Fall camp is underway at campuses all over the country, meaning the return of college football is right around the corner. As we see every year when the game’s biggest names leave for the NFL, a new crop of superstars will take over headlines this fall, many of them still under the age of 20.
247Sports Chance Linton put together a list of some of the need-to-know names in college football for the 2024 season. All of them have yet to turn 20, hence the name “20 Under 20.”
Among this elite group of young athletes is a pair of players from the Big 12, and each of them will play key roles in whether or not their squads will compete for a conference title this season.
The first player on the list is Arizona cornerback Tacario Davis, a 19-year-old junior who solidified himself as one of the best defensive backs in the country as a sophomore.
Despite his youth, Davis spent the 2023 season as a full-time starter and looks to be a player with an incredibly bright future at the next level.
“One of just three players on this list entering his third college season, Tacario Davis is going to be a popular name come NFL Draft time, thanks to his rare blend of size and athleticism,” Linton writes. “After emerging as one of the nation’s best cornerbacks last season as a first-year starter, the 6-foot-4, 195-pounder entered his name into the transfer portal in the wake of head coach Jedd Fisch’s departure for Washington, but he ultimately decided to stay at Arizona.”
As one of the key returning starters for the Wildcats in 2024, Davis will have the task of leading a revamped defense into a league that is well-known for it’s ability to stretch defenses both horizontally and vertically down the field.
The second name on this list belongs to the youngest starting quarterback in the Big 12, Kansas State signal-caller Avery Johnson. The hype around the four-star sophomore couldn’t get much bigger after he dazzled in limited appearances last fall.
“The Avery Johnson era at Kansas State has arrived,” Linton writes. “The Maize (Kan.) product enters his second season as, for the first time, the Wildcats’ undisputed starter.”
“He takes the reins from Will Howard after showing out in limited action as a true freshman — he rushed for five touchdowns in a come-from-behind win over Texas Tech and turned in an MVP performance at the Pop-Tarts Bowl, which was his first career start. Johnson is a potential dark horse in the Heisman Trophy race.”
Davis and Johnson will face off against one another when Arizona travels to Manhattan to take on K-State on Friday, September 13, in a non-conference matchup between the Wildcats.
