Football recruiting: Five-stars Zion Elee, Jackson Cantwell headline intel on many of 2026's top 50 prospects
247Sports national recruiting analyst Tom Loy reports on the latest intel with some of the top 2026 football prospects.
Signing Day for the class of 2025 has come and gone. The majority of prospects have put pen to paper, while some others will wrap things up in February.
With that said, it's now time to focus on the class of 2026. Let's look at some rumblings regarding many of the top 50 prospects next cycle.
ZION ELEE, NO. 1 EDGE (MARYLAND COMMIT)
Five-star edge rusher Zion Elee, the No. 2 overall player in the class, recently recently committed to Maryland. The Terrapins made a huge splash.
Don't get me wrong — it won't be easy to pull him from the in-state school. If Maryland wins on the field, I could absolutely see this one working out. However, this recruitment is just getting started.
The target is on Maryland's back at this point. His commitment especially shouted, "If you want me, come and get me." Plenty of schools are going to continue pushing hard here, but the school I'm watching the most right now is Oregon.
JACKSON CANTWELL, FIVE-STAR OT
Five-star offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell, the No. 3 prospect in the country, is strongly considering playing for his home-state Missouri Tigers. However, there is stiff competition here.Nebraska is battling. He just had great visits to Ohio State and Michigan. Oregon is another big player here. Texas A&M is another that I'm keeping an eye on.
TRISTEN KEYS, NO. 1 WR
Five-star receiver Tristen Keys, the No. 4 overall recruit, is one I predicted to land at Tennessee. However, it looks like in-state Ole Miss is surging up his leaderboard. This one is a really close battle and, to be completely transparent, I don't feel comfortable betting against Lane Kiffin and the in-state program.
IMMANUEL IHEANACHO, NO. 2 OT
Five-star offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho, the No. 5 talent in the class, is considering many top schools. Penn State, Maryland, Alabama, Ohio State are all in play. Oregon is another that has made a great impression. Georgia will be in it for a while. This one has a long way to go. He technically hasn't even trimmed his list of 30-plus offers quite yet.RYDER LYONS, NO. 2 QB
My Crystal Ball remains on USC for quarterback Ryder Lyons, the No. 6 prospect in the cycle. However, this isn't the clear slam-dunk it seemed at one point. Oregon is a big player. BYU made a huge impression when he visited. Alabama and Ole Miss are two schools that have really opened his eyes.JARED CURTIS, NO. 3 QB
Quarterback Jared Curtis, the No. 7 overall player in the nation, was once committed to Georgia. As of today, we're surely still watching the Bulldogs. But there are other heavy hitters in play as well. Oregon is in contention. South Carolina is a very real player in this race. Ohio State is battling, as the Buckeyes were once the leader as well. Don't rule out Alabama pulling this off as well.XAVIER GRIFFIN, NO. 1 LB (USC COMMIT)
Despite being committed to USC, I'm still watching Georgia, Alabama, and a few others in the South for Peach State native Xavier Griffin. He is the No. 8 overall prospect in the nation.
RODNEY DUNHAM, NO. 2 EDGE
Edge rusher Rodney Dunham, the No. 9 recruit in the nation, is a tremendous football and baseball prospect. His top group consists of South Carolina, Georgia, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Florida State, Alabama, Duke, and Ohio State. From that group, I'm keeping a close eye on the Fighting Irish, Blue Devils, Volunteers and Gamecocks.CEDERIAN MORGAN, NO. 2 WR
Receiver Cederian Morgan, the country's No. 10 overall recruit, is one of the most coveted prospects in the nation. From the Yellowhammer State, it makes sense that Auburn and Alabama are in great shape. But don't rule out Florida, Tennessee and Oregon.LAMAR BROWN, NO. 1 IOL
Offensive lineman Lamar Brown, the No. 11 player overall, called Texas A&M his leader. However, this one is far from over. Nobody should count out LSU. Florida State is in play. Ole Miss is a contender as well. Georgia is another that he likes a great deal.TRENTON HENDERSON, NO. 3 EDGE
Edge rusher Trenton Henderson, the No. 12 talent in his class, has skyrocketed up the rankings over the past few months. As of today, I'm keeping an eye on Auburn, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Florida State and Florida.
