Updated On3 Industry 5-star prospects in the 2026 class

The 2026 cycle is officially the focal point of the recruiting trail. As spring visit season looms, top soon-to-be seniors are gearing up for their final year of high school football down the road this fall.

Following the latest rankings updates from other media services, the On3 Industry Ranking has updated. There are currently 15 five-stars in the class. That number will eventually increase all the way up to 32, matching the number of players selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

Below are the nation’s five-star recruits in the 2026 class, as of Feb. 12.

1. OT Jackson Cantwell

School: Nixa (Mo.)

Scouting Summary: “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.”

2. OT Immanuel Iheanacho

School: Baltimore Georgetown Prep

Scout’s Take: “Iheanacho came into Under Armour All-America week as one of the younger, more inexperienced prospects in the entire event. Despite the youth and lack of experience, he never looked like a fish out of water. The Five-Star Plus+ prospect started off strong on Day 1 of practice flashing great hand usage and balance in pass protection during the 1-on-1 period. On Day 2, he showed off his power and strength in the run game by moving defenders off the ball during inside run and team periods. Iheanacho still has some rawness to his technical rawness game, but the physical and athletic tools that he displayed throughout the week point to a very high ceiling when projecting to next level and beyond.”

3. EDGE Zion Elee — Maryland commit

School: Joppa (Md.) St. Frances Academy

Scout’s Take: “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.”

4. QB Jared Curtis

School: Nashville Christian

About: Decommitted from Georgia in October and now has top six that consists of UGA, Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Oregon and South Carolina. The 2024 Gatorade Tennessee National Player of the Year. Led Nashville Christian to a 13-1 record and a state title in the fall. Across 14 games, he threw for 2,830 yards and 40 touchdowns while also rushing for 637 yards and an additional 18 scores.

“I will wait until official visits to make my decision,” Curtis told On3 in December. “I will get out more. When official visits open up, I will get down on some visits, see the school and see what I like about it. The factors when I make a decision will be the coaching staff, my relationship with the coaching staff and the class they bring in this year. Those and the class I would bring in with me would be the biggest things.”

5. WR Tristen Keys

School: Hattiesburg (Miss.)

Scout’s Take: “Keys turned in a strong week of practice at Under Armour, backed up by a solid showing in Thursday’s game. At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with good length, he was one of the more physically-gifted pass-catchers on hand. Keys showcased a well-rouned technical skill set in Orlando. He was a standout on Day 1, showing the strong hands and the ability to finish through contact while working over the middle of the field. In addition to being a catch-point maven, Keys ran good rotues along with the capability to pick up yards after the catch. The Hattiesburg (Miss.) High standout made a few nice grabs in Thursday’s game, as well. The showing in Orlando along with his outstanding junior film makes Keys a legitimate challenger for the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the 2026 cycle.”

6. WR Chris Henry Jr. — Ohio State commit

School: Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei

Scouting Summary: “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.”

7. QB Faizon Brandon — Tennessee commit

School: Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley

Scout’s Take: “Arguably the best performance at the Night at Neyland camp. His frame and build at his age for the position is exactly how you would draw it up. Strong, dense build with great weight distribution throughout his frame and still moves around comfortably with twitch. Top-tier arm talent who throws with excellent zip. Ball jumps out of his hand and has tremendous velocity. Gets the ball up and out quickly. Has the ability to adjust arm angle and throw off-platform comfortably. Layers the football well and can make throws at every level of the field. Put on a performance that was truly impressive.”

8. ATH Brandon Arrington

School: La Mesa (Calif.) Mount Miguel

About: “Brandon Arrington only needs two words to explain why football coaches love him. “My speed,” he said. “I feel like my track times benefit me for getting these big offers because colleges love speed.” Arrington claimed the 150-meter title and finished fourth in the 60-meter dash as a freshman at the California Winter Outdoor Championships. After playing his first two seasons at Helix, Arrington transferred to Mount Miguel ahead of his junior season. While at Helix, he caught six touchdown passes over two seasons and added a 65-yard punt return for a score as a sophomore.”

