By Jack Leo
FWAA.com
DALLAS (FWAA) – Each week during the 2026 season, we will highlight the notable performances of first-year players and head coaches leading up to the selection of our annual Freshman All-America Team and the Steve Spurrier First-Year Coach of the Year Award presented by Chris Doering Mortgage.
For the sixth straight year, the top first-year coach in the FBS will be honored at a special reception at Spurrier's Gridiron Grille on Monday, Feb. 22 in Gainesville, Fla. The Spurrier Legends Awardee Coach and Freshman Players of the Year will also be honored.
Here are the top performances from Week 4, the weekend of Sept. 26:
FIRST-YEAR PLAYERS: THE FRESH FOUR
Wake Forest DB Somad Eaddy (5-11, 170, Greenville, S.C.): 7 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 INT, 1 pass defended
Eaddy endeared himself to Wake Forest fans and introduced himself to the ACC on Saturday. Eaddy’s seven tackles and first career interception helped the Demon Deacons upset No. 16 Louisville 30-27. Eaddy made several good plays in man coverage, but his best came when he broke up a pass and caught the reflection, creating a turnover that set up Wake Forest’s final touchdown of the game. Eaddy will get another chance to shine when Stanford comes to Wake Forest on Saturday.
LSU DL Deuce Geralds (6-1, 285, Suwanee, Ga.): 5 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL
Geralds’ statistics are particularly impressive considering he plays defensive tackle. Geralds helped LSU stifle Texas A&M’s offense in a 35-6 win Saturday. He’s also started all four games on the Tigers’ talent-stacked defense and has already amassed 13 total tackles, three sacks and a forced fumble. Geralds will face McNeese this Saturday before entering SEC action for the rest of the season.
Oregon State WR Jesse Legree (5-10, 172, Baltimore, Md.): 6 catches, 109 yards, 2 TD
It’s a commonality at this point, but Legree led Oregon State’s offense again Saturday as the Beavers beat UTEP 33-7. Legree found soft spots in coverage on both of his touchdowns as Oregon State moved to 2-2 with the win. Legree has scored at least once in all four of his games and is No. 2 in the country for receiving yards (585). Legree is on pace to pass 700 yards this Saturday at Colorado State.
USC WR Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (6-2, 200, Hayward, Calif.): 7 receptions, 114 yards, 1 TD
Dixon-Wyatt became the latest freshman pass-catcher to lead USC’s pass attack last Saturday. He doesn’t look like a freshman, though — the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder is a physical force that can break off explosive plays. Dixon-Wyatt opened the Trojans’ scoring with a 31-yard touchdown reception in an eventual 41-27 loss to Oregon. Freshmen Dixon-Wyatt, receiver Trent Mosley and tight end Mark Bowman are USC’s three top receivers as they enter another tough Big 10 game against Washington on Saturday.
STEVE SPURRIER FIRST-YEAR COACHES
Lane Kiffin, LSU: Kiffin and the Tigers recovered from an emotional loss to Ole Miss to earn their first top 25 win, a 35-6 domination of Texas A&M. LSU gained 506 yards and held the Aggies to 197. LSU also sacked Texas A&M dual threat quarterback Marcel Reed four times, taking its season total to 18, which is second-most in the country. The Tigers have one more tune-up against McNeese on Saturday before playing SEC competition for the rest of the season.
Eric Morris, Oklahoma State: Morris’ Cowboys had another explosive week offensively, kicking off conference play with a 41-24 win at West Virginia. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker and running back Caleb Hawkins, who both followed Morris from North Texas, combined for 569 yards of total offense. Oklahoma State is averaging 548.3 yards per game, the third-most in the country. The Cowboys will try to win their fourth straight when UCF visits Stillwater on Saturday.
Tavita Pritchard, Stanford: Pritchard’s Cardinal pulled a slight 34-27 upset over Georgia Tech while half of the country was sleeping Saturday night. Stanford quarterback Davis Warren led the way, completing 22 of his 36 passes for 396 yards and three touchdowns. The Cardinal trailed the Yellow Jackets 20-10 at halftime before rattling off 24 unanswered points to take the lead for good in the second half. Pritchard will try to earn his first ACC road win this Saturday at Wake Forest.
Jon Sumrall, Florida: Perhaps no coach — first-year or not — has had a better start to this season than Sumrall. The Gators followed last week’s 44-39 win at Auburn with a 52-28 win over No. 4 Ole Miss, Florida’s highest-ranked win since 2015. Florida was the first SEC team to hold Ole Miss to less than 30 points since LSU on Sept. 27, 2025. Sumrall’s team can move to 5-0 this Saturday with a win at Missouri.
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