The FCS (formerly known as I-AA) enters its 48th season in 2025 following its inception in 1978. In honor of that history, here are 48 players to know for the 2025 season.
This is not a ranking of the top 48 players in the FCS, meaning some fan-favorite players will be left off the list. However, those players are likely to be on the national radar all season long.
That said, let's dive into the 48-player list.
Quarterbacks
- QB Aidan Bouman | South Dakota
- QB Jaden Craig | Harvard
- QB Victor Gabalis | Tarleton State
- QB Chase Mason | South Dakota State
- QB JaCobian Morgan | Jackson State
- QB Ty Pennington | Northern Arizona
- QB Tommy Rittenhouse | Illinois State
- QB Derek Robertson | Monmouth
- QB Cole Payton | North Dakota State
- QB Sam Vidlak | Stephen F. Austin
These aren't my top-10 quarterbacks entering the FCS season, but these are 10 quarterbacks that you should know entering the season.
The top two returning quarterbacks in my eyes are South Dakota's Aidan Bouman and Monmouth's Derek Robertson. No returning quarterback threw for more yards than Robertson. Bouman might be a lefty, but he's turned the Coyotes in the right direction as they try to break through the FCS championship ceiling.
A pair of Lone Star State signal callers you should know are Tarleton State's Victor Gabalis and Stephen F. Austin's Sam Vidlak. Both lead teams with playoff aspirations this fall.
The top returning HBCU quarterback is Jackson State's JaCobian Morgan, who's coming off a Celebration Bowl win. Ty Pennington achieved great success in his first year, moving up from the DII level, as he led Northern Arizona to the FCS playoffs. Tommy Rittenhouse also led Illinois State to the playoffs, advancing to the second round.
Harvard's Jaden Craig is an intriguing quarterback out of the Ivy League, with a shot at his first playoff appearance this fall. He's also drawn interest as an NFL draft prospect.
The Dakotas close out the group as two new full-time starters take over: Cole Payton at North Dakota State and Chase Mason at South Dakota State. Both have gotten snaps in the past, but now as full-time starters, they'll shoulder the full expectations of championship contenders.
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Running backs
- RB David Avit | Villanova
- RB Jamar Curtis | Sacramento State
- RB Roland Dempster | Stony Brook
- RB Eli Gilman | Montana
- RB Adam Jones | Montana State
- RB Mason King | Illinois State
- RB Julius Loughridge | South Dakota State
- RB Charles Pierre Jr. | South Dakota
There's plenty of talent at the running back position returning to the FCS this fall. In the CAA, David Avit was a Jerry Rice Award finalist as a freshman at Villanova, and Roland Dempster was a Walter Payton Award finalist at Stony Brook.
In the Big Sky, Jamar Curtis is a newcomer at Sacramento State after a dominant few years at Lafayette. Elsewhere, Montana's Eli Gilman won the 2023 Jerry Rice Award, and Montana State's Adam Jones finished as the 2024 runner-up for the same award.
In the MVFC, Mason King returns from injury this fall. King was First-Team All-MVFC in 2023 when healthy. Julius Loughridge earned First Team All-Patriot League at Fordham last year before transferring to South Dakota State. Of the group that actually played in the MVFC in 2024, South Dakota's Charles Pierre Jr. returns after a 1,200-plus rushing yard and 16 rushing touchdown season.
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Wide receivers
- WR Marquis Buchanan | Rhode Island
- WR Taco Dowler | Montana State
- WR Kylon Harris | Stephen F. Austin
- WR Bryce Lance | North Dakota State
- WR Daniel Sobkowicz | Illinois State
- WR Max Tomczak | Youngstown State
- WR Jalen Walthall | UIW
The "Big 3" when it comes to FCS wide receivers entering the year are Bryce Lance, Jalen Walthall and Marquis Buchanan. All three put on a show last year, and each has an argument as the best returning FCS wideout this fall.
Kylon Harris is coming off an All-American season after leading Stephen F. Austin in receiving. Max Tomczak and Daniel Sobkowicz are two great wideouts in the MVFC and could each surpass 1,000 yards this year.
Finally, Taco Dowler will be a key target at Montana State this fall. He'll be a big help for the new starting quarterback in Bozeman.
