So, which schools have the best freshmen for the 2025-2026 season? Any recruiting site will tell you: these are a lot of the usual suspects. Busting Brackets has compiled a top 25 list of the most impactful freshman classes for the 2025-2026 season.
Of course, there are plenty of the usual suspects with some new blood mixed in. New blood refers to teams that typically wouldn’t have one of the top 25 recruiting classes in the country. The major recruiting sites had no influence on these rankings. They are all based on the classes that will have the most impact for the upcoming season.
Let’s talk recruitment! It’s still a hot topic, and for good reason. These players are the new faces of the school; Every coaching staff is judged on the rookies they bring in because they go a long way in determining the outcome of the season, whether positively or negatively. Freshmen on some teams will have a bigger impact than others. We’ll come back to that in a minute.
Every freshman that comes into a program will indeed be an asset to the coaching staff and the program. Players will even play and contribute to victory, or be a valuable part of the recruiting team, helping prepare older players. Freshmen remain a valuable commodity in college sports, even though the core of most teams often comes from the transfer portal.
*Rankings used in the article come from Sur3sports.
#25 Ragin Louisiana Cajuns
Joshua Lewis – 4 stars – #54 nationally
Mike Collins – uncategorized
Daijon Leatherman – unclassified
Is it weird to see a Sun Belt team in the middle of the pack on this list? Yes, it is, but when you can sign one of the best players in your program’s history and arguably one of the most talented players in the Sun Belt this season, that will earn you a roster spot. New head coach Quannas White has done a great job rebuilding the program.
Lewis decommitted from Iowa after Fran McCaffrey resigned. The wing chose the Ragin Cajuns over Auburn, Michigan State and Cincinnati. Louisiana welcomes an athletically gifted, explosive and rebounding player. He’s not the best jump shooter, but his other attributes and rebounding ability more than make up for that. Lewis has a chance to be the best player in the Sun Belt this season.
No. 24 Butler Bulldogs
Azavier Robinson- 4 stars-#94 nationally
Jackson Keith – 4 stars – #107 nationally
Jack McCaffery – 4 stars – #109 nationally
Efeosa Oliogu- 4 stars- #99 nationally
Butler hasn’t performed well under current head coach Thad Matta, but rebuilds are difficult, especially in the Big East. Butler finally has a recruiting class that resembles the one Coach Matta had on his successful Ohio State teams. 2025 could finally be the year the Bulldogs get over the hump. Coach Matta signed 4 players who should make an immediate impact in the Big East.
Robinson has a high ceiling and can play the entire game. He is a good defender and an effective offensive player. He will get better as he gets older. Keith is a winger who will be the best in this class. He is a good shooter from deep and mid-range and is capable of running the offense in the half court. Oliogu is an athletic wing who can score at all three levels, but is best driving to the rim. McCaffery is the son of a coach who knows how to shoot the ball. Butler is on the rise.
