Best athletes under 25 right now
A new generation of athletes is rewriting the record books before most of their peers have even finished college, blending raw talent with viral fame in ways sports has never seen. From basketball courts to soccer pitches to Olympic tracks, the debate over who truly reigns supreme under 25 sparks passionate arguments among fans and analysts alike. The stakes are high—legacies are being built right now—so cast your vote and help crown the best young athlete on the planet.
What counts: The crowd's votes decide the order — seeded neutral.
Caitlin Clark▲ Rising
Her logo threes turned WNBA attendance and TV ratings into a national conversation overnight, and the 'Caitlin Clark effect' became shorthand for an entire cultural shift in women's sports. She backed the hype with a historic rookie season full of triple-doubles and 30-point outbursts under playoff-atmosphere pressure every single night. Few athletes at any age have single-handedly moved the needle on their sport's visibility this fast.
Sport: BasketballLeague: WNBAAge: 22Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 8.5/10Breakout Year: 2024Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $11,000,000
added by IJRin 2 rankingsCaitlin Clark
28
Victor Wembanyama▲ Rising
When a 7'4" teenager casually pulled up for threes and swatted shots into the third row as a rookie, the league understood it was watching something engineered in a lab of basketball dreams. He captured Rookie of the Year and immediately made 'unprecedented' the most overused word in NBA scouting reports. No player under 25 bends the sport's physics quite like this — he's the clearest generational-talent case on the board.
Sport: BasketballLeague: NBAAge: 21Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 9/10Breakout Year: 2023Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $55,000,000
added by IJRin 2 rankingsVictor Wembanyama
23
Jayden Daniels▲ Rising
He arrived in Washington and immediately authored one of the greatest rookie QB seasons ever, capped by a walk-off Hail Mary against the Bears that turned a rebuilding franchise into a playoff team overnight. His blend of Heisman-winning dual-threat dynamism and surgical decision-making made a historically bad offense must-watch television. Few first-year quarterbacks have ever looked this instantly finished.
Sport: FootballLeague: NFLAge: 24Major Awards/Honors: 2Current Elite Level: 8/10Breakout Year: 2024Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $40,000,000
added by IJRin 2 rankingsJayden Daniels
17
Paul Skenes▲ Rising
He debuted throwing a 100-mph fastball paired with a splinker that made scouts invent new pitch classifications, and by midseason he was the first rookie in decades to start an All-Star Game. Pittsburgh's rebuild suddenly had a face, and hitters league-wide had a new reason to dread Wednesday nights. For pure, jaw-dropping stuff at this age, nobody in baseball compares.
Sport: BaseballLeague: MLBAge: 22Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 8/10Breakout Year: 2024Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $5,000,000
added by IJRin 3 rankingsPaul Skenes
8
Gunnar Henderson▲ Rising
The Orioles shortstop broke out with a 37-homer, Silver Slugger campaign that announced Baltimore's rebuild had officially arrived, pairing plus power with shortstop actions that made scouts drool. He's the engine of a young core that's supposed to contend for a decade, and his blend of patience and pop keeps climbing. Among position players this young, his all-around game is as complete as it gets.
Sport: BaseballLeague: MLBAge: 23Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 8/10Breakout Year: 2023Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $3,000,000
added by IJRGunnar Henderson
5
Lamine Yamal▼ Falling
He became the youngest goalscorer in Euros history with a curling strike for Spain that announced a teenager was already the best player on a championship team. At Barcelona he's turned the right wing into a highlight reel weekly, drawing Messi comparisons that would sound absurd if he weren't actually backing them up. No teenager on the planet is closer to being the best player in his sport, full stop.
Sport: SoccerLeague: La LigaAge: 17Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 8.5/10Breakout Year: 2024Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $6,000,000
added by IJRin 2 rankingsLamine Yamal
-11
Connor Bedard▼ Falling
He entered the NHL as the most hyped prospect since Crosby and delivered instantly, ripping highlight-reel goals for a rebuilding Blackhawks team that had nothing else to sell. A brutal injury slowed his sophomore push, but the flashes of elite vision and release remain the blueprint for Chicago's future. He's the hockey answer on this list — not the most finished product yet, but the trajectory says superstar.
Sport: HockeyLeague: NHLAge: 19Major Awards/Honors: 1Current Elite Level: 7.5/10Breakout Year: 2023Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $3,500,000
added by IJRConnor Bedard
-11Anthony Edwards▼ Falling
His posterizing dunks and fearless shot-making dragged Minnesota to a conference finals appearance, announcing that the league's next alpha scorer had arrived years ahead of schedule. He talks like a star, plays like a killer in the clutch, and has already outgrown 'promising' as a descriptor. As the elder statesman of this list, he's proof the ceiling everyone predicted is becoming the floor.
Sport: BasketballLeague: NBAAge: 23Major Awards/Honors: 2Current Elite Level: 8.5/10Breakout Year: 2024Annual Earnings (Salary+Endorsements): $45,000,000
added by IJRin 2 rankings
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Comments (9)
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The eye test and the stats finally agree on this one.
Longevity has to count for more than peak. This order underrates it.
Rings aren't everything, look at the supporting casts.
No debate for me — Victor Wembanyama at the top is exactly right.