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Offensive linemen
- OT Quinten Christensen | South Dakota State
- OT Titan Fleischman | Montana State
- C Trent Fraley | North Dakota State
- OT Delby Lemieux | Dartmouth
- OG Hunter Smith | Tarleton State
The top two offensive tackles returning to the FCS this year are Dartmouth's Delby Lemieux and Montana State's Titan Fleischman. Lemieux didn't allow a sack last year, and Fleischman anchors a Montana State offensive line that figures to be one of the best in the FCS yet again.
Speaking of great offensive lines, North Dakota State's Trent Fraley could be the next Bison lineman in their NFL pipeline. Quinten Christensen is another offensive lineman on a good unit to know. He'll be one of the returnees on a new-look South Dakota State team.
Tarleton State's Hunter Smith is one of the top returning offensive guards in the FCS; he also makes the list of 48.
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Defensive linemen
- DL Jake Anderson | Illinois State
- DL Edward Bobino III | Stephen F. Austin
- DL Ckelby Givens | Southern
- DL Jacob Psyk | UC Davis
- DL Matt Spatny | Lehigh
- DL Brandon Tolvert | Tarleton State
- DL Jeremiah Williams | Jackson State
- DL Andrew Zock | Mercer
There's a lot of good talent in the trenches coming back this fall. On the edge, Southern's Ckelby Givens is my pick for the best defensive player in FCS football returning this year after a 12 sack, 27.5 tackles for loss season. Then you have Mercer's Andrew Zock, who was the best defensive freshman in the country last year. Lehigh's Matt Spatny had 11.5 sacks last fall, while Jacob Psyk looks to bring his talent from Harvard to UC Davis.
The interior defensive linemen listed features Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP Jeremiah Williams at Jackson State. He leads a Tiger team atop the preseason HBCU football power rankings. Tarleton State's Brandon Tolvert posted career highs across the board last season en route to a First Team All-UAC nod, and he will be a big part of keeping the Texans ranked in the top 10.
Closing out the defensive linemen are Stephen F. Austin's Edward Bobino III and Illinois State's Jake Anderson. Each is an All-American-level talent that is great at stopping the run. Anderson even had an interception last year.
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Linebackers
- LB James Conway | Fordham
- LB Erick Hunter | Morgan State
- LB Logan Kopp | North Dakota State
- LB Tye Niekamp | Illinois State
- LB A.J. Pena | Rhode Island
The FCS linebacker group on this list has some names that you'll hear all season long.
James Conway was named First Team All-Patriot League after playing just four games last year. Before his injury, he posted three straight seasons of no fewer than 127 tackles. Erick Hunter leads a Morgan State defense that has carried the Bears in the Damon Wilson era, and Logan Kopp is the leader of a North Dakota State defense looking to defend its national title.
Rounding out the group are Tye Niekamp and A.J. Pena. Niekamp stuffed the stat sheet last year with 112 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, three sacks and four interceptions. A.J. Pena hit double-digit sacks (12.5) for the first time last season and is back at Rhode Island after a brief departure via the transfer portal.
BREAKING THROUGH:
Defensive Backs
- CB Jalen Jones | William & Mary
- CB Nahil Perkins | Samford
- S Rex Connors | UC Davis
- S Ty Bartum | Harvard
- S Tim Coutras | Tennessee Tech
Jalen Jones has been elite his entire career at cornerback dating back to 2022. He's the only unanimous FCS All-American returning in 2025 and arguably the best defensive player in FCS football. Nahil Perkins' name may ring a bell for FCS fans, too. He had five interceptions last year at Fordham and will now be playing for Samford after transferring.
The best safety in the FCS entering the year is Rex Connors at UC Davis, the preseason Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year and a former All-American. Right behind him is Harvard captain Ty Bartrum, who has been named First Team All-Ivy League in back-to-back seasons. Bartrum will be a key part of Harvard's push to the FCS playoffs now that the Crimson are eligible.
Speaking of back-to-back all-conference honors, Tennessee Tech's Tim Coutras achieved just that in the OVC-Big South. Coutras had three interceptions last year and will try to help Tennessee Tech live up to the first-place standing in the conference's preseason poll.
