In the final days of the 2024 calendar, there’s a lot to look forward to in the sports world in 2025.
Field Level Media surveyed writers and editors in its network to come up with 25 to watch in the New Year.
Bill Belichick, head coach, North Carolina
After 333 career NFL wins and 29 years as a head coach, Belichick had the year off in 2024 and admitted he couldn’t sit still. He’ll be 73 in April before his first season as a head coach at the college level with North Carolina. Universally recognized as one of the all-time great coaches in any sport, “Chapel Bill” adapts his no-nonsense Patriot Way to the college game. Belichick crashes into the Atlantic Coast Conference escorted by intrigue because of his trophy-collecting success with the Patriots followed by a dismal run without Tom Brady.
Cameron and Cayden Boozer, Columbus High School (Miami)
The twin sons of former Duke and NBA standout Carlos Boozer, Cameron and Cayden Boozer are five-star recruits with hooper bloodlines. Cayden is a pass-first point guard and Cameron has top-pick draft stock down the road. The twins are seniors in high school headed to Durham as freshmen next season. For now, they’re stars on the same Columbus (Fla.) prep team.
Caitlin Clark, guard, Indiana Fever
Snubbed for the Olympic team and given stay-in-your-lane treatment but a segment of the WNBA upon arrival to the Fever, it didn’t take Clark long to raise her game and serve the rest of the league an exclamatory reply. Indiana went from WNBA worst to the playoffs in one season, piloted by Clark’s scoring, passing and playmaking all while lifting all boats in the league due to a level of popularity last attained by the American cheeseburger. What’s in store in her second season? Clark has a new coach and the ball squarely in her hands for Indiana, no doubt entering the 2025 schedule with a few remaining doubters in mind.
Bryson DeChambeau, LIV Golf
DeChambeau further stamped his status as one of the best in the game with a second U.S. Open win, picking up the monumental win at Pinehurst but there’s an equal chance you — or your children — are more familiar with DeChambeau as a social media and streaming legend. He played epic rounds with Tom Brady and President-elect Donald Trump, and he had weekenders of all ages tracking his 16-day stretch trying for a hole-in-one — over the top of his Dallas residence. It’s all part of the tidal wave of energy and success pushing DeChambeau to the top of the heap in pro golf.
Novak Djokovic, ATP Tour
Arguably the GOAT in men’s tennis, Djokovic will aim to prove he isn’t washed up. The 37-year-old Serbian finished 2024 ranked seventh in the world, his lowest year-end placement since 2006, and he won just one tournament in 2024 — his lowest total since before he won his first two titles in 2005. Djokovic reached the final at Wimbledon for his best major result of the year, but a third-round crash out of the U.S. Open prompted questions about whether Father Time is finally returning serve. He recently announced that he will team with recently retired rival Andy Murray as his coach for the Australian Open, so the Scot will be charged with helping Djokovic add to his record haul of 24 major singles championships.
Cooper Flagg, forward, Duke
From high school hoops phenom to the next great one produced by the Blue Devils, Flagg is on a course for All-American status as a true freshman and has been pegged among favorites for the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg opened eyes at the USA Olympic scrimmages before the 2024 Summer Games and has size, skill and upside some have compared to perennial NBA All-Star Kevin Durant.
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
As a freshman, Hidalgo announced herself as the next great player for Notre Dame women’s basketball by leading the Irish to an ACC Tournament title and claiming a First Team All-America nod. In the first half of this season, she’s making a strong case for the National Player of the Year award by playing masterfully in big games. Heading into play Friday, Hidalgo owns the nation’s second-best scoring average this season at 25.8 points per game while also leading the country in steals and helping the Irish defeat some of the marquee programs in the sport, including UConn, Southern California and Texas. With a sharp shot, smooth handle, wicked speed and first-class defensive instincts, Hidalgo aims to power Notre Dame to its first Final Four in six years.
