{"id":661183,"date":"2026-05-23T21:53:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T21:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/661183\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T21:53:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T21:53:09","slug":"espn-lists-9-college-football-freshmen-to-know-in-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/661183\/","title":{"rendered":"ESPN lists 9 college football freshmen to know in 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

A fun freshman class is about to enter college football. Plenty of early contributors should show up across the nation out of the 2026 recruiting cycle<\/a>, hopefully turning into fantastic stories. Some have not even waited until the fall, making a name for themselves during spring practice.<\/p>\n

ESPN decided to highlight<\/a> a few of them, naming nine freshmen to watch during the 2026 season. The majority come on the offensive side of the ball, but only two of them are quarterbacks.<\/p>\n

So, let\u2019s dive into the full list here. All rankings mentioned come from the Rivals Industry Ranking<\/a>, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.<\/p>\n

Curtis was a massive get for Vanderbilt, flipping him away from Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs. He remains in Nashville after being a Five-Star Plus+<\/a> prospect. Many hope is able to emerge as the starter ahead of the season opener.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cHe enters the year as the leader in the clubhouse to seize [Vanderbilt\u2019s] starting quarterback job. Although he faces significant expectations, Vanderbilt\u2019s ceiling rises considerably if his great arm talent and toughness translate quickly to the SEC.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another Five-Star Plus+ in the class, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal<\/a> does not mess around when it comes to offensive linemen. Cantwell should be in line to receive immediate playing time. A massive role in a team looking to get back to the national championship.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cThe Hurricanes already have the blueprint for fast-tracking elite offensive tackles, and Cantwell looks to be next in line.\u201d<\/p>\n

The second (and final) quarterback to make the list. Brandon will go into fall practice in a battle with George MacIntyre for the starting spot. ESPN sees how Brandon\u2019s trait fits into Tennessee\u2019s system quite well.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cBrandon\u2019s immense ceiling is undeniable, and his big arm is a great fit for a Josh Heupel<\/a> offense that wants to beat teams over the top.\u201d<\/p>\n

Lane Kiffin<\/a> took over in Baton Rouge. So, naturally, some freshmen hype comes\u2026 defensively? Geralds was an incredibly productive player at the high school ranks, hoping that carries over to college.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cGeralds looks poised to contribute early after a strong spring. He notched 54 sacks in high school, the career record in the state of Georgia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crowell finished as the top player from the state of Alabama and No. 2 at running back. Kalen DeBoer<\/a> might be relying on the first-year player quite often. Once healthy, the door should be open for Crowell to perform.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201d\u00a0Injuries limited Crowell this spring, but we expect plenty of production this fall\u2026 There\u2019s not a ton of proven production ahead of Crowell after the Crimson Tide missed out on making a splash in the portal.\u201d<\/p>\n

USC finished with the No. 1 class per the Rivals Industry Team Rankings<\/a>. Nobody there was ranked higher than Wafle, who was a Five-Star Plus+ and No. 5 in the country. The Trojans want to see the ranking play out right away, certainly looking the part.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201c[Wafle] looks like a fifth-year senior and has already impressed coaches and upperclassman teammates alike with his dogged work ethic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prothro, who was the No. 2 tight end, projects to be the next great Georgia player at the position. At least, we think he will be designated as a tight end.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cGeorgia has opted to deploy Prothro\u2019s massive catch radius as a slot receiver this spring. His fascinating combination of size and skill makes him one of the SEC\u2019s most intriguing newcomers.\u201d<\/p>\n

An Ohio State wide receiver falling this far might be the biggest surprise of them all. Henry was highly recruited out of Santa Ana (CA) Mater Dei<\/a>, and rightfully so. The Five-Star Plus+ finished as the No. 10 overall prospect, comping quite well to a college football legend.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cHis blend of size and movement skills evokes\u00a0Tee Higgins<\/a>\u00a0comparisons. Ohio State\u2019s loaded receivers room could slow his early production, but he projects as the program\u2019s next star wideout once Jeremiah Smith<\/a> moves on.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bishop came to Austin considered an ATH, having to decide between DB and WR. Texas chose wide receiver, meaning the top 65-player will get an opportunity to shine alongside Arch Manning<\/a>.<\/p>\n

ESPN: \u201cDespite his size, Bishop is ultra-sudden, shifty and has the versatility to impact games from the slot, outside or even out of the backfield.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A fun freshman class is about to enter college football. Plenty of early contributors should show up across…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":661184,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[211324,167230,221234,399,232956,211339,211343,398,396,397,99],"class_list":["post-661183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-chris-henry-jr-26-mater-dei","tag-deuce-geralds-26-collins-hill","tag-ezavier-crowell-26-jackson","tag-football","tag-jared-curtis-26-nashville-christian-school","tag-kaiden-prothro-26-bowdon","tag-luke-wafle-26-hun-school","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-ncaafootball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=661183"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/661183\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/661184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=661183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=661183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=661183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}