MANHATTAN BEACH, California — This is perhaps the most consequential week of the 2026 recruiting cycle to date.
From Tuesday night to Thursday morning, 20 of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks convened in Southern California for the Elite 11 Finals with five-star passers Dia Bell (Texas commit), Faizon Brandon (Tennessee) and Keisean Henderson (Houston) among the headliners. Also on hand for the nation’s premier high school quarterback camp: Landon Duckworth, Oscar Rios and Bowe Bentley — three of the four uncommitted passers in the 2026 ESPN 300 — and late risers in the current quarterback class including Boise State decommit Bryson Beaver and two-sport star Matt Ponatoski.
Elsewhere, the nation’s most coveted high school prospects are about to descend on campuses across the country for a final round of official visits before the recruiting dead period from June 23 to July 31. No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown will spend the weekend at LSU, while Immanuel Iheanacho (Oregon), Derrek Cooper (Ohio State) and Kaiden Prothro (Texas) round out the list of intriguing five-star visits coming this weekend.
As we reach the business end of the latest recruiting cycle, here’s the state of play within the 2026 class.
Jump to a topic:
Top uncommitted QBs
Final five-star official visits
USC’s top-ranked class
Summer risers
Latest on the nation’s top uncommitted QBs
Of the top 45 quarterback prospects in ESPN’s rankings, only 12 remain uncommitted, including five recruits who spent the week at Manhattan Beach’s Mira Costa High School throwing at Elite 11.
Top-ranked dual-threat QB Duckworth down to two: Landon Duckworth arrived in Southern California days after trimming his list to two schools: Auburn and South Carolina. ESPN’s No. 104 overall prospect visited the Tigers last weekend and will travel on Friday for his latest trip with the Gamecocks. Duckworth, a one-time South Carolina commit, has gelled with new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, and ESPN sources view the Gamecocks as clear leaders to ultimately land his commitment.
Arizona or UCLA for Rios: Four-star passer Oscar Rios (No. 192 overall) confirmed to ESPN that his recruitment is down to Arizona and UCLA ahead of a June 27 commitment date. The 6-foot-3 passer from Downey, California, remains split on his final decision, but Rios’ close relationships with Bruins offensive coordinator Tino Suneri and the family of quarterbacks Nico and Madden Iamaleava could give UCLA an edge with ESPN’s ninth-ranked pocket passer.
Bentley nearing a decision: Following back-to-back officials to LSU and Oklahoma, four-star Bowe Bentley (No. 261 overall) said he’s using his Elite 11 trip to step back from the recruiting process. ESPN sources consider LSU favorites to secure the fast-rising, dual-threat passer, but the Tigers and Sooners are each pushing hard with Bentley, who tells ESPN that he intends to wrap his process as early as next week.
“Hopefully before July,” Bentley said. “That’s the goal. Go back home, go through everything again and see where my heads at.”
What’s next for Lyons and O’Neal?: Four-stars Ryder Lyons (No. 49 overall) and Jaden O’Neal (No. 112) were not on hand for Elite 11, but the recruitments of two of ESPN’s top seven pocket passers are developing this month.
Lyons — the nation’s top uncommitted passer — will close his official visit slate at BYU this weekend, though Oregon remains the front-runner for the passer from Folsom, California. Per sources, four-star Oklahoma commit Jaden O’Neal (No. 112 overall) left his official visit to Florida State earlier this week as a legitimate flip candidate for the Seminoles, regardless of Bentley’s impending decision between the Sooners and LSU.
QB movement out of the ESPN 300: Former three-star Iowa State pledge Jett Thomalla made waves with his flip to Alabama on Tuesday, hours before the Elite 11’s opening session.
That move is relevant for fellow three-star Matt Ponatoski, a two-sport athlete who will also play baseball at the next level. Ponatoski visited the Crimson Tide earlier this month and will keep Alabama in the mix as the program contemplates adding a second quarterback in 2026, but sources now favor Kentucky to land Ponatoski, who is set to visit Oregon this week.
No 2026 quarterback has garnered more recent attention than three-star Bryson Beaver, who pulled his pledge from Boise State last week amid fresh interest from major programs. Beaver followed his decommitment with trips to Ole Miss and Alabama last weekend and now holds offers from both programs, along with Oregon ahead of his trip to see the Ducks this weekend. Sources tell ESPN that either one of LSU or Oklahoma could also enter the mix for Beaver, subject to the outcome of Bentley’s recruitment in the coming weeks.
Intel and final official visits for five-star prospects
No. 1 overall recruit Brown nearing finish line: After nixing plans to visit Texas, five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown is down to LSU, Miami and Texas A&M with a heavy focus on the SEC rivals that have chased ESPN’s top recruit for the better part of the last two years.
