For all the madness associated with modern roster building in college football, where the transfer portal turns winter into a shopping spree and makes it nearly impossible to track who has gone where, the end result is still rather fun: a spring and summer of prognostication, where figuring out how it all might fit together becomes a months-long game.<\/p>\n
Will \u2018Quarterback A\u2019 really thrive in a spread offense?\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Will \u2018Edge Rusher B\u2019 finally put the pieces together under a new defensive coordinator?<\/i><\/p>\n
And what about \u2018Running Back C,’ who waited his turn and climbed the depth chart \u2014 without transferring \u2014 to eventually challenge for playing time?<\/i><\/p>\n
This is what makes the build up to college football so exciting: The debates are never-ending. So with that in mind, here are 10 potential breakout candidates who could become household names in 2026:\u00a0<\/p>\n
* Recruiting rankings and historical data courtesy of 247Sports<\/i><\/p>\n Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6-foot-2 Last season:<\/strong> 272 of 413 (65.9%) for 3,472 yards, 29 TDs and 13 INT in 831 snaps<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Let\u2019s start with the obvious: It\u2019s unusual for a three-year starting quarterback from the power conferences to be featured on this type of list, especially considering how prolific Hoover was at TCU. He threw for more than 9,600 yards and 71 touchdowns in 36 appearances for the Horned Frogs, guiding the program to a pair of nine-win seasons and two bowl victories during that span.\u00a0<\/p>\n Not a single FBS quarterback will enter the 2026 campaign with more career passing yards or passing touchdowns than Hoover, who has one year of eligibility remaining. He\u2019s expected to be the next great one-and-done quarterback prospect for head coach Curt Cignetti, following in the footsteps of Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza, both of whom joined the Hoosiers as transfers.<\/p>\n Cignetti\u2019s incredible knack for quarterback development helps explain why Hoover is rightly viewed as a breakout candidate this fall despite everything he\u2019s achieved.\u00a0<\/p>\n Rourke had already been named the 2022 MAC Offensive Player of the Year at Ohio before throwing a career-high 29 touchdown passes in his only season at Indiana while leading the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. And all Mendoza did after throwing for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore at Cal was put together one of the most decorated campaigns in recent memory, punctuated by the Heisman Trophy and a national championship en route to becoming the No. 1 overall pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n Such remarkable precedent suggests that Cignetti can probably elevate Hoover, too.<\/p>\n Damon Wilson II, Edge, Miami<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6-foot-4 Last season:<\/strong> 23 total tackles, 9.5 TFL, 9 sacks and 54 pressures in 509 snaps\u00a0<\/p>\n Anyone who watched Miami\u2019s impressive run to the national championship game last season understood the impact that edge rushers Reuben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor had on the Hurricanes\u2019 success.<\/p>\n Bain, who became the No. 15 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, led the country in quarterback pressures (83) and tied for 18th in sacks (9.5) while logging more snaps (561) than any other player at his position, according to Pro Football Focus. Mesidor, who was selected No. 22 overall in last month\u2019s draft, finished tied for fourth nationally in quarterback pressures (67) and tied for third in sacks (12.5) while logging the second-most snaps (513) of any player at his position. Together, their production never wavered despite hardly ever leaving the field.\u00a0<\/p>\n To begin filling the voids left by Bain and Mesidor, who became the first Miami defensive players selected in the opening round since 2021, the Hurricanes turned to Wilson via the transfer portal. Originally a five-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, Wilson began his collegiate career in a reserve role at Georgia before carving out more playing time in Year 2. He parlayed the remnants of his recruiting pedigree and improved production into a highly priced move to Missouri as the No. 3 overall player in the transfer portal.<\/p>\n Once Wilson entered the transfer portal again in January \u2014\u00a0this time after amassing nine sacks and 54 quarterback pressures for the Tigers \u2014\u00a0he committed to Miami as the No. 9 transfer and second-best edge rusher in the portal.