The current landscape of college football has made breakout redshirt freshmen an endangered species.

Teams are getting older because of the transfer portal and revenue share, which means fewer second-year players are finding themselves in the two deep, especially at the Power Four level. Combine that with the fact that highly-ranked freshmen are typically thrown into the fire and play more than four games. 

But the redshirt freshman breakout candidate isn't completely extinct. Usually, they’re offensive linemen who’ve developed or skill position players who were in stacked position rooms or missed some time with injury. Curiously, they are much easier to find on offense – maybe another indicator of the aging of the sport on the defensive side of the ball. 

After stopping by each FBS program in Texas, here are 10 redshirt freshmen that coaches believe are poised for breakout seasons as redshirt freshmen. 

1. SMU RB Dramekco Green 

A Conroe native who would’ve played more as a true freshman if not for injury. Green and Cal transfer Kendrick Raphael will form a 1-2 punch in the Mustangs’ backfield that head coach Rhett Lashlee calls the best tandem he’s had on the Hilltop. Green, who is 6-foot and 203 pounds, played in five games last year – four in the regular season to retain his redshirt. He ran for 90 yards on 25 carries, including a long run of 15 yards in the Holiday Bowl win over Arizona. He was a three-star prospect and the 87th player in Texas for the 2025 class. 

2. Texas A&M OT Lamont Rogers 

Rogers was one of the jewels of a Top 10 ranked recruiting class in the 2025 cycle. The 6-6, 337-pounder from Mesquite Horn was a four-star and a Top 20 player in Texas by DCTF but was considered a five-star by some services, including 247Sports. Rogers took a redshirt in 2025 as he developed and watched a star-studded Aggie offensive line lead them to the playoffs. He’ll compete for the left tackle job with LSU transfer Tyree Adams. We expect Adams to start in Week 1 but don’t be surprised if Rogers emerges as the future by the end of the season. 

3. TCU Edge Chad Woodfork 

Woodfork was the highest-rated commit in the 2025 TCU class per DCTF, checking in as a four-star who ranked 20th in the state of Texas. He only played in two games last year but was in the mix to start at field end during the spring. The Horned Frogs need to create a better pass rush and Woodfork was an elite edge player at Summer Creek in the Houston area. He might not start, but he’ll get plenty of snaps and opportunities to be an impact player. 

4. Texas WR Kaliq Lockett 

The Longhorns reshuffled the wide receiver room with exports like Parker Livingston and DeAndre Moore creating room on the books to afford Auburn transfer Cam Coleman to the Forty Acres. Lockett, a Top 10 player in the 2025 class from Sachse High School, won’t start in front of Coleman or Ryan Wingo, but we do expect him to become a legit contributor for a Longhorn squad with national championship aspirations. He kept his redshirt by playing in four regular season games and the Citrus Bowl against Michigan. 

5. Baylor WR Taz Williams 

Baylor lost its top four wide receivers from last year’s squad and didn’t spend as much on the position this offseason as the Bears tried to prioritize improving the defense and adding former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway from Florida. That means Baylor needs Williams, the top-ranked in-state signee in the 2025 cycle, to live up to his four-star hype. He dealt with some injuries in the spring and needs to be more consistent, but the upside and the opportunity is there for Williams to be a breakout player. 

6. Houston DE DK Mays

Mays enters the season as the primary backup to Ashton Porter, an Oregon transfer, at Houston’s field end position. Mays is a Louisiana native who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds. He played in two games last year and took a redshirt. Mays was a three-star recruit who recorded 21.5 tackles for loss as a senior in high school. The Coogs feel like they're deeper up front in 2026 thanks to second- and third-year players like Mays.  

7. North Texas OL Henry Fenuku 

Neal Brown prioritized offensive line during his first transfer portal cycle as the head coach of the Mean Green and Fenuku was one of the prized signees. He was a dominant blocker during a state title run at North Crowley and was ranked as the 61st player in Texas in the 2025 cycle. Fenuku played three games at Missouri last year before returning home to the Metroplex with four years of eligibility left. He’ll start at left guard for North Texas. 

8. UTSA TE Ty Rupe 

UTSA has quietly turned into a tight end hub with Houston Thomas (Texas A&M) and Patrick Overmyer (Houston) transferring out after the season. The staff believes Rupe is next up. He appeared in four games last season, including the bowl win. Rupe also comes from elite stock. His dad, Ryan, was an All-American pitcher at Texas A&M and his mom, Bryn Blalack Rupe, was an All-American soccer player for the Aggies. Both are members of the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame. 

9. Sam Houston TE Brock Kuhl 

A Lorena product who returns to the Lone Star State after a year at FAU, where he played in just one game. Kuhl exited the spring as the favorite to start at tight end for the Bearkats. He’s familiar with the Air Raid system deployed by head coach and play caller Phil Longo because FAU and head coach Zach Kittley is from the same tree. He was a multiple-time all-district selection in high school. 

10. UTEP OL Preston Perkins 

Perkins left spring ball as the favorite to start at right guard for the Miners as they transition into the Mountain West. He played tackle at Austin High but has grown into an interior lineman for UTEP.