Batman and Robin. Starsky and Hutch. Augusta and golf. Peanut butter and jelly.
Some things just go together, and terrific tandems are also prevalent in college football.
From dynamic defensive duos to super skill-position stars, playmakers abound in the 2024 college football season. The transfer portal has created another pathway for greatness to come together.
Several dominant defensive backs will have the opportunity to shine together this upcoming season, and it’s always fun when quarterbacks click with their pass-catchers. There are even a few pairs of standouts who play the same position.
Identifying college football’s top tandems is always a fun exercise, and we are going to be blessed with a bunch of them in 2024.
Even with star quarterback Caleb Williams no longer in the fold, USC head coach Lincoln Riley is likely to produce a top-tier offense in 2024. While the Trojans had to restock their cupboard following the departure of Williams and a slew of receiver talent, there’s still plenty of skill-position talent in L.A.
Miller Moss is the heir to Williams’ throne under center. With Malachi Nelson off to Boise State, Moss is the favorite to win the job even with UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava coming in.
His top weapon may just be do-it-all jitterbug Zachariah Branch.
Though Branch was more known for his special teams explosions as a true freshman last year, he was too talented to keep off the field on offense. He finished with 31 catches for 320 yards and a pair of touchdowns along with 70 rushing yards and another score.
The former No. 1-ranked receiver in the 2023 recruiting class will have a much larger role this year, and big numbers figure to follow. Moss would be wise to get him the ball as often as possible.
Once they get on the same page, huge hookups will commence.
The words “dynamic” and “Iowa” may seem to be oxymorons in the realm of college football, but that only applies to the offense. The Hawkeyes defense has been stellar for years under coordinator Phil Parker, and they return the nation’s best linebacker tandem in Jay Higgins and Nick Jackson in 2024.
Both have the ability to take over a game from the second level. Higgins and Jackson starred last season for a unit that carried a 10-4 team that made it to the Big Ten championship game.
They will continue to do so this season under linebackers coach Seth Wallace.
No other team is returning a duo that accounted for a whopping 281 tackles last season. Higgins alone led the nation with 171, while Jackson was 32nd with 110. They also added eight pass breakups, six sacks, three forced fumbles, a pair of fumble recoveries and an interception.
It was a shocker when Higgins returned for another year, and Jackson got a sixth season of eligibility from the NCAA after moving to Iowa City from Virginia. Now, they will lead the best linebacking corps in the nation for another year.
Georgia is the early favorite to win the 2024 national championship after winning titles in ’21 and ’22, per DraftKings Sportsbook, mostly because of returning signal-caller Carson Beck.
Beck will have a bunch of options at receiver. Dominic Lovett transferred from Missouri last year, while the Bulldogs added Colbie Young (Miami), London Humphreys (Vanderbilt) and others via the portal this offseason.
But the biggest weapon whom UGA brought in was from hated rival Florida. That was running back Trevor Etienne, who hasn’t been shy about taking shots at the Gators since leaving.
Etienne is a stellar back who never played often enough to realize his massive potential in Gainesville. He ran for more than 700 yards in each of his first two seasons while averaging nearly six yards per carry.
Even in a talented backfield in Athens, Etienne will get touches and will take pressure off Beck in the passing game. Those two will put up massive stats for a contender.
While Caleb Downs was probably the most talented defensive freshman in last year’s recruiting class, Anthony Hill Jr. came in at a close second. The Texas linebacker may have a higher ceiling and is in position to impact the game more than Downs this year.
Hill can come at you from all over the field, rushing off the edge or being a force in the running game. Despite being a sporadic starter, he finished second on the Longhorns last season with 67 tackles and was tied for second with five sacks.
Now, the ‘Horns are adding UTSA edge-rusher extraordinaire Trey Moore to make Pete Kwiatkowski’s unit even more formidable. Moore amassed 45 tackles and 14 sacks for the Roadrunners last season.
Now, Moore and Hill get to terrorize SEC quarterbacks in 2024, along with reigning Texas sacks leader Ethan Burke and incoming freshman Colin Simmons. With T’Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy off to the NFL, Texas needed to add players who can pressure quarterbacks, and head coach Steve Sarkisian did so.
Moore will likely wind up being a first- or second-round pick in the 2025 NFL draft, and Hill is a phenom. They may wind up being the nastiest defensive duo in the nation this season.
When Caleb Downs committed to Ohio State after leaving Alabama, it was a bit of an upset considering many pundits had him pegged for Georgia. Instead, he’s going to play at least the next two seasons for the Buckeyes, and he may not even be the most talented defender in their backfield.
Cornerback Denzel Burke might have been one of the top players at his position in the 2024 NFL draft had he declared. Instead, the 6’1″, 190-pound shutdown back returned to Columbus.
With Burke taking away a whole side of the field and Downs roaming the defensive backfield, the Buckeyes could take a gargantuan leap next year. They don’t have to go far to win the title, as they were firmly atop that second level of contenders over the past few years.
