With game week upon us, it’s time for the final sprint toward the 2025 college football season. Some key position units will become especially important throughout the year, and Josh Pate shared which ones will be most paramount on Josh Pate’s College Football Show. Contending teams worked to overhaul their roster this offseason through both […]
With game week upon us, it’s time for the final sprint toward the 2025 college football season. Some key position units will become especially important throughout the year, and Josh Pate shared which ones will be most paramount on Josh Pate’s College Football Show.
Contending teams worked to overhaul their roster this offseason through both high school recruiting and transfer portal. Others, such as LSU, have some returning talent back that will look to take a leap forward and make an impact.
As teams look to make a run toward a national title, some weaknesses might have to turn into strengths. Here are the most important position units in college football for the 2025 season.
LSU – Running back
Amid an up-and-down 2024 season, LSU’s running game especially struggled. The Tigers ranked last in the SEC in rushing offense with 116.3 yards per game – which also sat at No. 107 in the nation – and adds to the pressure on the unit to perform this year.
Caden Durham is in the spotlight after a standout freshman year, totaling 753 yards and six touchdowns. In fact, an improved rushing attack could make for a more balanced LSU offense, and Josh Pate said that could be the key to helping the Tigers cement themselves as a bona fide contender in 2025.
Penn State – Wide receiver
While speaking with On3’s Pete Nakos this offseason, Drew Allar praised the Penn State wide receiver room and the amount of talent. The Nittany Lions hit the transfer portal hard to overhaul the room, headlined by Syracuse transfer Trebor Pena.
If the Penn State wide receiver room improves from last year, the Nittany Lions will solidify their case to be a title contender. The key will be winning 50/50 balls, and Josh Pate said he was “encouraged” by what he saw in practice this week, but the key will be to do it in a game setting.
Auburn – Quarterback
At Auburn, all eyes are on the quarterback position. The Tigers notably landed Jackson Arnold out of the portal, but his arrival comes after questions under center to start Hugh Freeze’s tenure, and they grew louder after the idea floated around possibly playing three quarterbacks.
Auburn’s passing offense ranked middle-of-the-pack in the SEC in 2024 with 263.9 yards per game, but the Tigers struggled with turnovers and ball control. Arnold will be in the spotlight when evaluating the offense on The Plains, even with the amount of talent Josh Pate sees on the roster.
Georgia – Offensive line
The Georgia defense is getting the headlines this year, but Josh Pate pointed out the amount of turnover on the offensive line. Only one returning player has more than five starts to his name as a fresh unit gets ready to protect Gunner Stockton.
UGA is all-in on development on the offensive line, which is why the program didn’t venture into the transfer portal, according to Pate. If the Bulldogs have a strong front to protect Stockton, they could make plenty of noise in the national title race.
Ohio State – Defensive line
As Ohio State gets ready to start its title defense, the Buckeyes’ defense will take on a new look with Matt Patricia as coordinator. But the defensive line will also be important with so many key departures.
Ohio State notably lost J.T. Tuimoloau, Tyleik Williams, Jack Sawyer and Ty Hamilton to a historic NFL Draft class. That means it’s basically an entire unit, and the group faces a tall task in Week 1 as the Buckeyes take on Texas in the season opener.
Miami – Secondary
In 2024, Miami’s defense ranked second in the ACC with 327.2 yards allowed per game. But there were questions in the secondary, adding to the pressure on that group entering 2025.
Hurricanes staffers are excited about the new-look defensive backfield, Josh Pate said Tuesday night. If that unit can improve at all, Miami could avoid last year’s absence from the ACC Championship and be in position for a potential title run.
Florida – Linebacker
The Florida linebacker room does not include a senior this year. But Josh Pate said the young group is creating excitement because of the level of talent, even despite the fact they haven’t necessarily proven themselves quite yet since they’re so young.
The Gators are generating plenty of buzz this year as DJ Lagway gets ready to enter his second season with the program. But the defense will be especially important after ranking 15th in the SEC a year ago.
As the 2025 season draws closer, some position groups will help make teams contenders while others might turn into weaknesses and impact those title quests. For these teams, though, there’s reason for excitement as training camp begins to wind down.
Category: General Sports