\u00a0<\/p>\n Andrew Marsh, WR, Michigan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6 feet Last season:<\/strong> 45 catches for 651 yards and 4 TDs in 542 snaps<\/p>\n <\/div>\n Unfathomable levels of hype and hysteria surrounding five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood rendered him arguably the most scrutinized freshman in college football last season. Few of Underwood\u2019s classmates, if any, were tasked with shouldering such astronomical responsibilities in exchange for such life-altering dollar amounts. Both the donor fundraising apparatus and football program had been reconfigured or recentered around Underwood, whose landscape-altering flip from LSU to Michigan<\/a> now represents the high-water mark of an otherwise unsightly tenure under former coach Sherrone Moore, an integral figure in the quarterback\u2019s recruitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n But when the dust finally settled last December, following lopsided losses to then-No. 1 Ohio State and then-No. 13 Texas, sandwiched by Moore\u2019s firing, another freshman on Michigan\u2019s roster had outperformed Underwood.\u00a0<\/p>\n Wide receiver Andrew Marsh, a four-star prospect and the No. 117 overall recruit, turned in an exceptional rookie campaign despite a passing offense that ranked 107th nationally. He finished second in the country for receiving yards among true freshmen, trailing only Malachi Toney of Miami. His final tallies of 12 receptions for 189 yards in a comeback win over Northwestern established new single-game program records by a first-year player. If he and Underwood both adapt quickly to new offensive coordinator Jason Beck, then Marsh should have a chance to become Michigan\u2019s first 1,000-yard receiver since Jeremy Gallon in 2013.\u00a0<\/p>\n Trey\u2019Dez Green, TE, LSU<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6-foot-7 Last season:<\/strong> 33 catches for 433 yards and 7 TDs in 475 snaps<\/p>\n In the modern era of college football, where newly hired coaches can flip rosters instantaneously via the transfer portal, the arrival of Lane Kiffin at LSU was always going to catalyze significant change. And right on cue, the Tigers will enter the 2026 season having secured the No. 1 transfer portal class in the country thanks to 17 blue-chip signees and 41 new players overall.\u00a0<\/p>\n Nine of Kiffin\u2019s transfer signees are wide receivers, a position group that lost its top six contributors from last season, which speaks to how significant the Tigers\u2019 rebuild figures to be in certain areas. There are plenty of new faces for quarterback Sam Leavitt to acquaint himself with in the coming months. \u00a0<\/p>\n Green, however, represents a rare holdover from the Brian Kelly era and someone expected to take another step forward in Kiffin\u2019s scheme this fall. After playing sparingly as a freshman, Green came into his own last October by snagging eight catches for 119 yards and a touchdown against South Carolina, kicking off a string of three straight games with a score. From that point forward, Green caught at least four passes and chipped in at least 45 receiving yards in five of his next seven games. A two-touchdown effort against Houston in the Texas Bowl sent a clear message to Kiffin shortly before the transfer portal opened. Green finished the season third on the team in receiving yards and third in receptions, raising the expectations for him this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kamari Moulton, RB, Iowa<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 5-foot-9 Last season:<\/strong> 170 carries for 878 yards and 5 TDs in 350 snaps\u00a0<\/p>\n Kamari Moulton #28 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates a touchdown against the Vanderbilt Commodores. (Photo by Mike Carlson\/Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n There aren\u2019t many coaches in college football with better reputations for developing overlooked high school prospects than Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz. And if recent results are any indication of where Ferentz stands, the talent in his program keeps getting better: Just last month, Iowa set a new school record with seven players selected in the 2026 NFL Draft, most in school history for a single year. It also extended the Hawkeyes\u2019 eye-catching streak of 48 consecutive years with at least one player drafted.<\/p>\n Could Moulton be next in line? If he is, the development arc to get there will mirror everything the Hawkeyes have stood for under Ferentz, beginning with an unheralded high school recruitment.\u00a0<\/p>\n A native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where high-major prospects are everywhere, Moulton was the No. 1,473 overall player and No. 13 tailback in the 2023 recruiting cycle when he committed to Iowa over UConn. No other power-conference program offered him a scholarship. Since then, all Moulton has done is increase his production from 93 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman, to 473 yards and three touchdowns as a sophomore, to 878 yards and five touchdowns as a junior.\u00a0<\/p>\n Moulton averaged better than 5 yards per carry in six of his final eight appearances last season, two of which came against ranked opponents, and navigated the entire year without losing a fumble.\u00a0<\/p>\n Aneyas Williams, RB, Notre Dame<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 5-foot-10\u00a0 Last season:<\/strong> 24 carries for 224 yards and 5 TDs in 47 snaps\u00a0<\/p>\n One of the more memorable images produced at this year\u2019s NFL Scouting Combine was shared on social media by Ja\u2019Juan Seider, the associate head coach and running backs coach from Notre Dame. The image showed Seider wearing a white Fighting Irish sweatshirt and flanked by four running back prospects taking the field in Indianapolis, all of whom he\u2019d coached: Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen at Penn State, where Seider worked from 2018-24 under former coach James Franklin; and Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price at Notre Dame, a program he joined ahead of the 2025 season.