{
  "id": 4801611,
  "title": "Faizon Brandon, Savion Hiter and college football's best true freshmen ready to break out in 2026",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/01/faizon-brandon-savion-hiter-and-college-footballs-best-true-freshmen",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-01T06:10:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/faizon-brandon-savion-hiter-college-061002972.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Faizon Brandon, Savion Hiter and college football's best true freshmen are poised to break out in 2026, according to recent reports from The Sporting News. Unlike in the pros, where experience sometimes surpasses talent, the landscape of college football often allows a player's potential to shine through. Some players enter high school already on a clear path to stardom, with examples including wide receiver Malachi Toney and running backs Caleb Downs and Jeremiah Smith.\n\nIn 2026, college football fans can expect to see new faces making immediate impacts on their teams. Among these freshmen, Brandon, Hiter, and Curtis stand out as particularly noteworthy. Brandon, a quarterback at Tennessee, will be one of the few first-year players to start for an SEC team as he competes for the Vols' starting job with George MacIntyre. The 6-foot-4 passer from North Carolina, who was the No. 10 overall player and No. 3 quarterback in his class, could become a young star for the Tennessee Volunteers.\n\nMeanwhile, Vanderbilt's Blaize Berlowitz is the starter for Week 1, but don't count on him being the only freshman to make an impact. The No. 2 quarterback in the 2026 class, per the 247Sports Composite, Curtis was a five-star prospect who chose Vanderbilt over schools like Alabama, Auburn, and Georgia. With senior Blaize Berlowitz ahead of him in the depth chart, Curtis could quickly become the Q1 starter in 2026.\n\nMichigan's Savion Hiter is another freshman to watch in 2026. Ranked as the No. 1 running back prospect in his class coming out of Virginia, Hiter will be looking to complement quarterback Bryce Underwood in the Wolverines' run game. Although he won't be a surefire starter just yet, Hiter's explosive talent makes him a dangerous weapon in the Wolverines' offense. Similarly, Ohio State's Chris Henry Jr. has a clear path to stardom, being listed as the No. 2 consensus receiver in the 2026 class. Standing 6-5 and 211 pounds, Henry could emerge as the offense's No. 1 target once star quarterback Julian Sayin is no longer around.",
  "summary": "Here are 16 players who could impact the playoff race in their first college season.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}