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.

The Hawkeyes moved into the top 25 of ESPN's SP+ rankings, which measure a variety of offensive and defensive metrics.

ESPN has revealed their updated Big 12 football rankings ahead of the 2025 season. With single-digit days remaining until Week 0 gets underway, the conference has a unique light shining upon it at the moment.