Tuesdays with Gorney: Checking up on five-stars in the 2026 Rivals250
It has been a few weeks since we’ve taken a look at all the five-stars in the 2026 class and caught up with their recruitments. That’s the job of Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney in today’s Tuesdays With Gorney.
Oregon, Michigan and Georgia comprise the lead group for the No. 1 overall player but Missouri can’t be counted out since it’s just a three-hour drive from home and the Tigers have made Cantwell a top priority.
Georgia has been a stable top contender and Michigan seems to be surging in interest with Cantwell and other five-stars, but the Ducks are the team to watch closest here. Cantwell loves the coaching staff especially coach Dan Lanning, who is also from Missouri.
No changes here. The five-star quarterback from Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley seems locked in with Tennessee and it would take a major surprise to see him flip somewhere else. Maybe there’s a massive NIL package in store later ala Bryce Underwood but he’s firm with the Vols right now.
Any shocking surprise that Lyons might seriously consider Sacramento State after visiting with some Folsom, Calif., teammates last week are massively overblown and I’ve been told he won’t consider that program in his recruitment.
The real team to watch here is Michigan because USC took Jonas Williams and if Oregon gets Jared Curtis then this could be a battle between the Wolverines and BYU. And Lyons really likes the setup in Ann Arbor.
Georgia and Oregon are the finalists for the five-star quarterback from Nashville (Tenn.) Christian and while both sides have some level of confidence, it’s always tough to get a re-commitment and Curtis has already been pledged to the Bulldogs.
Maryland, Oregon, LSU, Texas A&M and Penn State comprise the lead group for the massive five-star offensive tackle but the word now is that the Terrapins lead for the North Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep standout.
Iheanacho has said that he plans to commit while on one of his official visits but that might have been premature. If not Maryland, the thought of potentially teaming up with Cantwell at Oregon is intriguing.
Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Texas, Oregon and all the heavy hitters are now involved with the Houston commit but the Spring (Texas) Legacy standout is staying close with the Cougars and recently stopped by a basketball game where he met Houston mayor John Whitmire.
There is a feeling that Henderson can revitalize the hometown program and get players to come with him but a major NIL deal will have to be in place. Others are not giving up.
Georgia, Clemson, Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Colorado will get visits from the five-star receiver out of Alexander City (Ala.) Russell. He was also at Clemson over the weekend and the Tigers are on a recruiting tear right now, plus Morgan has the look of many former elite Clemson receivers on the outside.
But unless there is a major wild card down the stretch – possibly serious intrigue in playing for coach Deion Sanders – this feels like an Alabama-Auburn battle until the end.
From the beginning, Wesley’s recruitment was mainly focused on USC and Oregon alone and now that he’s reclassified from 2027 to 2026 the feeling is that this will be a battle between the Trojans and the Ducks until decision day.
Texas A&M is a player and then Ohio State and Notre Dame have gotten involved but the Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout has always talked about staying closer.
There are a lot of top programs pursuing the edge rusher from Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s but Alabama remains the team to beat. Auburn will be there until the end with LSU, Georgia, Texas A&M and Oregon battling, but the Crimson Tide have taken the lead in this recruitment and will be there until the end.
There is still a decently long list of programs involved with the five-star receiver from Hattiesburg, Miss., who has flip-flopped among favorites throughout his recruitment. The plan for Keys right now is to see Miami, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Alabama and LSU by the end of June and he’s also working on a trip to Auburn as well.
Keys is coming off a multi-day visit to Tennessee where he spent a lot of time with five-star QB commit Faizon Brandon. That could give the Vols an edge right now.
A top six of Alabama, Penn State, Georgia, Oregon, USC and Texas A&M was released on Sunday and during a recent conversation the five-star athlete also had Michigan among his top programs.
The Spring Valley (Calif.) Mount Miguel standout likes them all but the Crimson Tide, the Trojans and the Aggies are at the top heading into a busy visit schedule.
