In this article, John Laub breaks down his early look at the 2025 Dynasty Rookie Rankings.
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2025 Fantasy Football Rookies: Scholar’s Dynamic Dynasty Prospects
After an amazing summer studying college football players, it is time that I share the results with PlayerProfiler readers in order to get a head start for the next cycle of Dynasty rookie drafts. After scouting over 50 prospects and placing nearly 100 in my DEVY model, I am ready and prepared for the Class of 2025 prospects.
Before the campaign commences, I organize my forthcoming, game-watching schedule to get eyeballs on the key players. In order to assist readers, I have provided NFL Comparisons, Key Statistics, Scholar’s Draft Grade and must-watch matchups in the fall. The 2025 Dynasty prospects are in tiers, and the rankings will clearly change throughout the fall.
Enjoy reading part I of the series, which examines the Top prospects for Dynasty leagues in 2025.
First Team All-American Dynasty Prospects
WR Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona
NFL Comparison: Mike Evans
Key Statistic: 16.3 YPC
NFL Draft Grade: First Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Colorado (October 19)
I do like big wide receivers who can dominate on the boundary. While the league is evolving to quick-twitch separators at the position, there still is a role for a classic X-receiver. At 6-5 and 205 pounds, Tetairoa McMillan profiles as a prototypical playmaker on the outside. He has incredibly quick feet, strong hands, and great body control. T-Mac looks like a younger Mike Evans and is on target to be among the top 10 picks in 2025.
WR Luther Burden, Missouri
NFL Comparison: Amon-Ra St. Brown
Key Statistic: 131 Receptions
NFL Draft Grade: First Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Texas A&M (October 5)
As an NFL Draft prospect, Amon-Ra St. Brown did not turn the heads of the majority of NFL scouts or Dynasty footballers. I graded the former USC product much higher than the masses, and the Lions uncovered a diamond in the rough in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
When I watch Luther Burden, I can’t help but see flashes of Brown in a Trojans’ uniform running routes at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Like Brown, Burden has played on the outside (2022) and inside (2023) for the Tigers and excelled immediately in college. The third-year receiver rapidly wins at the line of scrimmage and can beat opponents deep down the seam. It’ll be fascinating to observe both McMillan and Burden to see who obtains the top receiver honor next year.
WR Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State
NFL Comparison: Nico Collins
Key Statistic: 15.0 YPC.
NFL Draft Grade: First Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Iowa (October 5)
Do the Buckeyes’ have another first-round prospect at receiver? After a down season, Emeka Egbuka must earn the praise of scouts to remain among the elite gamebreakers in the upcoming class. Egbuka enrolled at Ohio State the same year as Marvin Harrison, Jr. and was considered the better prospect, earning a 5-star rating from 247Sports. While Egbuka is not a generational talent like his former teammate, the fourth-year receiver clearly stands among the premier prospects to kick off the upcoming campaign.
WR Evan Stewart, Oregon
NFL Comparison: Jordan Addison
Key Statistic: 91 Receptions
NFL Draft Grade: First Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Michigan (November 2)
Box score scouts will not appreciate the pro potential of Evan Stewart. A 5-star prospect coming out of high school, Stewart enrolled at Texas A&M, which coincided with coach Jimbo Fisher’s coaching tenure coming to a sorrowful conclusion. The junior playmaker could not post numbers that matched his skills, and he decided to transfer to Oregon for the 2024 crusade. A smooth operator, Stewart will surely excel in coach Dan Lanning’s dynamic passing attack and reach the ceiling that his recruiting profile foreshadowed.
Scholar’s 2025 Preseason Draft Rankings
Class of 2025 Scholar’s Draft Rankings
Second Team All-American Dynasty Prospects
RB TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State
NFL Comparison: D’Andre Swift
Key Statistic: 50 Receptions
NFL Draft Grade: Second Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Iowa (October 5)
Coach Ryan Day is tired of losing to Michigan (three straight) and built a roster to pound away at the Wolverines’ defense. First, Day convinced TreVeyon Henderson to return to campus for the fourth season despite possibly being the top-rated runner in last April’s Draft. Second, he dipped into the transfer portal and acquired Quinshon Judkins. Entering the 2024 campaign, no team in the nation can match the talent in the Buckeyes’ backfield.
A 5-star recruit, Henderson remains affixed to the top of my RB rankings. Some fantasy footballers may have concerns after a disappointing season, but I do not. Henderson explodes with a swift first step and accelerates into the open field. He bounces off would-be tacklers and employs breakaway speed in the open field. I will be watching nearly every Ohio State game to scout the tremendous talent on the field.
RB Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State
NFL Comparison: Kenneth Walker
Key Statistic: 37 Receptions
NFL Draft Grade: Second Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Iowa (October 5)
Even seven months later, I am still blown away that Quinshon Judkins transferred to Ohio State. The Buckeyes are loaded at the skill positions, and one of the favorites to win the National Championship. Judkins is coming off consecutive seasons with over 1,000 yards rushing against SEC opponents as a freshman and sophomore. Only 20-years old, the new Buckeyes’ ball carrier is a physically imposing back who combines burst and balance with great lateral agility to accelerate up field. He has a well-built frame at 5-11 and 210 pounds and has terrific vision and patience with quick feet. The two Ohio State runners will battle for the top running back ranking in April, and I have already purchased the popcorn for the show they are about to put on.
RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
NFL Comparison: Joe Mixon
Key Statistic: 5.6 YPA.
NFL Draft Grade: Third Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Minnesota (August 29)
I really like last year’s tape of Omarion Hampton: Explosive runner with power and speed at 6-0 and 220 pounds. Unfortunately, I am concerned about the massive roster turnover at North Carolina. He is essentially the last man standing among the program’s playmakers. Can Hampton be as productive in 2024? I will be watching closely. It is imperative to examine his skills and not analyze the statistical results only. Dynasty analysts and Draftniks must be open-minded and place Hampton in context when writing a final scouting report and ranking the Tar Heels’ star runner at the end of the season.
RB Ollie Gordon, Oklahoma State
NFL Comparison: Le’Veon Bell
Key Statistic: 51 Receptions
NFL Draft Grade: Third Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Utah (September 21)
At times, Draft capital follows production on the field. College success does not guarantee future NFL fame. Yet, it does open the eyes of scouts and organizations to examine the prospect in more detail.
Ollie Gordon clearly gained the attention of Dynasty diehards after winning the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back last year. At 6-1 and 211 pounds, Gordon is a patient runner who explodes through the hole. He also has great lateral agility, making defenders whiff. The Cowboys’ ball carrier is also a good pass-catcher, and if he replicates last season’s numbers, he will rise dramatically up draft boards.
QB Carson Beck, Georgia
NFL Comparison: Matthew Stafford
Key Statistic: 166.9 QB Rating
NFL Draft Grade: Second Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Alabama (September 28)
I have no question that the NFL industrial-scouting complex will grade Carson Beck as the top signal caller in the NFL Draft. He plays for a winning program at Georgia and looks the so-called “part” at 6-4 and 220 pounds. Beck also shines in the statistical department more than many fantasy footballers might believe. His passer rating is higher than many would guess while posting an impressive 24:6 TD:INT Ratio, completing 71.2-percent of throws and averaging 9.1 YPA.
While he does not win with his legs, Beck commands the pocket and maintains his calm in the face of adversity. He has excellent ball placement, throwing the ball with zip and accuracy. I have a second-round grade after reviewing the tape this summer. High demand and limited supply at the quarterback position will always push prototypical pocket passers into Round 1 of the NFL Draft.
RB Nicholas Singleton, Penn State
NFL Comparison: Travis Etienne, Jr.
Key Statistic: 5.5 YPA.
NFL Draft Grade: Third Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Wisconsin (October 26)
Nicholas Singleton might be the most polarizing prospect among Dynasty fanatics. The Penn State runner entered college as a 5-star recruit and immediately excelled on the gridiron as a true freshman in 2022. Regrettably, Singleton took a step backwards last year. Still, I am bullish on Singleton as an NFL three-down runner.
At 6-0 and 210 pounds, he made Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List at No. 31 this summer. High-end athleticism matters at the running back position, and Singleton has a nice amalgamation of early college production and elite athletic abilities. With a new offensive coordinator and scheme at State College in 2024, Singleton regains his draft status as one of the preeminent runners among the upcoming rookies.
Tre Harris, Mississippi
NFL Comparison: Chris Godwin
Key Statistic: 15.7 YPC
NFL Draft Grade: Second Round
2024 Must Watch Matchup: Kentucky (September 28)
An analyst must never shy away from taking a contrarian stance on a player. In 2024, Tre Harris is one of “my guys” heading into the season. He hits so many key benchmarks in the DEVY model, and the film study confirmed the numbers. At 6-2 and 205 pounds, Harris jumped from G5 competition at Louisiana Tech to the P5 at Mississippi last year and earned Second Team All-SEC.
Over the summer, Harris has been named Preseason First Team All-SEC and is primed for another stupendous campaign. He has performed well on the inside (slot) and outside (X and Z spots) of the formation and uses his physical frame to defeat defenders. Keep a close eye on Harris throughout the season.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
NFL Comparison: Ja’Marr Chase
Key Statistic: 5-star prospect
NFL Draft Grade: First Round
2024 Must-Watch Matchup: Iowa (October 5)
My only regret this summer is that I could not acquire any shares of freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith in four DEVY drafts. Not since RB Maurice Clarett in 2002 has an Ohio State freshman garnered the preseason hype and praise that Smith has since stepping onto campus in Columbus.
At 6-3 and 215 pounds, the Miami Gardens, Florida native was the top-rated prospect in last year’s high school class and decided to go north to master his craft. In a few months, Smith has impressed coaches and fans with his route running and work ethic on the practice field. He is the cousin of Seattle QB Geno Smith and was named preseason Freshman of the Year by CBS Sports. Smith is the fastest Buckeyes’ freshman to lose his black stripe and first freshman ever named Iron Buckeye in the program. He is penciled in as a starter for coach Day’s squad and warrants all of the preseason and Dynasty hype.
Writer’s Note: I had to highlight Smith based on future NFL potential for readers.
