Faizon Brandon, Savion Hiter and college football's best true freshmen ready to break out in 2026

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Faizon Brandon, Savion Hiter and college football's best true freshmen ready to break out in 2026 originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Unlike the pros, talent often beats out experience in college football. Players may only have a few years to capitalize on their capabilities — sometimes up to five or six seasons, nowadays — but the sport's landscape often means that the moment a player is considered "ready," they'll be on the field.

It's rare, but some players leave high school already on a straightforward path to stardom. Last season, wide receiver Malachi Toney was a freshman sensation as Miami reached the CFP title game. In 2024, Jeremiah Smith was setting records in his debut season at Ohio State. And the year prior, Caleb Downs became an instant star at Alabama, named a unanimous All-American.

Like any college football season, there will be new faces to make immediate impacts on their teams in 2026 shortly after arriving on campus. From first-year quarterbacks already given the nod as starters, to emerging offensive and defensive top recruits with plenty of opportunity, there are some names to know among the sport's true freshman this year.

Here's a look at 16 true freshmen across college football who could break out in 2026.

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College football's best true freshmen for 2026

Faizon Brandon, QB, Tennessee

With Joey Aguilar departing, Tennessee did not bring in a veteran passer in the transfer portal, leaving the QB1 spot up for grabs — and true freshman Faizon Brandon will become one of the few first-year players to start for an SEC squad.

The 6-foot-4 passer from Greensboro, North Carolina, competed with George MacIntyre for the Vols' starting job and won the competition, named Josh Huepel's QB1 for Week 1. And with No. 20 Tennessee entering another season with high expectations, Brandon will have a chance to become a young star.

Brandon was the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in his class, per the 247Sports Composite. He's considered an extremely precise passer who rarely turns the ball over, and he could impact the CFP race in Year 1.

Jared Curtis, QB, Vanderbilt

Vanderbilt has named senior Blaize Berlowitz its starter for Week 1, but don't be surprised if the Commodores' highest-ranked recruit ever gets some opportunities this season. How Clark Lea's squad replaces a Heisman Trophy finalist, Diego Pavia, is among the most intriguing quarterback situations across the sport — and Curtis' high-end talent as a recruit means he could see the field.

The No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite, Curtis was a five-star prospect coming out of Nashville who chose Vanderbilt over schools like Alabama, Auburn and Georgia. He's a massive piece of the program's future, with the arm talent to win over Lea for the QB1 job soon enough.

The 6-3, 230-pound quarterback will enter 2026 as a backup, but if Berlowitz isn't convincing, Vanderbilt could quickly turn to its hyped freshman passer.

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Savion Hiter, RB, Michigan

After becoming the best running back prospect in the country, Savion Hiter will be looking to follow in the footsteps of Blake Corum, Zach Charbonet, Hassan Haskins and more, with a clear path to complement Jordan Marshall in the Wolverines' run game this season.

Hiter was the No. 1-ranked running back prospect in his class coming out of Virginia. With Michigan looking for players to lift the burden of star quarterback Bryce Underwood, Hiter immediately becomes a candidate to do so in 2026; he's explosive, listed at 210 pounds and able to make a deadly 1-2 punch with Marshall.

Hiter won't be a surefire starter quite yet with Marshall around, but he's a weapon that Kyle Whittingham will be utilizing in his first year on the sidelines.

Chris Henry Jr., WR, Ohio State

Another Ohio State wide receiver poised for stardom? You bet. With Smith still around, he'll be commanding a ton of the defensive attention among Buckeyes receivers, but Chris Henry Jr. has far too much talent to not join the list of elite freshman receivers to play in Columbus.

Listed at 6-5 and 211 pounds, Henry was the No. 2 consensus receiver in the 2026 class. His size can make him a terrific red-zone threat for Julian Sayin this year — and once Smith is gone by next fall, Henry will likely be stepping into his shoes as the offense's No. 1 target.

Targets won't come easy behind Smith and Brandon Innis, but Henry's skill set makes him likely to earn more reps as the season goes on.

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Jermaine Bishop, WR, Texas

Jermaine Bishop finds himself in a similar spot as Henry entering his 2026 freshman season: a deep offense with a star quarterback and established WR1, but enough talent to contribute to a CFP push.

