Counting down the 5-star recruits in the final 2026 Rivals300 rankings

The 2026 recruiting class is signed, sealed and nearly delivered; and to fully wrap it up, Rivals has released its final player rankings for this cycle, the Rivals300.

The list includes more than 40 new additions, including 12 new five-stars to complete the cycle with 32 — which matches the number of first-round selections in the NFL Draft. It also features a new No. 1 overall prospect and some major shakeup at the top of the rankings.

The full list will be released later Tuesday morning, but to kick off the final release, Rivals is counting down each of the five-stars in the class with insights from our national scouting and rankings team on each player:

32) 5-star QB Dia Bell – Texas 

School: American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Scouting Summary: “Precision passer with the arm talent, size, and athleticism to translate to college football and beyond. Measured in at around 6-foot-2.5, 215 pounds with a 10-inch hand before his senior season. Mechanically clean with a smooth throwing motion that he replicates with consistency. Has polished footwork that is married to his upper body. Shows high-level arm talent, delivering well-placed passes to multiple levels of the field. A dangerous operator from the pocket. Able to evade pressure, reset his feet, and fire. Throws a pretty deep ball. Was a first-year starter as a sophomore and showed marked improvement while playing top competition as a junior. Flashed an added playmaking element and rushing component to his game down the stretch of his junior season. Ripped off long runs, including two 40+ yard touchdown runs against top programs. Completed 70.6% of his passes for 2,597 yards (11.4 yards per attempt) and 29 touchdowns against six interceptions in 2025. Also rushed for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Was tabbed as the Elite 11 MVP prior to his senior season. Also has a basketball background. Is the son of long-time NBA veteran guard Raja Bell. The level of improvement displayed throughout his junior season should be taken as an encouraging sign of his long-term upside.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

31) WR Chris Henry Jr. – Ohio State

School: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
Scouting Summary: “Jumbo receiver with a rare combination of size, athleticism, and coordination as a young prospect. Continued growing and adding size throughout his high school career, checking in at around 6-foot-5 and over 200 pounds going into his senior season. Has good length, with arms around 34 inches. Tests as a strong athlete with good speed at his size in the combine setting. Flashes functional movement skills at his size, showing the ability to sink his hips and change direction with ease. Touts good ball skills and catch radius. Tracks the ball over his shoulder and can win in jump ball situations. Sustained a season-ending knee injury as a junior, missing most of the year. Heading into his senior season, his production was below average for a top wide receiver prospect. Has a strong pedigree as the son of the late NFL wide receiver Chris Henry. Will need to capitalize on more extensive reps and continue developing, but has a very high physical upside.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

30) ATH Salesi Moa – Michigan

School: Fremont (Ogden, UT)
Scout’s Take: “Moa is one of the more interesting prospects among the five-star group in that he could be an impact player with NFL draft-ability at three different positions. He was a star receiver in high school, also a hyper-physical safety, but what really got us excited was seeing him play corner at Polynesian Bowl practices. He was Rivals’ MVP at the Polynesian Bowl and really locked down his side of the ball in man coverage and I think that adds another layer to his evaluation. It’s very possible that we could see him play on both sides of the ball in his career at Michigan. When you look at his size and athleticism, he’s around 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, tests as an outstanding athlete.

… The fluidity and instincts make me not rule out Moa being a first-round type of corner if that’s where he ends up sticking. But regardless, a phenomenal player and one who we wouldn’t be surprised to see make an impact on both sides of the ball in Ann Arbor. A lot of prospects will say they want to play both ways, but Moa actually has that ability.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

29) EDGE Richard Wesley – Texas 

School: Sierra Canyon (Los Angeles, CA)
Scouting Summary: “Versatile edge defender that wins with power and speed as a pass rusher that possesses advanced hand usage for his age. Verified 6-foot-4.5, 245 pounds with above average length. Impressive athlete in the combine setting as well as on the track running 11.67 in the 100m during his sophomore track and field season. Variety of pass rush moves including swims, rips, long arms and a ghost move. Stout run defender that can set the edge and displace blockers at the point of attack. Collected 16 tackles-for-loss and 9 sacks during his sophomore season. Reclassified from the 2027 cycle to the 2026 cycle so will be a year younger than most of his peers in the class. Versatile skillset allows him to project to a strong-side or weak-side end. Has the ability to play with his hand in the dirt or stand up off the edge and should excel as a three-down edge defender at the next level.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

