Midway junior season evaluations prompt 2026 On300 update

On3 has updated its On300 football prospect rankings for the 2026 cycle. This is the third update of the cycle and the first since May. Needless to say, a bunch has transpired over the past five months. We made in-person evaluations of many 2026 prospects at off-season events in June and July. Most importantly, we’re now two months into most junior seasons.

Updated 2026 On300

55 prospects moved into the On300 in this update with dozens more adding a fourth star. Early cycle rankings updates are extremely fluid and see a bunch of change as hundreds of prospects emerge throughout the junior season. The post-junior season On300 overhaul in February will see similar, if not more movement. The objective of this update is to help set the table for that release, which is typically one of the more consequential rankings each cycle.

With that said, here are some of the top storylines within this On300 update.

Zion Elee moves to No. 1, Jared Curtis earns 5th star

This update sees a new prospect atop the On300, with EDGE Zion Elee earning his fifth star and moving into the No. 1 spot. The initial No. 1 in the 2026 On300, defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart reclassified to the 2025 cycle last month.

Elee, who debuted as a blue-chip outlier and top ten prospect for On3 in March, has separated himself as the clear top EDGE prospect in the cycle. He owns freakish physical and athletic tools at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds with 35.5-inch arms and elite combine and on-field athleticism. Elee had a highly productive sophomore season at Joppatowne (Md.) High. He’s continued to up his game since transferring to talent powerhouse Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy for his junior season. Elee’s first-step quickness, scary length and closing speed jump off the film. St. Frances has played a national schedule and Elee has had stretches of top matchups where he’s looked like the clear top prospect on the field – as a junior. There’s a ways to go in the cycle and Elee has plenty of competition for the top spot. To this point his combination of physical traits and on-field play at the premium EDGE position put him in pole position.

There is also a new top quarterback in the updated 2026 On300, with Nashville (Tenn.) Nashville Christian’s Jared Curtis earning his fifth star and moving up to No. 3 overall. Curtis, who recently reopened his recruitment after decommitting from Georgia, is one of the top arm talents in high school football. At 6-foot-3.5, 225 pounds, Curtis pairs a big frame with an elite arm and plus movement skills. He’s improved his accuracy and efficiency as a junior, completing 68% of his passes for 1,857 yards (10.8 yards per attempt) and 22 touchdowns against three picks. Curtis has also rushed for 395 yards and 11 touchdowns while leading his team to a 7-1 record.

To this point in the season, no quarterback in the 2026 cycle makes more impressive individual plays on a weekly basis than Jared Curtis. He a quick, elastic arm and regularly hits small window throws over the middle of the field. The arm talent allows for Curtis to access and attack all areas of the field. The improvisational skills also stand out.

Offensive tackle Jackson Cantwell (No. 2), Ohio State wide receiver commit Chris Henry Jr. (No. 4) offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 5) hold their five-star rankings and round out the group.

Key movers inside the top 20

Texas quarterback commit Dia Bell (No. 6) checks in as the highest ranked prospect outside the five-star range and looks to be the biggest challenger for the top quarterback spot at this juncture. The son of long-time NBA veteran Raja Bell has taken his game to the next level in his second year as a varsity starter at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage. Bell is a clean passer with a game projects as translatable to college football and beyond. The 6-foot-3, 190-pounder is playing at a high level while facing the toughest competition of any top 2026 quarterback.

We feel Tristen Keys (No. 9) has the best junior film to this point among the wide receivers. As a result, Hattiesburg (Miss.) High standout vaults 80 spots into the top ten. Keys was a standout during the summer camp and 7-on-7 circuit and has carried that positive momentum over to his junior season. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder has made some magnificent catches, including a ridiculous one-handed touchdown grab. In addition to the ball skills, Keys has been explosive within the route phase and after the catch. He enters this back stretch of the junior season in the best position to challenge Chris Henry Jr. for the top wide receiver spot

PJ Dean (No. 10) the new No. 1 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 cycle for On3. The Clemmons (N.C.) West Forsyth product is an absolute mauler. Dean, who is the younger brother of Georgia starting center Jared Wilson, is having a dominant junior season.

Oregon offensive tackle commit Kodi Greene (No. 12) is another upward mover inside the top 20 along the offensive line. Greene transferred to powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei for his junior season and has been a standout in pass protection. At around 6-foot-6 and 290 pounds, Greene is incredibly light on his feet and is able to stay controlled and coordinated in his pass set.

EDGE Rodney Dunham (No. 19) moves inside the top 20 with a strong start to his season at Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park. Dunham is one of the more athletic pass rushers in the cycle and has shown an impressive combination of burst and bend at around 6-foot-4, 215 pounds.

Biggest debuts in the 2026 On300

With over 50 prospects moving into the On300, we saw new entrants prospects make big splashes.

Three offensive tackles – Claude Mpouma (No. 31), J.B. Shabazz (No. 34) and Kelvin Obot (No. 39) debut inside the top 50. Mpouma is an accomplished basketball player who is in his first season of football. His frame, movement skills and surprising power point to a high ceiling. Shabazz is another basketball player who has seen his game take off as a junior. Obot is a highly athletic and coordinated tackle who has dominant junior film.

The same can be said along the defensive front, with defensive lineman Damari Simeon (No. 46), EDGE Simote Katoanga (No. 52), EDGE Nolan Wilson (No. 56) and defensive lineman Earnest Rankins (No. 57) making big debuts. Simeon is a cat-quick defensive lineman who is very young for the cycle. Katoanga has shown excellent get-off and first-step quickness. Wilson has emerged as one of the hottest prospects in the southeast and is having a strong junior season. The same can be said for Rankins, who has made a bunch of flash plays behind the line of scrimmage.

At quarterback, Matt Ponatoski (No. 110) is the highest new entrant, on the heels of a breakout junior season. Ponatoski is carving up top competition through the air at Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller, completing over 70% of his passes for 2,391 yards and 35 touchdowns against two interceptions. He makes an array of translatable throws and plays with advanced field vision. Ponatoski doubles as a top shortstop on the diamond. He’s considered by some to be the top baseball prospect in Ohio with over 40 college offers in that sport.

Checking the commits

The majority of the 2026 On300 are uncommitted. With that said a few programs are off to quick starts.

Florida State (6), Penn State (5), Auburn (4) and Oregon (4) lead the way with the most commits within the On300. South Carolina, Texas and USC each have three commits apiece within the On300.

For a further look at early classes, check out the 2026 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.