Joe Burrow was the runaway Heisman winner last year, and it was pretty clear he was the country's most exciting player. But even with Burrow gone to the NFL, college football is still crowded with stars capable of delivering edge-of-your-seat excitement on any given play.
Here's the most exciting player on each of the nation's top 25 teams entering 2020.
1. Clemson Tigers: RB Travis Etienne
We don't want to shun Trevor Lawrence, but he gets enough attention. Instead, let's put the focus on Etienne, who remarkably turned down NFL money and returns to Clemson for his senior season. Etienne has averaged 7.8 yards per carry for his career -- a number that would dwarf the next-closest competitor in ACC history, but he added to his repertoire last year by catching 37 passes, too. In fact, Etienne is the leading returning receiver on Clemson's roster from 2019. -- David Hale
2. Ohio State Buckeyes: QB Justin Fields
The Buckeyes had 10 players selected in the NFL draft this year, which means the team is losing a lot of talent. Quarterback Fields is returning, however, and is entering his second season in coach Ryan Day's system. Fields threw for 3,273 yards, 41 touchdowns and three interceptions. Receiver Garrett Wilson could find himself in this discussion, but Fields will be the one getting him the ball. There was no adjustment period for Fields and Day. If they had that much success in their first season together, the sky is the limit for this upcoming season. -- Tom VanHaaren
3. Alabama Crimson Tide: WR Jaylen Waddle
All due respect to Jerry Jeudy, Henry Ruggs III and DeVonta Smith, but Waddle was the most dynamic receiver at Alabama last season. The Houston native is a home run waiting to happen, whether that's catching passes or returning kicks. Rewind the tape to the Iron Bowl and what he did to that stellar Auburn defense. He had four touchdowns and 230 all-purpose yards, including a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. -- Alex Scarborough
4. Georgia Bulldogs: WR George Pickens
Transfer quarterback Jamie Newman could blossom into a star in the SEC. But the guy defensive coordinators already fear is sophomore receiver Pickens. If he can steer clear of trouble, he's a big-play threat from anywhere on the field. You saw it last season when he led the team in touchdowns as a true freshman. There was his diving catch against Murray State. His sideline catch against Arkansas State. And pretty much the entire Sugar Bowl, where he won MVP with 12 catches, 175 yards and a touchdown. -- Scarborough
5. Penn State Nittany Lions: LB Micah Parsons
Running back Journey Brown is explosive, but linebacker Parsons is one of the few defenders you absolutely have to watch on every single play. You know opposing quarterbacks will be, too. He is strong in coverage. He's also maybe the best run-defending linebacker in the country and could easily line up at defensive end on passing downs and dominate there, too. -- Bill Connelly
6. Oregon Ducks: RB CJ Verdell
The Ducks are going to look different without quarterback Justin Herbert, but they will still have one of the best running backs in the nation with Verdell. In the Pac-12 championship game, Verdell put up 208 yards on just 18 carries against Utah, which had a stout defense up until that game. Verdell's small size and explosiveness make him a must-see running back in 2020. -- Harry Lyles Jr.
7. Florida Gators: WR Kadarius Toney
Kadarius Toney is often labeled as one of the most electric players on the Florida roster, but beyond a few big plays here and there, the consistency has been missing. When Toney announced he would return for his senior season, the expectations soared once again for two main reasons. No. 1: The Gators are losing their top four senior receivers from a year ago, opening a major opportunity for Toney to fill the void. No. 2: This is his chance to improve his draft stock, too, and nothing does that like a big year when the spotlight is on you. -- Andrea Adelson
8. LSU Tigers: WR Ja'Marr Chase
There's no question that the Tigers' most exciting player is wide receiver Chase. He was LSU's leading receiver in 2019, outperforming Justin Jefferson, who was the No. 22 overall pick in the NFL Draft. Chase made easy work of A.J. Terrell (No. 16 overall pick in the NFL draft) in the national championship with nine catches for 221 yards and two touchdowns. The only questions about his productivity are going to come because of Joe Brady's exit and new starting quarterback Myles Brennan. -- Lyles Jr.
