Spring Football 2026: Ten Players Ready for the Sophomore Leap

Gideon Davidson, Clemson

It's become one of my favorite annual spring traditions. Even with the chaos of the transfer portal and NIL, we still see every year second-year players rise from relative unknowns to stars in the college football universe. From Ollie Gordon to Rashod Bateman, to Demond Williams last season, this list has had a pretty good hit rate over the years. Now it's time to take a stab at this year's list, with these ten as the players I see most likely envision having a sophomore breakout. 

Lotzeir Brooks, WR, Alabama

(2025 Stats: 32 receptions, 441 yards, 2 TD)

Playing under Kalen DeBoer in his short FBS head coaching career has proven to be quite the benefit to young wide receivers. Rome Odunze, Ja'Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan are all in the pros, Germie Bernard just got there, and Ryan Williams was one of the most memorable freshman phenom in recent memory. Next up in line could be Lotzier Brooks, who looked the part in his freshman season and seemed to get better each and every week. Brooks will be competing for targets with Williams (who now goes by Coleman-Williams), but the two are vastly different wide outs. Coleman-Williams is going to look for the deep shot and stretch defenses vertically, while Brooks is more of your gadget guy, using his 5'9" frame to slither into openings and make things happen. That ability to create underneath and his reliability makes Brooks a likely target to form a fast connection with whoever ends up winning the Alabama quarterback job, whether it's veteran Austin Mack or the rising youngster Keelon Russell. Expect more of what we saw in last season's College Football Playoff win over Oklahoma. Against one of the country's best defenses, Brooks caught five passes for 79 yards and two touchdowns, the type of breakout performance on the big stage that should set the stage for even greater things on the horizon.

Tanook Hines, WR, USC 

(2025 Stats: 34 receptions, 561 yards, 2 TD)

While all eyes were on the star sophomore duo of Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Williams entering 2025, it was USC's Makai Lemon who emerged as the nation's top receiver and the eventual Biletnikoff Award winner. Lemon was so impressive that the Philadelphia Eagles made him their first round pick and likely A.J. Brown replacement, meaning the Trojans are on the hunt for a new No. 1 target. Yet, it wasn't just Lemon who departed - Ja'Kobi Lane in own right was a third round pick by the Ravens after serving as Robin to Lemon's Batman in 2025. Needless to say, there's targets available in this USC offense, which sets up perfectly for sophomore Tanook Hines. Hines made his presence felt quickly for the Trojans as a big-play threat, averaging over 16.5 yards per catch. He was at his best down the stretch, going for 6-141 and a touchdown against an elite Oregon secondary and 6-163 in the Alamo Bowl defeat at the hands of TCU. It felt like just the beginning for Hines, and the setup for him heading into 2026 is perfect. We all know how much Lincoln Riley loves to chuck the ball around, and he has a veteran QB at the controls in Jayden Maiava. A player like Hines who formed quick chemistry with Maiava last season, could go from merely impressive freshman to a household name in the Big Ten in 2026. 

Devin Sanchez, CB, Ohio State

(2025 Stats: 15 tackles, 2 pass deflections, 1 fumble recovery)

The entire Ohio State defense was hit hard by the NFL Draft this offseason, with the likes of Arvell Reesee, Sonny Styles, and Caleb Downs all hearing their names called on Day One. The result leaves defensive coordinator Matt Patricia with some work to do, particularly among a secondary that also lost Davidson Igbinosun and Lorenzo Styles Jr. later on. The Buckeyes will fill multiple gaps with transfer portal additions, namely Duke's Terry Moore and Georgia's Dominick Kelly, but they're also counting on a huge step forward from rising sophomore Devin Sanchez. The former five-star prospect had flashes last fall, appearing in 13 games and making one start, but the expectation now is that he'll break into a starting role. Sanchez will benefit the most from the fact he may be facing the best wide receiver group in football already, including Jeremiah Smith in one-on-one situations. That was evident in Ohio State's spring game, when he matched up regularly against the Biletnikoff Award favorite and slowed him down. It's hard to glean too much from one spring scrimmage, but when you consider the opportunity in front of Sanchez, the potential he displayed last season, and the high billing coming out of high school, you're looking at a superb bet to have a huge sophomore season for one of the sport's National Title frontrunners.

Gideon Davidson, RB, Clemson

(2025 Stats: 60 carries, 260 yards, 11 receptions, 93 yards)

Spring Football 2026: Breaking Down the 10 Most Important Quarterback Competitions in College Football

Keelon Russell, Alabama

 

Alabama Crimson Tide

Competitors: Austin Mack (RJr.), Keelon Russell (RFr.)

For the second straight year, Kalen DeBoer has a quarterback competition on his hands in Tuscaloosa. With Ty Simpson off to the NFL, DeBoer will be forced to choose between redshirt junior Austin Mack and redshirt freshman Keelon Russell. Both represent their own pros and cons - Mack followed DeBoer from Washington and has a clear understanding of the system. He finally got his first taste of live game action last fall, appearing in four games and throwing the ball 32 times. At 6'6" with mobility, he looks the part, but his downfield throwing ability is a question mark. Meanwhile, Russell was the highly touted newcomer in the QB room last season but took a redshirt year after appearing in two games. Folks who have followed Russell's career have raved about his athletic traits, but he's seen action in FBS ball against just ULM and Eastern Illinois. The spring game this past weekend may have given us an interesting glimpse to how this competition is shaping up. Russell ended up seeing most of the snaps of the end of the scrimmage, and most felt he outplayed Mack. Now, how much stock can you really put in a spring game? Russell also saw most of the action at the end of the scrimmage when Alabama was primarily practicing red zone situations. However, it will make an impact, and should set up a very interesting fall camp. Mack is probably the "safe" option for DeBoer and this staff, but could we see them swing for the fences with a guy like Russell? While DeBoer is not on a hot seat necessarily, there is real job pressure heading into 2026 and it would not shock me if he guys with the true boom-or-bust option in the redshirt frosh.

Favorite: Russell

Arkansas Razorbacks

Competitors: K.J. Jackson (RSo.), A.J. Hill (RFr.), Braeden Fuller (RSr.)

It's a new day in Fayetteville as former Memphis head man Ryan Silverfield takes charge. And with it, will come a new quarterback, with Taylen Green moving on. It feels like a classic three-man race here, with the competitors becoming a common scenario in modern college football. There's the holdover from the old staff who has waited his turn (K.J. Jackson), the high-profile newcomer who followed the new staff from their previous spot (A.J. Hill) and the veteran from the lower level trying to prove his stuff (Braeden Fuller). Jackson has spent a pair of seasons on the roster already, playing in five games in 2025 and making the start in the season finale. He's had flashes but didn't light the world on fire against Missouri a season ago. Hill lacks experience, but was one of the highest-rated recruits in Memphis history when Silverfield brought him on. He played quite well in the two games he saw him in last season, albeit in small sample sizes. Fuller is a bit of a wild card after coming in from Angelo State, but everyone is looking for the next Trinidad Chambliss, and he's played in 28 games across his college career. I'd venture Hill has to be the favorite at this point in the process, although Jackson should be firmly in the mix. Silverfield and OC Tim Cramsey spent big to bring Hill on at Memphis and likely spent a pretty penny this past offseason to convince him to follow them to the SEC. Clearly they believe they can win with him under center, and he certainly has the upside to be a real difference-maker at the position.

Favorite: Hill

Clemson Tigers

Competitors: Christopher Vizzina (Jr.), Tait Reynolds (Fr.)