2024 is over and it is time for the stars to shine. Here are our predictions on how this next year will look for the sports world. We will predict each league’s surprises, MVPs, and champions.
NFL (2025-26 season):
Champion: The Champions of Super Bowl 60 will be the CINCINNATI BENGALS. Although the Bengals finished 9-8, many are aware of how big a threat they would have been in this year’s playoffs. Joe Burrow had an MVP candidate-worthy season and Jamarr Chase is a good candidate for Offensive Player of the Year after winning the Triple Crown this season. Three factors will decide whether or not a Super Bowl is even possible for the Bengals: retaining Tee Higgins, performing better early in the season, and adding pieces to the defense via free agency and the draft.
MVP: Next year’s Most Valuable Player will be JUSTIN HERBERT, QB for the Los Angeles Chargers. I know how horrible he played in the Wild Card game against the Texans but that should not define his whole season. He only had three interceptions the entire season and nearly threw for 4,000 yards with only one good receiver, Ladd McConkey. I think that he is poised for a huge next year. He already has a good offensive line with three young former first-round picks in Rashawn Slater, Zion Johnson, and Joe Alt. He is in a good system with Jim Harbaugh and has found McConkey as a true WR1 after a 1,149-yard campaign and a 197-yard explosion in the Wild Card game. Three factors will decide whether or not Justin Herbert can be MVP: Quentin Johnston’s development, performance in the playoffs, and finding a good receiver in free agency.
OPOY: The Offensive Player of the Year next year will be Justin Jefferson, who is on the Minnesota Vikings. I understand that he will likely have JJ McCarthy instead of Sam Darnold at QB, but he has easily been one of the most consistent, productive, and reliable receivers in the game since his rookie year no matter the quarterback. JJ McCarthy is a solid QB who won the College Football Playoff Championship and played very well in the preseason before his injury. There are other solid options on the offense like Jordan Addison and TJ Hockensen, but Jefferson will still likely win most of the share of the targets among all the receivers on the Vikings. I am predicting that he gets around 115 receptions for 1500 yards and 9 touchdowns. Three factors can decide whether or not Justin Jefferson can win OPOY: JJ McCarthy’s adjustment to the NFL, not getting injured like in 2023, and if Jamarr Chase somehow outperforms him again.
DPOY: Next year’s Defensive Player of the Year will be Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns. A nightmare for every QB and Offensive Tackle, he has had at least 14 sacks in each of his past four seasons. I believe that he will have many opportunities to exceed this number because of how bad the Browns’ offense is. This year the Cleveland offense was tied with the Titans for most turnovers with 34 total on 23 interceptions and 11 fumbles lost. Looking at the draft and the fact that they have -29 million dollars in cap space this upcoming offseason, there is not that much room for improvement. I think that Myles Garrett will continue dominating since he will have more opportunities from the offense’s turnovers leading to more time for the Browns on defense. I am predicting that he has 17 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 50 tackles. Three factors will decide whether or not Myles Garrett can win DPOY: turnovers from the offense, continuation of his dominance, and other sources of pressure from the defensive line.
ROTY: I think that this is one of the more obvious ones, but my Rookie of the Year for next year is Travis Hunter. One of the most unique prospects ever seen and a lock for a top-three selection in the upcoming draft. I genuinely believe that he can win it on offense or defense, maybe even both depending on what his coach thinks is good for him. He won the Heisman, Biletnikoff, Bednarik, and the AP College Football Player of the Year. Whether on the Titans, Browns, or Giants, Travis Hunter will find a way to put up numbers. I know that it is not likely he will play on both sides of the ball since most teams see him as a cornerback, but his talent at receiver is undeniable. Three factors can decide whether Hunter wins ROTY next year or not: the team he gets drafted to, how his coach wants to play him, and his QB if he plays offense.
NBA (2025 season):
Championship: This year many teams are great and have drastically improved from last season. Some of the top teams this year include the Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Boston Celtics, and Houston Rockets. All of these teams have the skill to take home the title but I believe that the Oklahoma City Thunder will take home their rings. Their team is coming together and they are not slowing down. One of their key players Chet Holmgren has been dealing with an injury this season and won’t see the court until the end of the season, but the team is running through their opponents. With the addition of Chet to the roster in the postseason, I think that this team could win it all.
ROTY: Unfortunately, the rookie class this year has not been producing as much as we hoped compared to last year’s players. But several players have stood out such as The Wizards’ Alex Sarr, Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaylen Wells, Stephon Castle of the San Antonio Spurs, and Yves Missi of the New Orleans Pelicans. Philadelphia 76ers rookie Jared McCain was off to a very good season but has suffered a season-ending injury and is not eligible for the award. I believe that Alex Sarr will win this award because he is a key part of the Wizards team. Many of the players on this team unfortunately have struggled this season and they are going through many injuries. This means Sarr has to be a big part of the team.
MVP: This season there have been many players who have had a stellar season. The players who have stood out the most include: Shai gilgeous-alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. I think that out of all of these players, Nikola Jokic can win this award. He is a key part of the team and is currently leading the team. He is also averaging the top 5 most minutes in the NBA meaning he won’t be slowing down any time soon. This prediction is a toss-up because all of these players are very skilled and talented. But I think that with Jokic’s experience with this award, he has the best chance.
Soccer:
EPL: Liverpool is going to win the Premier League this year. They are six points up on second-place team Arsenal with a game in hand. They are more than halfway through the season, and despite their fast-paced style, they haven’t let off the gas. My prediction for the player of the season is Mo Salah, who, despite being pocketed by Djed Spence in the EFL Cup, scored 7 goals and recorded 7 assists solely in December.
La Liga: Despite being 5 points down and in 3rd place, I think Barcelona is going to win La Liga. I think with a healthy front three of Lamine Yamal, Raphinha, and Robert Lewandowski, they can destroy any defense in the league. Their amazing run at the beginning of the season proves that they can do anything against the Spanish competition. My player of the season is Polish striker Robert Lewandoski, who has already bagged 16 goals, 5 goals ahead of the 2nd-place runner.
Serie A: Serie A was easily the hardest prediction to make, but I think I have to go with Inter Milan. Although they are down 4 points and in third place with Napoli and Atalanta, they have 2 games in hand with a healthy squad. My player of the season for Serie A is Mateo Retegui, who already has 16 goals this season for Atalanta.
Ligue 1: I know it’s obvious and boring, but there is no other choice for the Ligue 1 this year than PSG. They are 10 points ahead of second-place AS Monaco and have built a deadly core around Bradley Barcola, Ousmane Dembele, and Joao Neves. My player of the season goes to 22-year-old Bradley Barcola, who I would be surprised to see head to La Liga or Premier League following his standout season.
Bundesliga: I just don’t see Bayern Munich slowing down for the rest of their campaign, especially with a relatively healthy team and a red-hot striker in the form of Englishman Harry Kane. My player of the season also goes to Harry Kane, as he leads the league in goals and is tied 3rd for assists.
