Top 5 redshirt players to watch out for next season ft. Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

The 2024-25 season wasn't a great one for everybody, and redshirts are proof. Some players, due either to the needs of their team or their own health issues, missed either all of the season or enough of it to qualify for a redshirt year. That's the focus here-- on the best of the guys who didn't get to play out the year. Here are five players who redshirted in 2024-25 to watch in the season to come.

Top 5 redshirt players to watch out for

Massive Florida center Olivier Rioux is an exciting player to watch next season. (Photo Credit: IMAGN)

5. Olivier Rioux, Florida

Rioux didn't play last season purely for developmental issues. So why is a frontcourt player at the loaded defending national champion one of the most anticipated redshirts to see? Well, Rieux is 7-foot-9.

It's honestly hard to assess Rioux's potential. He'll have nearly a foot of size against most of the big men he faces. That said, his mobility and foot speed are definite concerns. At the very least, he promises to be a must-see player in 2025-26.

4. JP Estrella, Tennessee

A 6-foot-11 late bloomer of a player, Estrella suffered a left foot injury which sidelined him after just three games of the season. Estrella had averaged 4.7 points and 2.7 rebounds per game before the injury. Estrella's potential is sky high and Rick Barnes and the Vols figure to assign him a significant role in the season to come.

3. Motiejus Krivas, Arizona

Krivas, a 7-foot-2 Lithuanian standout, was a solid contributor for the Wildcats, but a stress-related foot injury sidelined him after eight games. Krivas averaged 7.9 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Krivas likely would have played an even bigger role had the injury not sidelined him in preseason. He's slated to return next year and a healthy Krivas could be an all-conference level player.

2. Kasean Pryor, Louisville

Pryor was likely on his way to being a major contributor for the Cardinals before a torn ACL ended his season after just seven games. A 6-foot-9 wing who averaged 13.0 points per game at South Florida in 2023-24, Pryor averaged 12.0 ppg and 6.1 rebounds per game in his brief trial run with the Cardinals. He decided to return and should be a standout next season.

1. Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Alabama

Wrightsell ruptured an Achilles tendon eight games into his season. Before the injury, he averaged 11.5 points per game and was shooting 42% from 3-point range. The 6-foot-3 guard is returning to the Tide for another run. Production consistent with his pre-injury work is likely next season.