Billy TuckerJan 7, 2026, 07:00 AM ETClose• Recruiting coordinator for ESPN RecruitingNation. • Director, Under Armour All-America Game. • Has been evaluating prospects at ESPN since 2006.
play0:47Brandon Finney Jr. picks off Behren Morton in the end zoneBrandon Finney Jr. gets his third takeaway of the game after ending Texas Tech’s drive with an interception in the end zone.
Malachi Toney scores the 1st TD of the game late in 4th quarter (0:42)Malachi Toney takes a pop pass into the end zone to give Miami a 10-3 lead with 1:44 left in the game. (0:42)
Brandon Finney Jr. picks off Behren Morton in the end zoneBrandon Finney Jr. gets his third takeaway of the game after ending Texas Tech’s drive with an interception in the end zone.
Brandon Finney Jr. gets his third takeaway of the game after ending Texas Tech’s drive with an interception in the end zone.
3. Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB, California Golden Bears
Most of the 2025 college football season is in the books and first-year players were a big part of it.
BYU QB Bear Bachmeier led the Cougars to the Big 12 championship game. North Texas running back Caleb Hawkins led college football in rushing touchdowns. True freshmen such as Miami receiver Malachi Toney and Oregon DB Brandon Finney Jr. are playing big roles in the College Football Playoff.
Toney is young enough to still be a high school senior. Instead, after reclassifying into Miami’s freshman class, he has become one of the defining stars of Miami’s resurgence, including hauling in the Hurricanes’ game-winning touchdown against Texas A&M in the first round of the College Football Playoff. At 5-foot-11 and 188 pounds, Toney has vastly outperformed his three-star ranking out of high school, winning ACC Rookie of the Year honors.
Brandon Finney Jr. picks off Behren Morton in the end zone
He wasn’t perfect, throwing multiple interceptions in three separate losses, and Cal still fired Justin Wilcox last month after nine seasons. But new head coach Tosh Lupoi — who arrives via the same Oregon program that nearly landed Sagapolutele — already secured a major win by keeping his prized lefty freshman out of the transfer portal, retaining a cornerstone to build around at the game’s most important position.
Hawkins’ blend of size, speed and explosive power is one of the best in college football regardless of class. He’s an effective receiver, too, and cemented a stellar first season by rushing for 198 yards and two scores on 30 carries against San Diego State in a 49-47 win in the Isleta New Mexico Bowl. Hawkins joined several teammates in following Morris to Oklahoma State.
Plenty went wrong for LSU in 2025, but its play on the perimeter was a bright spot. Opposite Mansoor Delane, Pickett emerged as one of the most impactful freshmen cornerbacks in the country, flashing the upside to eventually mirror Delane’s impact. Pickett arrived in Baton Rouge as a 6-foot-5 five-star with impeccable measurables and backed it up. He graded as one of the best freshman cover corners in the country and was voted by coaches to the freshman All-SEC team.
While BYU came agonizingly close to the College Football Playoff, it has a clear foundation to make another run in 2026. BYU fended off Penn State to keep Kalani Sitake and won 12 games for the first time since 2001. Sitake also found his quarterback, Bachmeier, who never relinquished the starting role after he was thrust into the job following Jake Retzlaff’s late summer transfer to Tulane.
Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. are two standout Oregon freshman running backs who form a thunder and lightning duo known for their complementary styles, explosive plays and strong off-field bond, making them one of college football’s most exciting young backfields. At 236 pounds, Davison brings the power and a nose for the end zone, racking up a team-high 13 touchdowns including two more in Oregon’s rugged 23-0 quarterfinal win over Texas Tech, while the smaller and quicker Hill provides the speed.
The nation’s top recruit entered the season under immense scrutiny, and while Underwood didn’t always meet expectations, there are plenty of positives for Kyle Whittingham and his staff to assess as they take over in Ann Arbor. At one point, Underwood guided Michigan to five consecutive wins, including a signature win over Washington. But there were also growing pains. Underwood threw for just 11 touchdowns and endured a rough outing against Ohio State.
In many ways, his Citrus Bowl performance against Texas was a microcosm for his season: flashes of a dual-threat brilliance, but also some crippling mistakes including three interceptions. Still, Underwood’s upside is evident, and Devon Dampier’s emergence as a playmaker for Utah under Whittingham in 2025 could offer a blueprint for unlocking Underwood moving forward.