While he wasn't a consensus five-star recruit, unlike others on this list, Bishop has made strong impressions throughout the spring and summer in Austin. He's versatile — Bishop played on the inside and outside in high school, on top of reps at running back and safety — and plenty athletic, even with a smaller, 166-pound frame.

Cam Coleman and Ryan Wingo will be the target leaders for Arch Manning, but Bishop could also become a difference-maker for the Longhorns' offense.

Mark Bowman, TE, USC

Lincoln Riley has a number of talented freshman coming into USC, ranked as the consensus No. 1 team class in the country. Offensively, Jayden Maiava should have a few new star pass catchers, including a standout tight end.

Mark Bowman has a clear path to targets after USC's top two tight ends departed after last season. He's not considered a strong blocker yet, but as a pass catcher, Bowman can be an elite vertical threat.

He was ranked as the consensus No. 2 tight end in the 2026 class, which he reclassified to. Receivers Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Trent Mosley are two more Trojans who could become go-to targets as freshmen.

Courtesy of Kodi Greene

Kodi Greene, OL, Washington

Jedd Fisch has proven willing to start freshman on his offensive line, and Kodi Greene appears to be next on that list. Coming out of Southern California, Greene stands at a massive 6-foot-6 and 325 pounds, the kind of size that should shore-up Washington's left tackle spot in 2026.

Greene, the No. 3 consensus offensive tackle in his class, will likely have the immediate task of blocking for Demond Williams Jr. He was originally an Oregon commit before flipping to the Huskies.

Jackson Cantwell, OL, Miami

The No. 1 offensive line prospect of the 2026 class joins the CFP runner-ups this season, with Jackson Cantwell committing to Miami and now facing some high expectations.

Cantwell has the size to be an elite left tackle, standing at 6-foot-8 and 330 pounds. He may wind up at guard this year, where he's played throughout camp, but one way or another, he's too valuable of a player to be sitting on the bench for Mario Cristobal in 2026.

Miami has turned Francis Mauigoa, Markel Bell and Jalen Rivers into NFL players in recent years. Cantwell appears destined to be the next elite Hurricanes offensive lineman.

Lamar Brown, Richard Anderson and Deuce Geralds, DL, LSU

Three LSU freshmen are grouped together here, because they all will likely make an impact in Lane Kiffin's first season. The Tigers' defensive line is loaded with talent — and with Lamar Brown, Richard Anderson and Deuce Geralds all being among the top-5 defensive lineman in their recruiting class, they're making the rich even richer.

All three players will have a chance to help guide LSU to the playoff, with Brown (No. 4 consensus national recruit) and Anderson (No. 8 consensus national recruit) being Louisiana natives, while Geralds (No. 68 consensus national recruit) is from Georgia.

LSU will have some veteran talent on its defensive front in Dominick McKinley and transfers Malik Blocton and Stephiylan Green, but these three freshmen are also poised to become contributors in the SEC.

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Courtesy of Luke Wafle

Luke Wafle, EDGE, USC

Another member of USC's No. 1 recruiting class: pass rusher Luke Wafle, who was the Trojans' best get as the No. 6 consensus player in the 2026 rankings. Wafle committed to Lincoln Riley's squad all the way from New Jersey, and he's considered college-ready at 6-foot-6 and 265 pounds.

Wafle may not be an every-down kind of player for Riley's defense quite yet, but he will factor into USC's rotation in 2026. He should make plenty of impact as USC chases its first CFP berth.

Jay Timmons, CB, Ohio State

Another talented Ohio State freshman is cornerback Jay Timmons, who is the son of 11-year NFL player Lawrence Timmons. Throughout camp, the new Buckeye has been taking snaps as a nickel, a sign that he's already ready to contribute in the Big Ten this season.

Timmons was the No. 4 consensus cornerback recruit in the 2026 class, a player who could bring elite processing skills and coverage to the Buckeyes' secondary in Year 1.

Matt Sieg, S, West Virginia

In the Big 12, one of the more notable freshman safeties in the country will be West Virginia's Matt Sieg. Originally a Penn State commit, Sieg flipped to the Mountaineers.

Sieg is a former high school quarterback and two-time state champion in Pennsylvania — he set the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League's all-time total offensive record with 12,592 career yards.

Sieg's elite athleticism has meant he hasn't been ruled out as an offensive contributor, but for now, he's projecting as a safety. In 2026, he should immediately factor in as a rotational player for Rich Rodriguez.

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