5-Star College Football Players Stepping Into Much Larger Roles in 2026
Sometimes top-ranked recruits are far too talented to keep off the field immediately, but there are plenty other situations where the flickering light takes years to come on. Other times, it never does at all.
For all of the players on this list, it's expected that they'll take a large leap in 2026.
In all cases, they were formerly ranked as 5-star prospects in the 247Sports composite rankings in their respective classes, and they've either never quite seized the spotlight, or they did and lost it.
In multiple instances, also, the transfer portal has allowed for fresh starts.
Every one of these dudes is expected to be relied upon to play larger roles the next time the college football season cranks up. Let's take a look at a baker's dozen of guys expected to play large roles for their teams in '26.
Amare Adams, Clemson Defensive Tackle
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Regarded as a can't-miss 5-star prospect and the No. 7-ranked overall prospect in last year's recruiting class, Amare Adams didn't play a large role for Clemson in 2025, despite a disappointing season for the Tigers.
A huge reason is because Peter Woods and TJ Parker are top-of-the-draft talents who anchored the defensive front.
Now, with both off to the NFL, the 6'4", 300-pound Adams should be considered a major building block for a Tigers program that is staring down the barrel of a rebuild next year, thanks to coach Dabo Swinney's staunch stance to only grudgingly use the portal.
The Florence, South Carolina, native is an explosive athlete at his size and should be a sure-fire starter in '26. Look for him to have a big year as the Tigers try to pick up the pieces and return to prominence in the ACC.
Adepoju "PJ" Adebawore, Oklahoma Edge
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In today's transfer portal era, you've got to applaud Adepoju Adebawore for sticking things out at Oklahoma. But it's now-or-never for the kid they call "PJ" if he's ever going to make an impact for the Sooners.
After briefly going portaling this offseason, he decided to go back to Norman. Now, the 6'4", 261-pound rising senior who was the No. 12-ranked overall player and second-rated edge in the 2022 recruiting class is expecting to battle for a starting edge spot for a playoff contender.
R Mason Thomas and Marvin Jones Jr. are out of eligibility, and though Taylor Wein should anchor one spot, Adebawore will go up against Danny Okoye to start at the other spot.
He'll bring tons of experience after playing in 36 games but never starting. The Kansas City native has just 27 tackles and five sacks over his career.
Getting an opportunity to start would be an uptick in OU's expectations for him and could bring heightened production.
Andrew Babalola, Michigan Offensive Lineman
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The Michigan Wolverines won the sweepstakes to get Andrew Babalola in their 2025 recruiting class, and the Kansas native did nothing to disappoint during the brief time he got on the field.
The big, athletic 6'6", 315-pound offensive tackle was the nation's No. 16-rated overall player and the third-ranked tackle in the '25 class, and he was almost certainly going to be firmly in the rotation after a strong preseason.
However, Babalola suffered a season-ending knee injury in camp after being one of the buzziest players leading up to the year.
Despite all the off-field turmoil in Ann Arbor and the addition of coach Kyle Whittingham, Babalola decided to stay at Michigan, which is huge news. Despite the Wolverines having three returning starters back for '26, Babalola is good enough to earn one of those two other spots.
The key is going to be just how quickly it takes him to fully return from that injury. If he's ready right now, he'll be a starter or at least in the two-deep.
CJ Baxter, Kentucky Running Back
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One of the biggest forgotten-about players who could surge next year will be playing in Lexington, Kentucky. That's where former Texas running back CJ Baxter has resurfaced, playing for new coach Will Stein.
The 6'1", 227-pound junior has a couple of seasons of eligibility remaining, and he's going to try to get things back on track and return to the form that had him rated the top-ranked runner and the No. 18 overall player in the 2023 class.
Baxter had a strong rookie season for the Longhorns in '23, gaining 659 yards and scoring five times. A season-ending knee injury delayed his entire sophomore year before the '24 season started, and he wasn't himself this year. He lost carries, finishing with just 196 yards in his return to the field.
Now, he could be the primary back for the Wildcats, and a couple of years removed from his injury, he could return to form. Kentucky is expecting big things.
Elijah Griffin, Georgia Defensive Tackle
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The crown jewel of Kirby Smart's 2025 recruiting class didn't waste any time getting on the field as a true freshman, as Elijah Griffin carved out a role right away.