28) WR Corey Barber – LSU

School: Clay-Chalkville (Pinson, AL)
Scout’s Take: “Barber is a prospect that’s been on a steady rise, dating back to the start of his senior season. He’s a receiver who can impact the game in several ways, he’s very versatile and reminds me a good bit ofMakai Lemon, with his ability to pick up yards after the catch while also being able to win at the catch point. At around 6-foot-1 and 180 pounds, he’s a good athlete but also a hyper-competitive player who really finds ways to impact and make big plays in key moments. Physical, aggressive, competitive and can get open at all levels. We project Barber to be a big-time weapon inLane Kiffin’s offense. When we were taking stock of this receiver group, it felt like he was worthy of a big rise and ultimately landing as a five-star.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

27) TE Ian Premer – Notre Dame

School: Great Bend (Great Bend, KS)
Scout’s Take: “Premer fits the mold of the modern tight end prospect. He stands at nearly 6-foot-5, 230 pounds, and he plays both ways on offense and defense with a background in basketball and baseball. His size and movement skills for the tight end are tremendous. His ability to get in and out of his breaks allows him to create separation at every level of the field. Bigger defenders can’t run with him and smaller defenders don’t have the length or physicality to effectively attack the ball against him. Plus, he’s a willing blocker who plays with physicality and strong leverage at the point of attack.

…But Premer’s ability to catch the football and make defenders miss in space is undoubtedly his greatest strength. He can turn first downs into touchdowns nearly every time he touches the football. He has one of the highest ceilings of any offensive prospect in the country.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

26) LB Cincere Johnson – Ohio State

School: Glenville (Cleveland, OH)
Scouting Summary: “Johnson is the definition of a downhill warrior. His ability to trigger and detonate ball carriers on contact is exceptional,” Rivals’ National Scout Cody Bellaire writes. “After seeing him process and diagnose what opposing offenses were doing all week at Under Armour All-American, it was clear that Johnson is the most ready-made backer in the 2026 cycle. His size, burst and ability to trigger to the football is so advanced for his age. He can stack and shed blockers with ease and hold his own against the run. He even has the power to set the edge as an on-ball defender if he’s ever asked to fill that role. But he also has the suddenness and flexibility to rush the passer as an edge rusher as well. Johnson’s versatility and intangibles should allow him to see the field early and his ability to hunt ball carriers will keep him out there too.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

25) S Joey O’Brien – Notre Dame

School: La Salle College (Glenside, PA)
Scouting Summary: “Tall safety with elite instincts and ball skills. Measured at 6-foot-4, 180 pounds with 32.5-inch arms and 9.75-inch hands at Rivals Five-Star before his senior season. A two-way star at the high school level, showing his playmaking ability as a safety and wide receiver. One of the more dominant players we’ve seen on the 7-on-7 circuit over the years. Has elite coverage instincts. Seems to see routes before they develop. Jumps passes and comes down with remarkable interceptions. An absolute menace when defending intermediate routes over the middle of the field. Has sticky hands, making him a walking turnover. Smart player who understands how defenses work. Showing encouraging physicality as a senior. Doubles as a good high school basketball player. Lacks recent verified speed, but showed good play speed in man coverage against top wide receivers on the camp circuit. Will benefit from time in a college strength program, as he will need to add mass and strength. Playmaking ability and instincts make him one of the top safeties in a deep cycle at the position.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

24) QB Jett Thomalla – Alabama

School: Millard South (Omaha, NE)
Scout’s Take: “The more and more we watched the quarterback group, outside of the top two being Jared Curtis and Keisean Henderson, we felt more and more that Jett Thomalla made a really strong case as the No. 3 quarterback in the cycle. Thomalla had a fantastic senior season, threw for 58 touchdowns, he’s the best QB prospect to come from Nebraska in recent memory. While he played on a loaded team that really didn’t play many close games in 2025, when you watch the arm talent and the ability to make difficult throws, I’m not sure that anyone besides Curtis and Henderson put better difficult throws on film than Thomalla. He has a loose arm, is willing to take chances with the football, he’ll challenge tight windows and most of the time he’ll deliver with accuracy.

