The Devy Notebook 2025: Volume 1

Welcome to the 2025 college football season! With the return of college football, DFF has decided to bring back everyone’s favorite article series from 2024: The Devy Notebook. If you missed it last year, this series is a weekly summary-style article that funnels all of the relevant devy-related bullet points into one centrally located place. Some things will be positive, some things will be negative, and others will simply be things to keep an eye on.

The devy landscape is largely in a difficult place right now, as the 2025 graduates comprised a larger majority of the top-tier devy assets, leaving a wasteland at most of the skill positions for us to dig through. The Devy Notebook will be a key tool in tracking which players are separating themselves from the pack throughout this season. Without further ado, let’s dive into volume one!

• This is a public service announcement to not panic on any of the Auburn receiving options. The offense will have more success running than passing. Jackson Arnold is NOT a devy asset and struggles mightily throwing the football. He is an excellent runner, but this is going to cap any statistical upside that we thought we might see from Cam Coleman, Malcolm Simmons, and Eric Singleton Jr. If the offense trends in the wrong direction, I would not be surprised to see either of the first two names in the transfer portal next offseason. If anyone is panicking too much about these guys in any format, they are clear buys. There is nothing that can happen this season (excluding injury) that will drop Coleman outside my top 6 devy wide receivers.
• He didn’t play this weekend, but Jerome Myles’ stock has plummeted about as close to un-rosterable as possible. He has battled injury in three consecutive calendar years (all to the lower legs) and is missing the most important developmental years of his young career. Despite an incredible athletic profile, my advice is to move him off any roster for any reasonable value.
• There is still no clarity on the Boise State backfield. We are all keeping a close eye on the Broncos in search of the next Ashton Jeanty, but neither Gaines nor Sherrod did us any favors this weekend. Gaines appeared to fumble his way into the dog house, and the team itself looks like it is not going to be very good in 2025. Early returns seem to just make Jeanty look even better than he already did.
• One of the more off-the-radar devy players that was highlighted for us this offseason was Ian Strong. The 6’3” 210 lb. wide receiver plays for Rutgers and had a strong showing in week one, totalling 7 receptions for 100 yards. He looks to be the top receiving option for Rutgers and is a true sleeper for the 2027 class.
• Yes, I know it was Central Arkansas, but Ahmad Hardy looked very good in his first action with Missouri. I am usually cautious with players transferring up this much in level of competition, but he looks like he could be the real deal. Will be a name to watch during SEC play, where he could make a further name for himself.
• Amidst all the hype and with Kelce and Swift in attendance, Dylan Raiola looked very much in command of the Nebraska offense in a close game against Cincinnati. He finished 33/42 for 243 yards and two touchdowns. I still don’t love his overall lack of mobility from a fantasy sense, but I want to see what type of development he has made going into year two.
• In other Nebraska news, one of my devy diamonds, Jacory Barney, had a mere five catches for 27 yards. His involvement in the offense was nice, but he needs to be the unquestioned leader for me to take the next step in buying in.
• I expected the top Michigan State weapons to feast a bit more than they did against Western Michigan. Both Nick Marsh and Jack Velling were very underwhelming in game one. They combine for 6 catches, 35 yards, and one touchdown. Michigan State might not be good enough to see them produce at a high level.
• Demond Claiborne was a 1,000-yard rusher for Wake Forest last season, and many expect him to be one of the leading rushers in all of college football in 2025. He has some underrated NFL upside, but unfortunately suffered an injury in game one that limited him to only 19 rushing yards. If he is out for any amount of time, it could really damage his stock.
• Revisiting the Auburn vs. Baylor game, Sawyer Robertson looked like a legit quarterback and gamer despite a loss. Throwing for 419 yards and 3 touchdowns against any SEC defense is something to take note of. He could explode against the lesser-talented defenses in the Big 12.
• This one is simple. Write off any last hopes you had for Kaidon Salter as a devy asset. It’s simply just #notgood
• The system that brought us Nick Nash last year could be at it again with transfer receiver Danny Scudero. I have zero idea if he has any potential to make it to the NFL due to his small stature, but he started his Spartan career with 9 catches for 189 yards and a touchdown. 
