With a well-planned recruiting plan, a focus on speed and talent, and a strategy to develop young players, even a small college team that initially looked like a nobody can gradually rise to prominence and eventually transform into a well-known powerhouse.

This guide will show you which of the best teams can stand out in NCAA 25 competition through savvy recruiting and development strategies.

10. East Carolina Pirates

With an overall rating of 78, East Carolina’s offense is rated 77 and its defense is rated 80, ranking 49th in the game. In AAC, it is on par with Memphis, while East Carolina is not a top team, its location in North Carolina provides many advantages in recruiting outstanding talent from North Carolina and South Carolina, giving them the opportunity to build a strong team and stand out in College Football 25 competition and accumulate valuable College Football 25 coins.

The team currently has 22 experienced veterans, a great young quarterback in Houser who can start training immediately, and sophomore running back and receiver, laying a solid foundation for the next few seasons.

9. Kennesaw State Owls

The team has an overall rating of 71 points, with 73 and 71 points for offense and defense, respectively. Although it may not be too noticeable at first, the team does have some top talents that will be with the team for many years. Running back DJ Scott and defensive lineman Westmoreland with 83 speed can change the situation of the game.

In addition, the team has an excellent young offensive line and a redshirt freshman cornerback Washington Jr., who will be expected to be one of the best players on the team. Given Kennesaw State’s low pipeline rating, it is crucial for them to recruit new players to attract Georgia.

8. Coastal Carolina–Chanticleers

This team has won the conference championship and is expected to win it again. Although the team ranks 85th in the talent development rating, the location of South Carolina gives the team a strong talent pool rating in North Carolina and Central Florida. The team has 21 seniors and 21 juniors on the roster, and 28 freshmen are about to join. If the recruitment strategy is right, this team will soon usher in a bright future.

The team already has a strong sophomore quarterback in Vasko and a sophomore running back, both of whom have an overall rating of 78. If you plan to use this team to compete, you need to increase your recruitment speed.

7. Buffalo Bulls

Currently, Bulls have an overall rating of 73 points, including 73 points on offense and 74 points on defense. Considering that the team ranks 108th in talent development rating and 29 of them are about to graduate, you need to focus on actively recruiting talents in New York area to build and maintain a competitive team.

There are 6 seniors from cornerback who are about to leave the team, and the best performing cornerback on the team is a sophomore, which shows that the team does have some reserve strength at the cornerback position.

6. FAU Owls

The team has a potential quarterback in Nathan Peters and an excellent Gemari Sands to develop. FAU also benefits greatly from its location. They recruit a lot of excellent players from Central Florida and South Florida areas, and basically recruit the remaining players from Florida, Florida State and Miami. With 26 seniors on the roster, five of whom are wide receivers, the rebuilding effort will be particularly important, especially for wide receivers.

5. Rice Owls

With a significant advantage in recruiting remaining talent and those who recommend Rice as a top pick for a variety of reasons, Rice Owls can attract players from some of the top talent pools in North and East Texas, ranking 38th in talent development rating. With 24 seniors and 21 juniors set to leave next year, the team needs to fill those vacancies. Currently, Rice has outstanding young players such as Chase Jenkins and freshman Drayden Dickman who are expected to become top players in a year.

4. South Alabama Jaguars

South Alabama Jaguars can gain some advantages in South Alabama with its location. To avoid being surpassed by other strong teams, you must focus on the remaining talent. South Alabama Jaguars have an overall rating of 78, an offensive rating of 77, and a defensive rating of 79.

On offense, the standout player is sophomore McReynolds. In addition, there is a redshirt freshman quarterback, Gio Lopez. If Lopez doesn’t fit your tactical system, there is also a sophomore quarterback with normal development traits to develop.

At wide receiver, Anthony Eager is a redshirt freshman with 95 speed. On defense, RJ Moss Jr. can stabilize the middle defense with his excellent run blocking ability.

Their talent pool ranks 111th, which can be inferred that they have not benefited from Alabama’s recruiting ability, so it is crucial for you to attract local players as early as possible.

3. Toledo Rockets

Toledo’s talent pool is relatively low, attracting players who can’t make it to Ohio and giving them starting opportunities can help improve the overall strength of the team. Rockets have an overall rating of 79 in College Football 25, ranking 25th. Key players such as defensive end Travis Ford and sophomore Kvon Sherman on the team have laid a solid foundation for the team. Unfortunately, many of the team’s best players are about to graduate.

2. Colorado State Rams

You can use Colorado State’s rich talent pool to build your team. With 32 freshmen and 27 seniors joining the team, Rams are currently in a smooth transition period, which provides opportunities for young players to play.

One challenge facing the team is that the five top receivers are all seniors. Therefore, you need to improve the speed of recruiting new players. In addition, the team’s pipeline rating ranks 77th, which is your first choice for playing against teams in Southern California and North Texas.

1. USF Bulls

Bulls also enjoy the advantage of being located in Florida. By making full use of the speed talents in Central and South Florida, Bulls are expected to become a strong competitor.

Bulls have an overall rating of 81, with offense and defense rated 81 and 82, respectively. Quarterback Byrum Brown stands out at 87 speed, but you also need to find a new quarterback as a backup as soon as possible. The current top three running backs will leave after two seasons, and most of the top receivers and tight ends are also veterans. Therefore, recruiting freshmen is imminent.

Freshmen such as Jeyquan Smith and Jonathan Echols, as well as impact players such as Michael Williams II and Rodney Hill, will be the key to making this team great in the next few years along with your recruiting class.

With the addition of freshmen and the growth of young players, the next few years will be full of hope and opportunities for these teams.