11 College Football Breakout Players: Missouri QB Austin Simmons Leads Cast of Under-the-Radar Standouts

11 College Football Breakout Players: Missouri QB Austin Simmons Leads Cast of Under-the-Radar Standouts

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11 College Football Breakout Players: Missouri QB Austin Simmons Leads Cast of Under-the-Radar Standouts

The emergence of new stars is one of the biggest x-factors to any college football season. Whether it’s a breakout season by a quarterback, offensive tackle or cornerback, a new star at any position can quickly change the outlook for either side of the ball and the entire team in any year. 

Although the 2026 season is still in its first month, plenty of players are off to a breakout start entering Week 3. Included in that mix on offense are Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons, Florida State running back Ousmane Kromah and Oregon State receiver Jesse Legree. 

On defense, Colorado lineman Lamont Lester Jr. and California safety Kingston Lopa headline the breakout stars through the first two weeks of the ‘26 campaign.

This list of breakout stars could look quite a bit different by December when the season ends. However, with the first two weeks in the books, Athlon Sports takes a look at 11 players off to a breakout start.

11 Players Off to a Breakout Start in the 2026 College Football Season

Austin Simmons, QB, Missouri
Simmons’ arm talent and potential have never been in question. However, after tossing four interceptions through Ole Miss’ first two games last year, and then losing the starting job to injury, which opened the door for Trinidad Chambliss to emerge as one of the nation’s top signal-callers, question marks surrounded just how far along Simmons was in his development. 

Although the competition level hasn’t been great with matchups against Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Kansas, Simmons looks like a quarterback ready to realize his potential and earn a place among the SEC’s best. The Florida native has been flawless through two games with the Tigers, completing 75 percent of his passes (36 of 48) for 544 yards and seven touchdowns. Simmons’ 11.3 yards per attempt average ranks ninth nationally entering Week 3.

Kamario Taylor, QB, Mississippi State
Taylor was a popular breakout pick this offseason and has certainly lived up to the hype through Mississippi State’s first two contests.

In a massive 38-13 road victory at Minnesota last Saturday, Taylor accounted for 313 total yards and three passing scores. Through two games, Taylor has passed for 581 yards and seven touchdowns and rushed for 145 yards and a score.

Taylor’s play is a big reason why Mississippi State looks poised for its best season under coach Jeff Lebby. And if the sophomore maintains this high level of play, he will easily earn a place among the top quarterbacks in college football by the end of 2026.

Lamont Lester Jr., DL, Colorado
Lester Jr. transferred to Colorado this offseason after a standout freshman campaign at Monmouth (9.5 sacks) in 2025. The jump to the FBS level hasn’t slowed the New Jersey native in his new surroundings. 

Through two games, Lester Jr. leads all Big 12 defenders with four sacks and is tied for fifth nationally with five tackles for a loss. In the Buffaloes’ win over Georgia Tech in the season opener, he recorded six havoc plays on just 17 snaps off the edge, per Hudl IQ.

Jesse Legree, WR, Oregon State
JaMarcus Shephard was one of college football’s top wide receiver coaches prior to taking over as head coach at Oregon State this season. Considering Shephard’s eye for talent and track record of developing it, it’s no surprise he’s already churning out playmakers at this position. 

Legree rated as a three-star prospect in the 2026 signing class but has immediately emerged as one of the top receivers in the Pac-12. The true freshman has 13 catches for 376 yards and three touchdowns through two contests, including 240 yards in a near-upset of Texas Tech last Saturday. Legree leads the nation by averaging 188 receiving yards a game, with three of those catches going for 40 or more yards. 

The 5-foot-10 speedster has already torched two (Houston and Texas Tech) of the better defenses on Oregon State’s schedule. With more favorable matchups the rest of the way, Legree has a chance to play his way into a spot among the top true freshmen in college football this year.

Elijah Kinsler, DL, Memphis
After seeing limited snaps as a reserve at West Virginia (2024) and Southern Miss (2025), Kinsler is thriving in a full-time role for Memphis this season. 

The New Jersey native has recorded 18 tackles (4.5 for a loss) and 3.5 sacks through three contests. Kinsler has also recorded 12 havoc plays for the Tigers defense, per Hudl IQ.

Ousmane Kromah, RB, Florida State
Kromah ranked as one of the top running back prospects in the 2025 signing class but was relegated to a timeshare in Florida State’s backfield. The Georgia native made the most of those limited opportunities, rushing for 408 yards over 72 carries. 

However, through two games in ‘26, Kromah has started to turn his enormous potential and upside into production. He’s rushed for 231 yards and two scores and averaged a healthy 6.4 yards per carry. Kromah has recorded 17 broken tackles, per Hudl IQ.

Xavier Lewis, DL, North Carolina
Lewis was an excellent find for coach Bill Belichick on the recruiting trail, and the sophomore has emerged as a key cog in a defensive front that’s clearly the strength of North Carolina’s 2026 squad.

Lewis joined the Tar Heels as a preferred walk-on and appeared in 11 games as a true freshman in 2025. A year later, Lewis looks like a lineman poised to push for a spot among the ACC’s best. The North Carolina native posted 4.5 tackles for a loss and recorded nine havoc plays (per Hudl IQ) against TCU in the opener. Lewis showed that performance was no fluke by recording two sacks in the Week 2 victory over East Tennessee State.

In addition to the impressive stat sheet so far, Lewis has helped to anchor a rush defense limiting teams to only 91.5 yards a game in ‘26. After going from preseason unknown to a force on the interior of the defensive line, Lewis is just starting to scratch the surface of his potential.

Kingston Lopa, S, California
Lopa followed new California coach Tosh Lupoi from Oregon to Berkeley this offseason and has made an instant impact on the Golden Bears’ defense.

The 6-foot-5 safety leads the nation with four interceptions so far, returning one of those against Syracuse for a touchdown in a 21-18 victory. Lopa also has 11 tackles through the first two games. 

Dom Nichols, DL, Michigan
With John Henry Daley anchoring one side of Michigan’s defensive front, the emergence of Nichols could give coach Kyle Whittingham’s group one of the better end pairings in the Big Ten.

After working as a reserve over the last two seasons, Nichols is having a breakout start to the 2026 campaign. He’s recorded 10 tackles (three for a loss) and two sacks in Michigan’s first two games. Additionally, the Maryland native is credited with nine havoc plays and three run stuffs (rushes with no gain or negative yardage), per Hudl IQ.

Elijah Paige, OT, USC
Paige is the anchor at left tackle for a USC offensive line that’s allowed only two sacks through the team’s first three contests. The Arizona native was limited to seven games in 2025 due to injury but has displayed no ill-effects from that shortened season. 

Paige has allowed just one pressure so far in ‘26, per Hudl IQ. Also, with Paige as a key cog in the overall operation up front, USC’s ground game is averaging 172.7 rushing yards per contest. The Trojans also rank sixth in the Big Ten in yards per play (7.2). 

Jay Timmons, DB, Ohio State
After losing Caleb Downs, Davison Igbinosun, and Lorenzo Styles Jr., the Buckeyes secondary needed new faces to emerge to keep this unit among the best in college football. High expectations already surrounded Timmons as a high four-star recruit in the 2026 class, but the true freshman is already exceeding those.

On 93 plays, Timmons has recorded seven tackles, two pass breakups and a forced fumble. Also, he’s been an early standout in coverage, limiting opposing receivers to just 2.7 yards per target (per Hudl IQ) in a slot corner/safety role for coordinator Matt Patricia. 

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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Sep 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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