9. Oklahoma Sooners: QB Spencer Rattler
Let's not overthink this one. Spencer Rattler will make his starting debut in the thick of the Heisman race (15-1 odds), despite attempting just 11 career passes in three appearances before redshirting last season. In high school, the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback recruit in the class of 2019 set the Arizona state passing record with 11,083 yards and 116 TDs. He has the quickness to be a threat in the Sooners' read-option game, too. -- Dave Wilson
10. Notre Dame Fighting Irish: S Kyle Hamilton
Let's give the defense a little love here, too. In his freshman season, safety Hamilton had four interceptions, six pass breakups and 41 total tackles. He quickly became a name everyone was talking about and now, going into the 2020 season, Hamilton is primed to be one of the best safeties in the country in only his second season. He can make a big play at any time, brought some excitement to Notre Dame's defense last season and should do much of the same this season. -- VanHaaren
11. Texas A&M Aggies: WR Demond Demas
Learning the ropes at wide receiver isn't easy for a freshman, much less without spring practice. But Demas, No. 47 in last year's ESPN 300, is such a phenomenal athlete, the Aggies won't have any choice but to figure out ways to get him the ball. The 6-3, 190-pounder has a vertical leap of more than 37 inches and was a star on the 7-on-7 circuit with acrobatic grabs. -- Wilson
12. Oklahoma State Cowboys: WR Tylan Wallace
Take your pick: Chuba Hubbard led the nation with 2,094 rushing yards, while Wallace had 139 receptions for 2,394 yards and 20 touchdowns in the past two seasons despite playing just nine games last year. For this exercise, we'll go with Wallace, whose explosiveness in the open field makes him one of the country's most dangerous players with 11 career 100-yard games. -- Wilson
Oklahoma State QB Spencer Sanders goes deep and connects with Tylan Wallace, who breaks a tackle then takes it to the house.
13. Wisconsin Badgers: LB Jack Sanborn
Wisconsin has trademarked the "inside linebacker/missile" position, seemingly producing an endless supply of backfield invaders. Chris Orr and OLB Zack Baun are gone, but no worries: Sanborn led the team in tackles and added 5.5 sacks and 17 run-stuffs. The assembly line continues to produce, and Sanborn should be fun to watch this year. -- Connelly
14. Auburn Tigers: WR Anthony Schwartz
Schwartz is as dangerous in the open field as any player in college football. Track speed isn't a euphemism with him. He's quite literally a world-class sprinter. And unlike a lot of those guys, his speed translates to football. Watch his 57-yard touchdown against Texas A&M. He had no business shooting that gap, and he did. Despite a thumb injury and the cast that accompanied it, he had 41 receptions for 440 yards last season. If he can stay healthy and the passing game can expand under quarterback Bo Nix, his numbers could skyrocket. -- Scarborough
15. Michigan Wolverines: WR Nico Collins
This one is tough because Michigan has some young receivers in Giles Jackson and Mike Sainristil who could end up being standout players this season. Incoming freshman A.J. Henning could see the field as well. Ronnie Bell has made a ton of plays for Michigan and looks primed to do it again, but the one who really stands out with the opportunity to make a big impact is Collins. He led the team with 758 receiving yards and seven touchdowns last season and with Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black both gone on the outside, Collins should be a big part of Michigan's offense. -- VanHaaren
16. Minnesota Golden Gophers: WR Rashod Bateman
The Gophers had an exciting tandem at receiver last season in Tyler Johnson and Bateman. The two combined for over 2,500 yards receiving and 24 touchdowns. Johnson is gone -- selected by the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFL draft -- which means Bateman will be called upon heavily this season to replicate his production. He averaged 20.32 yards per catch last season, so he is a big play waiting to happen. With quarterback Tanner Morgan back, he and Bateman should have no problem connecting this coming season and putting up big numbers once again. -- VanHaaren
