Top Big Ten commits in the initial 2026 Rivals300 rankings

The initial Rivals300 rankings for the 2026 cycle were released on Monday. The Big Ten, now 18 programs deep, is well-represented among the nation’s top high school prospects entering their senior seasons.

As of July 15, a whopping 98 recruits that are featured in the Rivals300 are committed to Big Ten programs. All but one school — sorry, Northwestern — has a pledge that ranks among the top 300 prospects in the nation.

USC has the nation’s No. 2 class, and to no surprise, it leads the conference with 17 Rivals300 commits. Ohio State, Oregon and Michigan also have double-digit representatives in the new rankings. Four Big Ten commits were ranked as five-star prospects on Monday.

Below is a look at the top 10 Big Ten commits in the Rivals300, as well as a breakdown of how many Rivals300 commits each program has in their 2026 class to date:

EDGE Zion Elee — Maryland

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 3 NATL. (No. 1 EDGE)
School: St. Frances Academy (Md.)
Committed Since: Dec. 7, 2024

Scouting Summary: “Electric speed rusher with an elite combination of athleticism and length off the edge. Measured around 6-foot-3, 220 pounds prior to his junior season. Has truly elite length, with arms that measure 35.5 inches. Pairs the rare length with top-shelf athleticism. A standout in the combine setting who transfers the speed over to the field. Plays with an eye-popping burst, dating back to his sophomore year at Joppatowne (Md.) High. Explodes into the backfield with high-end first-step quickness. Transferred to Baltimore power St. Frances Academy for his junior season and turned in a strong campaign, racking up 28 tackles for loss and 10 sacks against top competition.

…Showed game-wrecking tendencies in showcase games. Often plays as a standup pass rusher. Has blow-by speed off the edge. Play strength and ability to set the edge is solid but will need to continue improving. Rare athletic and physical traits combined with consecutive years of high-level production make him the top EDGE prospect in the 2026 cycle entering his senior season.”

EDGE Carter Meadows — Michigan

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 5 NATL. (No. 2 EDGE)
School: Gonzaga (D.C.)
Committed Since: June 29, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Rangy EDGE prospect with a rare combination of frame and movement skills. One of the most physically impressive prospects in the 2026 cycle. Measured in at around 6-foot-6, 225 pounds as a junior. Has vines for arms that measure around 35 inches to go with large hands. Could easily be a 280-pounder before it’s all said and done. Pairs the great frame with impressive functional athleticism A fluid, flexible athlete who has excellent bend. Has the natural tools to develop into a dangerous pass rusher down the line. Length pairs with good play strength to result in an effective edge setter. Also shows his athleticism in tracking down plays in pursuit. Doubles as a good high school basketball player while playing top competition on the hardwood. Will need to continue progressing as a pass rusher while upping his production. Pure physical upside is among the highest in the 2026 cycle.”

EDGE Luke Wafle — USC

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 8 NATL. (No. 4 EDGE)
School: Hun School (N.J.)
Committed Since: June 19, 2025

Scouting Summary: “The most ready-to-play top EDGE prospect in the 2026 cycle. Measured over 6-foot-5, 255 pounds with arms over 33 inches and big hands prior to his senior season. More physically mature than many of his highly-rated peers. Combines play strength and motor with functional athleticism. Wins at the point of attack with a powerful punch and the ability to convert speed to power. Uses quick power swipes to disengage from offensive linemen. Shows multiple pass-rush pathways and closing speed to finish behind the line of scrimmage. Nimble mover who breaks down well in space.

…A violent finisher who drives ball carriers into the ground. Strong, consistent run defender due to physicality and effort. Logged 18 TFLs and 8 sacks in nine games as a junior. Best fit as a true defensive end in a four-man front at the college level. First-step quickness remains an area for improvement. Touts a strong multi-sport background with above-the-rim bounce on the basketball court and a 45-6 foot shot put mark.”

OT Immanuel Iheanacho — Oregon

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 11 NATL. (No. 3 OT)
School: Georgetown Prep (Md.)
Committed Since: July 3, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Mountain of an offensive tackle prospect. Has truly rare dimensions for a young offensive tackle. Checked in at nearly 6-foot-7, 350 pounds with startlingly 36-inch long arms and big hands prior to his junior season. Shows good flexibility and functional movement skills at his immense size. Owns one of the more powerful punches we’ve seen among offensive tackle prospects in the past few cycles. Absolutely stones defensive linemen at the point of attack. Length, hand strength, and girth create a nearly unmovable anchor. Played on the defensive line early in his high school career, showing off some nice athleticism. Also has a basketball background.

…Turned in a strong showing at the Under Armour All-America Game before his senior season. Gained nearly 40 pounds as a junior, weighing in at over 380 pounds on official visits. Will need to trim down and maintain his movement skills. Must also continue improving his overall consistency in the high school football setting, but has considerable upside given his physical gifts.”

