Hidden Gems: Identifying the True MVP's at the Halfway Point of the 2025 CFB Season
The 2025 college football season has already been one of, if not the most tumultuous in recent memory. From the surprising FSU upset over Alabama, to Kaden Proctor becoming a full fledged receiving threat, to Curt Cignetti's signature win of Oregon, this season has had it all. Hidden in the chaos, however, several silent stars have begun to set themselves apart from the pack.
In this article, we will be focusing on some of the lesser known players that have emerged throughout the country. Names which, come three months from now, may be ones to watch out for on draft boards, in the transfer portal, or moving into next season in general. As always, we will take statistical approach to this research, so be prepared for some numbers games!
QB Maverick McIvor - Western Kentucky
Maverick McIvor, a graduate transfer from San Angelo, Texas, is the engine of Western Kentucky's aerial attack. After a decorated career at the FCS level with Abilene Christian, he has seamlessly transitioned to FBS, leading Conference USA with 1,704 passing yards and 12 touchdowns. His output in WKU's pass-heavy scheme makes him one of the most productive and impactful quarterbacks outside of the Power Four.
Through the first half of the season, his output places him not just at the top of his conference but also among the national leaders in passing volume. His performance is a testament to both his individual talent, and also Western Kentucky's ability to integrate older transfer quarterbacks into their pass-heavy offense. Before transferring to WKU, McIvor was one of the most dominant players at the FCS level during his tenure at Abilene Christian. Over three seasons with the Wildcats, he threw for an astounding 8,012 yards and 63 touchdowns. His 2024 campaign was particularly noteworthy, as he threw for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning him a finalist spot for the Walter Payton Award, essentially the FCS's take on the Heisman Trophy.
Western Kentucky has long been renowned for its "Air Raid" offensive scheme, a system designed to maximize passing production and put immense pressure on opposing secondaries. This reputation made WKU an ideal destination for a quarterback of McIvor's caliber looking to make the jump to the FBS level. It has also been successful previously, as WKU has taken a number of older transfer QBs and turned them into prolific passers, most recently Bailey Zappe.
Despite putting up numbers that rival many Power Four quarterbacks, Maverick McIvor remains a relatively unknown name on the national stage. Consequently, he is completely absent from all major Heisman Trophy watchlists and has received little to no consideration for national All-American teams (from what we can tell). This combination of hidden talent and elite production makes him our mid-season hidden MVP at the QB position.
RB Cameron Dickey - Texas Tech
Cameron Dickey, a sophomore running back from Austin, Texas, has emerged as a dynamic and powerful force in the Texas Tech backfield. Stepping into a larger role in 2025, he has showcased game-breaking ability, highlighted by a dominant Week 7 performance where he rushed for 263 yards.
Cameron Dickey's breakout moment came during Texas Tech's Week 7 victory over Kansas. In that game, he put the country on notice with a 263-yard rushing performance across 21 carries for 2 touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, Dickey earned an exceptional 84.4 rushing grade for the contest, forced five missed tackles, and ripped off six runs of 10 or more yards. This single-game performance was enough to earn him PFF's National Offensive Player of the Week award.
For the season, Dickey has amassed 330 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns on 71 carries, providing a consistent scoring threat for the Red Raiders. Dickey's success is a product of both his individual development and the strong culture within the Texas Tech running back room. As a freshman, he gained valuable experience logging 114 snaps and grading out at 75.8 (per PFF), the fourth-best on the team.
He has embraced a two-back system with fellow running back J'Koby Williams, creating a versatile backfield tandem. Hailing from Crockett High School in Austin, Texas, the 5-foot-10, 215-pound back possesses the ideal build to handle the physical demands of the competition in the P-4, and his performance has been a key factor in Texas Tech's offensive success.
As a sophomore just entering the spotlight, Cameron Dickey's national name recognition has yet to catch up to his on-field impact. While his Week 7 explosion garnered attention from analytics-focused outlets like PFF, his lack of national attention allows him to operate as one of the most dangerous and overlooked players in a P-4 conference.
