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Joba Chamberlain has been deemed NEXT by ESPN The Magazine, and deservedly so. Called up in August by the New York Yankees, Chamberlain made 19 relief appearances and allowed one earned run in 24 innings, striking out 34 while walking just six. It's easy to see why the Yankees said Chamberlain was untouchable in offseason trade talks with the Minnesota Twins.

But Chamberlain isn't the only athlete who has the potential to be NEXT. ESPN.com asked its stable of experts (sport editors, writers, analysts) who they thought would be NEXT in their respective sports. These aren't athletes who necessarily will have an immediate impact on the 2008 sports scene (see John Tavares); rather they're the names you want to know now because down the line they will eventually be household names.

Boxing
Alexander Povetkin, Heavyweight
His amateur success -- he was the 2004 super heavyweight Olympic gold medalist -- has so far translated to success in the pro ranks, where he is 14-0 with 11 knockouts and one win away from fighting for a world title. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, the 28-year-old has faced strong competition in his brief career, including an impressive 11th-round TKO of former titleholder Chris Byrd on Oct. 27. That victory set Povetkin up for a Jan. 26 showdown with undefeated American Eddie Chambers for the right to face champion Wladimir Klitschko. -- Dan Rafael

College Basketball
J.J. Hickson (NC State), DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M)
OK, so J.J. Hickson and DeAndre Jordan aren't named Rose, Mayo, Love, Beasley or Gordon, but by the end of the season, or certainly in June, you might begin to recognize their names. Hickson's power game in the post at NC State and Jordan's defensive prowess at Texas A&M aren't going unnoticed by NBA scouts. These two freshman big men may just slide under the radar long enough to steal headlines in this class if they decide to enter the draft. -- Andy Katz

College Football
Knowshon Moreno, Georgia running back

He was the third option behind seniors Kregg Lumpkin and Thomas Brown when the season began, but Moreno (a redshirt freshman in 2007) will go into 2008 as possibly the top running back in the SEC, if not the country. You didn't hear much about Georgia because the Bulldogs lost two games early. The Bulldogs finished with a six-game win streak and in those games Moreno ran for 811 yards and nine touchdowns. -- Mel Kiper Jr.

LeSean McCoy, Pittsburgh running back
If you saw Pittsburgh's true freshman running back LeSean McCoy run through defenses loaded up to stop him thanks to Pitt's puny passing game, you saw a star in the making. The 5-foot-11, 205-pound McCoy is fast and durable -- and he was precocious enough to relegate junior LaRod Stephens-Howling to backup duty while rushing for 1,328 yards and 14 touchdowns. -- Pat Forde

Coach: Brady Hoke, Ball State
A week after winning on the road at Navy, Ball State showed the nation that Nebraska had some issues on defense. The Cardinals went into Lincoln and scored 40 points. (They lost 41-40 and missed a game-winning FG in the final seconds.) Ball State gave Illinois a scare (the Cardinals trailed 21-17 after three quarters) and will play Rutgers in the International Bowl. If it's not this year, it's only a matter of time before Hoke lands a head coaching job in a BCS conference. -- Mel Kiper Jr.

LPGA
Like most 18-year-olds, Ashleigh Simon lists her hobbies as hanging out with friends, watching sports, DVDs and music. Unlike most 18-year-olds, she has a résumé longer than Santa's naughty-or-nice list. As an amateur, she became the first player in 101 years to win the Ladies South African Open three times, and five weeks after turning pro, the Johannesburg native became the youngest winner on the Ladies European Tour. So what's next for Simon? She missed receiving fully exempt LPGA status by one stroke at Q-school, but don't be surprised if she joins Morgan Pressel as yet another teenage major champion.
-- Jason Sobel

MLB
Howie Kendrick, 2B, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
He is a great bet to win a bunch of batting titles, yet he might get traded by the time you read this. He has a sweet swing, lightning-quick wrists and a knack for hitting 'em where they ain't. He'll flirt with .350 multiple times in his career, starting right now. -- Jonah Keri

Justin Upton, OF, Arizona Diamondbacks

Fifteen to 20 years from now he will be moving up leaderboads in all-time categories. He will be a great defensive center fielder and already has a well-above-average arm. He already has power and there's more to come. He turned 20 in August and the fact that he's in big leagues at this age speaks to how unbelievable a talent he is. If he had stayed in the minor leagues last year for another couple of weeks (he's not eligible to be rookie of the year in 2008), Upton would have been the No. 1 prospect on every list, including mine. His brother B.J. is a good player, but there will come a point where we say B.J. is the other Upton. -- Keith Law