OT Sam Greer — Ohio State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 14 NATL. (No. 5 OT)
School: Archbishop Hoban (Ohio)
Committed Since: March 25, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Large human with an intriguing combination of coordination, natural strength, and size at offensive tackle. Measured at 6-foot-6.75, 323 pounds with a 34-inch arm and 10-inch hands at Rivals Five-Star before his senior season. Has a large frame that is already filled out. Lines up at left tackle for his high school team. Shows flashes of dominance as a run blocker. Bends defenders to his will as a drive blocker. Can be a freight train rolling downhill when pulling and working to the second level. Shows heavy hands and gives up little ground once engaged. Plays with a good understanding of body positioning. Competitive and physical in the camp setting, flashing pop in his hands in 1-on-1s, and reactive quickness in his pass set.

…Junior season accounts for most of his varsity experience as he missed much of his sophomore year with injury and was on JV as a freshman. A top high school basketball player with a high level of skill and coordination on the hardwood, receiving mid-major offers. A good, not great athlete. Can continue improving his flexibility as he can play high and has some rigidity in his movements. Considerable improvement, power, coordination, and a ready-made build make him one of the top prospects at the position in the 2026 cycle.”

TE Kendre Harrison — Oregon

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 16 NATL. (No. 1 TE)
School: Reidsville (N.C.)
Committed Since: Nov. 30, 2024

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.”

OT Kodi Greene — Washington

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 19 NATL. (No. 6 OT)
School: Mater Dei (Calif.)
Committed Since: April 24, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Nimble offensive tackle who brings a translatable skill set with size and projectable movement skills. Measured around 6-foot-6, and north of 300 pounds before his senior season. Touts average to solid length for his height. Transferred to SoCal powerhouse Mater Dei for his junior season, primarily lining up at right tackle for the Monarchs. A high-level mover. Fluid and balanced. Works to the second level effortlessly. Dangerous as a puller. Shows good pop in his hands and plays with encouraging power. Has a solid understanding of body positioning, walling off defensive linemen. More advanced as a run blocker, but has the skill set to develop into a reliable pass protector over time. Battle-tested and fared well against top competition as a junior. Can continue to improve his hand placement and overall technique.”

TE Mark Bowman — USC

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 21 NATL. (No. 2 TE)
School: Mater Dei (Calif.)
Committed Since: May 30, 2025

Scout’s Take: “Bowman could be the best route-running tight end prospect we’ve seen come through the high school ranks in recent years. His change of direction is as good as you’ll see from a young tight end prospect. He joins Oregon commit Kendre Harrison and Ian Premer in composing a very strong top group at the position for this early in the cycle.”

DL Khary Wilder — Ohio State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 38 NATL. (No. 3 DL)
School: Gardena Junipero Serra (Calif.)
Committed Since: June 10, 2025

Scout’s Take: “Khary Wilder was a complete beast at the Rivals 5-Star event and was deservedly named our MVP for the event. His first step and punch was jaw-dropping. The power and burst off the line of scrimmage was able to consistently stun offensive linemen and get them off-balanced early. This allowed him to show off his hand swipe ability and understanding of leverage in order to consistently beat blockers to the quarterback. And at 6-foot-4, nearly 260 pounds with tremendous length, Wilder has the versatility to play outside as a stout run defender or potentially kick inside as an interior defender as he continues to add mass and strength to his frame.”

WR Messiah Hampton — Oregon

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 43 NATL. (No. 5 WR)
School: James Monroe (N.Y.)
Committed Since: June 13, 2025

Scout’s Take: “Hampton delivered a sensational performance at Under Armour Miami. Making the trek to South Florida from Rochester, New York, Hampton proved unguardable all afternoon. At 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with plus length, Hampton pairs his translatable size with advanced technical skills. He was dominant during 1-on-1’s showing the ability to win at levels of the field while winning the vast majority, if not all of his reps. We saw him separate vertically, showing top-end speed and the ability to tempo his routes. He later shook a Power 4 cornerback prospect with a nasty out-breaking comeback route.

…The play speed and slick routes combined with excellent ball skills. Hampton consistently framed his catches away from his body and tracked the ball effortlessly over his shoulder. He also showed the ability to fight through contact at the catch point. It’s not every day we see a prospect from upstate New York come down to South Florida and dominate, but he left little doubt he was the MVP by day’s end.”

Rivals300 commits in the Big Ten by school

USC: 17
Ohio State: 14
Michigan, Oregon: 10
Penn State: 9
Iowa, Washington: 5
Michigan State, Minnesota: 4
Indiana: 3
Illinois, Nebraska, UCLA: 2
Maryland, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin: 1
Northwestern: 0