2026 college football recruiting class rankings: top 25 schools

Texas signed the No. 1 class for the 2025 cycle, followed by Georgia, and while neither team is among the top 25 of our initial 2026 class rankings, this process is still in the early stages.

As we move toward the always active early summer commitment season, several programs are already off to quick starts. USC already has a big class, featuring double-digit ESPN 300 commits.

Defending national champion Ohio State is riding the wave of its 2024 success to a hot start on the recruiting trail. Five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. has been a longtime commit and leads the class, but the Buckeyes also recently landed several notable defensive players, including pulling top-five safety Blaine Bradford out of Louisiana.

Programs that have not traditionally landed top-25 classes such as Syracuse, Kansas and Illinois are crashing the party with strong starts. Each of those classes has landed a commitment from at least one ESPN 300 prospect to make our list.

With nearly 65% of the ESPN 300 prospects still uncommitted, including 14 of the 21 five-stars, much is still to be determined.

No program has more 2026 momentum than USC under Lincoln Riley, especially after hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame. The Trojans have 13 ESPN 300 commits, including two five-stars to start May in offensive lineman Keenyi Pepe and cornerback Elbert Hill. That includes a pair of four-star commits who flipped from Big Ten rival Oregon: in-state defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and quarterback Jonas Williams. Topui is a physical, aggressive defensive tackle who could develop into an interior pass-rushing headache for opposing offenses, while Williams is a true dual-threat signal-caller.

USC also made it a point to beef up along the interior. It pulled four-star defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield out of Texas, landed in-state defensive end Simote Katoanga and traveled to Utah to snag Corner Canyon offensive lineman Esun Tafa. On the perimeter, in-state defender R.J. Sermons is one of the top CB prospects in the nation.

Ryan Day has the luxury of building his 2026 class around one of the most coveted players in the country: five-star receiver Chris Henry Jr. The son of the late Chris Henry, a star receiver for West Virginia and the Cincinnati Bengals, Chris Henry Jr. stands at 6-foot-6 and blends a combination of length and twitchiness rarely seen from high school receivers.

The rest of the Buckeyes’ class has started to take shape around Henry. They’ve added a handful of ESPN 300 prospects since March, including safety Blaine Bradford out of Louisiana and linebacker Simeon Caldwell out of Florida. C.J. Sanna is a prospect we like on tape; he is a big, physical linebacker with excellent range and is a bit of an underrated pickup for this talented class. In-state offensive tackle Maxwell Riley has impressive change-of-direction and athleticism and finishes plays with the type of nastiness that will endear him to fans in Columbus.

Clemson is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, but the Tigers are still chasing the heights of their mid-2010s success under Dabo Swinney, and their 2025 class ranked just 37th in the country. Their 2026 group is looking more promising, especially after a red-hot March in which Swinney landed eight verbals, including five ESPN 300 commits.

Much of the talent is currently concentrated on offense. Wide receiver Naeem Burroughs is a burner in the 100-meter dash who can take the top off a defense and has a high football IQ. Fellow receiver Connor Salmin is another big-play threat, and both Grant Wise and Adam Guthrie are four-star linemen. They could one day protect fellow four-star Tait Reynolds, a dual-threat QB out of Arizona who could push to be part of the long-term solution to replace Cade Klubnik.

The Tigers are tough to beat for in-state talent, and they built the foundation for one of the top classes in the country on homegrown recruits. But landing wide receiver Tristen Keys from nearby Mississippi delivered Brian Kelly and his staff their first five-star of the 2026 cycle. As of now, the 6-foot-3 Keys would be the highest-rated receiver to make it to Baton Rouge since Kayshon Boutte. He’s a long-strider with long arms who prioritizes winning and is a favorite of coaches and teammates alike.

LSU also recently added wide receiver Jabari Mack(a strong route runner) and offensive tackle Brysten Martinez, a pair of in-state four-star recruits who bolster a class that now features more than half of the top 10 players from Louisiana. That includes a pair of teammates from Edna Karr High: Richard Anderson, a stout presence at more than 300 pounds with good initial quickness, and Aiden Hall, a safety with good length, speed and downhill physicality.

Elko has quickly proved he can identify and recruit at a high level. He has worked fertile recruiting grounds, landing the Aggies’ top-ranked commit, defensive end Jordan Carter, out of Georgia. He landed fellow four-star defensive tackle Jermaine Kinsler out of New Jersey.

