One Sophomore Breakout Candidate for Every SEC Team in 2026
Sophomore slumps be damned. Here's one player from each SEC team that could take serious strides in his second season of college baseball.
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The 2025 college baseball season was chock-full of dynamic freshmen, especially in the SEC.
That’ll likely be the case once again in 2026. Programs will get major lifts — some expected, some unexpected — from freshmen. But what about the sophomores that are itching to burst onto the scene?
Not every freshman that’s thrust into SEC action is capable of immediately breaking out. Plenty need to cut their teeth, soak up innings and glean valuable experience. That often sets the table for a substantial year-two campaign.
Sophomore slumps be damned. Here’s one candidate for each SEC team that could take serious strides in his second season of college baseball.
*Note: 2025 SEC All-Freshman Team members were not considered for this exercise.
Alabama: OF Peyton Steele
Alabama’s healthy starting lineup feels set in stone thanks to returning veterans and a couple of big additions out of the Transfer Portal. The corner outfield spots always welcome competition, however, and Steele will likely have the opportunity to impress in 2026.
The Decatur, Ala. native saw action in eight games as a freshman, going 4-12 with a home run and a double. That long ball came in a midweek game against Southern Miss, which was Steele’s lone start of the season. After that game, Crimson Tide head coach Rob Vaughn praised the outfielder:
“We look at him as a huge piece of our future,” he told reporters.
Versatility is a strength of this Alabama roster on paper. There’s plenty of outfield options, with senior Bryce Fowler and Oklahoma transfer Sam Christiansen likely to man two of the three spots on a regular basis — though Christiansen can also play first base.
Look for Steele and his capable bat to compete for time alongside Northern Kentucky transfer Logen Devenport and other expected regulars, like primary designated hitter Coleman Mizell.
Arkansas: LHP Cole Gibler
The ceiling is high for Arkansas’ potential weekend rotation, but the floor feels low, too. Most eyes will be on potential All-American junior Gabe Gaeckle, but a pair of left-handers in Hunter Dietz and Gibler could make or break the Razorbacks this season.
Dietz, a redshirt sophomore, accrued plenty of buzz in the fall, but Gibler looks especially poised to make the move from bullpen piece to starter. He made 20 appearances as a freshman, totaling 29.1 innings. He finished with a 3.99 ERA, striking out 57 while walking just 12. Those are gaudy numbers for a workload that wasn’t especially large.
The fastball sits in the mid-90s, while an array of swing-and-miss offerings all look the part, especially a tight slider that hovers in the mid-80s. How Gibler transitions into a larger role will be key, especially if Gaeckle lacks consistency on the front line.
Auburn: RHP Christian Chatterton
The biggest question mark on the Auburn roster is undoubtedly the pitching staff. Head coach Butch Thompson and Co. return arms that accounted for 40 percent of their innings last season, but considering their 4.70 team ERA finished 12th in the SEC, they’ll need multiple returnees to make a leap this spring.
Plenty of weight will fall on the shoulders of Chatterton, who did impress at times as a freshman in 2025. He made 14 starts and compiled a 4.47 ERA across 52.1 innings. Maneuvering through SEC lineups was a tall task, but he looked the part against weaker competition and actually held batters to a .201 average.
Chatterton struck out 60 and walked 18. He really found a groove in April, not allowing an earned run throughout four starts that spanned 19 innings. In his final midweek start of the year, he went six scoreless and fanned 10 in a dominant outing vs. Samford.
The 6-foot righty brings a traditional arsenal to the table. He won’t blow you away with a heater that sits around 90, but he’s proven he can live anywhere in the zone and locate. He pairs it with a sub-80s changeup, and he’s happy to drop in a curveball, too. There’s not a ton of funk, but Chatterton knows what he’s got, and he mixes it well.
Auburn’s rotation could shake out in plenty of different ways, but Chatterton is someone that it will be counting on in 2026.
Florida: INF Ethan Surowiec
If you’re a believer in summer league performances and momentum carrying over to the following season, then Surowiec could be a surprise All-American candidate this spring.
