Heaviest, tallest college football players for 2024 season
(BVM) – Meet the biggest college football players: the heaviest and tallest athletes set to tower over their opponents during the 2024-25 season.
There are 134 FBS Division I schools across 10 conferences, and several teams stand out for having some of the biggest players in college football.
Editor’s note: Official heights and weights per college football rosters as of Aug. 21.
Heaviest college football players in 2024
1. Florida DL Desmond Watson (6-foot-5, 449 pounds)
2. North Texas OL Keon Johnson (6-foot-4, 396 pounds)
3. Arkansas DL Ian Geffrard (6-foot-5, 388 pounds)
T-4. Minnesota OL Aluma Nkele (6-foot-6, 380 pounds)
T-4. Mississippi State OL TJ Lockhart (6-foot-5, 380 pounds)
Weighing in at 449 pounds, Florida Gators senior defensive lineman Desmond Watson is the heaviest college football player in 2024 – and is the only athlete on college rosters tipping the scales above 400 pounds.
In 2023, Watson made 11 tackles, one tackle-for-loss and a sack with two quarterback hurries in 12 games with the Gators.
To put Watson’s weight into perspective, only two athletes over 400 pounds have made it to the NFL, per Clutch Points: Nate Newton (401 pounds) played 13 years in the NFL, and Aaron Gibson (410 pounds) played for six seasons.
Watson’s size is comparable to last season’s viral sensation – TCU’s 6-foot-5, 455-pound Brione Ramsey-Brooks, known as “Big Bubba.” He last entered the transfer portal but hasn’t signed with a new team for 2024.
Tallest college football players in 2024
1. UCF OL Paul Rubelt (6-foot-11, 325 pounds)
T-2. Arizona State OL Brandon Lloyd (6-foot-10, 370 pounds)
T-2. Georgia OL Jahzare Jackson (6-foot-10, 348 pounds)
T-2. Ball State OL Chris Hood (6-foot-10, 337 pounds)
T-2. Central Michigan OL Dane Sickler (6-foot-10, 315 pounds)
T-2. Nebraska OL Teddy Prochazka (6-foot-10, 315 pounds)
Standing at 6-foot-11, UCF Knights redshirt junior Paul Rubel is the tallest college football player for the 2024 season. Notably, Jacksonville State OL Tom Hadary once made headlines for his 6-foot-11 statue, but he’s no longer on the roster.
The 6-foot-10 Georgia Bulldogs freshman Jahzare Jackson stands out among the tallest college football players. Jackson initially declared for the 2024 NBA Draft but later opted for a shot at success on the gridiron.
Interestingly, no player at the NFL scouting combine since 2000 has registered taller than 6-foot-9, per the NY Times citing Pro Football Reference.
Jahzare Jackson is a 6'11" offensive tackle who just committed to Georgia football 😳
(🎥 @jahzarre, @overtime) pic.twitter.com/vTVhM19rBn
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 11, 2024
Overall, the 2024 season isn’t breaking any “big” records – as the overall “biggest football player ever” is believed to be former Portland State OL John Krahn, who measured at 7-feet, 440 pounds.