Elko has also been able to unearth talent from more unlikely places, such as quarterback Helaman Casuga out of Utah. Casuga is not a big, physical prospect at roughly 6-foot, but he has a live arm and can get the ball out quickly. A key in-state keep is running back Jonathan Hatton Jr., who has an excellent blend of size (200 pounds) and speed (he was measured hitting 21 mph on film).

Dan Lanning’s run of sustained excellence in Eugene rolls on with Oregon’s 2026 class. Reeling in five-star tight end Kendre’ Harrison in November set the tone. The 6-6, 250-pounder is a dynamic two-sport athlete with an exceptional catch radius who is a nightmare for opposing defenses in the red zone. In late February, they added four-star defensive back Xavier Lherisse, who clocked an impressive 1.62 10-yard dash and 4.49 40-yard dash a few days later at the Under Armour Miami camp. Four-star running back Tradarian Ball adds explosiveness and excellent ball skills.

Offensive and defensive linemen laid the initial foundation for this class, although Lanning and the Ducks will need to work hard to keep it that way as rivals work to pull talent away, as USC did in flipping four-star defensive tackle Tomuhini Topui.

The Nittany Lions jumped out to a fast start fueled by strong in-state recruiting and have kept that momentum going. Their top three commits are all Pennsylvania natives, including four-star Harrisburg High School teammates Kevin Brown and Messiah Mickens. Brown is a big, flexible offensive tackle, while Mickens has been a productive prep running back, which bodes well for a Penn State program that must finally replace Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton after 2025.

James Franklin also landed in-state athlete David Davis Jr., who has clocked a 20.5 mph max speed and has the cover skills to fit into the back end of a defense one day. While most of the early commits are within Penn State’s primary recruiting radius, the Nittany Lions also landed strong-armed quarterback Troy Huhn out of California. He’s a big body with upside.

Notre Dame may not be firing on all cylinders yet — the Irish have landed just two 2026 commitments since the calendar flipped to January — but several of their commits are in the ESPN 300. Offensive tackle Tyler Merrill is a pledge who can continue the school’s strong reputation as an offensive line factory. At 6-7 and 335 pounds, the Pennsylvania native is a massive presence with physicality and power in the run game.

The Irish also landed Thomas Davis Jr., the son of former Panthers star Thomas Davis, and four-star quarterback Noah Grubbs already has impressive footwork and a sound release from the pocket.

The Fran Brown era in Syracuse certainly isn’t boring. He led the Orange to just their second 10-win season since 2001 behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, then landed a solid 2025 recruiting class. Now he’s pushing for more talent in 2026. Four-star defensive end Jarius Rodgers out of Florida is one of Brown’s biggest gets so far. The 6-5, 220-pounder has tremendous length and an impressive track background. He has considerable physical tools and upside if Syracuse’s coaching staff can harness it. Kamron Wilson is another big pull out of Florida; the edge defender has good initial quickness and tallied 17 sacks in 2024.

Offensive tackle Javeion Cooper has real upside, too. He has good size (6-5, 300 pounds), yet plays with impressive balance for someone with his power and contact explosiveness. The Orange also have been active in the Mid-Atlantic, landing three receivers from Delaware.

Bret Bielema and his staff scored a major win by landing four-star corner Victor Singleton in early February. Singleton has clocked a 21 mph max speed and has the type of quick-twitch athleticism and excellent feet to thrive in man coverage. If the Fighting Illini can retain him, he’d become the program’s highest-rated signee since 2019.

Illinois kept the momentum rolling when Cam Thomas committed just five days after Singleton. The four-star edge has an outstanding first step and could develop into an edge rusher with big upside.

Lance Leipold is no stranger to building a program, and he’s off to a hot start in fortifying Kansas’ 2026 class. At 6-3, 190 pounds, in-state corner J.J. Dunnigan has the length to reroute receivers off the line and the straight-line speed to hang with them on vertical routes. The Jayhawks have a few offensive linemen committed, led by 6-5 Kansas native Kaden Snyder, who has an enticing combination of athleticism, pass protection skills and upside if he can continue to fill out his frame.

The Jalon Daniels era enters its sixth and final season in 2025. In-state three-star commit Jaylen Mason is an intriguing developmental option for the future at QB.