\u00a0<\/p>\n The unspoken message \u2014 that any running back wishing to be drafted should come play for Seider \u2014\u00a0was resoundingly clear. Each of his pupils from that photo went on to be selected within the first six rounds of last month\u2019s draft, including two in the opening 32 picks alone.<\/p>\n Seider\u2019s impressive track record makes placing a wager on Williams, the projected starter at Notre Dame, feel like a relatively safe bet given how effective the Fighting Irish were at running the ball last season: tied for third nationally at 5.69 yards per carry overall. And while the bulk of that production was unquestionably provided by Love (1,372 yards; 18 TDs) and Price (674 yards; 11 TDs), who brought Notre Dame to within a whisker of reaching the College Football Playoff for a second consecutive year, the explosiveness flashed by Williams in reserve duty caught more than a few people\u2019s attention.\u00a0<\/p>\n Williams averaged a staggering 9.3 yards per carry and found the end zone once every 4.8 attempts. He gained more than 200 of his 224 total rushing yards after<\/i> contact, according to Pro Football Focus, and did not fumble.\u00a0<\/p>\n Earl Little Jr., DB, Ohio State<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6 feet Last season:<\/strong> 76 total tackles, 2 TFL, 2 FF, 4 INT in 674 snaps<\/p>\n Having added just 32 transfers over the previous four offseasons combined \u2014\u00a0a reflection, in part, of the resources Ohio State poured into player retention \u2014\u00a0head coach Ryan Day added 17 new players to compile the sport\u2019s seventh-best portal class overall, trailing only Penn State in the Big Ten. At least five of those newcomers are expected to be plug-and-play starters for a defense that lost seven players to the NFL Draft following an incredible first season under coordinator Matt Patricia. No absence will loom larger than that of safety Caleb Downs, a two-time unanimous All-American and eventual first-round pick.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s where Little, the son of former NFL safety Earl Little, enters the mix for Ohio State after earning second-team All-ACC honors last season. Originally a four-star prospect in the 2022 class, Little signed with Alabama after taking additional official visits to USC, Florida State and Oregon. He made just eight appearances in two seasons for the Crimson Tide before entering the transfer portal ahead of the 2024 campaign, ultimately landing at Florida State.\u00a0<\/p>\n Even though the Seminoles finished below .500 each of the last two years, Little blossomed into an effective Swiss Army Knife in the secondary. His snap count for 2026 was split between free safety (376), box safety (226) and slot corner (65), which makes Little a potential candidate to fill Downs\u2019 roving role. Little did miss the tail end of spring practice while undergoing a minor knee procedure<\/a>. \u00a0<\/p>\n Terrell Anderson, WR, USC<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6-foot-2 Last season:<\/strong> 39 catches for 629 yards and 5 TDs in 460 snaps<\/p>\n Terrell \u00a0Anderson at USC spring football practice. (Robert Gauthier\/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)<\/span> <\/p>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n College football fans are undoubtedly familiar with the oft-repeated narrative that says USC still doesn\u2019t have the requisite size and strength in the trenches to compete for a national championship under head coach Lincoln Riley. And the program\u2019s spotty record in the NFL Draft largely confirms those suspicions: zero offensive linemen drafted in the first six rounds since 2021; one defensive lineman drafted in the first seven rounds during that same period.\u00a0<\/p>\n That story is far different at wide receiver, a position where Riley and his staff have produced five draft picks over the last four years combined, including two early-round choices last month alone in Makai Lemon (Round 1, No. 20 overall) and Ja\u2019Kobi Lane (Round 3, No. 80 overall).\u00a0<\/p>\n Which means that for the first time in what feels like ages, the Trojans are entering a season with legitimate questions about their receiving corps, especially when factoring in the additional departures of tight ends Lake McRee and Walker Lyons from last year\u2019s squad. That\u2019s why the addition of Anderson, who was rated the No. 11 overall transfer and No. 3 wide receiver in the portal, was so significant as Riley attempts to lift USC into the College Football Playoff for the first time.\u00a0<\/p>\n Anderson is far and away the most experienced, and most proven, player for a position group that will likely lean heavily on underclassmen (Tanook Hines, Zacharyus Williams) and true freshmen (Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, Trent Mosley) alike. Put simply, Anderson must deliver if the Trojans want to reach their potential.