10 Mid Major Freshmen Making Major Impacts

Rivals' Jamie Shaw highlights ten standout first-year players at smaller college basketball programs this season.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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With the 2025-26 college basketball season nearing its conclusion, Rivals recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw spotlights ten mid-major freshmen who have made significant contributions for their teams this year. The list includes players from schools like Fairfield, Murray State, Hofstra, Santa Clara, Eastern Michigan, New Mexico, UNLV, Long Beach State, NC A&T, and Furman.

Why it matters

These mid-major freshmen are proving that top talent can be found outside the major conferences, providing hope for smaller programs to compete at a high level and land impactful recruits. Their performances this season could raise their profiles and open doors to bigger opportunities down the line.

The details

The ten freshmen highlighted by Shaw span a variety of positions, including power forwards, small forwards, point guards, shooting guards, and combo forwards. Their statistical production is impressive, with several averaging double-digit points per game along with solid contributions in other categories like rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. The group hails from high schools across the United States as well as one international prospect from France.

  • The 2025-26 college basketball season is nearing its conclusion.

The players

Brandon Benjamin

A 6-8, 235-pound power forward from Fairfield who is averaging 13.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 56.7% from the field.

Roman Domon

A 6-9, 225-pound small forward from Murray State who is posting 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per contest while shooting 49.6% from the field and 38.3% from three-point range.

Preston Edmead

A 6-1, 170-pound point guard from Hofstra who is averaging 15.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 0.5 steals per game while shooting 40.9% from the field and 39.0% from three.

Allen Graves

A 6-9, 225-pound power forward from Santa Clara who is putting up 11.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 51.5% from the field and 40.8% from three.

Mohammad Habhab

A 6-9, 205-pound power forward from Eastern Michigan who is averaging 14.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per contest while shooting 40.2% from the field and 22.2% from three.

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What they’re saying

“These mid-major freshmen are proving that top talent can be found outside the major conferences, providing hope for smaller programs to compete at a high level and land impactful recruits.”

— Jamie Shaw, Rivals Recruiting Analyst (on3.com)

The takeaway

The standout performances of these ten mid-major freshmen showcase the depth of talent across college basketball and the ability of smaller programs to develop and showcase elite young players. Their success this season could lead to increased visibility and opportunities for themselves and their schools in the future.