College football’s biggest offseason storylines — spanning the coaching carousel, transfer portal, conference realignment and beyond — altered the national pecking order and made early impacts on the 2024 campaign. With just over six months remaining until kickoff, the players, coaches and other figures who will shape the season are already clear.
Stars at national championship contenders, like returning Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers and incoming Ohio State safety Caleb Downs, are poised to help determine which squad raises the trophy as the winner of the debut 12-team Playoff. Late Kick host Josh Pate tabbed that duo as two of the biggest names in the sport for the 2024 calendar year.
As the college football landscape continues to change, there are also a few influential figures set to play key roles in defining the sport’s future. Coaches are highly vocal about issues that must be addressed, and conference commissioners are vital in sparking those changes. Some of these individuals are also among college football’s most important stakeholders.
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Here are Pate’s selections as the biggest names in college football for 2024:
