Every season has them. Athletes who spent last year quietly building their résumés, stacking up numbers, and making people in press boxes and front offices sit up a little straighter. Then one day — one game, one play, one moment — the rest of the world catches up to what the insiders already knew.
We've done the homework so you don't have to. These are five athletes across different sports who are absolutely primed to become household names before this season is done. Bookmark this page. You'll want the receipts.
1. Chet Holmgren — The NBA's Most Unique Force Is Just Getting Started
If you watched Chet Holmgren during his rookie year with the Oklahoma City Thunder, you already know. If you didn't, here's the short version: this guy is unlike anything the NBA has produced in years. At seven feet tall, he moves like a wing player, shoots like a guard, and defends the rim with a ferocity that makes opponents think twice before driving the lane.
Holmgren's path to the pros wasn't without turbulence. A serious foot injury wiped out his entire first season before he played a single regular-season minute. When he finally stepped on the court, there were real questions about whether he could handle the physical demands of the NBA grind. He answered them quickly and loudly.
What makes him a genuine breakout candidate right now is simple: OKC is ascending, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one of the best players in the league, and Holmgren is the perfect co-star. When a young team starts winning big games, its best players become stars. Chet's time is coming fast.
Why he's must-watch: His blocked shots alone are worth the price of admission. But it's the three-pointers from a seven-footer that will make your jaw drop.
2. Bijan Robinson — The NFL's Most Exciting Young Backfield Weapon
Running backs don't usually get this kind of buzz, but Bijan Robinson isn't a usual running back. The Atlanta Falcons selected him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, which itself tells you everything about how the league values him. First-round running backs are rare. First-round running backs with his skill set are rarer still.
Robinson is the kind of player who makes defenders look confused. He can run through a gap you'd barely fit a shopping cart through, catch passes out of the backfield like a receiver, and turn a two-yard gain into a twenty-yard house call in the blink of an eye. His college tape at Texas is absolutely filthy — highlight after highlight of plays that shouldn't be possible.
With Atlanta's offense continuing to develop around young quarterback Desmond Ridder, Robinson is going to have more and more opportunities to put up the kind of numbers that get casual fans Googling his jersey. When he gets loose in the open field, it's a different kind of electric.
Why he's must-watch: The open-field cuts. Seriously. Watch the open-field cuts.
3. Coco Gauff — Tennis's Next Superstar Has Already Arrived
Okay, full transparency: Coco Gauff might already be past the "about to break out" stage for hardcore tennis fans. But for the broader American sports audience? She's right on the verge of becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon, not just a tennis star.
Gauff is twenty years old and already a Grand Slam champion after winning the 2023 US Open on home soil at Arthur Ashe Stadium in one of the most electric moments in recent tennis history. The crowd was losing their minds. She was completely composed. That combination — young, American, fearless, and wildly talented — is the recipe for a sports icon.
What separates Gauff from other young players is her mental strength. She's been in the spotlight since she was fifteen, playing Wimbledon and winning over crowds with her game and her personality. She handles pressure like someone twice her age. This season, as she continues to climb the rankings and chase more major titles, the wider American sports world is going to fully wake up to what tennis fans already know.
Why she's must-watch: She plays with a swagger and a joy that makes you want to root for her, even if you've never watched a tennis match in your life.
4. Paolo Banchero — Orlando's Young Star Is Ready to Carry a Franchise
The Orlando Magic haven't had a player worth tracking since the Dwight Howard era, and that's been a long wait for a franchise with real history. Paolo Banchero is ending that drought in a hurry.
Selected first overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, Banchero won Rookie of the Year and then kept going. He's a six-foot-ten forward who can post up, step out to the three-point line, and create his own shot in ways that most big men simply cannot. His handle is silky, his footwork is advanced, and his competitive drive is the kind of thing coaches rave about behind closed doors.
Orlando is building something real, and Banchero is the cornerstone. As the team continues to add pieces and push toward playoff basketball, he's going to be in the national spotlight more and more. A deep playoff run would turn him from a name draft fans know into someone your coworker is talking about on Monday morning.
Why he's must-watch: His post game at his age and size is genuinely rare. Old-school skill, new-school athlete.
5. Max Purcell — The Tennis Double You Need to Know
Stay with us on this one. Max Purcell is an Australian doubles specialist who won Wimbledon and the US Open in the same year — and most American sports fans have absolutely no idea who he is. That's about to change.
Doubles tennis doesn't get the love it deserves in the US, but Purcell plays the game with a flair and energy that translates immediately. He's athletic, quick, and plays with a kind of reckless joy that makes doubles genuinely entertaining rather than the thing you watch while you wait for the singles to start.
As Grand Slam coverage continues to expand and streaming makes it easier to catch more of a tournament, players like Purcell are going to find new audiences. He's the kind of athlete who, once you see him play, you can't stop watching.
Why he's must-watch: He makes tennis look like the most fun game in the world. That's a gift.
Save this list. Come back at the end of the season. We'll be here saying we told you so.
