ESPN tackled an interesting question on Sunday morning: Which freshmen across the country are poised to make an impact in 2026?
The Worldwide Leader in Sports named 51 such freshmen, including 10 out of the SEC, ranked 1-through-10. Here’s a look at ESPN’s SEC ranking:
- Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt QB
- Faizon Brandon, Tennessee QB
- Deuce Geralds, LSU DT
- EJ Crowell, Alabama RB
- Zykie Helton, Georgia OG
- John Meredith III, Texas CB
- Kaiden Prothro, Georgia TE
- Jermaine Bishop Jr., Texas WR
- Lamar Brown, LSU DT
- Brandon Arrington, Texas A&M CB
Right off the bat, it’s no surprise to see Vanderbilt‘s Jared Curtis and Tennessee‘s Faizon Brandon at No. 1 and No. 2. The Volunteer State landed the top 2 quarterbacks in the Class of 2026, and both could be starting for their respective programs come Week 1. At the very least, you can bet on both players seeing the field more often than not this season — there’s just too much talent compared to the other quarterbacks in their rooms.
Sorry, George MacIntyre and Blaze Berlowitz.
As you can see, LSU has a pair of freshmen defensive tackles on this list — but don’t forget about Richard Anderson, either. Another freshman defensive lineman, Anderson has been turning some heads for the Tigers this offseason and earned some first-team reps alongside Geralds early in fall camp.
Brandon Arrington is one more player to note on this list. The Texas A&M cornerback is a future star at the position and was the No. 1 corner in the Class of 2026.
Ethan Stone is a Saturday Down South News Editor and an advocate for the return of the Seattle Supersonics.
