Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 college football season could see several true freshmen make an immediate impact on their teams.
- Ohio State and Miami are among the programs expecting breakout performances from their incoming class.
- A quarterback battle at Tennessee and a potential upset at Houston add intrigue to the race for starting jobs.
There are a lot of names to know ahead of the 2026 college football season, but some of the most impactful names might be first-year players. True freshmen seldom get the chance to shine on the big stage. Last year, it was players like Graceson Littleton and Malik Washington rising to relevance in their first seasons with Texas and Maryland, respectively. In years past, Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Coleman-Williams rose to stardom as well as true freshmen. Who will be this year’s youngsters to make a name for themselves?
The Class of 2026 is promising nonetheless. Here are the newbies on campus who might be unknown now but will be household names before you know it.
1. WR Chris Henry Jr.
Ohio State Buckeyes
Football fans might remember Chris Henry, the standout receiver who, though facing troubles throughout his NFL career off the field, was a household name in Cincinnati. Though his NFL career was cut short after he died in 2009, his legacy lives on through his son, Chris Henry Jr. If you’re an elite receiver, you end up at Ohio State and the Buckeyes have a gem lined up next to Jeremiah Smith this season. Just like Marvin Harrison Jr., Smith and other receivers have risen to stardom in the Scarlett and Grey, look for Henry Jr. to be the next star in a lineage of standout receivers.
2. OT Jackson Cantwell
Miami Hurricanes
The “U” truly is back. Not just on a national championship contending level, but on the recruiting front as well. They’ve dominated the transfer portal and continue to land the game-changing true freshman, one of those players being Jackson Cantwell. The hype and pressure are already there for Cantwell. If he comes in as the immediate left tackle for Darian Mensah, this offense is going to be even scarier than it was last season.
3. CB Jermaine Bishop
Texas Longhorns
Graceon Littleton showed everybody how impactful he was as a freshman, which is going to open the door for incoming freshman Jermaine Bishop. There’s been a lot of hype around Bishop, and if he lives up to the hype, he’ll be one of the next great Texas defenders. This team is full of potential on defense, and with Bishop opposite of Littleton, this Texas defense is young and talented.
4. QB Faizon Brandon
Tennessee Volunteers
The quarterback battle is between true freshman and five-star prospect Faizon Brandon and redshirt freshman George MacIntyre, who’s patiently waiting for his time to shine. True freshman quarterbacks seldom get the chance to start Week 1 but there’s a lot of belief that Brandon could win the job from MacIntyre. MacIntyre sat behind Joey Aguilar last season and has a clear path to start. Brandon could very well steal the job from him and if he does, could be set for a big season in Knoxville.
5. QB Jared Curtis
Vanderbilt Commodores
Vanderbilt’s 2025 season that nearly landed them in the College Football Playoff helped them flip the nation’s No. 2 quarterback from Georgia and keep him home. Curtis, a Nashville native, is very much the favorite to win the starting job and build on the success Diego Pavia brought the Commodores for two seasons. Clark Lea hasn’t named a starter yet and will evaluate through the ‘Dores’ first game of the season. If Curtis wins the job, expect him to be an instant impact.
6. QB Keisean Henderson
Houston Cougars
Vanderbilt landed the No. 2 quarterback in the nation, and Houston landed the No. 1 quarterback. There is a lot of hype around Keisean Henderson and what he adds to the Cougars offense and the Big 12. Connor Weigman is the incumbent, but it doesn’t mean he’ll be the starter outright or even finish the season as the starter. Wiegman lost his starting job to Marcel Reed two seasons ago, who was a hyped-up freshman out of Nashville. Could it happen again?
7. LB Cincere Johnson
Ohio State Buckeyes
Remember Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles and the success they had as two of the Buckeyes’ top 10 NFL Draft picks in the 2026 NFL Draft? Cincere Johnson could be the next great Ohio State defensive player to rise to stardom in Columbus. He’s a five-star prospect and has a lot of potential, drawing comparisons to Tremaine Edmunds. Breaking through as a true freshman at Ohio State won’t be easy at all. That said, Johnson might be good enough to be an instant impact player this season.
More college football news and analysis:
Add us as a preferred source on Google