2026 college football recruiting Four schools starting hot

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The world of college football moves fast, so fans can benefit from keeping a close eye on the future. While the overall picture for recruits in the class of 2026 won't clear up for some time, notable prospects are already emerging.

Here are a few programs tapping into the talent pool for 2026 and building strong foundations for their classes in the early stages:

The Seminoles have quickly capitalized on in-state talent for the 2026 class. ESPN Junior 300 athlete Efrem White was among the first to jump on board. White projects to receiver but has been a jack-of-all-trades early in his high school career, playing quarterback, corner and returner as well. He's slightly built at 155 pounds but possesses good speed with excellent quickness and can create and make plays with the ball in his hands. Similarly, Darryon Williams is a versatile addition who projects to receiver. He has good speed and contributes in a variety of ways. He'll form a talented young duo with White.

The Seminoles also added to their secondary. Safety Darryl Bell is the longest-tenured commit in the class (October 2023), and Jaelen Waters is a rangy corner.

The Trojans have been very active, landing perimeter talent with a focus on in-state players. Brandon Lockhart is a top-10 cornerback prospect with excellent height (measuring in close to 6-foot-3). For a tall defender, he's smooth in his movements. Lockhart needs to fill out but has shown he can use his size to be aggressive in press coverage and highpoints the ball well.

USC pulled another ESPN Junior 300 defensive back, Dominick Kelly, out of Florida. He shows nice physicality and upside to develop at corner or safety. Wide receiver Ja'Myron Baker is a good early in-state addition. He won't wow with his measurables, but he is a good route runner with quick hands and can add quality depth to that unit and be a productive pass-catcher.

Fran Brown has wasted little time elevating and accelerating Syracuse's recruiting since being hired from Georgia in late November. The Orange closed strong in the 2024 cycle, currently have a top-15 2025 class and are off to a good start in 2026. Demetres Samuel was a nice early evaluation and pickup out of Florida. The ESPN Junior 300 corner performed well at the UA Next Miami camp in March, displaying good explosiveness and speed. He shows an aggressive style of play on film.

Syracuse remained active in the fertile Florida recruiting ground, landing defender Izayia Williams. He's a linebacker prospect who has shown good movement skills in testing. He's a sudden and physical player on film and brings very good tools to work with. Williams can be a productive player when locked in.

There are several programs at this stage of the cycle with one or two commits who could garner a shoutout. The Buckeyes get a quick mention on the strength of their only commitment: receiver Chris Henry Jr. Ohio State has built a strong tradition at receiver and recently saw Marvin Harrison Jr. go No. 4 in the 2024 NFL draft. His replacement, five-star receiver Jeremiah Smith, is already making a strong impression this spring. If all goes according to plan, Ohio State is poised for another elite transition at receiver when Henry, a five-star in the class of 2026, arrives. Like Harrison, Henry -- son of the former West Virginia and Cincinnati Bengals receiver -- has NFL family history. The younger Henry is a big target at 6-5, 195 pounds and is explosive with elite body control. He has a chance to become a matchup nightmare.

Ohio State has work to do for 2026, but it wasted little time restocking its wide receiver pipeline.