Delmon Young, Minnesota Twins OF
He will blossom in Minnesota, where he won't have the pressure of having to be a superstar immediately. He'll be able to grow into his immense talent and turn the focus on him from off-the-field issues to on-the-field stardom. -- Eric Young

NASCAR
Joey Logano: Age 17

He's probably the most talented teenage driver in the country at any type of motorsport. What makes him so good is he has an uncanny ability to pass drivers in short-track racing. No one knows how he will do on high-speed ovals, but he has an amazing ability to outrace people. One of the keys in short-track racing is who can break last, get into the corners quicker and still keep control of the car, and he has an amazing ability to do that. Mark Martin is an incredible judge of talent; when Logano was 15, Martin thought Logano could race against Cup guys and beat them. He is the LeBron James of American auto racing. -- Terry Blount

NFL
Dwayne Bowe, Kansas City Chiefs WR
He has looked dominant at times this season -- including an eight-catch, 164-yard, one-touchdown game in a Week 4 win over San Diego -- and he has the size and speed to give defensive backs fits. He also missed part of this year's training camp with a contract holdout so the stage is set for him to take off with a full offseason under his belt. -- Jeffri Chadiha

Kellen Clemens, New York Jets QB
He is a big, strong-armed QB who can make all the throws. If the Jets can surround him with enough talent, Clemens has the chance to develop into an elite NFL quarterback. -- Jeremy Green

Antonio Cromartie, San Diego Chargers CB
He suffered through some injuries at Florida State and even I questioned San Diego's decision to draft him in the first round, but he's played exceptionally well in the pros. He's incredibly fast and athletic and is on his way to becoming the next great cornerback in this league. -- Mark Schlereth

Trent Edwards, Buffalo Bills QB
Going forward, this is going to be his team. He has big-time wide receivers and Edwards just needs time to establish a rapport with them. If Marshawn Lynch can provide the offense with a running game, Edwards is going to have a shot to be a great quarterback. -- Trey Wingo, "NFL Live" host

Mario Williams, Houston Texans DE
The much-maligned former No. 1 pick has 8½ sacks in 12 games this season and is making steady progress. The decision to select him ahead of Reggie Bush was debatable, but he appears headed in a positive direction. -- Russell S. Baxter

NHL
John Tavares: Age 16
Oshawa Generals of the Ontario Hockey League

Because of his age he won't be eligible for the draft until 2009. But earlier this year he broke the Great One's record for most goals scored in a single season in the OHL. He might not be as good as Sidney Crosby, but he has caused a lot of commotion at a very young age. -- E.J. Hradek

PGA Tour
Jason Day
Australia has a population of 20 million, but it only seems as if half of those people are elite golfers. In reality, 17 of the PGA Tour's top 150 this season came from Down Under, but they'll need to make room for Jason Day in 2008. The 20-year-old wunderkind recently earned a promotion from the Nationwide Tour, where he finished fifth on the money list despite being limited to 19 starts due to a late-season wrist injury. When he heals, expect the long bomber and smooth putter to make his mark early and often in the big leagues. In fact, Day could be one in a million. Or 20 million. -- Jason Sobel

Tennis
Marin Cilic, Croatia
He moved up 102 spots in the rankings (from 173rd to 71st) in 2007. Is he going to win a Slam in 2008? Not likely; then again, the 6-foot-5 Croatian won't turn 20 until after next year's U.S. Open. He has all the tools to crack the top 30 next year and could be winning Slams by 2010. -- Greg Garber

Tamira Paszek, Austria
Paszek, who turned 17 in December, reached the round of 16 at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open courtesy of some mature shot-making, including a lethal, precise backhand seldom seen from teenagers. The youngest player ranked in the top 50 is bright and assertive, a modern tennis citizen with family roots on four continents. -- Bonnie D. Ford

Preps
Julio Jones is a 6-3, 218-pound wide receiver out of Foley High School in Alabama. He's the most physically dominant receiver to come out of high school in a very long time. The 23-8 long jumper is big, physical and exceptionally fast and will not only play as a true freshman, but will make an impact in his first season in college. -- Tom Luginbill

Terrelle Pryor is a two-sport prep star out of Pittsburgh who is a top-rated recruit as both a quarterback and as a forward in basketball. He's comparable to Vince Young … if Young could also average 21 and 10 on the court. Pryor plans to play both sports in college next year.
-- DJ Gallo