Head coach Ryan Day now may have the right concoction to make it all tick in 2024. The strength of the defense is now the secondary with the addition of Downs, who finished last year at Alabama with 107 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Burke didn’t put up big numbers last season, but he has a ton of ability to tap into. He and Downs could wind up being a tremendous pairing in Ohio State’s secondary.
You won’t find many players in the nation who impact the game in multiple ways more than Colorado defensive back/wide receiver Travis Hunter.
While Hunter’s NFL future is almost certain to be on defense, he can catch the ball, too. Despite playing almost full-time on defense, Hunter had 57 catches for 721 yards and five touchdowns as well last season.
With quarterback Shedeur Sanders throwing him the ball again, Hunter should have an even bigger offensive season in 2024 if he stays healthy, especially considering how much talent head coach Deion Sanders added to the Buffaloes roster this offseason.
Sanders might wind up being the top-ranked signal-caller in the 2025 NFL draft class, and he’s going to have more playmakers at his disposal this year. Hunter is the most notable one, though.
Playing Hunter a lot of snaps this season may not be the greatest thing for his NFL future, but Colorado needs him as one of its centerpieces to build around. Sanders may be polarizing because of his swagger, but you can’t question either one of these kids’ ability and toughness.
They are the face of this Buffaloes program, and with the spotlight again focused firmly on Boulder, they are going to want to shine in their final season.
You may think this pair of teammates is far too high up this lis. You also may think there are better defensive duos elsewhere.
But the defending champion Michigan Wolverines are returning arguably the Big Ten’s top safety in Rod Moore and the nation’s most talented cornerback in Will Johnson. Those two were huge parts of last year’s title run, and Johnson is one of the top players in the country regardless of position.
While all of the talk this offseason has been about Caleb Downs transferring to Ohio State, Moore is older and more established. He may not be as highly regarded in the eyes of NFL scouts, but Moore is a star who makes play after play and at timely moments, too.
Injuries limited Moore to only 38 tackles and a pair of interceptions across 12 games last season, but he had 71 tackles and four picks as a sophomore. Meanwhile, the 6’2″, 202-pound Johnson had a stellar sophomore season with 27 tackles and four interceptions.
Statistics don’t tell the full story with these two. They impact the game because quarterbacks don’t often look to throw their way. NFL teams will covet both of these guys in the future for that reason.
Ole Miss has been of the buzziest college football teams of the offseason, in large part because quarterback Jaxson Dart elected to return.
Head coach Lane Kiffin has surrounded his talented veteran quarterback with a bunch of talent from the transfer portal, but the biggest weapon for the Rebels was on the team last year. That would be pass-catcher Tre Harris, who blossomed into an elite target after transferring from Louisiana Tech.
After catching 65 passes for 935 yards and 10 scores at Louisiana Tech in 2022, Harris hauled in 54 catches for 985 yards and eight touchdowns during his first season at Ole Miss. In the Peach Bowl win over Penn State, Harris caught seven passes for 134 yards, perhaps showcasing what’s to come this year.
Harris will likely enter the season as Dart’s top target and should have no trouble reaching the 1,000-yard mark. With fellow receiver Jordan Watkins back and Antwane “Juice” Wells Jr. joining the room, Kiffin and Dart have an embarrassment of riches at that position.
Any of those guys could have been paired with Harris here, but Dart is the one who makes it all tick.
We’ve featured several defensive back duos, but Notre Dame has a pair who could stake their claim as the best in 2024.
Bronco Nagurski Award winner Xavier Watts is back to lead a stellar secondary, which was a surprise considering the interest he received from NFL teams. Watts instead chose to return to South Bend to try to one-up himself after tying for the national lead with seven interceptions last season. Meanwhile, then-freshman Benjamin Morrison finished tied for third nationally with six picks in 2022.
Now, both of them will be back to lead the Fighting Irish in what could be a special season. The defense could be one of the best in the nation with Watts at safety and Morrison at cornerback.
Morrison has been honing his skills at his position since arriving at Notre Dame, but Watts’ accomplishments are even more astounding considering that he started his Irish career as a wide receiver before moving over into a safety/rover hybrid role.
With both of them entrenched as difference-makers, Notre Dame should be dynamic on the back end of its defense.
Texas’ transformation into a College Football Playoff team in 2023 was due to several factors, but the biggest may have been the development of quarterback Quinn Ewers.
The Longhorns’ defensive resurrection was a big reason as well, but Ewers got stronger as a passer as the year progressed and had elite pass-catchers in Xavier Worthy and Adonai Mitchell. With both Worthy and Mitchell now off to the NFL, the Longhorns brought in a bunch of reinforcements this offseason.
The most talented of the bunch is Alabama transfer Isaiah Bond, who bolted the Crimson Tide before Nick Saban left. He wound up in Austin, just like Mitchell did after he transferred from Georgia ahead of last season.
