ESPN Names Two Five-Star QBs Poised to Shine in 2026 College Football Season

The start of each college football season brings renewed hope and optimism for programs around the country, and it also offers the fresh crop of incoming freshmen the chance to make an early splash on their new teams.

Not all first-year students are created equal, however, and some players have a much greater chance of being the kind of instant-impact starter or rotational piece that college coaches are looking for.

There is typically a positive correlation between an incoming player's overall recruiting ranking and their path to potential early playing time. This isn't always the case, but generally speaking, the more stars a player has next to their name coming in, the more likely they are to see the field in their first season.

ESPN analyst Billy Tucker recently broke down the 51 freshmen he believes are best positioned to make an immediate impact in their first season on campus, and he included a pair of five-star quarterbacks who were highly sought after in the 2026 recruiting cycle.

Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt Commodores

Jared Curtis Vandy QB — Vanderbilt quarterback Jared Curtis (2) throws during practice at Vanderbilt University | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Diego Pavia spent two seasons at the helm of the Vanderbilt Commodores' offense, and in that short time, he cemented himself as the greatest player in program history. 17 total wins, the first 10-win season in program history, multiple major awards, and a second-place Heisman finish, Pavia led the Commodores to heights many thought were impossible.

Replacing such an impactful player would be a daunting task for any program, but, as crazy as it may sound, Lea and the Commodores might already have a quarterback who is capable of surpassing Pavia.

This would be five-star true freshman gunslinger Jared Curtis, who Vandy managed to lure away from the Georgia Bulldogs in one of the more shocking recruiting flips in recent memory.

The wide-open path to a starting role in his first year on campus was undoubtedly a massive reason why Curtis decided to take his talents to Nashville instead of Athens, and Tucker believes he can be the immediate successor to Pavia that the Commodores need.

"Curtis was the top-ranked passer in 2026 and Vanderbilt's highest-rated recruit ever after he flipped from Georgia," Tucker writes.

"While he hasn't been named the starter, Curtis remains the odds-on favorite to win the job this fall. He will have to combat significant expectations, but he has the natural arm talent and comfortable situation under Clark Lea, who signed an extension in November, to flourish in Nashville."

Faizon Brandon, Tennessee Volunteers

UT QB Faizon Brandon — Tennessee quarterback Faizon Brandon (11) during the Vols' first spring football practice in Knoxville on | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Vanderbilt wasn't the only SEC program in the Volunteer State to land a five-star quarterback, as their in-state arch-rivals, Tennessee, signed North Carolina native Faizon Brandon as the centerpiece of their 2026 recruiting class.

Unlike Curtis, the Volunteers didn't have to pull off a massive last-minute flip to get Brandon, as he committed early on and remained locked in with Tennessee and Josh Huepel for a year and a half before enrolling early this past January.

As it so happens, the QB situation on Rocky Top was thrown into turmoil when former starter Nico Iamaleava departed from the program following an NIL dispute last offseason, and 2025 starter Joey Aguilar was denied a sixth year of eligibility by the NCAA.

This means that the starting role was left vacant heading into 2026, and Tucker believes that Brandon has the tools to flourish in Heupel's up-tempo offense.

"Brandon, the No. 14 prospect and third-ranked pocket passer in 2026, must first beat out redshirt freshman George MacIntyre for Tennessee's starting job, but his ceiling is significantly higher," Tucker writes.

"His natural arm strength is a great fit for Josh Heupel's vertical offense and could unlock another gear for Tennessee.

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