In the wacky, wide-open world of the new Big 12 Conference, both Iowa State and Kansas State have aspirations of winning the league and earning that automatic bid to the College Football Playoff. ISU played for the conference title last year, while KSU has been a consistent presence among Big 12 contenders for many years.

Smith, Leonard Moore and Ryan Williams quickly established themselves as stars during elite freshman campaigns in 2024, but it's a nearly impossible task to predict which first-year players will break out in 2025.