College golf has returned, which means the race to make the NCAA Championship is on.
With that means the stars of college golf are back on campus and battling it out for major awards, victories and more. It also means a new wave of talent has entered the fold and is ready to make its mark on college golf.
Every year, freshmen come in and make an impact right away. Last year, there was Daniel Bennett, the Phil Mickelson Award winner at Texas, as well as Arni Sveinsson at LSU.
Now, it’s time to meet the next wave of youngsters in college golf.
Here’s a look at 10 men’s freshmen to watch during the 2025-26 season.
Golfweek’s 10 men’s college golf freshmen to watch
Kihei Akina, BYU
Two weeks ago, Akina won the Larry H. Miller Utah Open, a professional event that has existed for 100 years. He also finished runner-up at the Terra Cotta and made the semifinals of the North & South this summer.
Carson Bertagnole, North Carolina
Bertagnole could have an immediate impact for the Tar Heels. He finished fifth in the Junior Invitational at Sage Valley and made the Round of 32 in the U.S. Junior Amateur.
Jackson Byrd, Clemson
Byrd, the son of Clemson great Jonathan Byrd, arrives at Clemson with more stars in international competition than any previous Tigers’ signee. He has played in the Junior Ryder Cup, Junior Presidents Cup, Toyota Cup and Wyndham Cup.
JD Culbreth, Georgia
It has been a stellar summer for future Georgia Bulldogs, but Culbreth arrives on campus this year looking to make an impact early. He finished third at the Sunnehanna and 13th at the Southeastern Amateur.
Henry Guan, Oklahoma State
Guan arrives at Oklahoma State as a highly-touted freshman who could get early playing time, even though the Cowboys return all five starters from a national championship team.
Will Hartman, Vanderbilt
Hartman could step in quickly and fill big shoes at Vanderbilt. This summer, he made the quarterfinals of the North & South Amateur and finished 14th at the Junior Invitational.
Chase Kyes, Tennessee
Kyes had a runner-up finish at the Western Junior and 18th in the Boy’s Junior PGA. He also competed in the Sunnehanna, North & South, Southern Amateur and Western Amateur.
Anh Minh Nguyen, Oregon State
Nguyen finished runner-up in the 2025 U.S. Junior Amateur then made match play at the Western Amateur. He also won the Korea K-Golf Lab Invitational, a pro event, earlier this year.
Logan Reilly, Auburn
Reilly has a chance to fill big shoes for the Tigers this season. He made match play at the U.S. Amateur and made it to the Round of 32 in the U.S. Junior.
Michael Riebe, Vanderbilt
The lefty could make an immediate impact in Nashville. He finished eighth at the Junior Invitational ad made match play at the U.S. Junior Amateur and North & South Amateur.
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