With the Class of 2025 rankings up to date final week, it is time to flip our consideration to the rising juniors. Right this moment we kicked off Rival Scores Week for the Class of 2026 with a five-star countdown. We have been counting down our eight 2026 5 stars all morning with the hiring director Adam Sexy expressing his ideas about every.
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RATING OF RIVALS OF THE WEEK
sunday: Who needs to be #1?
Monday: 5 Star Countdown | Meet the brand new 5 star
Tuesday: New Rivals250 launched | Gorny goes place after place | The largest risers
Wednesday: New rating of offensive positions | QB Ranking Breakdown | Breakdown of the score of RB | WR/TE Ranking Breakdown | OL Ranking Breakdown
Thursday: New rating of defensive positions | DL Ranking Breakdown | LB Ranking Breakdown | Database score breakdown | ATH Ranking Breakdown
Friday: New state rating | Who’s #1 in every state
saturday: Spherical desk on the rating of rivals
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1. JACQUIM STEWART
Take Horni: Jahkeem Stewart may be the whole package deal. He has NFL-ready dimension, power, measurables and a aggressive edge not often seen. The extra it’s examined, the extra it reacts.
In camps, Stewart is in search of high hitters to take care of. He is significantly centered on the subject of recruiting him, and based mostly on his dimension and elegance of play, we have in contrast him to Chris Jones of the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs.
Success isn’t assured, however the New Orleans (LA) St. Augustine standout is elite in so many ways in which it might be a shock if he did not have an extended and productive profession forward of him.
LSU, Oregon, USC, Ohio State, Texas and plenty of others are taking part.
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2. JACKSON CANTWELL
From pedigree to mindset to on-field capacity to projection, Jackson Cantwell has all of the instruments wanted to not solely be the very best offensive sort out within the 2026 class, but in addition to go No. 1 total.
His dad and mom competed in Olympic monitor and subject, and Cantwell can be a state champion within the shot put, breaking the nationwide file as a sophomore by two toes. At 6-foot-8 and 300 kilos, he has little to no dangerous weight and performs with an athleticism and energy that’s uncommon for somebody this younger.
We might like to see him compete in additional nationwide championships, and we are going to over time, however the Knicks, Missouri prospect is elite in some ways. He is aware of what it takes to succeed in the highest of the mountain.
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3. CHRIS HENRY FIG.
Sexy Take it: On the Elite 11 final summer time, Chris Henry Jr. caught passes alongside five-star Ohio State recruit Jeremiah Smith, and whereas neither could have been as gifted as Smith at that stage, Henry wasn’t far behind.
He has phenomenal dimension at 6-foot-5, however he is clean in his routes, not a cumbersome runner, and he can go excessive of any cornerback within the nation to snap the ball.
Now enjoying at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei, Henry can have a nationwide stage to showcase his talents because the No. 1 receiver within the class of 2026 and as somebody who has lots of the identical talents as his late father. title – and presumably extra. From his size to his super catch radius and down-line pace, Henry is a particular receiver.
The Ohio State commit remains to be listening to from Oregon, LSU, Texas and others.
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4. RYDER LYONS
Take Horni: As a sophomore, Rider Lyons threw for 3,578 yards with 38 touchdowns and eight interceptions and in addition rushed for 929 yards and 23 extra scores at Folsom, California. However many quarterbacks have put up large numbers at this highschool due to the offense it runs.
What units Lyons aside is that he did it at such a younger age and the way he has such an exceptional understanding of what the offense ought to seem like. He is at this time’s quarterback — somebody who can sit within the pocket and make each throw potential. He’s snug working as a freelancer and speeding on the run or avoiding stress and gaining yards along with his toes.
Seeing him in Camp of rivals at Southern California, we imagine he’s the very best QB on this class proper now.
USC and Oregon have the higher hand in his recruitment, however LSU simply supplied and Ohio State is taking a extra energetic position.
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5. BRADY SMIGILL
Take Horni: The five-star quarterback from Newbury Park, Calif., had an exceptional sophomore season wherein he threw for 4,222 yards with 52 touchdowns. He is a coach’s son, a gymnasium rat and really mature enjoying the place and he is aware of find out how to carry himself.
Brady Smigill has nice dimension and is most snug sitting within the pocket and opening up the pipes. However he may rush on the run and nonetheless look downfield to search out open gamers.
Michigan and Florida State may very well be within the operating for him, as Smigiel is not going to hurry into a call. He’s in search of a spot that may develop him with higher relationships. His father, who performed within the World League with Miami’s coach Mario Cristobalwill assist alongside the best way.
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6. TYLER ATKINSON
Take Horni: The query of whether or not Tyler Atkinson shall be a pacesetter or a defender is sort of moot as a result of he can do each properly. Atkinson has the pace, burst and energy to get off the rim, in addition to the flexibility to get the vary and canopy to go line-to-line to trace down gamers. In at this time’s recreation, the place athleticism and size are so essential on protection, Atkinson has all of it.
Georgia might be the frontrunner, however each workforce within the Southeast and past has been concerned in his recruitment.
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7. OUR PEPE
Take Horni: Hailing from Southern California, Kinney Pepe has been on the nationwide scene for years and has refined his recreation, particularly since attending the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., the place he was examined towards elite defenders day-after-day.
Now 6-foot-7 and 290 kilos, Pepe is each bodily and quick. He’s strong and might transfer his toes to remain put, counter double strikes and preserve the defender clear.
Miami and Florida State are two faculties to observe as he performed with former five-star Francis Mauigoa, now with the Hurricanes, at IMG.
Pepe is predicted to drop out of the highest 12 within the coming days.
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8. IMMANUEL IHEANACHA
Take Horni: Emmanuel Iheanacho has made a monumental leap from three-star prospect to five-star prospect after displaying up at some regional occasions this offseason and easily dominating. The North Bethesda (Med.) Georgetown Prep offensive sort out is large at 6-foot-7 and 340 kilos and strikes surprisingly properly for his dimension. He does an important job of not speeding and guessing what the defensive ends are going to do.
Iheanacho is sufficiently big to gobble up any defensive lineman that comes at him, highly effective sufficient to dominate inside strikes, after which fast sufficient to deal with tacklers attempting to get round him on the skin.
Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas and others are taking part within the early levels.
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