… At his best, when he can sit back and challenge defenses, I thought he was very aggressive and willing to take those chances. That, combined with the arm talent and the projectable size at around 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds — he has a big frame and will continue filling out. He’s a quality athlete who plays high school basketball, too. There’s a lot of positives with Thomalla, it’s not every day you see a five-star QB come from Nebraska. When you really dive into the film, we felt like he put more on film than the majority of the other top quarterbacks in the cycle.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

23) CB Khary Adams – Notre Dame

School:Loyola Blakefield (Towson, MD)
Scouting Summary: “Toolsy corner prospect with the size, athleticism, and ball skills to develop into a top cover man. Measured in at over 6-foot-1 and around 180 pounds before his senior season. Has quality length with 31.5-inch arms and big hands that measure over 10 inches. A strong athlete in the combine setting and a talented sprinter. Ran a personal best of 10.70 seconds in the 100 meters as a junior. Won the state title in the 200 meters with a 21.83-second mark as a sophomore. Lines up as a corner and wide receiver at his high school. A long strider with a natural gait. Shows the ability to run with receivers on vertical routes and has make-up speed when he finds himself out of phase. Experience as a receiver helps with his ball skills as a defensive back. Shows the ability to adjust to the football and make plays in-air. Finished his junior season with three interceptions and 34 catches for 562 yards and six touchdowns. Lacks technical polish in coverage and shows some rigidity in his change of direction and short area quickness. Will need to continue honing the technical side of his game, but has a high upside as an outside corner.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

22) DL Khary Wilder – Ohio State

School: Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA)
Scouting Summary: “Pass rushing demon with tremendous burst off the line of scrimmage and hip fluidity that plays with his hair on fire to chase down ball carriers. Verified 6-foot-4, 255 pounds with excellent length. Charged up athlete that possesses such explosive movements off the line and in space. Does a great job shooting his hands and keeping his chest clean when engaging with blockers. Has serious shock in his hands when punching blockers at the point of attack. Totaled 11 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks as a junior. Could develop into a knifing interior defender with phenomenal twitch and upfield burst that can stay on the field as an interior pass rusher on third downs and excel as a stout run defender off the edge on early downs.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

21) OT Immanuel Iheanacho – Oregon

School: Georgetown Preparatory School (Baltimore, MD)
Scout’s Take: “Immanuel Iheanacho is a mammoth of an offensive lineman and is simply a roadblock for oncoming defenders. His size is tremendous: nearly 6-foot-7, 350-plus pounds, with an over-7-foot wingspan. After seeing him against some of the top competition in the country at the Under Armour All-American game, it was clear that even though he doesn’t possess elite foot speed and flexibility, he is more than a functional mover in the run game and in his pass sets in order to sit down nearly every defender that went up against him.

…His raw power and length let him manhandle defenders at the point of attack and maintain leverage consistently. He may be an exception to the rule when it comes to mobility at tackle, as he possesses rare traits that simply do not appear at the position in every cycle.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

20) CB Brandon Arrington – Texas A&M

School: Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, CA)
Scout’s Take: “I’m not sure another cornerback prospect in the 2026 cycle has the physical traits to compare to Brandon Arrington. Corner is a traits position, it’s one where size and particularly speed are of utmost importance. Arrington, at around 6-foot-2 and close to 190 pounds with extremely long arms and some of the best speed in the cycle, really has a lot of physical ability. Seeing him in person throughout the week of practice at the Navy All-American Bowl showed us that he’s further along as a player than we thought, just in terms of his technical ability. He showed the wherewithal to carry receivers on vertical routes, he was able to stay in-phase.

…He showed really exceptional make-up speed on the occasions he was beaten off the line, he was able to quickly close any kind of cushion once the ball was in the air. I think his ability to track the football was also encouraging. Arrington is far from a finished product, but when you look at his physical tools, we think he has immense upside. This is a guy who certainly has the athleticism of a future first-rounder if he can continue to develop once he gets to college.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

19) RB Ezavier Crowell – Alabama

School: Jackson (Jackson, AL)
Scouting Summary: “Three-down dynamo of a running back with impressive production combined with top-tier athletic ability and wiggle to win between the tackles and in space. Verified 5-foot-11, 210 pounds with excellent weight distribution. Has excellent top-end speed for the position running personal bests of 10.73 in the 100m and 22.38 in the 200m. Phenomenal wiggle and acceleration when he sticks his foot in the ground. Has the ability to hit the home run every time he touches the ball. Violent runner between the tackles and rubs with excellent pad level. Averaged nearly 12 yards per carry on 168 carries for 1,964 yards and 31 touchdowns. Reclassified to his proper age group from the 2027 cycle to the 2026 cycle. Want to see more from him as a pass catcher and in pass protection but looks comfortable catching the ball in the flat and plays with a tough mindset. A threat to score every time he touches the football at the next level due to top-tier athletic ability and vision and can win in short-yardage scenarios with his leg drive and tenacity.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