Carson Hocevar, NASCAR
A runaway Rookie of the Year winner in 2024, Hocevar’s star has been rising for a few years. Now the NASCAR world is bracing for what’s around the next turn. With growing Spire Motorsports behind him and a year of Cup Series experience under his belt, his peers aren’t ruling out his first career win and much — much — more in 2025 among a group of rising talents in the sport that includes Tyler Reddick, Christopher Bell and Chase Elliott.
LeBron James, forward, Los Angeles Lakers
King James turns 40 on Monday. And if you’ve spotted him on the court during a remarkable career that began with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003, he doesn’t look a day over 30. James claimed his fourth career gold meal in the Paris Olympics over the summer, and the four-time NBA MVP remains locked in on claiming a fifth NBA title. Slowed by a foot injury in early December, there’s still time to see James and appreciate his greatness but only he knows when to expect a final bow.
Flau’jae Johnson, guard, LSU
You might not know Johnson, but your kids probably do. She’s a recording artist and popular rapper with NIL deals fronting for Puma, Taco Bell, JBL and more. Johnson is averaging 20 points per game as a junior in a breakout season everyone in Baton Rouge saw coming. Johnson is a tenacious defender and vastly improved 3-point shooter who helps the Tigers make certain they’ll be part of the race to the finish in the Southeastern Conference.
Nelly Korda, LPGA
If you watched any LPGA event in 2024, there’s a pretty solid chance you watched Korda contend and a good bet she ended the final round with a trophy. Korda won seven times and the 26-year-old bagged a second major title and 11 finishes in the top 10. She separated from the rest of the world much the same way Scottie Scheffler did on the PGA Tour, and begins the 2025 season as the Player of the Year and World No. 1 by a wide margin.
Katie Ledecky, swimming
Speaking of primes and, well, GOATs – the label no longer seems sufficient for Ledecky. At the Paris Olympics, she became the most decorated American female Olympian ever with nine career gold medals, tying her with Russian gymnast Larisa Latynina (1956-64) for most all-time among women. In Paris, she won her signature 800-meter freestyle event for the fourth straight Olympics and she also won gold in the 1500 freestyle for the second time. Ledecky also won a silver and a bronze to raise her total medal count to 14, another American female record. Part of Ledecky’s appeal is modesty that isn’t always found in someone with her wheelbarrow full of accomplishments. In a recent TV interview, the possibility of Ledecky participating in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles was brought up and the ego-free Ledecky said, “I hope so. I have to qualify first.”
Patrick Mahomes, quarterback, Kansas City Chiefs
Not for the first time, but Mahomes is doing Tom Brady things and climbing into the GOAT conversation rung-by-rung at the ripe young age of 29. Racking up wins if not immortal statistics in 2024, Mahomes has the Chiefs in position to three-peat as Super Bowl champions and place a “4x” on his bio line as Lombardi Trophy and Super Bowl MVP winner in February. Brady’s fourth of seven rings came at age 36 in the “Malcolm Butler game,” beating the Seattle Seahawks to wrap the 2014 season. The Chiefs locked up the No. 1 seed and first-round bye in the AFC, meaning he’s three wins from another Super Bowl opportunity.
Connor McDavid, forward, Edmonton Oilers
A runner-up Stanley Cup finish did nothing to diminish McDavid’s standing among the best in the league, or shift his path from joining the all-time greats of the game. Because of his playmaking ability and skill, there are few present-day peers in McDavid’s class. He had 132 total points — 100 assists — in 2023-24 and is back among league leaders again this season.
Lionel Messi, forward, Inter Miami
He’s getting up in age but Messi, 37, still can mesmerize opponents and thrill fans across the world, all while trying to bring Inter Miami an elusive MLS Cup. The Herons set the league mark for points but were stunningly ousted by Atlanta United in the playoffs to put a damper on a season that saw him named the MLS MVP after posting 36 goal contributions (20 goals, 16 assists) in only 19 league matches because of injuries and Copa America duty for Argentina.
Shohei Ohtani, OF-DH-SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
What does the first 50-50 player in MLB history do for an encore? He’s ready to get back to being a dominant two-way player as a right-handed starter at the front of the rotation after resting his surgically repaired, possibly bionic, throwing arm to recover from UCL surgery. Ohtani is 38-19 in 86 career starts with the Angels from 2018-2023. In 2022, he was 15-9 with 219 strikeouts and a 2.33 ERA in 28 starts.
Riqui Puig, midfielder, Los Angeles Galaxy
Of course, Messi dominates any conversation but Puig, the 25-year-old from Spain, could be the new face of the league after his Hollywood-like performance in the Western Conference final vs. the Seattle Sounders when he sustained a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the second half. He continued playing and assisted the winning goal in the 85th minute of the 1-0 victory. Although he was unable to play when the Galaxy captured the MLS Cup the following week, it didn’t diminish his 2024 season in which he had 37 goal contributions (17 goals, 20 assists) in 36 matches across all competitions, including four goals and four assists in four MLS postseason matches.
Alex Pereira, UFC light heavyweight champion
Boogeyman at middleweight, consistent presence in UFC main events in the light heavyweight division. Pereira had a perfect year, finishing Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka and Khalil Rountree Jr., all considered top-shelf challengers. Entering 2025, Pereira can move up to heavyweight to challenge the winner of Jon Jones’ next fight, likely against Tom Aspinall, or remain at 205 pounds to test Magomed Ankalaev.
Deion Sanders, head coach, Colorado
Coach Prime might not be planning to bow out of Boulder yet — he insists he’s committed to being at Colorado after a two-year stint — but the NFL is looming with up to 10 coaching vacancies expected in the early days of the 2025 calendar. Sanders would energize a fan base and has a track record of winning while developing talent with name-value assistants. If his gold jacket and Hall of Fame credentials don’t take him back to the pro game, it’s also worth considering the coffers at top-brand college football programs are sure to be ready to knock, too.
Scottie Scheffler, PGA Tour
Rare company lines Scheffler’s resume, and he rips into 2025 as the three-time defending PGA Tour Player of the Year. Only Tiger Woods had won three in a row before Scheffler chewed up the competition in 2024 with a top-10 finish 16 times in 19 starts, another Masters win — his second — plus an Olympic gold medal and seven Tour wins. It was the best single-season based on results since Tiger’s eight-win 2006 season.
Paul Skenes, pitcher, Pittsburgh Pirates
A sophomore sensation would be one thing. Captaining the Pirates all the way to the playoffs would be another. It isn’t often baseball’s most hyped prospect lives up to the bloated billing. But it took Skenes just two starts to demonstrate he might already be the best pitcher in the game. When’s the last time a rookie went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA? It was so long ago, Dave Brown was pitching for a team called the Chicago American Giants of the Negro National League in 1920. Fernando Mania has nothing on this guy, and if he doubles down with a postseason pass, he’ll own more than the keys to the city of Pittsburgh.
Oleksandr Usyk, WBO, WBA, WBC heavyweight champion
Following back-to-back wins against Tyson Fury, Usyk has leverage few heavyweight champions have had in several decades. Defeating the opponent who many boxing pundits felt was the division’s best, Usyk is set on beating IBF champion Daniel Dubois if Dubois gets through Joseph Parker in his next fight.
JuJu Watkins, guard, Southern California
Watkins is the engine behind the Trojans and gives USC a chance to reach the Final Four after a regional final loss to UConn stopped their run last March. The sophomore All-American point guard already avenged that loss and is doing better-than-Caitlin Clark things through her first 45 college games with averages of 26.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists.
Victor Wembanyama, forward, San Antonio Spurs
The top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft made himself comfortable in San Antonio and his ascent to the league mantle might not take as long as expected. The Spurs’ All-Star hit Christmas Day with the Spurs (15-15) in contention for a playoff spot. He was averaging 25.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 3.9 assists per game. He’s the early frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, swiping 10 blocks in a blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers before a 42-point, 18-rebound showing on Christmas Day in a 117-114 loss to the New York Knicks. With talent developing around him, including 2024 first-rounder Stephon Castle, the Spurs are not a team anyone wants to see coming in the playoffs.
–Field Level Media
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