Jeff Brohm has raised Louisville’s floor with a 19-8 record and an appearance in the ACC championship game two years ago. His 2026 class already has more than a dozen commits, with four-star defensive back Jaydin Broadnax out of Florida the biggest get so far. At nearly 6-3, he has great length, balance and body control for a corner.

Three-star running back Evan Hampton ran for 1,549 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior at in-state Owensboro High School. He’s an elusive, upright runner with the ball skills to impact the pass game and also has a baseball background; he originally committed to rival Kentucky as a freshman before pursuing football. Adding more help along the line could be a focus for Louisville after Miami flipped three-star offensive tackle Joel Ervin.

Though other teams have more total commits at this stage, Hugh Freeze has done a great job attracting premium talent to the Plains as he rebuilds the Tigers. In-state defensive talent forms the early foundation, with commitments from defensive end Hezekiah Harris and linebackers JaMichael Garrett and Shadarius Toodle. Harris is a lengthy edge defender with good power and range. Toodle and Garrett are highly productive players who have combined for more than 200 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in their careers.

Freeze then added four-star receiver Devin Carter out of Douglasville (Georgia) High School in January. The son of 1990 NFL first-round running back Dexter Carter, Devin is one of the faster receivers in the class and pairs his speed with fluid, smooth route-running ability.

Five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon is the headliner right now, and rightfully so. He’s a strong, accurate passer who fits Tennessee’s offense perfectly and walks into a great situation. He’ll benefit from developing behind Nico Iamaleava.

In-state four-star receiver Tyreek King (Knoxville Catholic) pairs well alongside Brandon. He is a quick, fluid target who has clocked in-game speeds faster than 21 mph. They also added 6-3 wide receiver Tyran Evans out of North Carolina in January, and likely aren’t done at the position. Keep an eye on in-state offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, who is a massive presence (6-7, 330 pounds) for the Vols to develop.

Despite a rocky finish to the 2024 season, the Hurricanes are trending in the right direction. They’re coming off a 10-win season, Cam Ward is the favorite to go No. 1 in the NFL draft and they’ve reeled in two consecutive top-15 recruiting classes. Mario Cristobal’s 2026 class isn’t particularly deep yet, but he’s laying a solid foundation.

QB Dereon Coleman has room for growth but has a quick release and accuracy. Four-star Miami native Jordan Campbell is 6-2 and 220 pounds with the versatility to make plays in pursuit and the bend and power that portends a potential impact pass rusher. He’s a candidate to take a leap with college coaching. The Hurricanes landed a trio of offensive linemen recently, including 6-6 tackle Joel Ervin, who flipped from ACC rival Louisville.

South Carolina nearly made the College Football Playoff, and Shane Beamer has the Gamecocks’ future looking bright as well. Four-star in-state offensive tackle Zyon Guilesis a 6-5, 295-pound mauler with powerful hands and contact explosiveness, which should bode well even if he’s asked to kick inside.

South Carolina also added J’Zavien Currence out of the same high school as former Gamecocks star Jadeveon Clowney. He’s a versatile defender with his blend of size and speed. He could stay in the secondary or move to linebacker if he continues to grow. Defensive end Keenan Britt lacks ideal height but has good arm length and initial quickness. He plays with leverage and can be a disruptive presence with his blend of speed and power.

The talk about coach Sam Pittman on the hot seat seemed to cool off entering the offseason, which will benefit recruiting and aid a 2026 class that already has a solid foundation. Four-star Dequane Prevo out of Texas is a 5-10 receiver who has outstanding balance, body control and short-area burst. Several high-three-star prospects anchor the class, including quarterback Jayvon Gilmore, a tall (6-4) but lean passer with a nice frame to develop. He has a strong arm with a smooth release and is a nice early pickup by the Razorbacks.

Colton Yarbrough brings upside at defensive end with good first-step quickness and range. Pittman, a former offensive line coach, also landed in-state big man Tucker Young, who can get push and help create lanes in the run game.

The Seminoles are coming off a disastrous 2-10 season and a disappointing No. 26 finish in the 2025 recruiting cycle after losing several ESPN 300 commitments down the stretch. Florida State also took a hit when four-star 2026 quarterback Brady Smigiel decommitted in late January. Despite the challenges, they are still scoring some victories on the recruiting trail.

