The 2026 recruiting cycle came to a close earlier this month, meaning 32 high school prospects are now officially headed to the college ranks as a five-star.<\/p>\n
This past cycle brought plenty of surprises, as the likes of Houston<\/a>, Vanderbilt<\/a>, Maryland<\/a> and Utah<\/a> all inked a five-star. Many of the usual suspects are also bringing in at least one of the top players in the nation.<\/p>\n Looking at the last four recruiting cycles (2023-2026), the 128 five-star prospects \u2014 according to the\u00a0Rivals Industry Ranking<\/a>, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies \u2014 have signed with 27 different college programs.<\/p>\n Of those 27 programs, 19 have signed multiple five-stars. Seven schools \u2014 Alabama<\/a>, Georgia<\/a>, LSU<\/a>, Oregon<\/a>, Tennessee<\/a>, Texas<\/a> and Texas A&M<\/a> \u2014 have signed at least one five-star in each of the last four cycles.<\/p>\n Rivals is breaking down which schools have signed the most five-star prospects across the last four recruiting cycles:<\/p>\n Alabama \u2014 17<\/p>\n To no surprise, Alabama sits atop the list. The Crimson Tide became a recruiting stalwart under legendary head coach Nick Saban<\/a> and that\u2019s not changed in the transition to Kalen Deboer<\/a>. Alabama is the only program that\u2019s signed multiple five-stars in each of the last four cycles. The last time the Tide signed less than three five-stars was the 2018 cycle. <\/p>\n 2026: RB Ezavier Crowell<\/a>, LB Xavier Griffin<\/a>, S Jireh Edwards<\/a> 2025: QB Keelon Russell<\/a>, IOL Michael Carroll<\/a>, CB Dijon Lee<\/a> 2024: WR Ryan Williams<\/a>, CB Jaylen Mbakwe<\/a>, CB Zay Mincey<\/a>, CB Zabien Brown<\/a> 2023: EDGE Keon Keeley<\/a>, S Caleb Downs<\/a>, OT Kadyn Proctor<\/a>, CB Dezz Ricks<\/a>, DL James Smith<\/a>, EDGE Yhonzae Pierre<\/a>, LB Qua Russaw<\/a> Georgia \u2014 14 <\/p>\n Kirby Smart<\/a> has risen to the same level as his mentor on the field and that\u2019s extended to the recruiting trail, too. The Bulldogs continue to hoard talent from the Southeast and elsewhere around the country. They are one of just three schools to sign five or more five-stars in one of the last four cycles.<\/p>\n 2026: TE Kaiden Prothro<\/a> 2025: DL Elijah Griffin<\/a>, EDGE Isaiah Gibson<\/a>, WR Talyn Taylor<\/a>, LB Zayden Walker<\/a> 2024: CB Ellis Robinson IV<\/a>, LB Justin Williams<\/a>, S KJ Bolden<\/a>, DL Joseph Jonah-Ajonye<\/a>, LB Chris Cole<\/a> 2023: EDGE Damon Wilson II<\/a>, DL Jordan Hall<\/a>, LB Raylen Wilson<\/a>, OT Monroe Freeling<\/a> Texas \u2014 13<\/p>\n Texas<\/a> has returned to the forefront of the college football world and Steve Sarkisian\u2019s<\/a> success on the recruiting trail has certainly played a role. The Longhorns landed one of the most high-profile high school recruits of all time and have now inked eight five-stars across the last two cycles.<\/p>\n 2026: QB Dia Bell<\/a>, LB Tyler Atkinson<\/a>, EDGE Richard Wesley<\/a> 2025: S Jonah Williams<\/a>, DL Justus Terry<\/a>, EDGE Lance Jackson<\/a>, WR Kaliq Lockett<\/a>, CB Kade Phillips<\/a> 2024: EDGE Colin Simmons<\/a> 2023: QB Arch Manning<\/a>, LB Anthony Hill<\/a>, RB CJ Baxter<\/a>, WR Johntay Cook II<\/a> Oregon \u2014 9<\/p>\n Dan Lanning<\/a> has quickly built a reputation as one of the best closers on the recruiting trail. The last few cycles have seen the Ducks pull off some of the biggest flips we\u2019ve seen, vaulting their classes inside the top five of the recruiting rankings on a regular basis.<\/p>\n 2026: OT Immanuel Iheanacho<\/a>, TE Kendre\u2019 Harrison<\/a>, S Jett Washington<\/a>, WR Jalen Lott<\/a> 2025: WR Dakorien Moore<\/a>, CB Na\u2019eem Offord<\/a>, S Trey McNutt<\/a> 2024: WR Gatlin Bair<\/a> 2023: WR Jurrion Dickey<\/a> Other schools that have signed 5-stars the last four cycles<\/p>\n LSU<\/a>, Ohio State<\/a>, Tennessee<\/a> \u2014 7