The 6'4", 310-pound Savannah native was the nation's No. 1-ranked defensive lineman and third-rated player in the class. Like a lot of Dawgs stars coach Kirby Smart recruited before him, Griffin is an explosive athlete for his size.
Now that Christen Miller is off to the NFL where he'll be a high draft pick, the path is paved for Griffin to become a star in just his second season in Athens. He will have to beat out redshirt junior Josh Horton for the job, but Griffin's talent is too much to keep off the field.
Griffin played in all 13 games as a true freshman in '25, making virtually every all-freshman team with 18 tackles (12 solo), 2.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and one pass deflection. He didn't start any games, but Griffin was firmly in the rotation.
It's time for Griffin to show everybody why he was so highly rated.
Lance Jackson, Texas Outside Linebacker
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When it comes to edge-rushers and outside linebackers, the Texas Longhorns have absolutely loaded up on stars the past few cycles.
First, it was Anthony Hill Jr.—who settled on the second level and is now set to be a star NFL prospect. Colin Simmons Jr. is one of the top edge-rushers in the country, and he returns for his third and what will be his final season on the 40 aces.
The next big thing for the 'Horns off the edge is Lance Jackson, who was the No. 21-rated overall player in the 2025 class and the second-rated edge-rusher.
Despite an embarrassment of talent at the position in '25, coach Steve Sarkisian simply couldn't keep Jackson off the field. He finished the year as a rotational piece with 16 tackles, a pair of sacks and some freshman All-America honors.
Next year, the path is cleared for him to start opposite Simmons, and the expectation is he is going to be a breakout star once there's a larger sample set. Everybody's excited about what he'll bring for first-year defensive coordinator Will Muschamp.
Keon Keeley, Notre Dame Defensive End
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When Keon Keeley entered the transfer portal, surged up those second-chance rankings and wound up committing to Notre Dame, it was a full-circle moment for the defensive end.
The 6'5", 282-pound Tampa, Florida, native was the star of coach Marcus Freeman's 2023 recruiting class for the Fighting Irish before flipping and signing with Nick Saban at Alabama.
Keeley has flashed at times in Tuscaloosa and really began developing and coming into his own at the end of 2025, getting major run in the playoffs as a redshirt sophomore. But the pull back to South Bend was strong, and now, he'll finish his career playing for Freeman.
That's huge news for the Irish and Keeley, who was the No. 1-ranked edge and second-rated overall player in the '23 class.
Against Oklahoma in the playoffs, Keeley had four tackles, a sack and a pass breakup. He also added a trio of tackles and half a sack in the SEC title game loss to Georgia.
He'll head to South Bend where his best football is ahead of him.
Deuce Knight, Ole Miss Quarterback
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Ole Miss star quarterback Trinidad Chambliss already has been denied a sixth collegiate season of eligibility, though there's optimism for an appeal.
Rising redshirt freshman signal-caller Deuce Knight's inclusion on this list is contingent on Chambliss losing his appeal—something no Rebels fan wants to see. His return could be the difference in another playoff run and a bit of a rebuild under Pete Golding.
If it's the latter, the transfer of raw-but-talented Knight from Auburn could be huge.
The Rebels have no proven talent behind Chambliss in Oxford after Austin Simmons left for Missouri, and Knight easily could develop into a star. It was a big deal that he returned to Mississippi where the 6'4.5", 217-pound Lucedale native was a 5-star prospect and the No. 28-ranked overall player in the '25 class.
At Auburn, he flashed when he got on the field, completing 17 of his 25 passes in limited action for 259 yards and a pair of scores against lesser competition. He also had 13 carries for 178 yards and four touchdowns.
Everybody at Ole Miss wants Chambliss back, but Knight has limitless potential.
Jaylen Mbakwe, Georgia Tech Wide Receiver
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Sometimes, when you have two positions, you have no positions—that's been the issue with Jaylen Mbakwe during his first two seasons at Alabama.
Now, the former star athlete is seeking a fresh start for coach Brent Key's program at Georgia Tech, where he hopes to break out as a pass-catcher.
After starring at Clay-Chalkville High School in Pinson, Alabama, and rated as the No. 11 overall prospect and the second-rated cornerback in the 2024 class, Mbakwe came to Tuscaloosa as a defensive back and immediately got on the field.
