5 Oklahoma freshmen already primed to immediately contribute for the Sooners in 2026

Most freshmen, especially in the SEC, need time to develop before contributing, but some guys just show up to campus already ready to make an impact.

The Oklahoma Sooners' 2026 roster is loaded with talent and experienced returning starters, but there are still a handful of OU freshmen that were part of the 2026 class that have already shown during spring and fall camps that they can break through immediately to help the Sooners right now, not later.

Jahsiear Rogers and 4 other freshmen who should get early playing time for OU

Offensive lineman Noah Best's stock has soared during fall camp. In fact, if this list was created even two weeks ago, he probably wouldn't have been on it. But when the Sooners were dealing with a few banged up offensive linemen early in camp, Best got to go with the starting unit at right guard and impressed. Ryan Fodje, who was expected to start at right guard, even said of Best, "I feel like he has a chance to be a starter Day 1."

Best still likely won't crack the starting lineup as a freshman with all the talent OU has up front right now, but he's definitely earned a spot in the rotation and should see a lot of time in the Sooners' season opener against UTEP.

At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, James Carrington is certainly built like a Tank, and that's what he rightfully goes by. There's suddenly been a lot of buzz about Carrington, with Brent Venables comparing him to teammate Jayden Jackson, who started as a freshman in 2024. The main reason Venables made the comparison is because of how ready Carrington already is like Jackson was.

Jackson and David Stone have the defensive tackle spots locked in so Carrington won't be starting as a frosh, but it sounds like he could see some playing time as a depth piece, even with such a talented group on the interior of the defensive line.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 235 pounds, Jonathan Hatton Jr. showed up to fall camp already looking like a college running back. He also has speed to go with that size, as fellow running back Xavier Robinson said Hatton can get up to 22 miles per hour with pads on and wide receiver Isaiah Sategna III deemed him as one of the fastest players on the team.

It's a crowded running back room right now, but Hatton has everything physically needed for a breakout season, and running backs coach Deland McCullough might end up having to feed the freshman if his production matches expectations.

Jake Kreul was the headliner of the Sooners' 2026 signing class as a five-star recruit, per ESPN, so had early expectations to immediately make an impact. He's also 6-foot-3 and 246 pounds so already has the size needed to hang in the SEC.

Edge rusher is one of the Sooners' deepest positions, but Kreul's talent still might not let him get buried on the depth chart.

Talk of wide receiver Jahsiear Rogers seeing the field early and often started back during spring camp, and then he really turned heads at the spring game.

Although the hype has quieted, he's still been carving out a role during the fall. A bulk of Rogers' contributions likely won't come at receiver, but he's been working as a return man and it was revealed during the spring that there were even times that Rogers carried the ball on designed runs.

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