College Football's Impact Freshmen In 2026

Will Backus of CBS Sports recently wrote about College Football's Impact Freshmen In 2026 and mentioned four rookies from the SEC.

They include Alabama's RB Ezavier Crowell, Vanderbilt QB Jared Curtis, South Carolina OL Darius Gray, and Tennessee WR TK Keys.

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Ezavier Crowell, RB, Alabama
247Sports Ranking: No. 1 RB, No. 18 overall

Alabama didn't have a single player rush for more than 504 yards last season. The Crimson Tide averaged just 3.4 yards on the ground as a team, their worst output on the ground since before Nick Saban took over as head coach. It looked as if Alabama was going to win a significant transfer portal battle when Hollywood Smothers committed to the Tide, but he quickly flipped to and signed with Texas. Crowell brings some much-needed juice to an otherwise very lackluster group of rushers. He may just be Alabama's top ground option from Day 1.

Jared Curtis, QB, Vanderbilt
247Sports Ranking: No. 2 QB, No. 2 overall

Curtis has some (metaphorically) big shoes to fill. Diego Pavia, who finished runner-up in the 2025 Heisman Trophy voting, is out of eligibility. He's a big loss for the Commodores, as he won 17 games in his two years with the program. Curtis has a college-ready frame at 6-foot-3.5 and 225 pounds. He also has the arm and athleticism to back it up. He's a former running back, which means that he should be a perfect fit in offensive coordinator Tim Beck's run-and-gun offense.

Darius Gray, OL, South Carolina
247Sports Ranking: No. 1 IOL, No. 15 overall

Gray will have to be ready early at this point. South Carolina's offensive linemen are dropping like flies, and spring practice hasn't even started yet. Both Jacarrius Peak and Josiah Thompson -- the expected starting tackles -- will miss significant time due to injury. Gray doesn't arrive until the summer, but there's still an opportunity for him to prove his worth at multiple positions. Whether the Gamecocks try him at offensive tackle or keep him inside -- or, most likely, cross-train him -- he'll be an invaluable piece in the fall.

TK Keys, WR, Tennessee
247Sports Ranking: No. 1 WR, No. 12 overall

Tennessee's top two wide receivers are locked in stone. Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley, the 2025 SEC Freshman of the Year, each surpassed 800 yards receiving last season. There's another spot up for grabs with 1,000-yard receiver Chris Brazzell II off to the NFL, though. More experienced players like Radarious Jackson and Travis Smith Jr. might initially get the nod over Keys. Given that Keys is the highest-ranked wide receiver to sign with Tennessee in the modern recruiting era, it's hard to see him staying on the sidelines, even if he missed a lot of his high school senior season due to injury.

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