Rivals Rankings Week: Five-Star Countdown for 2026 class

The 2025 class is in the books, for the most part, so now we turn our attention to the class of 2026. Today, we began a Rivals Rankings Week for 2026 with the Five-Star Countdown.

We revealed a new five-star throughout the morning until all 14 had been announced, with national recruiting director Adam Gorney giving his take on each.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK

Sunday: Who should be No. 1?

Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Latest recruiting buzz on top 2026 prospects | Meet the new five-stars

Tuesday: New Rivals250 released | Biggest Risers | Gorney’s thoughts

Wednesday: Offensive position rankings released

Thursday: Defensive position rankings released

Friday: State rankings released

CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Top 100

TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker

Gorney’s Take: There is significant push from an elite trio of quarterbacks to push for the No. 1 spot but Jackson Cantwell had a dominant junior season and holds onto the top spot. He comes from a pedigree of Olympic-level parents, he’s a multi-sport star and a supreme physical force on the offensive line.

There will be significant pressure, especially from a quarterback, to take over the No. 1 position in the class but Cantwell has done nothing to lose it at this point since he has all the tools to be a star in college and beyond.

Missouri, Oregon and Nebraska remain among the favorites, and he visited Ohio State and Michigan over the weekend.

Gorney’s Take: Ryder Lyons is the best playmaker in the country and is an ideal example of an elite quarterback in today’s college football and NFL landscape. The Folsom, Calif., standout can easily sit in the pocket and make every throw possible because of great arm strength, accuracy and quick decision-making. He can throw on the run while escaping pressure. He can make lots of things happen on designed runs.

Completing 68 percent of his passes over the last two years, Lyons has more than 8,000 total yards and 121 touchdowns over that time through the air and on the ground. His production is insane as every defense tries – and fails – to even slow him down. His highlights are beyond impressive as it looks like Lyons makes magic happen out there.

USC is the team to beat but BYU, Ole Miss, Oregon, Alabama and now Michigan are involved with Lyons planning a Mormon mission after high school.

Gorney’s Take: The Tennessee commit has all the qualities of an elite quarterback and he could make an argument for the No. 1 player in the 2026 class as well. Faizon Brandon’s decision-making stands out most as he’s completed 77 percent of his passes this season and he’s not just dumping the ball off. He can fire it into a tight area, he can put touch on passes, he can throw receivers open and he almost always hits them right in stride.

The five-star also has a 33-1 TD-to-interception ratio which only speaks more to his ability to make the right decision.

He can also escape pressure or make things happen on designed runs. He’s not a statue in the pocket. Accuracy and quick decision-making are more important than arm strength in quarterbacks and Brandon has all of it and more.

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Gorney’s Take: Jared Curtis has earned his fifth star after another phenomenal season where he has shown that he’s a playmaker in every sense of the word from throwing to open receivers, to zinging the ball down the seam and to prolonging plays to with his feet and escapability.

The former Georgia commit, who’s high on South Carolina along with Ohio State, Georgia (still), Alabama, Auburn, USC and others, throws from different arm angles and makes the impossible throw look easy.

In a loaded QB class at the top, Curtis could make the argument for No. 1 even if he’s not playing great competition at Nashville (Tenn.) Nashville Christian.

Gorney’s Take: Immanuel Iheanacho is not only massive at 6-foot-7 and 345 pounds, but he is shockingly nimble on his feet and so powerful that he can push people around at will.

The first play of his junior season highlight is a perfect example of his game where Iheanacho comes out of his stance and just pushes the defender about five yards across the field. It drew a flag but also speaks to his physical nature.

He mixes in some really surprising athleticism for a big guy as he gets out of his stance quickly, can block at the second level and is always looking for someone to hit even if it’s not elite competition he’s playing.

Oregon, Maryland, Georgia, Penn State, Alabama, Ohio State and Tennessee are all in his lead group.

Gorney’s Take: Anthony Jones was great as a sophomore; he was dominant as a junior. The Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s standout can line up off the edge and use his speed and incredible burst to beat offensive tackles both inside and outside.

This season he lined up more often over the offensive guard and just absolutely destroyed O-lines. He’s gotten faster, more aggressive and more physical. Jones is also so versatile that he’s a big weapon on offense and even does some Wildcat quarterback.