Early in his recruitment, before he looked great at the Navy All-American Bowl and became a five-star prospect, Michigan and Ole Miss were the two favorites in Ojo’s recruitment. But in recent months, Texas has surged to the top for the Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge standout and the Longhorns will be very tough to beat here.
Ohio State is the other top school and while the Buckeyes can never be counted out, especially with top Texas talent, Ojo is leaning toward staying in-state.
After a very short commitment to Georgia early on, Cooper got back on the market and is still considering the Bulldogs heavily but Miami looks like the team to beat right now. Auburn will be another one to watch and many top programs are showing interest but Cooper has now taken multiple recent visits to Coral Gables and the bond there just seems stronger than everywhere else.
Ohio State, Alabama, Michigan, Texas, Oregon and now Texas Tech are all in this but LSU is clearly the team to beat for the five-star safety from Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic.
His brother, Jacob, signed with the Tigers in the 2025 class and that’s just one of many reasons why it would be a stunner if Bradford ended up anywhere else.
Many top programs are making a run at the No. 1 cornerback including Alabama, Penn State, Michigan, USC and others, but it would be a major surprise if the Akron (Ohio) Hoban standout doesn’t end up at Ohio State.
He’s an in-state kid, he’s visited Columbus numerous times and the Buckeyes have made Hill a major priority. If he goes somewhere else, it would be a wow moment in this recruiting cycle.
Texas A&M is the front-runner for the five-star safety from Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances but Auburn, Oregon, Ohio State, Georgia and many others are going to battle to the end on this one.
If the Aggies and coach Mike Elko could land Edwards, he would be a huge piece in College Station but one wonders if Maryland lands Iheanacho and keeps four-star defensive end Zion Elee, does Edwards take a look at staying home, too?
There was some thinking that Texas was clearly the team to beat in Feaster’s recruitment but that’s no longer the case with Texas A&M, LSU, USC and Alabama (especially after a multi-day visit to Tuscaloosa helped the Crimson Tide immensely) in the running. Miami and Oregon are battling as well for the DeSoto, Texas, five-star receiver, who reclassed from 2027.
Georgia has been considered the front-runner and the Bulldogs are still in a very favorable spot with the five-star linebacker from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson, but his Clemson visit over the weekend was “incredible.”
Clemson’s coaches put together an “AtkNup Plan” for Atkinson, which laid out how he’d get his degree in three years, how he could promote his brand and how he’d fit in defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s defense.
An Ohio State commit since July 2023, it would be no surprise at all if the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout receiver (who’s coming off a knee injury) sticks with the Buckeyes. There has been so much receiver success there and Jeremiah Smith’s transcendent freshman season cannot hurt. Plus, Henry has a great relationship with coach Brian Hartline.
But if there is a pull to stay closer to home, Oregon is making the biggest in-roads with Henry and USC had him over for a recent junior day.
The five-star quarterback from Newbury Park, Calif., was back at Washington over the weekend as the Huskies are emerging as a major contender for the former Florida State commitment.
An official visit later this offseason could push Washington even higher on the list as UCLA is still battling hard along with Michigan and others.
A newer reclassifier from 2027, LSU has been a front-runner for Finney since the early part of his recruitment. He fits the style of other elite cornerbacks in Baton Rouge over the years and position coach Corey Raymond has made him a priority.
But USC is going to battle hard to keep Finney and Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon five-star teammate Richard Wesley home. Those two might battle it out until the end with Ohio State, Texas and Michigan as the three others to watch.
The five-star tight end from Reidsville, N.C., has been committed to Oregon since October and time and again has only reinforced his pledge to the Ducks. But he committed to the cross-country school before Hall of Famer Bill Belichick was hired at North Carolina and the Tar Heels aren’t going to give up easily here. Neither will others.
Harrison has essentially shut down his recruitment for now but it’s something to watch.