The 2025 Northwoods League MVP crushed 17 homers, drove in 68 runs and finished with a 1.252 OPS in 52 games for the Duluth Huskies. That’ll play. More on his stock-bolstering summer here. That torrid stretch came after Surowiec saw action in just 11 games as a freshman for Ole Miss.
He entered the Transfer Portal and landed in Gainesville, where he now projects to make a major impact for a Florida lineup that could use the extra pop. Manning one of the corners for the Gators infield, Surowiec’s thunderous bat should slot nicely in the heart of the order.
Georgia: TWP Kenny Ishikawa
Of all the exciting additions that highlight Georgia’s No. 1 recruiting class — per 64Analytics — Ishikawa is the most intriguing. He’ll have every chance to emerge as the top two-way player in the nation this spring.
He’s made his way to Athens after spending his freshman season at Seattle. For the Redhawks, the lefty looked the part on both sides. He slashed .318/.420/.562, clubbing 23 doubles and eight homers, finishing with 32 RBI.
On the mound, he fired 66.1 innings and kept a 4.21 ERA in 19 appearances (nine starts). Behind a mid-90s heater and curve-changeup-slider combo, the lefty struck out 73 and walked just 22.
If Ishikawa booms this season, he’ll bat leadoff and play centerfield for one of the best lineups in baseball, then contribute meaningful weekend innings on the mound, whether that’s starting or relieving. Lofty expectations will follow, but Ishikawa appears ready to make a hefty contribution on multiple fronts for head coach Wes Johnson.
Kentucky: RHP Nate Harris
I’ve already waxed poetic about Kentucky’s potential weekend rotation this season, and Harris will play a major role. With phenom shortstop Tyler Bell a member of last season’s All-Freshman Team, Harris becomes the de facto “breakout” candidate for the Wildcats this spring.
Harris made the transition from midweek to Friday nights as a freshman. That kind of leap in the SEC provides a jolt of experience that you can’t get almost anywhere else. The numbers (59.1 IP, 4.25 ERA, 45-26 K-BB) were solid last year, so banking on a major jump in year two isn’t totally realistic, but Harris has the arsenal capable of doing just that.
The right-hander held opponents to a .238 average and finished with a 1.35 WHIP. He also allowed just 16 extra-base hits last season. Alongside Ben Cleaver and Jaxon Jelkin, Harris should be a steady and impactful presence on the bump in Lexington.
LSU: C Cade Arrambide
There’s so much star power in Baton Rouge that it’s easy to forget about Arrambide, the 2024 Texas Gatorade Player of the Year, who made 19 starts as a freshman last season. He’s in line for a gargantuan second go-round, especially after having a standout fall.
“Cade probably was the best player on the team for the fall, no question about that,” Tigers skipper Jay Johnson said at the end of November.
In 75 plate appearances, Arrambide struck out a third of the time last season, but he did deliver four homers and three doubles, driving in 14 runs. Cutting down on the Ks will be something to watch early on as he gets used to a regular workload while handling the pitching staff.
If Arrambide takes that next step, he’ll become yet another stalwart in the middle of the most potent lineup in college baseball and could even make a push for All-SEC status.
Mississippi State: RHP Ryan McPherson
The hype is real in Starkville as the Brian O’Connor era begins. The lineup looks tremendous on paper. It remains to be seen who will emerge as the front-line arms on the weekend, though. How McPherson evolves in his second season will be a big deal for the Diamond Dawgs.
The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder wasted no time running things back once O’Connor retained pitching coach Justin Parker. Now, McPherson could headline the MSU rotation. He made 20 appearances in 2025, notching a 4.12 ERA across 39.1 IP. The command was impressive as he fanned 56 and walked just 15.
He’s got a bulldog mentality on the bump and doles out a one-two punch that consists of a mid-90s fastball and an excellent changeup. He also totes a cutter and finished his freshman season striking out a third of the batters faced.
