The 2025-26 freshman class took college basketball by storm, accounting for six of 15 AP All-Americans, including consensus National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer (Duke) and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa (BYU).
While not as highly touted, the incoming crop of rookies is still loaded with talent. There are big-name stars poised to take over blue-blood programs and several hidden gems who could help define the 2026-27 campaign.
Below are 10 freshmen to keep an eye on next season. (Note: This list excludes international players, such as Duke forward Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje and UCLA wing Nikola Kusturica. Michigan wing Brandon McCoy would have made the top 10, but he suffered an ACL injury during a foreign exhibition game that will sideline him for the season.)
1. Tyran Stokes, 6-foot-7 forward, Kansas
Stokes, the consensus No. 1 player in the Class of 2026, committed to Kansas in late April, choosing the Jayhawks over Kentucky and Oregon. His decision completely swung KU’s outlook for the 2026-27 season, as Stokes has the talent to contend for National Player of the Year honors. As a senior at Rainier Beach High School in Seattle, the point forward averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals to lead his team to a 29-1 record and a 3A state championship. “Tyran is as versatile a youngster that I’ve ever recruited,” coach Bill Self said. “He can score and he’s a terrific rebounder. He’s powerful and can be a great facilitator, and maybe what he does best is pass the basketball.”
At 18 years old, Stokes will be the centerpiece of a reconstructed Jayhawks team that features another five-star prospect in 6-foot-1 guard Taylen Kinney — Stokes’ former middle school teammate — and a solid transfer class. Kansas hasn’t reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament since winning the national title in 2022, but that drought could very well come to an end thanks to Stokes, who is the fourth No. 1 recruit to sign with the program in the past 15 years (Darryn Peterson, Andrew Wiggins and Josh Jackson are the other three).
2. Caleb Holt, 6-foot-5 wing, Arizona
On the heels of a memorable 2025-26 season that featured a trip to the Final Four, Arizona looks like a national title contender once again, in large part because of Holt. A dynamic, two-way wing out of powerhouse Prolific Prep in Florida, Holt wrapped up his high school career ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Class of 2026, per the 247Sports Composite. He dominated the Adidas 3SSB circuit last summer, averaging 19.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.5 steals.
With guards Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries gone, Holt should take over as the Wildcats’ go-to option right away. He is already familiar with coach Tommy Lloyd, having played for him on USA Basketball’s U19 team. “Being with him for a month, seeing what type of coach he was and what type of players’ coach he was, I really liked that about him,” Holt told Hoops HQ’s Krysten Peek. “He instilled a lot of confidence in me on the court, just giving me the leeway to work on my game… His biggest thing is development, and that’s my biggest thing. I want to be the best player I can be.”
3. Jordan Smith Jr., 6-foot-2 guard, Arkansas
A five-star prospect out of Paul VI Catholic in Virginia, Smith headlines John Calipari’s top-ranked recruiting class. The reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year will be one of the most explosive athletes in college basketball this season. With his unique combination of speed, strength and physicality, Smith is a two-way force and stat-sheet stuffer. As the point guard of a loaded Team Takeover on the 2025 Nike EYBL circuit, he averaged 19.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.4 steals. “I really like to get after it on defense. I take pride in that,” Smith told Hoops HQ last summer. “I like to get out on fastbreaks and get to my pull-up.” He added that he often studies NBA guards Anthony Edwards, Jrue Holiday and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
During Arkansas’ trip to The Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League in late July, Smith registered a triple-double (20 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) in a blowout victory over Carleton University. If the Razorbacks are in the mix for an SEC title come February, it’ll be because Smith lived up to his considerable hype.
4. Jason Crowe Jr., 6-foot-3 guard, Missouri
The second highest-rated recruit ever to commit to Missouri (behind only Michael Porter Jr.), Crowe is the most gifted bucket-getter in his class. The smooth lefty with deep range led the entire 2025 Nike EYBL circuit in scoring (23.6 points per game) and concluded his prep career with a California state-record 4,718 points. He should have plenty of room to operate on a Missouri team that includes another five-star prospect in forward Toni Bryant, All-SEC big man Mark Mitchell and the No. 17 transfer class in the country (per 247Sports’ rankings). Along with Jordan Smith Jr., Crowe is expected to be one of the premier guards in the SEC.
“On the court, J2 is as smooth a player as there is,” coach Dennis Gates said. “He is extremely crafty with a high basketball IQ that allows him to score in any situation. There aren’t many players at any level that are as skilled of a scorer as he is.”