17. Cincinnati Bearcats: QB Desmond Ridder
With running back Michael Warren off to the NFL, quarterback Ridder is one of the main centerpieces of the offense. Ridder had 2,164 passing yards to go along with 887 rushing yards, second to Warren last season. Ridder dealt with some injuries last season and had a few struggles. But getting healthy in 2020 and having more experience, he should have every opportunity to excel for the Bearcats. -- VanHaaren
18. Iowa State Cyclones: QB Brock Purdy
Purdy blossomed into a star in 2019, throwing for nearly 4,000 yards while also racking up eight rushing touchdowns. He topped 300 yards passing six times, and he threw for five touchdowns against playoff-bound Oklahoma. Only two QBs in the country return for 2020 after completing 65% of their throws with 4,000 total yards, 35 touchdowns and fewer than 10 picks: Purdy and Trevor Lawrence. -- Hale
19. Boise State Broncos: S Kekaula Kaniho
Kaniho is one of the nation's best prototype nickel defenders. He combined for 11 tackles for loss with seven passes defensed and nine run-stuffs last year. BSU might lean even harder on Kaniho and linebacker Riley Whimpey to be chaos agents while a rebuilt defensive line finds its footing. -- Connelly
20. Iowa Hawkeyes: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
Smith-Marsette makes you wish that, just for one year, Iowa would be a little less Iowa-like and air the ball out a bit more. He averaged 16.4 yards per catch with five touchdowns last year and could easily become Iowa's first 1,000-yard wideout since 2011 if he gets enough opportunities. And he's one of the nation's best kick returners. -- Connelly
21. USC Trojans: QB Kedon Slovis
Graham Harrell's Air Raid offense starts with quarterback Slovis, who will be entering his sophomore season. In 2019, he threw for 3,502 yards, completing 72% of his passes for 30 touchdowns and nine picks. Despite the departure of Michael Pittman Jr., the Trojans still bring back last year's No. 2 receiver in Tyler Vaughns, who had 912 receiving yards last year and should see more production in 2020. -- Lyles Jr.
22. North Carolina Tar Heels: WR Dazz Newsome
The focus on offense is on quarterback Sam Howell, but his dynamic receivers are all back, and that is where the excitement starts. While it is hard to choose just one, let's go with Newsome because he can make ridiculous catches (see this incredible catch on the defender's back he made against Duke last year) and he is the team's most reliable receiver. Not only did he lead the Tar Heels with 72 catches, 50 of them went for first downs. -- Adelson
23. Texas Longhorns: DB D'Shawn Jamison
An all-conference candidate at corner, or as a kick or punt returner, junior Jamison is a threat anytime he's around the ball. Jamison played wide receiver as a freshman, and it showed on his leaping one-handed interception against West Virginia last year, one of two picks he had that game. In 2018, he became only the third true freshman in Texas history to return a punt for a TD (90 yards). -- Wilson
24. Appalachian State Mountaineers: QB Zac Thomas
There's only one quarterback outside the state of Texas who is returning with two seasons of 2,000 passing yards, 20 passing TDs, 400 rushing yards and seven rushing TDs under his belt. That's App State's Thomas. His dynamic ability as both a passer and runner has made the Mountaineers' offense one of the most explosive in the country, and his 23-3 record as a starter underscores how tough he is to stop. -- Hale
25. Baylor Bears: WR Tyquan Thornton
Denzel Mims and Chris Platt are gone, along with their combined 308 catches and 4,912 career yards. As a sophomore, the 6-3 Thornton provided QB Charlie Brewer with a dynamic target, averaging a team-high 17.4 yards per catch on 45 receptions. As a No. 1 threat this year, he'll have a lot of targets in new offensive coordinator Larry Fedora's offense. -- Wilson