WR Danny Scudero - San Jose State
A San Jose, California native, sophomore Danny Scudero has returned to his hometown and taken the FBS by storm. After transferring from Sacramento State, he has become the undisputed top target for San Jose State, leading all of college football with 851 receiving yards. His blend of precise route-running and big-play ability has made him the most productive wide receiver in the nation, while receiving little attention from national media outlets.
Through the first half of the campaign, he sits atop the national leaderboard with 851 receiving yards, making him the most prolific pass-catcher in the entire FBS. His dominance was evident from the very first game, when he went for 9 receptions, 189 yards, and a touchdown in his San Jose State debut.
He has consistently demonstrated his ability to be a high-volume, reliable target, tallying seven catches for 60 yards against a tough Texas defense in Week 2 and later exploding for seven receptions for 151 yards and a score against New Mexico in Week 6. He averages nearly 16 yards per reception.
A three-star recruit out of Archbishop Mitty High School, just miles from the SJSU campus, he began his career at Sacramento State. There, he showcased his immense potential, earning FCS Freshman All-American honors in 2024 after hauling in 52 passes for 664 yards and 5 touchdowns. Recognizing his ability to play at a higher level, he entered the transfer portal and chose to return home to San Jose.
He arrived at a program in need of new playmakers after the departure of its top receivers. Scudero immediately filled that void, impressing coaches with his work ethic and detailed approach to the game. His connection with quarterback Walker Eget was clearly seemless, helping him to expand his offensive output.
Despite leading the nation in receiving yards, Danny Scudero's profile remains silent on the national circuit. He is not mentioned in discussions for the Biletnikoff Award or on All-American teams, making him arguably the most productive and overlooked player in all of college football.
RB Cam Cook - Jacksonville State
Cam Cook, a junior running back from Round Rock, Texas, has found a perfect home at Jacksonville State. After transferring from TCU, he has been unleashed as a true workhorse back, leading Conference USA with 832 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. His powerful running style and high-volume production have made him the centerpiece of the Gamecocks' offense and one of the most dominant, yet unheralded, backs in the Group of Five.
Cook has been able to take the reins of the running game and established himself as the premier rusher in Conference USA, leading the league in total yardage and rushing touchdowns. Through his first five games as a Gamecock, he amassed 614 rushing yards on 111 carries, averaging a robust 5.5 yards per attempt, while adding 11 receptions for 125 yards as a threat out of the backfield.
This level of output is a significant step up from his time at TCU, where he showed flashes of his potential but operated in a more crowded backfield. In 2024 with TCU, he tallied 460 yards and nine touchdowns. His performance at Jacksonville State is the realization of that potential on a much larger scale.
A highly-touted four-star recruit out of Stony Point High School, he was ranked as the No. 23 running back in the nation in his class. He chose TCU, where he contributed over two seasons but was never the primary back.
Upon his arrival to Jacksonville State, he was named to the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list. He has more than lived up to that preseason acknowledgment, bringing a rare combination of speed and power that has elevated Jacksonville State's offense. His success confirms that for many highly-recruited players in crowded Power Four depth charts, a move to a Group of Five program can be the catalyst for a breakout career.
EDGE David Bailey - Texas Tech
David Bailey's 2025 season is a case study in system dominance. His impact is most profoundly measured by his relentless ability to disrupt the opposing quarterback. Through the first seven weeks of the season, he leads all FBS players with an astounding 44 quarterback pressures.
In Week 7, he was named the PFF National Defensive Player of the Week after generating 11 pressures and three sacks, earning a phenomenal 94.4 pass-rushing grade and a 40.6% pass-rush win rate. The week before, he logged another 11 pressures and a 92.7 PFF grade. This consistent, week-in, week-out dominance separates him from nearly every other pass rusher in the country.
Bailey's breakout at Texas Tech is the culmination of a long-recognized potential. A highly-touted recruit out of the powerhouse Mater Dei High School, his 247Sports scouting report lauded him as a "natural pass rusher who's explosive off the edge with unlimited upside." He began his career at Stanford, where he was a productive starter, but his move to Texas Tech via the transfer portal has unlocked a new level of performance.
His transfer was seen as a major acquisition. He has more than validated that expectation, becoming the linchpin of a revamped Texas Tech defensive line. The scheme in Lubbock appears to be a perfect fit for his aggressive, athletic style, allowing him to fully leverage his physical gifts.