The 5'11", 190-pound defender registered 15 tackles, a tackle for loss, two pass breakups and an interception but switched to receiver before the bowl game against Michigan. He stayed at that spot during his sophomore season and never really got in the rotation, catching just three passes for 55 yards.
Mbakwe played in 10 games this past year, mostly on special teams, and burned a year of eligibility. He will have two seasons remaining with the Yellow Jackets, who desperately need playmakers on the perimeter.
Maybe a change of scenery will do Mbakwe good.
Na'eem Offord, Oregon Cornerback
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The Oregon Ducks are absolutely loaded in the defensive backfield where coach Dan Lanning's recruiting chops have really shone over the past few cycles.
This past year, true freshman Brandon Finney Jr. was a revelation and one of the top cornerbacks in the Big Ten. The Ducks went out and got Aaron Scott Jr. to compete for that spot opposite Finney, but the bet here is that is grabbed by Na'eem Offord.
The rangy, 6'1", 195-pound defensive back worked his way into the rotation at the end of the year for Oregon and had a big game against James Madison in the first round of the College Football Playoff.
Lanning got Offord from SEC country, where he was the No. 3-ranked cornerback and 13th-rated overall player in the 2025 class out of Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama.
Offord has far too much talent to sit around and wait. If he doesn't win the job this year, you can bet he'll leave the Pacific Northwest for a spot closer to home. This kid is going to be an NFL corner, and he should rise to that opportunity this year in Eugene.
Keelon Russell, Alabama Quarterback
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The first quarterback off the bench for coach Kalen DeBoer when Ty Simpson went down with an injury in the playoffs was Austin Mack, not Keelon Russell.
But everybody was buzzing about Russell's potential for a reason.
He is clearly behind Mack in the pecking order now, but how long will that be the case? The 6'3", 194-pound quarterback was a star throwing to Dakorien Moore at powerhouse Duncanville (Texas) High School. He will only be a redshirt freshman in '26, but he'll battle for the job.
Mack could be in line for a similar jump as Simpson's in '25, but, if not, Russell is a dual-threat talent waiting in the wings.
"He's an NFL quarterback," Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb told AL.com.
He was the No. 2-rated overall player in the '25 class, behind Bryce Underwood.
His inclusion on this list is based on the belief Alabama will turn to Russell to get a long look. Neither kid entered the portal, and this is going to be a wide-open battle.
Devin Sanchez, Ohio State Cornerback
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Oregon's Brandon Finney Jr. took the nation by storm as a true freshman shutdown cornerback in 2025, but he wasn't even in the top five players at his position in the class.
The guy at the top is going to make a monumental leap in '26 after getting meaningful snaps in an elite Ohio State Buckeyes secondary last year. That would be Devin Sanchez—the Texas product who was the nation's top-ranked cornerback and No. 5-ranked overall player in the '25 class.
Sanchez was on the field right away last year, and he is in line to become a regular starter after playing meaningful snaps this past year. Not only that, though. Sanchez could be an All-Big Ten caliber player.
He has that kind of ability.
Sanchez is a 6'2," 198-pound, rangy defensive back who actually has added about 20 pounds since coming to Columbus. He has lockdown ability, elite ball skills and can tackle, too. Sanchez is the complete package, and he's a prime candidate for a breakout sophomore season.
Justin Scott, Miami Defensive Tackle
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After a magical run from Miami through the College Football Playoff, the Hurricanes have to set their sites on replacing some studs all over the place.
One of those areas is the defensive line where Rueben Bain Jr. and Ahkeem Mesidor will make their millions in the NFL. Though the 'Canes will get back Ahmad Moten Sr., a guy who could make a huge jump into the rotation or maybe even the starting lineup is Justin Scott.
The Chicagoland native was a rotational piece during the 'Canes' runner-up run in '25, and though coach Mario Cristobal has loaded up on talent along the front like Marquise Lightfoot, Armondo Blount and Herbert Scroggins, Scott is too talented to watch.
Scott was the third-rated defensive tackle and No. 11 overall player in the 2024 class before choosing Miami. He is a 6'4", 298-pound defender who was wildly productive as a rotational piece in '25, finishing with 26 tackles and a sack—strong numbers for a defensive lineman.
Now, he's going to work his way into even more reps on a deep and talented line.
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