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Rivals Roundtable: Which 2026 star will have an instant impact in college?

Commitment season is right around the corner and coaches are hoping they're able to land prospects who can contribute as soon as they arrive on campus. The ultimate goal, however, is to get players who have an instant impact on the team.

Which 2026 prospect will have an instant impact when he reaches the next level? Our national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr., Adam Gorney, Greg Smith and Sam Spiegelman – give their takes below.

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FRIEDMAN: Zion Elee

Pass rushers, regardless of age, are able to impact the game at a faster rate than most linemen so Zion Elee is my choice. The elite edge defender has incredible explosiveness for his size, and that will translate right away when he arrives at the next level.

Elee is slated to play for Maryland and the Terrapin defense absolutely needs a player of his caliber. The uber talented Elee continues to improve from a technical perspective, but physically he is much closer to being able to see the field consistently than he was a year ago.

There is an obvious opportunity for Elee to get early playing time at Maryland so it would make sense that he would be able to make an instant impact when he arrives on campus.

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GARCIA: Keisean Henderson

Elite recruits and five-stars immediately come to mind with this type of question and the first name that made a lot of sense is Keisean Henderson. The local product committed to Houston as a program-changing, face-of-the-franchise recruiting win long ago and his profile as a quarterback has only risen since.

At a minimum, Henderson's sheer athleticism and playmaking ability creates some type of gadget role in Willie Fritz's uptempo scheme as a triggerman or even a supplement. On the other end it could become Henderson's offense from his first day on campus next year if his progression as a passer continues.

Transfer QB talent Conner Weigman should control a good UH offense in 2025 before he potentially tests the professional waters, so the build up for Henderson's path to QB1 could lay out perfectly come January.

Of course Houston has to fend off scores of bluebloods interesting in flipping the five-star first.

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GORNEY: Brandon Arrington

I'm not going to pick one of the five-star offensive tackles even though all three have the physical size to handle defensive ends in college. That's because Brandon Arrington is so versatile and so productive I can't see a scenario where a college coaching staff keeps him off the field.

The Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel standout, who has Oregon, Texas A&M and USC among his favorites, is an electric receiver with elite speed and then he turns around and is a lockdown cornerback. With his playmaking ability, Arrington could be used on special teams early as well.

No one compares to Travis Hunter. But Arrington has some of the same qualities and getting on the field feels like a no-brainer.

SMITH: CJ Sadler

CJ Sadler is my pick. The electric slot out of Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech has everything you need to see the field early in a variety of packages for whichever team he chooses. Sadler is quick off the line, runs good routes and is very difficult to handle in the open field.

His play style fits perfectly into today’s college football and he will make life easier instantly for the lucky quarterback that gets him the football.

SPIEGELMAN: Lamar Brown

For me, four-star offensive/defensive lineman Lamar Brown is the prospect I'm highest on as it pertains to making an instant impact wherever he lands next year.

Brown as an underclassman had a wealth of offers and, during a live evaluation, I had a Big 12 coach tell me that Brown could start for his defensive line as an underclassman in high school. Over the past few years Brown has proven to be the No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the country.

During multiple live evaluations he has been the best player on the field. Adding to his athletic profile, he is a state champion discus thrower. There are programs in the SEC that have him atop their defensive line board for the 2026 cycle.

Whether it's offense or defense, I don't care – Lamar Brown is going to be playing college football on Saturdays before we know it.

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