18) DL Richard Anderson – LSU

School: Edna Karr (New Orleans, LA)
Scouting Summary: “Explosive interior defensive lineman with immense power and ability to two-gap in the middle of the defensive front. Verified size at 6-foot-3.5, 355 pounds with over 33-inch arms and carries the weight very well. Great burst off the line of scrimmage for his size. Plays with excellent pad level and vision into the backfield. Understands leverage and sheds blocks with ease. Totaled 15 tackles-for-loss as a junior along with 10 sacks. Will need to to maintain quality combination of size and movement skills as he continues to physically develop. Older for the cycle. Projects as a space-eating, two-gap nose tackle at the next level but has the athletic ability to one-gap if needed.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

17) WR Jerquaden Guilford – Ohio State

School: Northrop (Fort Wayne, IN)
Scout’s Take: “Guilford has been on a steady rise dating back to the fall. He put together a great senior season, essentially doubling his production year over year. He carried that momentum into the week of practice at the Navy All-American Bowl, where he looked like one of the top receivers on hand. What really impresses us about Guilford is his combination of size, athleticism and functional movement skills. This is a guy who is close to 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, tests as a phenomenal athlete, but he can really harness that speed. He is a smooth, fluid route runner. He has the potential to be an elite route runner when you look at his ability to get in and out of his breaks and change direction, but also open up and separate on his vertical routes with top-end speed.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

16) EDGE Carter Meadows – Michigan

School: Gonzaga (Washington, DC)
Scout’s Take: “Checking in at over 6-foot-6, around 225 pounds, and arms that measure over 35 inches, Meadows is on the short list of the most physically-impressive prospects in the 2026 cycle. The Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga pass rusher pairs his monster frame with elite functional movement skills. The ability to bend as a young prospect of his size is rare. Meadows is highly loose and fluid. He makes impressive plays while tracking down plays in pursuit and shows strong hands while working as an edge setter. A developmental prospect, we currently view Meadows’ physical upside as one of the highest in the cycle.“ — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

15) EDGE Julian Walker – South Carolina

School: Dutch Fork (Columbia, SC)
Scout’s Take: “Walker is one of the rarer blends of body type and movement skills for the EDGE position. He possesses prototypical size, standing at over 6-foot-5, 245 pounds with nearly 35-inch arms. The frame and build he possesses will also allow him to add significant mass if necessary. He could potentially get up to 265 pounds with ease while maintaining his tremendous bend and twitch. At the Navy All-American Bowl, he showed he is much more refined in his pass rush and has more burst than we initially expected, especially for his frame. …Walker is a prospect who is much more polished than we expected, which raises his floor. But also has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect in the country, thanks to his blend of size and athleticism.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

14) WR Jalen Lott – Oregon

School: Panther Creek (Lucas, TX)
Scouting Summary: “One of the most explosive athletes in the entire class, Jalen Lott has proven as a senior that he’s one of the most dynamic pass catchers in the cycle. The Oregon commit stands in at 6 feet, 170-plus pounds, Lott has absurd athletic ability. A former National Junior Olympian, Lott has personal bests of 6-foot-10 in the high jump, nearly 24-foot-4 in the long jump and 10.99 in the 100m. You see the track and field athleticism shine on the football field in his route running and with the ball in his hands. Lott’s explosiveness and change of direction is electric. He separates from defenders at every level of the field and has the ability to go up and attack the football as good as anyone in the country. He needs to continue his polish as a route runner, but with his strong hands and top-tier athletic ability Lott’s ceiling is borderline unlimited.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

13) RB Savion Hiter – Michigan 

School: Louisa County (Mineral, VA)
Scouting Summary: “Gifted runner with an advanced blend of athleticism, fluidity, and instincts as a high school underclassman. Physically developed, measuring in at over 5-foot-11 and around 200 pounds prior to his senior season. Registers as a strong athlete, running an 11.11 second mark in the 100-meters as a freshman. Also jumped close to 45 feet in the triple jump – an outstanding mark. Turned multiple dominant seasons as a high school underclassman, including a 1,698-yard, 26-touchdown junior campaign that saw him run for 10.8 yards per carry. Looks to be a natural runner. An extremely fluid and smooth mover who changes directions effortlessly. Shows excellent acceleration. Cuts on a dime and makes defenders miss in space. Runs with pace and instincts. A strong tackle-breaker who runs through contact due to a strong leg drive. A phenomenal high school football player who also makes big plays on defense. Has the potential and upside to be one of the best running back prospects in several cycles.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings