Buy Low, Win Big: The Rising Stars Whose Jerseys You Should Be Grabbing Right Now
Every collector has a story about the one they missed. The Steph Curry jersey they didn't grab before he won his first chip. The Patrick Mahomes replica they passed on because he'd only played half a season. The Josh Allen gear they slept on while he was still a question mark in Buffalo. The pattern is always the same: the window to buy smart is open right before everyone else figures it out — and then it closes fast.
Right now, in 2024 and heading into 2025, there's a fresh crop of athletes sitting in that exact window. Their jerseys are still affordable. Their names are still searchable without a bidding war attached. But the trajectory is there for anyone paying attention. Here's who we're watching — and why you should already be moving.
CJ Stroud — Houston Texans QB
If you watched any football last season, you already know the name. CJ Stroud took the Houston Texans from a laughingstock to a legitimate playoff contender in his rookie year, throwing for over 4,000 yards and winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award in the process. He's 22 years old. He plays in a major market. He has a cannon arm and the kind of calm, poised presence under pressure that quarterbacks spend careers trying to develop.
His jersey is still priced like a mid-round pick. That is not going to last. Houston is building around this kid for the next decade, and if the Texans make a deep postseason run — which is looking increasingly plausible — Stroud's #7 is going to be everywhere. Get it now while the price still makes sense.
Ja'Marr Chase — Cincinnati Bengals WR
Okay, Ja'Marr Chase isn't exactly a secret. But his jersey pricing hasn't caught up to what he's actually doing on the field, and that gap is worth exploiting. Chase is arguably the most dynamic receiver in the NFL right now — a legitimate top-3 wideout who makes the absurd look routine. The Bengals as a franchise have playoff pedigree now, and Chase is the engine of their offense.
He's still young enough that his ceiling is genuinely unclear, which means the best moments of his career may still be ahead of him. His Bengal striped jersey is one of the most visually distinctive in the league. Grab it before a Super Bowl run makes the price point a memory.
Victor Wembanyama — San Antonio Spurs C
This one might be the most obvious call on the list — but obvious doesn't mean the opportunity has passed. Victor Wembanyama is a generational talent in the most literal sense of that phrase. The 7'4" French phenom was the consensus #1 pick in the 2023 draft, and his rookie season showed flashes of something genuinely unprecedented: a player with guard skills in a center's body, with shot-blocking instincts that already rank among the league's best.
The Spurs are rebuilding, which means Wembanyama isn't winning rings tomorrow. But the cultural footprint this guy is going to have over the next decade is hard to overstate. His jersey is already gaining traction internationally. Domestic demand is going to explode the first time he puts together a 40-point, 10-block performance in a nationally televised game. That game is coming.
Brock Purdy — San Francisco 49ers QB
Here's the contrarian pick that's actually not that contrarian anymore: Brock Purdy is good. Really good. The last pick of the 2022 NFL Draft — Mr. Irrelevant, officially — has led the San Francisco 49ers to back-to-back NFC Championship appearances and a Super Bowl. The discourse around whether he's a "system quarterback" is irrelevant to jersey collectors. What matters is that he's the face of one of the most storied franchises in NFL history, playing in a major market, winning football games.
The 49ers' red-and-gold is one of the most iconic color schemes in the league. A Purdy #13 jersey is still priced like a backup — but he's not a backup. Get ahead of the narrative shift.
Franz Wagner — Orlando Magic SF
The NBA sleeper pick on this list. Franz Wagner is 22 years old, plays for a young Orlando Magic team that's quietly become one of the more exciting rosters in the Eastern Conference, and he's averaging numbers that would make him a star on a more prominent franchise. The Magic are trending upward fast, and Wagner is the kind of versatile, high-IQ wing that modern basketball rewards enormously.
Orlando doesn't get a ton of national TV attention, which is exactly why the jersey is still accessible right now. When the Magic make a deep playoff push — and the pieces are there — Wagner's profile is going to jump significantly. The blue and black Magic colorway is clean, and this is one of those names you want to have in your collection before the casual fans catch on.
What Smart Collecting Actually Looks Like
The difference between a casual fan and a smart jersey collector isn't just enthusiasm — it's timing. Buying a Mahomes jersey after his third Super Bowl is fine. Buying it before his first was genius. The same logic applies to every name on this list.
You're not making predictions about whether these athletes will be hall-of-famers. You're identifying players who are clearly on an upward trajectory, whose jerseys are currently priced below what their performance level warrants, and who play in situations — market size, team quality, position visibility — that tend to drive jersey demand.
All five of these players fit that profile right now. The jerseys are affordable. The window is open. Jersey Rush exists precisely for moments like this — so you can move fast, spend smart, and look like a genius when everyone else is scrambling to catch up.
One Last Thing
Buying jerseys ahead of the curve is fun. But don't overthink it to the point where you're only buying for speculation. The best part about getting in early on a rising star is that you get to wear the jersey through the journey — through the breakout games, the playoff runs, the moments that make sports worth watching. That's what it's all about.
Now go grab something before the hype hits.