McPherson should have a chance to pave the way for Mississippi State with the likes of Virginia transfer Tomas Valincius, fellow returning sophomore Charlie Foster and freshman stud Jack Bauer in tow.
Missouri: LHP Brady Kehlenbrink
There’s frankly no clear-cut sophomore candidate on this Mizzou roster, but Kehlenbrink could be one who builds on a freshman season that saw him cast into an unexpected role.
He came to Columbia as a top-10 in-state recruit, but the plan was not to make nine starts and sop up innings to help get an injured staff through an unforgiving SEC schedule in 2025. The final ERA read 10.06 after 34 grueling innings.
Kehlenbrink struck out 40 and walked 19, but allowed 15 homers and also plunked 13 batters. Facing an order for a second time was not conducive to success. If he gets the opportunity to work in smaller doses and hone his fastball-change-curve mix, then he could operate as a go-to lefty in medium-to-high leverage situations for the Tigers.
Oklahoma: UTL Drew Dickerson
If Oklahoma is going to make a push into the top half of the SEC in 2026, then it’ll need players like Dickerson to spring into a new gear. The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder certainly looks capable of doing so.
Primarily the DH for the Sooners, Dickerson made 21 starts and saw action in 33 games as a freshman. He went through his share of hot and cold stretches, but finished the season on a high note, going 7-17 with seven RBI in the Chapel Hill regional. Across 99 plate appearances, he slashed .309/.424/.568, driving in 19 runs.
When he wasn’t at DH, Dickerson made five starts in right field. He’s also capable of playing some infield, giving OU a versatile glove if it’s in need. He was one of the top shortstops in the Midwest coming out of high school. It’s very possible that the Lee’s Summit, Mo. native continues to focus on the bat in 2026, though.
He struck out 37 percent of the time in 2025, and over one-third of his knocks went for extra bases, including five homers. Finding a middle ground in year two could catapult Dickerson.
Ole Miss: RHP Cade Townsend
Hunter Elliott will handle Friday nights for Ole Miss once again, but it will be in need of two arms to carry the load behind the veteran left-hander. Townsend will have an opportunity to make a splash this spring.
A go-to midweek arm for the Rebels as a freshman, Townsend made 15 appearances (eight starts) and had mixed results. He completed four-plus innings in five of his last seven outings. The 6.35 ERA may seem iffy, but he never allowed more than three earned runs in a game and struck out at least four on five occasions. The stuff is there.
He possesses a fantastic mid-to-high 80s cutter that plays nicely off a mid-90s heater. Add in a splitter/changeup and a big curve, and Townsend looks well-equipped to handle some of the better lineups in the nation.
Townsend’s spot won’t be guaranteed, with Hudson Calhoun, as well as transfers Owen Kelly and Wil Libbert, among those also pushing to make weekend starts. How the Aliso Viejo, Calif. native makes the transition to a bigger role will tell the tale in the coming months.
South Carolina: SS KJ Scobey
Scobey manned third base as a freshman for South Carolina, making a team-high 56 starts. As a sophomore, he’ll have the chance to lead the way for the Gamecocks while making the move to shortstop.
The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder hit .257 and struck out about a quarter of the time. He did compile nine multi-hit games and began to round back into form toward the end of the season, though. He had seven doubles and eight home runs, driving in 27 runs. Scobey will need to tap into something extra if he’s going to pose a threat in the middle of South Carolina’s order.
With the glove, there’s not much cause for concern. He may not be the most rangy shortstop in the conference, but the sure-handed Scobey had just seven errors at the hot corner in 2025. He’s a capable athlete with the tools to excel up the middle and should serve as an excellent replacement for Henry Kaczmar, who transferred back to Ohio State for the 2026 season.
If the Gamecocks surprise folks this spring, Scobey will be a big reason why.
Tennessee: UTL Levi Clark
No SEC program has more candidates for this exercise than Tennessee. Right-hander Tegan Kuhns, second baseman Manny Marin and outfielder Jay Abernathy all look capable of leaping into stardom this year. It’s Clark that looks especially on the verge of a monster sophomore season, though.