<\/p>\n Chaz Coleman, Edge, Tennessee<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Height:<\/strong> 6-foot-4 Last season:<\/strong> 8 total tackles, 3 TFL, 1 sack and 15 pressures in 150 snaps<\/p>\n After successfully reinventing Ohio State\u2019s defense during an impressive run from 2022-24, the last of which was punctuated with a national championship, defensive coordinator Jim Knowles had enough cachet to effectively handpick his next role. He opted for a new challenge at Penn State, where head coach James Franklin agreed to pay him $3.1 million per year, an eye-catching, market-resetting sum.<\/p>\n But almost nothing about the 2025 campaign went according to plan for the Nittany Lions, including the defense. Knowles\u2019 unit finished 56th nationally against the run (142.5 yards per game), 87th in opponent third-down conversion rate (40.9%), and 64th in opponent red zone touchdown rate (58.8%). The two sides parted ways after a tumultuous season, and Knowles was quickly hired for the same role at Tennessee.<\/p>\n Despite the ugliness of it all, Knowles still made enough of an impression for several players to follow him via the transfer portal. That group includes safety Dejuan Lane (No. 334 transfer, No. 29 S), linebacker Amare Campbell (No. 144 transfer, No. 10 LB), and defensive tackle Xavier Gilliam (No. 54 transfer, No. 7 DL). But the most notable addition to the Volunteers\u2019 roster this offseason was Coleman, a former blue-chip recruit who flashed elite talent in limited action last year, enough to leave Penn State fans hoping new coach Matt Campbell could keep him.\u00a0<\/p>\n Coleman missed most of spring practice and a series of team activities due to what head coach Josh Heupel described as “off-the-field<\/a>” issues. If he does return to the program, he is widely expected to win a starting spot in Knowles\u2019 defense this fall.<\/p>\n
Weight:<\/strong> 200 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Redshirt senior
Previous schools:<\/strong> TCU (2022-25)<\/p>\nIndiana adds Josh Hoover and Nick Marsh from transfer portal 👏<\/h3>\n
![\"Indiana](\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/static-media.fox.com\/fmc\/prod\/sports\/VX-15173212\/1600\/900\/t081gvr8e46v5036.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n
Weight:<\/strong> 250 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Senior
Previous schools:\u00a0<\/strong>Georgia (2023-24), Missouri (2025)<\/p>\n![\"Michigan](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/Michigan.vresize.200.200.medium.2.png\")
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Weight:<\/strong> 190 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Sophomore
Previous schools:<\/strong> None<\/p>\nMichigan’s Bryce Underwood throws a 17-yard TD to Andrew Marsh<\/h3>\n
![\"Michigan's](\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/static-media.fox.com\/fmc\/prod\/sports\/VX-14781076\/1600\/900\/1ajoqkxt4gbakfcz.jpg?ve=1&tl=1\")
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<\/a><\/p>\n
Weight:<\/strong> 237 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Junior
Previous schools:\u00a0<\/strong>None<\/p>\n![\"Iowa](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/Iowa.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Weight:<\/strong> 205 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Junior
Previous schools:\u00a0<\/strong>None<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0\/0\/gettyimages-2253569912-scaled.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
![\"Notre](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/NotreDame.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
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Weight:<\/strong> 210 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Junior
Previous schools:\u00a0<\/strong>None<\/p>\n![\"Ohio](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/OhioState.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n
Weight:<\/strong> 198 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Redshirt senior
Previous schools:<\/strong> Alabama (2022-23), Florida State (2024-25)<\/p>\n![\"USC](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/USC.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
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Weight:<\/strong> 200 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Junior
Previous schools:<\/strong> NC State (2024-25)<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/a57.foxsports.com\/statics.foxsports.com\/www.foxsports.com\/content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/0\/0\/gettyimages-2265370549-1-scaled.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
![\"Tennessee](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/Tennessee.vresize.200.200.medium.0.png\")
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Weight:<\/strong> 250 pounds
Class:<\/strong> Sophomore
Previous schools:<\/strong> Penn State (2025)<\/p>\n
![\"Alabama](\"https:\/\/b.fssta.com\/uploads\/application\/college\/team-logos\/Alabama.vresize.200.200.medium.1.png\")
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