• Is Johntay Cook back? Syracuse looked outclassed against Tennessee this weekend, but Cook was a bright spot that got my attention. He caught 6 balls for 58 yards and a touchdown (most of which happened in the first half). The once highly-touted wide receiver dealt with more off-field issues than we ever want to see in our devy assets, but there is still time to revive his stock, and I think Fran Brown is just what the doctor ordered.
• Julian Sayin was surgical with his accuracy throughout the Texas game, and it was clear that the staff tried not to put too much on his plate in game one. My only ding on him was the underthrown ball to a wide-open Carnell Tate for the second touchdown of the game. It may confirm some priors with his arm strength concerns, or it could just be overthinking. Tuck it away for now, and let’s see how that deep ball looks against the incoming cupcakes.
• Beware investing in the Texas wide receiver room. The second half saw Sark dialing up plays for Parker Livingstone. This is a player who no one was talking about coming into this season, and if Sark is scheming things for him, it should tell you something about the state of Texas’ skill position players.
• An athletic 6’4” 235 lb. tight end, Seydou Traore will be an interesting one to pay attention to for Mississippi State this season. I don’t expect the offense to be potent, but he plays a lot more like a receiver than most tight ends and should be on the periphery of our devy radars.
• Malik Washington was one of three freshman quarterbacks to earn the starting job in week one, and he took full advantage. He looked decisive while throwing for 258 yards and 3 touchdowns, albeit against a poor FAU squad. Closer looks lie ahead for him during Big Ten play.
• Benjamin Brahmer is the second tight end who caught my eye this weekend. The third-year tight end is a massive body standing at 6’7”, 255 lbs., and it appears that he is going to be a focal point of the offense. Through two games (including the Week 0 game), it doesn’t look like the Cyclones replaced the production of Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel very well, so he could be in for a big season.
• I am more concerned with Nicholas Singleton than most. I wanted to see something different from him against a poor Nevada team at home. He still only ran for 19 yards on 8 carries. I fear that he is an ultra-athletic player who isn’t a great true runner. The NFL should still be able to use him as a utility knife, but it may be unwise to expect him to be a bellcow and elite fantasy player.
• With all the hype around Ryan Williams, it was easy to forget about the WR2 for Alabama. Germie Bernard looked really solid against Florida State and was constantly open downfield for Ty Simpson. He averaged 18.3 yards per catch in the game despite the loss. He had a very underrated season in 2024 and is off to a hot start in 2025.
• The most notable thing that came out of the Alabama vs. Florida State game was that freshman running back (and my RB1 in the class) Ousmane Kromah got the most carries of any player not named Tommy Castellanos. This is the gold star of all gold stars since we rarely see freshman backs touch the field early to begin with. His stock has shot up to the moon.
• Justice Haynes looked like a man possessed this weekend, and if this game was any indication of how the season is going to go, I expect him to be the RB1 on many people’s boards in 2026. Michigan was already a run-heavy system, but with a freshman quarterback under center for this year, they will likely lean on Haynes even more. He rushed 16 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns against New Mexico on Saturday.
• John Mateer was a special college football player last year, and he used that success to transfer up to Oklahoma. He hopes to capture the eyes of many on a more national stage and propel himself into early draft capital conversations this offseason. He is a true dual-threat QB who threw for nearly 400 yards and totalled 4 touchdowns this weekend. The difficult slate of SEC games is going to be where he can make his money.
• Vernell Brown might just be the most talented receiver on the Florida Gators, and he is only a freshman. Most of the talk this offseason was around Eugene Wilson III and Dallas Wilson, but Brown put his name on the map with an insane one-handed grab that was eerily reminiscent of the famous Odell Beckham Jr. catch in his early career for the Giants.
• I’ve been a big fan of Jayce Brown for a long time, and it seems that he is finally getting some recognition. Brown plays for Kansas State and, over a two-game sample size, has accumulated 16 catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns. He has good size, solid athleticism, and is an underrated route runner who will be featured all season for the Wildcats. He currently ranks as my WR6 for the 2026 class.
• For those who were excited to see James Peoples take over the Buckeyes’ backfield, I am sorry to disappoint you. Transfer RB CJ Donaldson outsnapped Peoples 42-20 and took nearly all of the high leverage and goal line work. It doesn’t look like this is the year for Peoples, and Bo Jackson may prevent him from taking over next year, too.
