle — under his belt with the Tigers after earning Freshman All-American honors at Florida International in 2021. Frazier has allowed just eight sacks in 1,438 career pass-blocking snaps. He gave up just one and allowed only six pressures at LSU in 2023.The Tigerslikely have a first-round NFL Draft pick in Will Campbell, arguably the top offensive tackle in college football. That might be a reason why Frazier is often overlooked and underrated.

There was a lot of doubt surrounding the Florida quarterback position prior to the 2023 season with former Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz winning the starting job. But to the surprise of many, Mertz actually performed well, leading the SEC in completion percentage (72.9). He threw for 2,903 yards and 20 touchdowns with only three interceptions — tied for second-fewest in the SEC. Mertz did miss the finalgame of the season due to injury. The Gators have the No. 1 quarterback prospect from the 2024 class in-waiting with DJ Lagway. However, Mertz is a reliable option for Florida in 2024 as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the SEC.

Omarr Norman-Lott did not get enough recognition as one of the top defensive linemenon an improved unit at Tennessee last season. The former Arizona State transfer finished with 26 total tackles, including six for loss with 5.5 sacks — third-most for the Volunteers. Norman-Lott made just two starts, but his impact was significant when on the field. Hehad his best season yet of his college career after three rather dismal years with the Sun Devils. Norman-Lott should push for a starting role on the Tennessee defensive line in 2024 and could be among the best in the SEC for that position group.

Kaimon Rucker earned Second Team All-ACC honors last season, but flew under the radar a bit from a national perspective. The North Carolina edge rusher posted 61 total tackles, including 15 for loss with 8.5 sacks to go along with 12 quarterback pressures. Rucker also had one forced fumble, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup at the line. Despite being undersized, Rucker is still highly disruptive off the edge. The fifth-year senior should garner more attention in 2024 as one of the veteran leaders on the Tar Heels' defense.