In-state athlete Efrem White projects as a receiver but has been a jack-of-all-trades in his high school career as a quarterback, corner and returner. Though he’s undersized at 155 pounds, his speed, quickness and creativity make him dangerous in space. Fellow four-star athlete Darryon Williams has the elusiveness and ball skills to develop into a valuable receiver in the open field once he gets to campus. The Seminoles further bolstered their class by adding a trio of in-state prospects early in 2025: offensive tackle Xavier Payne, running back Amari Thomas and linebacker Karon Maycock, who can close well and be a physical hitter.

Unsurprisingly given his ethos, Bill Belichick is building North Carolina’s 2026 class from the inside out. In-state four-star defensive tackle Trashawn Ruffin flipped from Texas A&M and the 300-pounder has plenty of raw physicality to mold. Ruffin is one of several interior linemen in the class right now, and Belichick went to his former home base in Massachusetts to bring in 335-pound guard Lenneil Hall. The Tar Heels also pulled a pair of three-star corners out of California inJustin Lewis and Marcellous Ryan.

Now North Carolina is beginning to layer in skill players such as three-star receiver Darrion Kirksey, who picked the Tar Heels over offers from Ole Miss and Arkansas and has outstanding short-area quickness.

Bill O’Brien has injected new life into Boston College by returning the program to its local roots. That has continued so far in 2026, with most of BC’s commits hailing from Massachusetts, Connecticut or New York. The most notable exception is California native Corin Berry. O’Brien has a good reputation for quarterback development, and the 6-2 three-star throws an accurate, catchable ball with a quick release from multiple arm angles.

Mason Leak is an interesting prospect who will likely need developmental time but flashes very good raw tools and could in time be a breakout player from this class. At their height, the Eagles developed a reputation for developing NFL-caliber talent, particularly along the offensive line and on defense, and they’re working hard to get back to that level.

Kenny Dillingham deftly pulled all the roster-building levers available to him as he rebuilt the Sun Devils back to national relevancy. They have an interesting 2026 class so far that includes a pair of ESPN 300 recruits. Four-star Texas native Jake Fette is a dual-threat playmaker with excellent short-area quickness and a smooth, consistent release.

Arizona State has already landed a pair of tight ends alongside him, including fellow four-star Israel Briggs out of California. He’s a tweener right now at 6-5 with an intriguing blend of wiggle and the ability to haul down passes in traffic. Briggs has the look of an effective “move” tight end as he gets stronger. Hayden Vercher could be another weapon at the position as he possesses excellent ball skills and is a good route runner who had more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2024.

The Scarlet Knights have added some top talent to their wide receiver room with Dyzier Carter and Elias Coke, both of whom have been long-time commits, having joined the class before the 2024 season started. Carter is a good route runner with strong hands and could be a quick contributor once arriving. Coke is a nice target at roughly 6-2.

On defense, Joey Kopec is a two-way player in high school, contributing at RB and LB. He has good range and is effective dropping into coverage. Athlete Chris Hewitt Jr. projects to the secondary.

So far the Hawkeyes are sticking to their tried-and-true blueprint of identifying and developing in the trenches. Their class already has four offensive linemen, headlined by 6-7 Iowa native Carson Nielsen. He has elite length and a solid combination of flexibility, quickness and play strength for the Hawkeyes to develop.

They also landed a pair of commitments on the same day from 300-pound interior linemenHudson Parliament and Colin Whitters. Iowa also pulled three-star quarterback Cash Herrera out of California early in the cycle.

Baylor picked upLondon Smith,a wide receiver with strong ties to the program; hisfather was a two-sport star (football and basketball) at Baylor and his mother was a national champion triple jumper for the Bears. London is a quick, smooth target with good body control.

Athlete Ryelan Morris, whocan be a versatile offensive weapon, adds some potential firepower. ESPN 300 CB Jamarion Vincent possesses coveted size (6-2) and blends that with good speed and is smooth in his movements.

After a step back in 2024, TCU is clearly prioritizing reinforcements along its defensive front in 2026 as it tries to get back to College Football Playoff contention under Sonny Dykes. The early foundation is with in-state defensive linemen, and they come in many different shapes and sizes. ESPN 300 defensive end Jesse Ford leads that group as of now. He has been a productive, disruptive presence at 6-5 and 230 pounds with an impressive first step and room to keep packing weight on to his frame.

On offense, QB Jack Daulton completed 73% of his passes as a junior and on film shows he can be an effective runner as well.