Brown raised eyebrows during his latest visit with the Aggies last weekend when he posted “Think this one close the book…” on social media before even closing the trip to College Station. Despite uncertainty surrounding Brown’s plans after the weekend, sources tell ESPN that the coveted defender from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is still set to close his official visit slate with a trip to LSU this weekend. Sources believe the Tigers are still the leading contenders to land Brown’s pledge entering the weekend, though the Aggies continue to hold strong footing in the process ahead of Brown’s July 10 commitment date, particularly after his impactful official visit.
Can LSU hang onto WR Keys?: While the Tigers battle to keep the nation’s top prospect home, they’ve spent the spring working to shore up the commitment of No. 10 overall prospect Tristen Keys, the top-ranked member of LSU’s 2026 since his March 19 pledge.
Keys has already taken officials with Miami, Tennessee, Texas A&M this month. ESPN’s No. 2 wide receiver was also set for a mid-week trip to Alabama this week before Keys announced he was no longer planning to travel to see the Crimson Tide ahead of his LSU official this weekend. ESPN sources considered Alabama the biggest threat to flip Keys this summer, and his decision to head straight to Baton Rouge on the final official visit weekend is a key development for the Tigers.
OT Iheanacho closes with Oregon: Immanuel Iheanacho, No. 12 in the ESPN 300, is down to four schools. After trips to Auburn, LSU and Penn State in recent weeks, he’ll close out his slate of official visits with a critical trip to Oregon this weekend.
The Ducks have much of Iheanacho’s recruitment among the front-runners to ultimately land the 6-foot-7, 350-pound lineman from North Bethesda, Maryland. Oregon remains in a strong position for Iheanacho, but sources tell ESPN that Penn State has climbed to the top of his recruitment, bolstered by Iheanacho’s official visit with the Nittany Lions last weekend. As Penn State surges in his process, sources suggest that relationships at Penn State and relative proximity to home — to go with departing depth on the program’s offensive line after 2025 — could ultimately help swing Iheanacho’s decision toward Penn State on Aug. 5.
Who’s next for top linebacker Atkinson?: Clemson got Tyler Atkinson’s first official visit this spring, followed by Oregon and then in-state Georgia this past weekend. The question entering this week: would the nation’s top outside linebacker take another official in June?
Despite significant efforts from the likes of Auburn and Ohio State, sources tell ESPN that Texas will be hosting Atkinson this week, the latest program to get a shot with ESPN’s No. 13 overall prospect. Georgia and a coaching staff that has hosted Atkinson on campus more than a dozen times over the past few years remains the clear leader for Atkinson, but Texas is gaining steam in the 2026 defensive class and could soon rival the Bulldogs in his process.
Long way to go for pass rusher Kreul: It has been a busy run of spring officials for defensive end Jake Kreul, No. 21 in the ESPN 300. After trips to Colorado, Ohio State and Florida, Kreul took visits to Ole Miss and Texas last week and will cap his slate at Oklahoma this weekend.
Per ESPN sources, the Gators and Longhorns have each made significant moves in Kreul’s process over the last month, and the Sooners have long been among the most active schools in his recruitment. Kreul is expected to trim his finalists to four later this month, but likely won’t announce a commitment until the fall with an eye on a decision around his 18th birthday on Oct. 9.
What’s left for USC and the nation’s No. 1 class?
Following the arrival of first-year general manager Chad Bowden and renewed efforts on the in-state recruiting trail, the Trojans enter the summer with the nation’s deepest and most talent-rich recruiting class. Among USC’s 29 pledges, 18 are in-state prospects and 15 come from inside the ESPN 300 — more than any other program — highlighted by five-stars Elbert Hill (No. 15 overall) and Keenyi Pepe (No. 17) and a total count of seven top 100 prospects.
In fact, the Trojans have even dipped into the 2026 class early: four-star cornerback R.J. Sermons, who reclassified into the cycle class in May, is set to enroll at USC this summer.
However, after a torrid spring of recruiting, sources now expect the Trojans to slow their efforts in the top-end of the 2026 class in the coming months with the exception of potential flips and late risers in the senior evaluation period. Two positions where USC could still make high-profile adds: wide receiver and defensive end.
Four-star pass catcher Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 23 overall) and athlete Jalen Lott (No. 107) are a pair of priority targets for the Trojans with each set to close their respective recruitments early next month. Per sources, USC and Texas A&M have presented Feaster with the most lucrative NIL packages among his finalists, which also include Alabama and LSU. At defensive end, the Trojans are surging ahead of the likes of Florida, Ohio State and Texas for four-star pass rusher Luke Wafle (No. 103) following his official visit with the program earlier this month.