• I don’t care what the stats were in the game. If you watched Garrett Nussmeier play on Saturday night against Clemson, you saw some serious NFL stuff. On multiple occasions, we witnessed him making pre-snap diagnoses of blitzes and undressing disguised coverages for the Clemson defense. He also made some very impressive boundary throws. He propelled LSU to a victory in a hostile environment and wears the famous number 18 for them as well. This kid is an NFL QB and a locked-in first-rounder.
• Makai Lemon was involved early and often for USC, catching 7 balls for 90 yards in an absolute blowout. His stat line could have been much larger if not for the 60-point victory. He is a medium-sized, twitchy receiver with exceptional burst, agility, and acceleration. I am excited to see where this season takes him, and he is my early favorite for WR2 in the 2026 class.
• Freshman quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele completed 20 of 30 passes for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Despite being a freshman, he looked like a polished passer and showed off his arm talent to all levels of the field. He looked incredible this weekend, and there is an argument to be made that he was the best QB in all of college football in week one.
• After all the dust settled on the Clemson backfield, it was converted wide receiver Adam Randall who received the most carries on Saturday (only 5). If Eziomume and Davidson can’t surpass him on the depth chart, I fear for the devy value of both.
• Short. Simple. To the point. Jordyn Tyson is THAT DUDE. Twelve catches for 141 yards and two touchdowns in week one, and I see almost no chance of any wide receiver passing him for WR1 in the 2026 class.
• The two true devy assets on Washington both balled out this weekend. Jonah Coleman opened up the season with 24 carries for 177 yards and two touchdowns, while Denzel Boston caught 5 balls for 92 yards and a touchdown. They are both players to watch for the 2026 class that could see a meteoric rise with good seasons.
• Nyck Harbor is going to be a landmine for an NFL team and fantasy managers alike. He is a big, fast, straight-line runner who is going to find explosive plays on the college football field. Unfortunately, he struggles with most other parts of the game. Buyer beware.
• Yet another freshman standout was Malachi Toney of the Miami Hurricanes. He caught the first touchdown of the season for Miami and looks to be a true target hog for the offense. I think the fact that he was able to dominate target share so early is more of an indictment on the rest of the room than it was a true endorsement of him. The majority of his receptions came on simple mesh concepts. It’s at least a good sign that he is on the field early and getting involved often.
• I think Nico Iamaleava is toast. UCLA was a 6.5-point underdog and ended up losing by 33 points to Utah on Saturday. The downgrade to UCLA was a huge red flag, and he was only able to complete 50% of his passes for 136 yards despite a negative game script. Time to get off the train if you were still on it for any reason.
• Despite all of the talk about the wide receivers for the Fighting Irish, Eli Raridon made some big plays and led his team in both catches and receiving yards. He is a 6’7”, 250+ lb. tight end that will likely be in the 2026 class. We will be keeping tabs on him just like the other tight ends mentioned in this notebook, but a quick comp would be Brandon Pettigrew.
• Did you have hope for Davion Gause this season as the next UNC running back to make a name for himself? It did not look great against TCU on Monday night as he rushed for a mere….If it isn’t going to be this year, you can probably permanently write him off.
• The lone bright spot in Monday’s game was Josh Hoover. He is still a fringe dual-threat quarterback for TCU, but his first touchdown throw was a true thing of beauty. He shows flashes of greatness that we need him to tap into more frequently, but I think all the ingredients are there for a rise to day 2 draft capital this season.

What I am looking for heading into Week 2:

• Darian Mensah gets a tough defense with Illinois coming to town. This could go a long way toward building his stock as a sleeper.
• Sawyer Robertson and Bryson Washington on the road against SMU should be a “get your popcorn ready” type of matchup.
• Rocco Becht made some NFL throws last week. Can he continue to make good decisions against a tough Iowa defense in the in-state rivalry game?
• Will Jalon Daniels continue his resurgence against a stingy Missouri team on the road?

Devy game of the week:

• Oklahoma vs. Michigan
• Notable devy players to watch: Bryce Underwood, John Mateer, Justice Haynes, Jordan Marshall, Marlin Klein, Deion Burks

Thank you for reading the first edition of the 2025 Devy Notebook. If you have any thoughts or questions regarding any of the players mentioned, or if you would like my opinions on a player who is not mentioned in this article, you can reach out to me on Twitter @Evan_Kerr_. #DFFArmy #AlwaysBeBuilding