9. LB Tyler Atkinson

School: Loganville (Ga.) Grayson

About: Tallied 166 total tackles, 13 sacks and an interception as a junior for Grayson. Has 475 tackles and 31 sacks across three seasons for the Rams. Was visited by Auburn, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon and Tennessee in January.

“A lot of boxes are checked for each of the schools that took time to come and/or planned to come see me,” Atkinson told On3. “I really value those relationships.

“Some of the takeaways from all the visits and conversations is that I am blessed with options. I want to make sure I choose the right home. Also, it has me working even harder because when I do choose my school, I want to be ready to make an instant impact when it’s my time.”

10. QB Ryder Lyons

School: Folsom (Calif.)

Coach’s Take: “I just think he’s a phenomenal athlete. You take a look at a kid who, he has a basketball background. It’s not that he’s a superstar in the basketball court or anything, but you do see a guy that’s very athletic. So he’s able to just create. He’s one that, yes, he could use his legs to end up, having a 50 yard run out there, but he’s also going to do a real good job using his legs just to create space and buy just a little bit more time to end up making a big play down field. That’s something that is pretty common that you’d see on him. If there was a Heisman trophy that would go out to high school football, you would imagine that Ryder would definitely be in the mix for that just with his style of play. He’s just a big-time play maker, and it comes very natural to him too. So that’s that’s the awesome part.” — Quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez

11. IOL Lamar Brown

School: Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab

Scout’s Take: “Lamar Brown shows why he is one of the most highly coveted prospects in the 2026 class. The frame is fantastic, he will add weight throughout his frame with ease and is one of the best big-man movers for his age I have ever seen with my own eyes. Whether it is on offense or defense, Brown showed why he garners so much attention when he shows up to an event.” — Cody Bellaire, National Scout

12. EDGE Anthony Jones

School: Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s Episcopal

Scout’s Take: “Originally ranked as a linebacker, Jones came in as the No. 2 EDGE prospect in the initial 2026 On300. The Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s star was outstanding off the edge as a sophomore, racking up over 100 tackles and 10 sacks. Jones is a strong, athletic defender who shows the ability to run sideline to sideline and finish plays at a high rate. He also sports a very strong track profile, winning a state title in the shot put as a freshman.”

13. QB Dia Bell — Texas commit

School: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage

Bell on his commitment: “I really enjoyed my visits and have developed great relationships with Coach Sark and Milwee,” Bell told On3. “They are one of the best offenses in the country and have a track record of development at my position. I’m really excited about their move to the SEC and the opportunity to help bring a championship to the 40 acres.”

14. QB Keisean Henderson — Houston commit

School: Houston Legacy SSS

Scout’s Take: “Henderson is one of the top athletes in the country regardless of position. With everything we had seen going into the Navy All-American Bowl, we knew that his dynamic ability as a runner and deep ball were quite impressive as a quarterback prospect. However, we felt the junior film left us questioning his consistency and accuracy as a touch passer in the deep/intermediate levels of the field. We knew he had the fastball, but could he throw the slider or the changeup? As we have seen in his ability as a passer throughout his high school journey, we were able to see steady improvement each day of practice, culminating with an On3 MVP performance by the end of Navy All-American Bowl week. Henderson displayed whippy arm action to get the ball out effectively from multiple arm slots. He also showed the fastball during the routes-on-air and 7-on-7 periods in practice.”

15. TE Kendre Harrison — Oregon commit

School: Reidsville (N.C.)

Scouting Summary: “Freakish two-sport athlete who is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the nation, regardless of class. A true ‘first off the bus’ type. Listed at 6-foot-7, 230 pounds. Plays both tight end and defensive end for his high school team. Moves like a much smaller player. Runs well and shows the ability to separate from linebackers. Has considerable mismatch ability as a pass catcher. Does not lumber unlike many players of his size. Also flashes intriguing upside as a pass rusher on defense. Doubles as a national basketball prospect with high major offers. Averaged over 21 points and 15 rebounds per game as a high school freshman on the hardwood. Has genuine positional ambiguity at this stage in his evaluation, but owns one of the higher physical upsides in the 2026 cycle early on.”