Alabama and Auburn could battle it out but Oregon, Texas A&M, Miami, LSU and Texas are in the running as well.

Gorney’s Take: On a Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna team with a ton of offensive weapons where the ball was dispersed across the board, Derrek Cooper was still a standout. He continues to prove he’s not only one of the best running backs in the country regardless of class but is a phenomenal athlete as well.

Cooper ran for nearly 1,000 yards and has a hard-charging style when he runs the ball. He’s tough to tackle and when he breaks into the open field, he’s gone. There is some Joe Mixon to his game and that’s definitely a good thing.

Miami, Georgia (even after an early commitment didn’t work out), Alabama, Auburn and a host of others are involved in his recruitment.

Gorney’s Take: Brandon Arrington did not do much this offseason because of track obligations but the Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel prospect is a new five-star and perhaps the best two-way player in the class. He’s long, athletic and rangy. No one is like Travis Hunter, but there are some glimpses of that elite athletic ability that makes Hunter the Heisman Trophy winner.

Long term, Arrington is probably a cornerback in the mold of Sauce Gardner. But he can flip over and be a dominant receiver because of his speed, length and playmaking ability. And he loves to hit so that physical side is up there as well.

Texas A&M has had an edge in his recruitment but USC and Oregon are definitely right there as well.

Gorney’s Take: Blaine Bradford plays the safety position like a heat-seeking missile. The Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic standout has no hesitation coming up and taking people out in the hole and sprinting sideline-to-sideline to make a play on a stretch run. He’s also awesome in coverage as he looks like an elite cornerback breaking deep and making a play on the ball. There is a lot of Caleb Downs to his game with a more physical presence.

Ohio State, LSU, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Oregon and others are involved.

Gorney’s Take: During the rare times that Hill is tested at cornerback, the speedy Akron (Ohio) Hoban standout either picks the pass off or knocks it down.

He can run with any receiver in the country and even though he doesn’t have the physical makeup of the 6-foot-3 cornerbacks we fell in love with in the 2025 class, his traits are like those of cornerbacks the NFL likes in the first round of the draft.

He’s incredibly fast on offense and special teams, and that carries over with a smooth backpedal and then he turns and runs with anybody out there.

Ohio State is definitely high on the list with Oregon and many others.

Gorney’s Take: Where does Tyler Atkinson play on defense? A question like that is exactly Atkinson’s biggest strength: his versatility. Whether Atkinson is using his speed and length off the edge to harass quarterbacks in the pocket or he lines up at any of the linebacker positions, the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout knows how to get people on the ground and that’s the most important strength for a defensive player.

Georgia is going to be really high on the list, but Ohio State and many others will be involved. He wants to visit Oregon soon as well.

Gorney’s Take: Chris Henry Jr., an Ohio State commit, only played in a couple games this season before suffering a significant knee injury. He’s been sidelined ever since and while Henry has all the physical tools to be an elite receiver, it’s going to be super important to see how he rebounds from this injury to determine where his ranking will fall through this cycle.

There is not a better-looking receiver in the class than Henry but we also want to see him take over games more, even though that’s sometimes difficult at Mater Dei because there are so many elite players and ball control was a big focus under a new coaching staff this season.

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Gorney’s Take: Brady Smigiel is the son of a coach and a former player, has maturity beyond his years and he combines all that with elite physical tools to be one of the best quarterbacks in the class.

The Newbury Park, Calif., standout is also a stat stuffer who threw for 3,521 yards with 49 touchdowns and three picks, and rushed for 11 more scores.

The Florida State commit, who just visited Washington and is hearing from a handful of other schools, is better with pads on than in the camp and 7on7 circuit so when the lights come on, that’s when he’s at his best.

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Gorney’s Take: Kendre Harrison transferred to Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day only to return to Reidsville, N.C., shortly after and play in eight games this season. In terms of physical tools, Harrison is one of the best-looking prospects in the class at any position.

Plus, he’s also a star basketball player so in terms of athletic ability there are absolutely no questions Harrison could excel. We want to see him continue to want to dominate every time he’s on the field but when he was out there this season, he was very impressive and worthy of a bump.

The Oregon commit said the hiring of Bill Belichick at North Carolina was great for the Tar Heels but he remains fully pledged to the Ducks.

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