Despite playing in the Big 12 for a ranked Texas Tech team and putting up elite numbers, David Bailey's name remains conspicuously absent from the mainstream national conversation, who tend to focus on the Texas Tech defense as a whole. He is the epitome of a player whose true value is most clearly seen through the lens of advanced data, making him one of the most impactful and under-appreciated defenders in the nation.
EDGE Udoka Ezeani - UTEP
Udoka Ezeani, a senior edge rusher from Richmond, Texas, has been dominant for the UTEP defense. A transfer from Missouri State, Ezeani has made an immediate impact in his first season at the FBS level, leading Conference USA with 4.0 sacks. His disruptive presence off the edge, which has also included two forced fumbles, has made him the premier pass rusher in the conference and a standout performer in the Group of Five.
Udoka Ezeani's primary function in UTEP's defensive schme is to disrupt the opposing backfield, and he has excelled at that task in 2025. He leads all players in Conference USA with 4.0 sacks, showcasing his ability to beat offensive tackles and finish plays. His sack total is complemented by 6.0 tackles for loss, indicating a broader ability to make impactful plays against both the run and the pass. He has also amassed 16 total tackles, a solid number across national EDGE tackle totals.
A graduate of Foster High School in Richmond, Texas, Ezeani was a first-team All-District player who led his team in both tackles and sacks as a senior. Now, as a senior with a wealth of experience, he is putting all of his skills together to produce the best season of his career. Playing for UTEP in Conference USA all but guarantees a player will have a low national profile, regardless of their statistical output. As a transfer from the FCS level, Ezeani arrived in El Paso with little to no national expectations. However, he has been able to prove that he belongs at the FBS level, and continues to terrorize C-USA backfields.
DB Elijah Green - Tulsa
Elijah Green, a sophomore cornerback from Midwest City, Oklahoma, has quickly developed into one of the premier defensive backs in the Group of Five. In his second season, the Tulsa defender is tied for the national lead in interceptions with five. His combination of size, athletic ability, and instincts has made him a turnover machine and a true lockdown corner in the American Athletic Conference.
This is not a sudden occurrence. As a true freshman in 2024, Green appeared in six games and still managed to lead his team with two interceptions, signaling his natural ability to create takeawyas. In his first full season as a starter, he has built upon that foundation and emerged as a consistent threat to opposing passing games. In addition to his interceptions, he has recorded 18 total tackles and two pass breakups, showcasing a solid all-around game.
Green's athletic profile provides a clear explanation for his on-field success. A three-star recruit out of Classen SAS High School, he was also a standout track athlete. As a junior, he was the Oklahoma 4A state champion in the 400-meter, no small feat. This athletic background gives him the physical tools to run with any receiver and the closing speed to make plays on the ball.
Standing at 6-foot-2, he possesses the length and frame that NFL scouts covet. His rapid development from a promising freshman into a nationally-leading defensive back in his sophomore year points to a high ceiling and a bright future.
Elijah Green's lack of national recognition can be attributed to two primary factors: his team and his age. Playing for Tulsa in the AAC limits the amount of national media exposure he receives. Furthermore, as a true sophomore, he is still in the early stages of building his national reputation.
DB Boogie Trotter - Marshall
Boogie Trotter, a junior defensive back from Nashville, Tennessee, has established himself as one of the most impactful coverage players in the Group of Five. Playing for Marshall, Trotter has showcased a phenomenal nose for the football, tying for third in the nation with four interceptions (one of which was returned for a 22-yard touchdown).
Boogie Trotter's season is defined by his exceptional ability to prevent completions and create turnovers. In Week 7, his performance against Old Dominion was deemed the best of any coverage defender in the nation by Pro Football Focus. In that game, he allowed just three receptions for 16 yards across 34 coverage snaps, while also recording an interception, a pass breakup, and a forced fumble. This all-around disruptive effort earned him an elite 91.8 PFF coverage grade and the title of Coverage Defender of the Week.
Trotter's path to Marshall adds another layer to his impressive story. After playing at Pearl-Cohn High School in Nashville, he attended Tennessee Valley Prep before beginning his collegiate career at Tennessee State. Now at Marshall, the 5-foot-9 junior has found the perfect environment to thrive.
