Most freshmen need a little time before they can really matter in the SEC. The jump from high school to college is steep, the speed is different, and even the best recruits usually spend at least part of a year learning the ropes.
But Oklahoma has a few newcomers who already look like they can help right away.
The Sooners’ 2026 roster is deep and packed with returning starters, yet a handful of freshmen from that class have already flashed enough in spring and fall camp to push for early playing time. Some may not crack the starting lineup, but they’ve done enough to put themselves in the conversation for real snaps.
Noah Best is the clearest example of how quickly that can happen. The offensive lineman’s rise has come fast during fall camp.
Two weeks ago, he probably wouldn’t have made this list at all. Then injuries nudged him into work with the starting unit at right guard, and he made the most of it.
Ryan Fodje, who was expected to start there, said of Best, "I feel like he has a chance to be a starter Day 1."
That doesn’t necessarily mean Best is about to take over a first-string job as a freshman. Oklahoma has too much talent up front for that to be the likely outcome. But he has clearly earned a place in the rotation, and he should see plenty of action in the season opener against UTEP.
On the defensive side, James Carrington has started to generate real buzz. At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, he looks the part and then some - which is why he goes by Tank.
Brent Venables has even compared him to Jayden Jackson, who started as a freshman in 2024. The comparison came down to how ready Carrington already is, much like Jackson was.
Carrington isn’t expected to start with Jackson and David Stone holding down the defensive tackle spots, but he sounds like a freshman who could still work his way into the mix as a depth piece on the interior.
Jonathan Hatton Jr. has also caught attention almost immediately. Listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, he arrived looking like a college running back already, and the speed is there too. Xavier Robinson said Hatton can get up to 22 miles per hour with pads on, and Isaiah Sategna III called him one of the fastest players on the team.
The backfield is crowded, but Hatton has the physical tools to force the issue. If he starts producing the way people around the program think he can, Deland McCullough may not have any choice but to find ways to feed the freshman.
Jake Kreul came in with the biggest recruiting spotlight of the group. ESPN ranked him as a five-star prospect, and at 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds, he already has the frame to hold up in the SEC.
Edge rusher is one of Oklahoma’s deepest spots, so Kreul won’t have a clean path to a starting role. Even so, his talent could keep him from disappearing into the depth chart.
Then there’s Jahsiear Rogers, whose early buzz started in spring camp and really picked up after the spring game. He made a splash there with five catches for 70 yards, including a 41-yard grab from Whitt Newbauer early in the game.
The attention around Rogers has cooled some since then, but he’s still working toward a role in fall camp. Most of his value may not come as a traditional receiver. He’s also been used as a return man, and during the spring there were times he handled designed runs, too.
In Other News...
Oklahomas Roster Picture Just Got Murkier After Latest NCAA Ruling
The latest turn in the NCAA eligibility fight has put Oklahoma in a tougher spot, at least for the moment, as the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit granted the NCAAs request to stay the class-wide preliminary injunction out of the Colorado case while the appeal moves forward. For the Sooners, that matters immediately because the ruling changes the footing for players whose extra year hinged on that injunction, adding another layer of uncertainty to a roster picture that has already been shifting around the edges.
Danny Saili and Tae Davis are currently ineligible under the stay, since their fifth year of eligibility depended solely on the Colorado order. BJ Edwards and Duke Brennan, meanwhile, remain eligible because they are covered by separate state court protections, a reminder that these cases are being sorted out on different tracks and with different outcomes. For Oklahoma, the result is a reminder that the eligibility landscape is still very much in flux, with the next chapter now tied to the NCAAs appeal. [Read more 🡒]
Jonathan Hatton Jr. Is Giving Oklahoma Fans Freshman Phenom Hope
Jonathan Hatton Jr. has already started to stir the kind of buzz Oklahoma fans usually reserve for a truly special freshman. The running backs blend of size and speed has turned heads inside the program, and teammate Xavier Robinson has helped fan the excitement by pointing to Hattons burst in full pads, where he has reportedly been clocked as fast as 21.7 mph.
For a fan base that knows what a big-time freshman back can look like, the comparisons are easy to understand. Hatton arrives with the high school production to back up the hype, and his profile naturally invites the kind of conversation Oklahoma has had before about Adrian Peterson and Marcus Dupree. The real question now is how quickly that promise turns into an actual role on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma Just Got Reassuring News At A Crucial Spot Up Front
Jake Maikkulas knee injury had a chance to create real concern for Oklahoma up front, especially with fall camp still unfolding and the center spot being one of the most important jobs on the field. Instead, Brent Venables offered a far more encouraging update, saying the starting center is doing well and should be back soon after what was described as a short-term recovery.
For the moment, the Sooners are getting by with other players handling the middle of the line, but Maikkulas expected return matters because he was a key starter last season and was projected to anchor that spot again. With upcoming games on the horizon, Oklahoma appears to have avoided a long-term problem at a position it cannot afford to lose for long. [Read more 🡒]