He became Carson Beck’s most reliable target and one of the nation’s most productive receivers, ranking fourth in catches (94) while tallying 1,008 yards and eight touchdowns. He broke Miami’s single-season reception record against Texas A&M and already owns the program’s freshman receiving yardage mark. In their heyday, the Hurricanes cultivated a steady pipeline of star receivers including Santana Moss, Reggie Wayne and Andre Johnson. With secure hands, quickness after the catch and fearlessness in traffic, Toney looks like Miami’s next great playmaker and has solidified his status as one of the sport’s brightest young stars as the Hurricanes return to national prominence.
Finney’s performance in Oregon’s quarterfinal win over Texas Tech corroborated what quarterbacks who faced the Ducks this year already knew: throwing in his direction is a futile effort. Finney picked off two passes, made a season-high six tackles and recovered a fumble. The four-star and No. 36 overall recruit in last year’s class hasn’t shied away from any challenge, already developing a reputation as a sticky cover corner who has leveled up against Oregon’s toughest opponents. He broke out against Indiana, including a pick-six, then he forced two fumbles and tied his season high with four tackles as the Ducks held on to beat Iowa 18-16. Oregon coach Dan Lanning has lauded the 6-foot-2 corner’s combination of size, recovery speed and aptitude.
Cal’s winding pursuit of the No. 204 prospect in the 2025 class — he decommitted, signed with Oregon, then quickly returned — paid immediate dividends. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound lefty authored brilliant moments for a Cal program that won its most games (seven) since 2019. Sagapolutele’s 3,454 yards led all true freshmen and he threw 18 touchdowns to nine interceptions. That included 330 yards and four scores to beat No. 21 SMU in the Golden Bears’ regular-season finale. He also had an overtime win over No. 15 Louisville and dramatic nail-biters against North Carolina and Boston College.
Hawkins’ breakout season began in relative obscurity. A three-star out of Oklahoma, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder didn’t have much exposure in high school and carried the ball just 13 times through North Texas’ first two games. Yet he emerged as one of the lynchpins of Eric Morris’ high-powered Mean Green offense, leading the nation in touchdowns (25) while ranking fifth in rushing with 1,434 yards on 230 carries. That included four separate outings where he ran for at least 186 yards, and he scored a program-record five rushing touchdowns against UAB.
Bachmeier threw for 3,033 yards and ran for 527 more, combining for 26 total touchdowns. His ability to create with his legs helped him grade as arguably the most effective freshman dual-threat in the country. He ended the season on a high note, throwing for 325 yards and completing 71.1% of his passes in a rousing 25-21 win over Georgia Tech in the Pop-Tarts Bowl, and Bachmeier should be one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the Big 12 next season with an impressive skill set but equally striking leadership qualities to build around in Provo.
Like Pickett at LSU, Lee is another five-star recruit with a long frame who quickly played his way into a significant role in the SEC. The rangy 6-foot-4 corner iced Alabama’s win over Missouri with a game-clinching interception, then made his first two career starts in the Tide’s next two games against Tennessee and South Carolina. Outside of some struggles against rival Auburn, Lee was remarkably consistent in coverage throughout the heart of Alabama’s SEC schedule. Few corners can replicate Lee’s combination of length, verticality and fluidity. He knows how to use his size to his advantage and has clearly earned the trust of Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack. Lee is a big reason why the Crimson Tide entered the postseason with arguably the SEC’s stingiest pass defense before falling to Fernando Mendoza and Indiana.
Glover was a four-star out of high school and there were more highly ranked linemen in Georgia’s 2025 class, including offensive tackle Juan Gaston. But injuries across the line, including to Gaston, left the Bulldogs unsettled up front early in the season. Glover’s emergence in the interior was the calming force Georgia needed. Glover started 12 games for the Bulldogs and played the fourth-most snaps of any member of the offense, settling in as the team’s right guard. Glover was one of the best pass-blocking freshmen interior linemen in the country. He was instrumental in giving QB Gunner Stockton a clean interior pocket while opening plenty of holes for a Dawgs rushing attack that had the second-most yards in the SEC this season.
A three-star out of Louisiana, Sheppard is yet another example of a freshman running back outperforming his ranking after finding the right combination of fit in the system and opportunity. Sheppard ran for 1,132 yards and 11 touchdowns on 5.7 yards per carry. He became the first true freshman to start at running back for Duke in 15 years on Sept. 27 against Syracuse and rewarded the decision by compiling a season-high 201 all-purpose yards and two scores on 19 touches. He never relented, setting Duke freshman records for both rushing yards and touchdowns while rushing for the fifth-most yards in an individual season for a Blue Devils running back. Sheppard capped his season by running wild over Arizona State in Duke’s 42-39 bowl win, rushing for 170 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries. His combination of vision and quick burst stands out, and he should remain a fixture of Duke’s offense.