A Look Ahead: 2026 Rookies Class

What’s going on FantasyGuru, I’m Russell Clay, and I put a big focus on college football with my content. This is especially true in the offseason. While we’ve just finished up our 2026 rookie drafts, the college football offseason is ramping up, and these program rosters are beginning to solidify. While I’ve been on record of stating that the new version of college football with NIL deals and immense transfer portal usage has made prospect evaluation a nightmare, we still have a ton of information at our disposal.

Quarterback

Arch Manning, Texas – The most bizarre QB1 we’ve had a year out of the NFL draft since I’ve been playing dynasty. Manning has yet to retain a starting role through two seasons, despite being a five-star recruit and having no relevant prospects to compete with for snaps. Manning has shown upside at times in his short stints with offensive snaps, and has shown upside in the running game we’ve never seen from his bloodline before! Manning should be excellent this year, but even in an article of immense speculation, having him as QB1 feels bizarre.

Nico Iamaleava, UCLA – The transfer from Tennesee was an enormous topic of conversation as we left the 2024 season. Iamaleava undeniably has talent, but made a lot of enemies with how he’s dealt with the NIL process. I think the talent is clear here, and if he has a solid 2025, I’d be shocked if he finished outside the top 10 NFL draft picks.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson – After his first two seasons I was completely out on Klubnik. He did not look like an NFL caliber prospect, and I was worried he was going to be replaced at Clemson. However, sometimes players prove you wrong, and Klubnik did just that in 2024. He was significantly improved as a passer and became a true leader on this team. I’m still undecided on his upside as a QB prospect, but he’s earned every ounce of this spot.

Notables

Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Interesting transfer from Cal. Mendoza was the starter in his first two college seasons, and now lands on a roster with one of the best coaches in the country.

Garret Nussmeier, LSU

Not my favorite prospect but many are seeing the vision here, and I have to respect that. Nussmeier also had some really good starts in SEC play in 2024, so we’ll keep a close eye on him

LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina

Huge upside as both a runner and passer. Has all the tools to be a top five pick, and has shown an ability to lead a team in the SEC.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State

He’s fun.

Running Back

Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame – Love was one of my favorite running backs in the country in 2024, and that’s saying something considering how loaded the RB landscape was. Love made a big impact in the college football playoff with his burst and power. The sky is the limit for Love, and in a dynasty rookie class in desperate need of a lead dog, he may be it.

Jadyn Ott, Oklahoma – Ott was fantastic in a fairly miserable situation over the last couple of years. I first caught Ott two years ago, where he was carrying an otherwise terrible offense the best he could. Ott finished 2023 with 1,484 yards and 14 touchdowns, displaying a wide array of skills. Ott may not be receiving a ton of hype right now, but the fact that he transferred to Oklahoma puts him in an exciting position to have an enormous 2025 from a production standpoint.

Nicholas Singleton, Penn State – I’ve been waiting for Singleton to breakout in a big way for three years now. While his production is very solid looking back, my standards have not been hit. When you watch Singleton you see a special player, and someone who could command a featured role. But, someone we’ll discuss in a bit has completely limited him.

Le’Veon Moss, Texas A&M

Moss is the biggest wildcard of this group at the top, but he’s worth checking out. Moss has struggled with some health issues over the last couple of years, but that shouldn’t stop you from getting excited about his upside. Last year, in particular, was when we saw that explosiveness shine.

Other Notables

Kaytron Allen, Penn State

Allen has mainly been a villain in his college football origin story. Well, not really, but he’s been the one player good enough to keep Singleton from a featured role. With that said, Allen is worth our time and it’s very likely that both Penn State RBs will be drafted in the top three rounds of the NFL draft.

Jonah Coleman, Washington

The former Arizona Wildcat has shown an ability to not only be a featured weapon, but do it at multiple schools. Coleman is a bit undersized, but his versaility in the rushing and receiving game opens him up to a very solid position.

Jam Miller, Alabama

Alabama running back that’s slowly shifted into a big role? I’m in.

Wide Receiver

Jordan Tyson, Arizona State – This class isn’t very exciting right now, but if there’s a guy to crown as “potential top 10 pick”, it’s him. Tyson was a star for Arizona state last year, and I’d expect that to continue in 2025

Carnell Tate, Ohio State – Tate’s college career will mostly be defines as playing second fiddle to generational WR prospects. First it was Marvin Harrison in his Freshman season, then he had to deal with the Greek God that is Jeremiah Smith. Tate showed his own talented skillset in 2024, accumulating 739 yards and emerging as a main weapon. With Emeka Egbuka gone, Tate should have a bigger role, but based on how Ohio State has done things the last decade, don’t be surprised if he has another middling production season and then ends up in the first round of the NFL draft anyway.

Zachariah Branch, Georgia

I’ve always loved the upside Branch brings to the table, but far too often the USC offense has limited him. While some of this may be on him (he’s had some ugly drops), if I’m a college offensive coordinator, I’m figuring out ways to get him the ball. Georgia could be a huge upgrade for Branch, and certainly a bigger platform in the SEC.

Ja’Kobi Lane, USC

Lane is one of the reasons Branch was unable to fully breakout last year. With a limited passing game and only so much production to go around, the True Sophomore made a big impact and is someone to pay very close attention to in 2025. Lane is big, has great ball skills, and made some absolutely spectacular catches in tight coverage.

Eugene Wilson, Florida

Yeah, I know his name is Eugene, but trust me on this one. I’ve had a long history of missing on Florida WRs (shoutout to Antonio Callaway), but Wilson showed spectacular upside in his True Freshman season and I can’t let that be forgotten after an injury-filled 2024 season.