The utility man made 38 starts and saw action in 51 games as a true freshman last year. He showcased a roaring bat and finished with 10 homers, nine doubles and nearly one walk for every strikeout. The 1.053 OPS already sets a high bar for someone to really “break out,” but Clark is capable of putting up All-SEC numbers this spring.
Look for Clark to man first base for the Vols, though he can catch if needed and does possess plenty of versatility. Simply put, getting Clark at-bats early and often is what matters for new head coach Josh Elander. After driving in 34 runs last season, Clark should grab some national attention as a part of another loaded roster on Rocky Top.
Texas: OF Jonah Williams
When Williams isn’t laying the wood on the gridiron, he’s a pretty damn good baseball player. Texas already knew that, but the rest of the country found out once he got into a groove last April.
After getting into baseball mode, Williams made his Longhorns debut at the end of March. It wasn’t until an SEC series against Auburn the next month that he truly arrived, driving in three runs in his first career start and notching five hits in two games against the Tigers.
By the nature of Williams’ personality and his midseason entry, he served as a spark-plug for head coach Jim Schlossnagle and Co. — despite not being fully healthy. After making 15 starts and racking up 60 plate appearances, he hit .327 with a .383 OBP.
There will be a bit more pressure on Williams in 2026. Projected to man a starting corner outfield spot, how does he pilot his way through a long baseball season just a few months after the end of football? Of course, he’s not the first to play both at an elite level, but the wear and tear is real.
If it’s no big deal for the Galveston Ball product, then he could inject even more juice into a lineup that already projects to be one of the best in the nation and give it a much-needed dynamic lefty bat. He’ll bring heaps of energy, regardless.
Texas A&M: OF Terrence Kiel II
In what was a truly disastrous 2025 for Texas A&M, Kiel was a bright spot and helped lead the Aggies’ last-ditch charge for the tournament, which ultimately fell short.
He made 54 starts, didn’t commit an error, stole a team-high 12 bases and slashed .294/.388/.388. In April, he had a hit in 14 of 17 games. On paper, A&M’s offense will be less of a black hole with a healthy Gavin Grahovac, Chris Hacopian and Caden Sorrell among those posing a serious threat. Kiel could be an elite table-setter, though he did strike out 21 percent of the time as a freshman.
With a year of experience under his belt and some more polish, Kiel is primed to take the next step. It remains to be seen if he or Sorrell will man center field, but his glove will be welcomed anywhere in the grass at Blue Bell Park.
Kiel’s name may not garner the most hype on the A&M lineup card, but he could prove to be one of head coach Michael Earley’s most important pieces in a crucial season in College Station.
Vanderbilt: UTL Rustan Rigdon
Vandy got Rigdon, a top-100 prospect, to campus and got 50 starts and a .777 OPS out of him as a freshman in 2025. The opportunity to flourish further in 2026 should be at his feet.
When he put the ball in play, Rigdon hit .340. He did strike out 46 times, but drew 42 walks. He hit leadoff and also finished tied for second in the SEC with 19 steals. Not to mention, he’s a versatile switch-hitter that can play all over the diamond. It’s easy to see the appeal and how he fits the mold for Tim Corbin.
Rigdon has played shortstop and center field in the fall, so it remains to be seen where he’ll regularly roam. The Commodores have a slew of options in the infield, so somewhere in the outfield could be a better fit, but it’s easy to imagine him making a splash anywhere.
Rigdon is someone who understands what it means to play for Vandy — it’s something he’s had his sights set on for some time. He finally made his debut at Hawkins Field last year and got a taste of success. If there’s a sophomore on this roster that’s poised to join 2025 All-Freshman selection Brodie Johnston at the forefront of prosperity in Nashville, it’s the Metter, Ga. native.
Written by
Hunter Shelton is a contributing college baseball writer for Just Baseball with a focus on the SEC. A University of Kentucky graduate and Lexington native, he…