A season can go sideways for countless reasons—injuries, inconsistency, or just plain bad luck. But what truly matters is how a player responds. Just look at Tyler Shough; he overcame three injury-shortened seasons to throw for over 3,000 yards in his single year at Louisville, leading to him being the 40th pick by the Saints in this year’s draft. The 2025 season will feature several players looking for a similar bounce-back, some flying under the radar, some returning from injury, and others needing a desperate redemption arc.
On June 20, college football analyst Adam Breneman released his list of five players poised for a major bounce-back in 2025. Spoiler alert: Two quarterbacks made the cut.
Breaking down his top five picks, Breneman started with No. 5: “I’ll go from least to most interesting. At No. 5 I’m going to Tacario Davis, one of the longest corners I’ve seen at six-foot-four. He balled under Jedd Fisch at Arizona, then got cooked once Fisch left. Now he’s followed his old coach to Washington. Expect him to bounce back in a big way.”
At No. 4, Breneman highlighted an all-around playmaker: “I got KC Concepcion. This dude was electric as a freshman at NC State—ran it, caught it, even threw a touchdown. But his numbers dropped hard last year. Now he’s the wide receiver one at Texas A&M with a fresh start in the SEC,” Breneman said. Now at Texas A&M, Concepcion is the top veteran receiver and should be Marcel Reed’s main target in 2025.
Coming in at No. 3, Harold Perkins Jr. earned praise despite a rough 2024 season. “At number three, I got Harold Perkins Jr. You guys know this name. People forget how dominant he was as a freshman at LSU, but LSU misused him last year, then he tore his ACL,” Breneman noted.
From freshman phenom to injury setback, Perkins now has a chance to remind the nation exactly who he is. Though he sat out spring camp as a precaution, Harold Perkins is expected to be full speed ahead by summer workouts. A fully healthy Perkins could be the X-factor for LSU’s defense—his return might just set the tone for the entire unit in 2025. And at No. 2? That’s the name now filling Shough’s shoes.
Coming in at No. 2 on the list is Miller Moss, looking for a fresh start at Louisville. “I got Miller Moss, the quarterback at Louisville, transferred in from USC. Never easy to be the guy after the guy,” Breneman explained.
Moss showed flashes of brilliance early on in 2023, highlighted by a six-touchdown performance in the Holiday Bowl while stepping in for Caleb Williams. However, the next season under Lincoln Riley, despite putting up solid numbers, Moss was benched for Jayden Maiava after a string of close losses and a 4-5 record. Now, he’s teamed up with Jeff Brohm at Louisville, a coach who just helped Tyler Shough become a second-round NFL Draft pick. This new system offers Moss a big opportunity to turn heads in 2025.
While the first four names on Adam Breneman’s list are already getting attention, his No. 1 pick is sure to surprise fans. This could be a quarterback who is either the least favorite to some or the most favorite to others.
Adam Breneman’s No. 1 pick
At No. 1, Adam Breneman drops a name that’s bound to stir debate—Carson Beck. “Everyone’s favorite, maybe least favorite, quarterback. I don’t even know what we think about him right now,” Adam Breneman joked.
Beck had his share of struggles in 2024, tossing three interceptions each against Alabama, Texas, and Florida. But now, he’s locked in. Back in the system. And with NFL scouts circling, Beck’s name is floating as a potential No. 1 overall pick. “Now he’s at the program who got Cam Ward picked No. 1 overall. This is the Carson Beck redemption tour,” Breneman added. So, the bounce-back buzz is real—and Beck has the tools to silence every doubter.
Here are 5 college football players due for a huge bounce-back season in 2025:
– Tacario Davis (CB, Washington)
– KC Concepcion (WR, NC State)
– Harold Perkins (EDGE, LSU)
– Miller Moss (QB, Louisville)
Can you guess who’s No. 1? pic.twitter.com/bcVJA6JnIg
— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) June 21, 2025
Carson Beck faced plenty of heat during the 2024 season, with critics across the CFB world questioning his consistency and decision-making. The Athens Banner-Herald noted, “It’s the No. 1 responsibility of the quarterback to take care of the football. He didn’t have that problem a year ago,” highlighting his growing turnover issues. CBS Sports‘ Will Backus didn’t hold back either, saying, “Beck looks lost right now… Georgia isn’t going to get where it wants to go with Beck at quarterback.” From missed reads to questionable trust in his weapons, Beck’s critics have been vocal, but that only adds fuel to his 2025 redemption story.
Now, the spotlight shifts to Miami, where Beck gets a fresh start. Coach Mario Cristobal is making sure his new QB1 has everything he needs. Miami’s offensive line was a true wrecking squad in 2024, helping the team average 43.9 points and 537.2 yards per game. Cristobal understood that Beck needed strong protection up front and talented playmakers out wide, and he worked to build that. Miami brought in Tony Johnson from Cincinnati, CJ Daniels from LSU via Liberty, and Keelan Marion from BYU. With talents like Joshisa “JoJo” Trader and Ray Ray Joseph also stepping up, there’s a lot of potential. If Carson Beck can put his past mistakes behind him and play at his best, don’t be surprised if he’s headed to New York for the Heisman.
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