Counting down the top 10 recruits in the updated 2026 On300 rankings

The high school football regular season is entering the home stretch across the nation, and On3 is releasing its updated player rankings in the 2026 cycle.

With the update, there are now five five-star recruits in the junior class. With another high school season still to follow, there’s a ways to go until the class features 32 five stars, matching the number of first-round selections in the NFL Draft.

To kick off the latest rankings release, On3 is counting down the top 10 prospects in the 2026 cycle:

1. EDGE Zion Elee

School: Joppa (Md.) St. Frances Academy
Scout’s Take: “Zion Elee showed the most twitch among the top pass rushers. At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds with elite arm length, Elee flies off the ball and looks to be a big-time speed mismatch for opposing offensive tackles. He’s also a hellacious pursuit defender, running down plays from sideline to sideline. The Maryland standout tallied 13 sacks and 24 tackles for loss as a sophomore.”

2. OT Jackson Cantwell

School: Nixa (Mo.)
Scout’s Take: “Big-framed offensive tackle with eye-popping athleticism and functional strength as a high school underclassman. Measured at over 6-foot-7, 205 pounds prior to his sophomore season. Has solid length with 33.5-inch arms and big hands. Owns a phenomenal athletic profile as one of the top shot put throwers in the country for his age group. Posted a personal best throw of over 64 feet as a freshman. Also posted strong testing numbers in the college camp setting. Transfers those gifts over to the football field where he shows strong coordination and function strength. Moves well laterally and plays with a good anchor. Initially began his career as a tight end and has grown into an offensive tackle. Has deep athletic bloodlines with both parents being Olympic track and field athletes as throwers. Younger for the cycle with a May birthday.”

3. QB Jared Curtis

School: Nashville (Tenn.) Christian
Scout’s Take: “The 6-foot-3, 225-pounder was the On3 MVP at Under Armour’s Nasvhille camp after turning in a standout performance. Curtis has one of the strongest arms in the country with the ability to drive the ball with significant velocity to all levels. The ball jumps out of his hand. There’s no denying the former Georgia pledge is a top arm talent.”

4. WR Chris Henry Jr. – Ohio State commit

School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei
Scout’s Take: “Big receiver with a rare combination of size, athleticism and coordination as a young prospect. Measured in at over 6-foot-4.5 and around 185 pounds prior to his sophomore season. Tests as a strong athlete, posting an electronically-timed 4.65 second 40 yard dash at Under Armour’s Ohio Camp. Flashes outstanding functional movement skills at his size, with the ability to sink his hips and change direction with ease. Projects as a high level route runner as he continues to progress. Not overly long for his height, but flashes good ball skills and catch radius. Has strong pedigree as the son of the late NFL wide receiver Chris Henry. Projects as one of the top receivers early on in the 2026 cycle.”

5. OT Immanuel Iheanacho

School: Baltimore (Md.) Georgetown Prep
Scout’s Take: “Immanuel Iheanacho blends excellent, ready-made size with advanced flexibility, power and functional movement skills. He plays with outstanding pad level, using his bend and understanding of leverage to get underneath the pads of defenders. Iheanacho fires off the ball and moves defenders at will once engaged. He’s a light footed mover, both as a run blocker and in pass protection, drawing on his basketball background. The movement skills look to be translatable as a pass protector, as he plays with balance and control. We also see Iheanacho flash his athleticism as a disruptive defensive lineman.”

6. QB Dia Bell – Texas commit

School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage
Scout’s Take: “From an arm talent perspective, Texas commit Dia Bell is as good as anyone in the 2026 cycle. He’s the definition of a natural thrower. His ability to manipulate the football and throw consistently catchable footballs from multiple arm angles is a treat to watch. He can  dice up defenses on Friday evenings and makes special throws. He’s someone that has ton of upside especially as he develops and fills out his frame down the line.”

7. Blaine Bradford

School: Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic
Scout’s Take: “Blaine Bradford checks in as the top safety in the 2026 On300. Bradford is a clear top talent at the position given his instincts, physicality, closing speed and range in coverage. He’s had the look of an advanced safety prospect dating back to his freshman season and the glimpses we’ve seen from him since only furthered that belief.”

8. ATH Brandon Arrington

School: La Mesa (Calif.) Mount Miguel
Scout’s Take: “No prospect appears to have faster play speed than La Mesa (Calif.) Mount Miguel athlete Brandon Arrington. The two-way standout posted a 10.58 second mark in the 100 meters as a freshman and plays that fast on film. Arrington could project as a deep threat at wide receiver or as a cornerback long-term.”

9. WR Tristen Keys

School: Hattiesburg (Miss.)
Scout’s Take: “Tristen Keys is the total package. He has that rare combination of fluidity and twitch that every coach is searching for at the receiver position. He does such a great job of sinking his hips at the top of his routes, especially at 6-foot-3, and exploding out. Plus he has the foot speed and body control to throttle up and down during his routes which keeps defenders on their heels. His pacing and timing is so advanced for someone his age and he has natural ball skills. He’s going to walk in and compete for a starting job very early on in his career.”

10. IOL PJ Dean

School: Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth
Scout’s Take: “PJ Dean is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in the 2026 recruiting cycle. At 6’3, 275 pounds, Dean has solid length and unbelievable foot quickness in order to climb to second level defenders as well as pull across the line of scrimmage in a flash. He already has excellent functional strength and explosiveness which he displays in the shot put during the offseason throwing a personal best of 44 feet, 1 inch. But as he grows into his impressive frame and physically develop, he will continue to get stronger and find easier to move defenders off the ball. Plus, he has a summer birthday, which makes him one of the younger prospects in the entire cycle meaning he won’t turn 18 until the summer going into his freshman year of college. We believe he has the chance to turn into an ever greater version of his older brother, Georgia center Jared Wilson, so the ceiling for him is limitless.” – Cody Bellaire, On3 National Scout