Projecting summer risers
As of June 19, USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Clemson and Penn State make up the top five teams in ESPN’s team recruiting rankings for the cycle. Who might start challenging those places atop the 2026 class? These five programs are in position to rise on the recruiting trail this summer:
Alabama: The Crimson Tide are currently nowhere to be found among ESPN’s top 25 classes in 2026. But similar to a year ago, when Alabama blitzed the summer recruiting trail, coach Kalen DeBoer and Co. appear poised to catch fire once again in the coming months.
The June 9 commitment of four-star offensive tackle Samuel Utu (No. 77 overall) marked the Crimson Tide’s first ESPN pledge in nearly three months, and the program landed its 2026 quarterback on Tuesday with the flip of former three-star Iowa State commit Jett Thomalla, ESPN’s No. 18 pocket passer.
Up ahead, sources consider Alabama front-runners in the recruitments of top 30 defenders Jett Washington (No. 22), Xavier Griffin (No. 28) and Jireh Edwards (No. 29) this summer. The Crimson Tide are similarly well-positioned for a trio in-state targets between outside linebacker Anthony Jones (No. 25), running back Ezavier Crowell (No. 30) and wide receiver Cederian Morgan (No. 47); all three will visit Alabama this weekend with Crowell (June 26) and Morgan (July 2) expected to announce their commitments in the coming weeks.
Florida: After riding a string of late-cycle commitments to a No. 10 finish in the 2025 cycle, the Gators hit the summer months very much in line to contend for another top 10 class in 2026.
Ten of the 12 prospects committed to Florida’s incoming class have landed in the month of June, headlined by Saturday’s pledge from five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy, ESPN’s No. 9 overall prospect in the cycle. The Gators could soon add two more top 300 defensive lineman alongside McCoy after impressing pass rusher Trenton Henderson (No. 60 overall) and defensive tackle James Johnson (No. 122) on their visits a week ago.
Florida also hosted five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro last weekend, but the Gators have ground to make up in a battle with Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Texas for the nation’s No. 19 recruit. A more realistic top-end pass catching option for Florida is four-star wide receiver Davian Groce (No. 36), who counts the Gators among his leaders next to Baylor, Houston and Oklahoma.
Michigan: The Wolverines were late-risers in the 2025 cycle and are likely to take their recruiting business into the fall months in 2026, too. But Michigan could still produce fireworks this summer.
The Wolverines have made No. 2 running back Savion Hiter a top priority this cycle. Michigan impressed ESPN’s No. 27 overall prospect on his most recent visit with the program last weekend, and sources like where the program stands among finalists Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee as Hiter prepares to wrap his process over the next month.
Hiter wasn’t the only major target on campus last weekend. The Wolverines have jumped ahead of Florida and Florida State in the race for four-star outside linebacker D.Q. Forkpa (No. 40 overall). Recent visitors Andre Clarke (No. 100) and Travis Johnson (No. 109) are high on Michigan, too, with the Wolverines also in the mix for top 100 defensive backs Davon Benjamin (No. 62) and Khary Adams (N0. 68).
Texas: Like Alabama, the Longhorns waited until the summer to fully hit stride in the 2025 cycle before landing the nation’s No. 1 class. With eight ESPN 300 pledges already, including five-star quarterback Dia Bell (No. 6 overall), what’s next for the Longhorns in 2026?
Sources tell ESPN that the Longhorns are now setting the pace with five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo (No. 20) ahead of Michigan and Ohio State following his official visit last weekend. Alongside Ojo, four-star offensive tackle John Turntine (No. 43) represents another major in-state target on the offensive line. Per sources, Texas are expected to be competitive in chasing top 30 linebackers Griffin and Atkinson while continuing to target top 100 defenders Richard Wesley (No. 19), Trenton Henderson (No. 60) and Samari Matthews (No. 97), among others.
Texas A&M: The Aggies reached mid-June with the nation’s seventh-ranked recruiting class and now hold the top running back tandem in the 2026 cycle after beating Texas to four-star, in-state rusher K.J. Edwards (No. 106 overall) on Tuesday. Where else will Texas A&M add?
All eyes remain on Brown, the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect, after the five-star defensive tackle had another stellar visit with Texas A&M last week. No non-LSU program has hosted Brown more often over the past year than the Aggies, and there’s increasing confidence around the program ahead of Brown’s commitment date on July 10.
Brandon Arrington, ESPN’s No. 1 athlete prospect, will choose between Oregon and Texas A&M on Thursday, while fellow five-star Richard Wesley (No. 18) is expected to schedule an official visit with the Aggies later this summer. Texas A&M is pushing hard to land Feaster, ESPN’s No. 3 wide receiver, ahead of his July 4 commitment date, too. Turntine, the nation’s sixth-ranked offensive tackle, is another major target after the Aggies and coach Mike Elko made a particularly good impression on his official visit earlier this month.