5. Bruce Branch III, 6-foot-7 forward, BYU
Former All-American and No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa is passing the torch at BYU to another sensational freshman in Branch, who became the second-ever five-star to sign with the Cougars. The 17-year-old wing out of Prolific Prep has great positional size, athleticism and outside shooting ability. During last summer’s Adidas 3SSB circuit, he averaged 15.9 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 39 percent from three. Branch should get a lot of quality looks playing alongside one of the country’s top floor generals in Rob Wright III.
“Bruce is a high character young man,” coach Kevin Young said. “He plays the game the right way and knows how to win. His talent is undeniable on both ends of the floor and we can’t wait to help develop his game and help put him in position to be great.”
6. Cameron Williams, 6-foot-11 forward, Duke
In back-to-back seasons, a Duke freshman has claimed National Player of the Year honors (Cooper Flagg, Cameron Boozer). Williams, the nation’s No. 4-ranked prospect, may be the next in line to light up Cameron Indoor Stadium. An elite rim protector with a deep offensive skill set, Williams averaged 15.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.6 blocks on last year’s Adidas 3SSB circuit. He’s expected to compete with another freshman star — 7-footer Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje out of FC Barcelona in Spain — for the starting power forward spot alongside returning center Patrick Ngongba II.
“Cam possesses a unique set of tools you just don’t find very often,” coach Jon Scheyer said. “At 7-feet with the ability to guard one through five, elite shooting range, ball-handling ability, and connective playmaking, Cam impacts the game in so many ways. But what excites us most is how coachable and intelligent he is. He genuinely wants to get better, win, and he has an unbelievable ceiling.”
7. Christian Collins, 6-foot-8 forward, USC
Collins is one of the focal points of Eric Musselman’s stacked 2026-27 roster. The five-star prospect out of St. John Bosco High School in California should fit nicely next to talented scorers like Rodney Rice, Alijah Arenas and KJ Lewis. With his length (7-foot-1 wingspan), athleticism and versatility, Collins is “a true positionless basketball fit,” as Musselman put it. During his senior season, the do-it-all forward averaged 26.1 points, 9.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists. “Great work ethic, high motor, can play the three, played a lot of four in high school and eventually can maybe play some two,” Musselman told Hoops HQ about Collins. “Just a relentless defender.”
USC landed two more McDonald’s All-Americans in twins Adonis and Darius Ratliff. Musselman expects all three freshmen to play important roles for the Trojans, who undoubtedly have the firepower to contend for a Big Ten title.
8. Anthony Thompson, 6-foot-8 forward, Ohio State
An elite shotmaker with exceptional size and length (7-foot-3 wingspan), Thompson is Ohio State’s highest-ranked prospect (No. 8) since Jared Sullinger in 2010. He joins an OSU team with lofty expectations after coach Jake Diebler retained several key pieces. At Western Reserve Academy last season, Thompson averaged 24.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 47 percent from the field and 35 percent from deep. He also averaged 20-plus points on the 2025 Adidas 3SSB circuit as a member of Indiana Elite.
“Anthony is a special player. His combination of size, skill, and athleticism gives him unique versatility,” Diebler said. “Who he is aligns with what our program is all about and the basketball IQ he has will help him be really impactful right away.”
9. Quentin Coleman, 6-foot-4 guard, Illinois
After the departures of Keaton Wagler and Kylan Boswell, the Illini needed another floor general to help run their offense this season. Enter Coleman, a highly decorated, sharpshooting guard out of St. Louis. The reigning Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year led Principia School to back-to-back Class 3 state championships, averaging 23.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.7 steals as a senior. He also won a Peach Jam title as a member of Bradley Beal Elite last summer and averaged a double-double (11.2 points and 11.4 rebounds) for Team USA at the FIBA U18 AmeriCup in June.
“Quentin is one of the most competitive players I watched in the Class of 2026. He is an elite competitor, so it’s no surprise that winning is in his DNA,” coach Brad Underwood said. “He understands how to compete and play alongside other great players and elevate himself and his teammates.”
10. Marcus Spears Jr., 6-foot-9 forward, Texas
Considered by many to be the best player in the Class of 2027, Spears stunned the basketball world by reclassifying to 2026 and committing to Texas in mid-July. The highly coveted prospect must play two years at the college level before being eligible for the NBA Draft.
While Spears is expected to come off the bench this season, backing up established big men David Punch and Matas Vokietaitis, the 17-year-old should play an integral role for a UT team with national title aspirations. A smooth lefty with tremendous size and mobility, Spears averaged 20.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals while shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 52.6 percent from deep on this summer’s Nike EYBL circuit. He also helped lead USA Basketball to a gold medal at the FIBA U16 AmeriCup in 2025, posting a team-high 14 points per game.
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