Head coach Steve Sarkisian helped make Mitchell into an NFL first-rounder, and Ewers passing him the ball didn’t hurt, either. Bond probably feels like he’s next on the totem pole.
Playing on a Crimson Tide team that struggled to air it out consistently at times last season, Bond had 48 catches for 668 yards and four scores as a sophomore.
With Ewers back for one final season to showcase his talents before heading to the NFL, Sarkisian figures to look for ways to utilize his immense ability. Bond could stand to benefit.
These two don’t know each other well yet, but that’s what spring practice is for. Once they get acclimated, watch out.
Entering the 2023 season, Brady Cook was being written off as Missouri’s quarterback. Instead, he guided the Tigers to a 11-2 record and a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State.
Cook was the maestro behind that surprising success, as he threw for 3,317 yards, 21 touchdowns and only six interceptions and added 319 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He made big play after big play, breaking free from his game-manager moniker.
Luther Burden III was a big reason why. The 5-star wide receiver emerged as one of college football’s biggest stars as a sophomore.
The 5’11”, 208-pound St. Louis native caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and scored nine times. The last of his touchdowns provided separation for Mizzou in the program-defining win over the Buckeyes that cemented head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s program as having “arrived.”
Now, Cook and Burden are back for another season in Columbia. This could be another huge year for a team that may have taken a back seat to Georgia and Alabama last season but appears here to stay.
Burden is college football’s most dynamic returning pass-catcher, and Cook knows how and where to get him the ball to let him work. This could be a record-breaking season.
Whether Dillon Gabriel or Dante Moore is the one who’s throwing the ball to them in 2024, the Oregon Ducks have college football’s top duo of wide receivers.
Last season, Troy Franklin and Tez Johnson wreaked havoc on opponents in the Pac-12. Each eclipsed more than 1,000 yards and helped lead the Ducks to the cusp of the College Football Playoff.
Franklin is headed to the NFL, but head coach Dan Lanning just went out and replaced him with the top receiver in the transfer portal in former Texas A&M playmaker Evan Stewart.
Despite the Aggies’ struggles throwing the ball last season, the 5-star wideout finished the year with 38 catches for 514 yards and four scores. That pales in comparison to Johnson’s 86 catches for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns.
But Johnson blossomed after transferring from Troy to an Oregon offense that was determined to throw the ball with the best of them, and Stewart should as well. Both guys could wind up being first-round draft picks after a big season in Will Stein’s offense.
Folks are hoping for a national championship in Eugene this year, and with Gabriel (likely) under center and so many weapons around him, who could argue against it? The Ducks are right up there with Georgia and Ohio State.
Oregon is about to emerge from Washington’s shadow and become a force to be reckoned with.
The Ohio State Buckeyes already had a star-in-the-making returning to lead the offensive backfield when TreVeyon Henderson decided to return to Columbus.
Despite an injury-plagued career, Henderson has been special when healthy. In three years, the 5’10”, 210-pound do-it-all runner has 2,745 rushing yards while averaging 6.2 yards per carry and has scored 32 times. He’s added 50 catches for 569 yards and five more scores.
Playing through injuries last season, Henderson had 1,155 all-purpose yards and 11 touchdowns. But with his durability in question, Ohio State needed to bring him in some consistent help and an insurance policy.
The Buckeyes landed arguably the nation’s top runner from the transfer portal in former Ole Miss running back Quinshon Judkins. After a breakout freshman year where he amassed 1,567 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns, Judkins added 1,158 rushing yards and 17 more scores last year despite sharing time with Ulysses Bennett.
Now, the Buckeyes have the top running back tandem in the nation and one of the best of the past several years. Both of these guys can go for 200-plus yards on any given day, and it wouldn’t be a shocker to see both of them top 1,000 yards on the year.
Most importantly, they can spell each other and extend their durability. This is a massive coup for head coach Ryan Day.
This time last year, nobody expected redshirt freshman quarterback Noah Fifita to be part of the equation for Jedd Fisch’s Arizona Wildcats. That was Jayden de Laura’s team, after all.
But after the latter got hurt and Fifita replaced him, he led the upstart Wildcats to one of the biggest surprise seasons in the nation. They finished the year 10-3, including a thumping of Oklahoma in the Alamo Bowl.
In that game, the duo of McMillan and Fifita hooked up 10 times for 160 yards despite all of the weaponry that the Wildcats deployed at receiver.
In 2024, it’ll be McMillan’s show in the explosive offense of new head coach Brent Brennan, who came over from San Jose State to replace Fisch. While there may be some growing pains, Fifita will alleviate that with his incredible skill set.
As the Wildcats move to the Big 12, they should become one of the favorites along with Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Utah. With such an explosive offense, they’ll likely be a tough out for anybody.
Fifita is a dead-eye gunner, having completed 72.4 percent of his passes for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns. A lot of that went to McMillan, his high school teammate and security blanket, who is big and physical enough to get the tough yards and also can stretch the field.
This is the best pass-and-catch tandem in college football with explosive ability.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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