Four teams remain in the hunt for the 2024 season's national championship, but everyone else is looking ahead to 2025.

Over the next few weeks, there will be plenty of roster movement. Players in the transfer portal will reveal their commitments, and dozens of eligible prospects will announce they are entering the NFL draft.

Soon, we'll have a clear view of the best players returning to college—and several will be strong Heisman Trophy contenders.

All players are considered except for those—like 2024 winner Travis Hunter (Colorado) or Jalen Milroe (Alabama)—who have formally announced or reportedly are heading to the pros.

More candidates will emerge, of course, but the following players will enter the 2025 season on the Heisman watch list.

First, an Asterisk

The general expectation is Quinn Ewers will not be starting at Texas next season as the program shifts to Arch Manning. Similarly, the consensus is Ewers will enter the 2025 NFL draft.

At the very least, however, it's not certain.

Ewers legitimately may benefit from another year in college. Because of that, perhaps he also pokes around the transfer portal. It's safe to say a quarterback who guided his team to a pair of College Football Playoff appearances could find an attractive NIL offer.

His decision will presumably not be announced until Texas is either eliminated from the CFP or wins a national title.

Transfers, New Starting QBs

Gunner Stockton, Georgia: Stockton will be competing with Jaden Rashada (note: Rashada has since entered the transfer portal) for the starting job. Despite the loss in the Sugar Bowl, Stockton had a decent game and showed his upside as a full-time starter. He's the early front-runner for UGA's competition.

Julian Sayin, Ohio State: The presumed replacement for Will Howard, Sayin initially signed with Alabama as part of the 2024 class but transferred after Nick Saban retired. Given the talent in Ohio State's receiving corps, the next QB enters a very favorable situation.

John Mateer, Oklahoma: Mateer put together a fantastic 2024 campaign at Washington State. He threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns to seven interceptions, adding 826 yards and 15 scores on the ground.

Dante Moore, Oregon: Dillon Gabriel leaves a major void, but Moore certainly has the pedigree of a star replacement. The former top prospect served as Gabriel's backup in 2024 but offers some notable experience with a handful of starts at UCLA in 2023.

Arch Manning, Texas: Manning opened a few games for Texas this season when an injury sidelined Ewers and earned a semi-regular role as a situational replacement. As mentioned in Ewers' section, the expectation is the Longhorns will be turning to Manning in 2025.

Mark Gronowski, TBD: A two-time FCS national champion at South Dakota State, Gronowski is both exploring the transfer portal and considering the NFL draft. Should he land in the FBS, expect to see Gronowski on the Heisman watch list.

Returning Non-QBs

Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama: Although his production dipped late in 2024, Williams had a strong freshman year. He caught 48 passes for 865 yards and eight touchdowns. Williams should be the favorite target of Alabama's new QB, whether that's Ty Simpson or someone else.

Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame: Through the quarterfinals of the CFP, Love has rushed for 1,076 yards and 16 touchdowns with 25 catches for 226 yards and two more scores. He should take on a more featured red-zone role in 2025, too. ND quarterback Riley Leonard, who's powered in 15 rushing scores, is out of eligibility.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: As a true freshman, Smith garnered second-team AP All-American recognition. Entering the CFP semifinals, he's amassed 70 receptions for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns. Smith is a rare talent who would be good enough to play in the NFL right away, but he's required to play two more years in college.

Returning QBs

Cade Klubnik, Clemson: Klubnik made significant improvements in 2024 and helped Clemson win an ACC crown. The main obstacle for Klubnik is becoming more effective in the toughest games, which double as those vaunted "Heisman moment" opportunities.

DJ Lagway, Florida: I'm not confident the offensive scheme—which leans run-heavy in favorable game scripts—is conducive to building a Heisman winner. On talent alone, however, Lagway has that upside as a dynamic dual-threat quarterback.

Garrett Nussmeier, LSU: Nussmeier, meanwhile, is a pure passer who should be surrounded by a deep receiving corps. LSU returns top target Aaron Anderson and holds commitments from impact transfers Nic Anderson (Oklahoma) and Barion Brown (Kentucky).

Drew Allar, Penn State: Allar is included in this section after a report indicated he would be back in 2025—a decision that theoretically pushed Beau Pribula into the portal. Perhaps if Penn State wins a national title, Allar changes his mind. Under the assumption he stays, though, Allar will be among the preseason Heisman favorites.

Kevin Jennings, SMU: Jennings wrestled the QB1 label from Preston Stone, who was an All-AAC player in 2023. Jennings put up nearly 3,600 yards with 28 total touchdowns while propelling SMU to a runner-up ACC finish and a trip to the College Football Playoff.

LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina: While it's not entirely fair to label Sellers an "under the radar" player, his national recognition isn't quite as high as the others. That may change in a hurry. Sellers threw for 2,534 yards, rushed for 674 and totaled 25 scores as a redshirt freshman.

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee: Iamaleava stormed into the 2024 campaign and helped Tennessee beat rival Alabama. Those peak moments were excellent. He also struggled badly in losses to Arkansas, Georgia and Ohio State. So, like Klubnik and Allar, the consistency of big-game performances will shape Iamaleava's upside in 2025.

Note: Carson Beck has since removed his name from NFL draft consideration and committed to Miami. The former Georgia starter will be included in Heisman Trophy discussions, as well.