The 2025-26 freshman class was one of the greatest in college basketball history, accounting for six of 15 AP All-Americans, the National Player of the Year (Duke’s Cameron Boozer) and nine of the top 10 picks in the 2026 NBA Draft.
This year’s crop of rookies may not be as highly regarded, but there are still plenty of potential stars and hidden gems in the mix. After spotlighting the biggest names in the class last week, here’s a look at 10 under-the-radar freshmen to keep an eye on this season. (Note: All of the players featured are ranked outside the top 25 on the 247Sports Composite. Their final rankings are included in parenthesis.)
1. Maximo Adams, 6-foot-7 forward, North Carolina (No. 26)
A two-way forward out of powerhouse Sierra Canyon in California, Adams was among the biggest risers in the Class of 2026. Between July and September 2025, he ascended from No. 100 to No. 26 on the 247Sports Composite before committing to North Carolina in November.
With his size, athleticism and versatility, Adams has the tools to be a major impact player at the college level from day one. It wouldn’t be surprising if he emerges as Michael Malone’s most important player off the bench and a potential 2027 NBA Draft prospect. “His biggest strength is his motor,” Rich Thornton, Adams’ former AAU coach, told Hoops HQ last summer. “Unbelievable scorer. Unbelievable rebounder, and that’s just all motor. He’s highly skilled, but what stands out is that he’s a greedy rebounder and a greedy scorer.” Thornton added that he believes Adams is “100 percent” a one-and-done player.
2. Colben Landrew, 6-foot-6 forward, UConn (No. 27)
Like Adams, Landrew shot up the national rankings last summer, rising 60 spots on the 247Sports Composite. The Alabama native used to play football and brings elite physicality, toughness and versatility to the table. He led Wheeler High School to back-to-back Georgia Class 6A state championships in 2025 and 2026 and was named the 2026 MaxPreps Georgia High School Player of the Year with averages of 24.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists.
The Huskies lost a lot of firepower from last season, including their three leading scorers. Dan Hurley is counting on his freshmen — Landrew and four-star guard Junior Country (No. 44) — to contribute in some capacity. “We see an opportunity for these guys to work and earn their way into impact positions as freshmen,” Hurley said. “I think these guys are going to be on the court and helping us win really, really early in their careers.”
3. Qayden Samuels, 6-foot-5 wing, Alabama (No. 30)
Samuels and Alabama is a match made in heaven. The four-star prospect out of Bishop McNamara High School in Maryland established himself as one of the best pure scorers in his class, and the Tide have consistently had one of the nation’s top offenses under Nate Oats. Playing for Team Takeover on the 2025 Nike EYBL circuit, Samuels averaged 20 points (10th in the league) while shooting over 40 percent from behind the arc. He compares his game to that of San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper. “We’re both left-handed. We both get to our spots,” Samuels told Hoops HQ last summer. “We play at our pace. I love watching his game.”
As usual, Alabama is loaded with talented wings, including five-star freshman Jaxon Richardson. But Samuels should still see major action off the bench and have some eye-opening scoring performances.
4. Latrell Allmond, 6-foot-8 forward, Oklahoma State (No. 37)
Allmond is the headliner of Steve Lutz’s highly touted recruiting class, which landed at No. 12 in 247Sports’ rankings. The four-star prospect is OSU’s highest-rated freshman since Cade Cunningham in 2020. As a senior at Petersburg High School in Virginia, Allmond averaged 22.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks and led his team to its first state title in 52 years. He is a physical forward who scores at all three levels and brings tremendous defensive versatility.
“I’m an all-around player who’s going to come out there and compete at every single position and on both ends of the ball and try to win,” Allmond previously told Hoops HQ. “That’s one of the greatest qualities I’ve had over these past [few] years in high school: winning. The fans in Stillwater are going to get a dog out of me every single night. As Michael Jordan would say, ‘I’m trying to impress the guy who’s at the top of the stadium who paid their last to be there.’”
5. Luke Ertel, 6-foot-1 guard, Purdue (No. 42)
With Braden Smith’s incredible career in West Lafayette coming to an end, Purdue welcomed a new promising floor general this summer: four-star prospect Luke Ertel. As a senior at Mount Vernon High School in Indiana, Ertel led his team to its first state championship ever with averages of 24.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.8 steals while shooting nearly 40 percent from three. He was named Indiana Mr. Basketball, becoming the 14th Boilermaker to receive the honor.
Ertel is expected to run Purdue’s second unit, backing up sophomore guard Omer Mayer. During the program’s exhibition trip to Canada in late July, Ertel averaged 8.3 points, 4.5 assists (second on the team) and 3.5 rebounds. He recorded 18 assists against just five turnovers and knocked down 36 percent of his three-point attempts.
6. Marcis Ponder, 6-foot-11 center, Florida State (No. 46)
Luke Loucks overhauled his roster this offseason, bringing in six transfers and seven freshmen. The imposing, 285-pound Ponder is projected to start at center, and should be one of FSU’s most productive weapons this season. Ponder starred for Gillion Basketball Academy in Virginia and was named Defensive Player of the Year of the 2026 Grind Session (an elite winter circuit), averaging 20.1 points, 13.1 rebounds and 5.4 blocks. He solidified himself as one of the premier rebounders, rim protectors and enforcers in the Class of 2026.
“Marcis Ponder was a priority for our staff from day one on the job,” Loucks said. “He is one of the best center prospects in America and will make an immediate impact on our program. Marcis has an incredible mix of size, strength, and competitive fire.”
7. Cameron Holmes, 6-foot-6 forward, Arizona (No. 47)
The addition of Holmes has flown under the radar, mainly because Arizona also landed five-star freshman Caleb Holt, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Class of 2026. But Holmes, the younger brother of former Dayton star DaRon Holmes II, should be a key contributor off the bench for Tommy Lloyd. With his versatility, motor and feel for the game, Holmes has the ability to slot in seamlessly. “I’m a dog. I want to win,” he told Hoops HQ last summer. “I can shoot it. I can put it on the floor. I can play defense. If you’re a coach, whatever you want me to do, I’m going to do it.”
During Arizona’s Lithuania tour in mid-August, Holmes averaged around 30 minutes per game. His best performance came against the Lithuania B Team: 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block. He also had five assists in the Wildcats’ victory over Ukraine.
8. Davion Thompson, 6-foot-2 guard, Arkansas (No. 51)
After lighting up this summer’s Nike EYBL circuit (19.4 points, 4.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds for Meanstreets), Arkansas commit Davion Thompson reclassified from 2027 to 2026 and immediately headed to Fayetteville. The highly skilled floor general is one of a whopping eight freshmen on John Calipari’s roster, including five-star guards/wings Jordan Smith Jr., Abdou Toure and JaShawn Andrews. Even in a crowded backcourt (which also features Georgia transfer Jeremiah Wilkinson), Thompson should crack the rotation.
The 17-year-old was very impressive during Arkansas’ exhibition trip to The Bahamas in late July, averaging 11 points off the bench. In a win over The Bahamas Select Team, Thompson shot 3 of 7 from behind the arc and finished with 17 points in just 20 minutes of action. “Davion’s more ready than I thought he would be to help us,” Calipari said afterwards.
9. Alex Constanza, 6-foot-8 wing, Pepperdine (No. 66)
Constanza decommitted from Georgetown in April, opening the door for other powerhouse suitors such as Florida, Illinois, Houston, Alabama and Kansas. But the South Florida native opted to go the mid-major route, becoming the highest-ranked recruit on record to sign with Pepperdine, which hired Griff Aldrich to be its new coach in March.
With his size, length and three-level scoring ability, Constanza presents a lot of matchup problems. He played his final high school season at Spire Academy in Ohio, one of the country’s top prep programs, and ranked third in the state of Florida in scoring (29.4 points per game) as a junior at Westminster Academy. He should assume a major role for the Waves right away. “Alex is a very dynamic player with tremendous skill for a player his size,” Aldrich said. “His ability to impact the game with positional size will be a tremendous complement to our current roster.”
10. Vaughn Karvala, 6-foot-6 wing, Indiana (No. 69)
Indiana’s roster for Year Two of the Darian DeVries era features a top-10 transfer class (per 247Sports) and three four-star freshmen, including Wisconsin native Vaughn Karvala. The jumbo wing has explosive athleticism and a smooth outside shot. He was a three-year letterwinner at Oregon High School before transferring to national powerhouse Bella Vista Prep for his senior campaign.
Karvala led the Hoosiers in scoring during their foreign tour in Peru this summer (16.3 points per game). He put on a show in a victory over the Virgin Islands, dropping 32 points on 11– -of– -14 shooting from the field and 7 of 10 from deep. “I thought Vaughn had a great week,” DeVries said after the trip. “Just his versatility, his length, his athleticism and his ability to shoot the three. And defensively, he can give you some versatility guarding multiple positions.”
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