\u2014 DeBoer and Co. just signed the No. 6 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings earlier this month. Crowell finished as a Five-Star Plus+ prospect and the No. 1 player in Alabama. Griffin chose the Tide not long after decommitting from USC. Edwards was the No. 3 safety in the cycle. The three committed within two weeks of each other in June and July.<\/p>\n
\u2014 DeBoer\u2019s first full class finished at No. 3 in the team rankings and was first boosted by flipping Russell away from SMU during official visit season. Russell soared up the rankings and finished as the No. 2 overall prospect in the cycle. Carroll, the No. 1 IOL, and Lee, the No. 4 CB, both committed later in the month. All three finished as top-15 prospects.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Saban built his final elite recruiting class but shocked the football world with his retirement in January, between the pair of signing periods. Bama moved quick on hiring DeBoer and he was able to keep almost all the class in-tact. Williams decommitted after Saban retired but eventually jumped back on board. He and Mbakwe were both Five-Star Plus+ prospects. Mincey was a late riser. Of note, Alabama also signed five-star QB Julian Sayin<\/a>, but he became the landmark \u201cshort-term signee\u201d by entering the portal and landing with Ohio State. The class still finished at No. 2 nationally.<\/p>\n
\u2014 One of the most impressive recruiting hauls in recent memory, Saban and the Tide inked a whopping seven five-stars and an additional seven top-100 recruits. The class easily finished atop the team rankings. Keeley headlined as the No. 2 overall prospect in the cycle, while Downs and Proctor both checked in inside the top 10. Smith, Pierre and Russaw were all in-state recruits. All seven five-stars were top-four players at their respective positions in the cycle. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Prothro was considered a heavy Georgia lean early on his recruitment and that held true through his summer commitment. He finished as the No. 23 overall prospect, No. 2 TE and No. 3 player in Georgia in the cycle. Despite landing just one five-star, UGA still landed the No. 5 class in the nation, per the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.<\/p>\n
\u2014 The Peach State was loaded with talent in the 2025 cycle and UGA took advantage, signing six of the top 10 players in-state. Griffin headlined that group and finished as the No. 3 overall prospect in the cycle. Gibson, who first made an early commitment to USC but eventually stayed home, ended as the No. 10 recruit in the land. Walker, the No. 1 LB, also hails from Georgia, while Taylor, the No. 4 WR, made the move from Illinois to SEC country. The class finished No. 2 nationally.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Georgia\u2019s last No. 1 recruiting class came in the 2024 cycle as it signed nine top-100 prospects, including a quintet of five-stars. Robinson and Williams ended as the No. 2 and No. 6 recruits in the nation. Robinson, Williams and Bolden were all the top-ranked player at their respective position and finished as Five-Star Plus+ prospects. Bolden flipped from Florida State on National Signing Day. Williams and Jonah-Ajonye were teammates at Oak Ridge<\/a> in Conroe, Texas. Cole, one of the best to come out of Virginia in recent memory, finished as the No. 3 LB overall.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Another class that ended up at No. 2 in the final team rankings, Georgia\u2019s 2023 haul was buoyed by the Sunshine State. Wilson II, Hall and Wilson were among the seven five-stars to come out of Florida that cycle and they all chose the Dawgs. Freeling was the top-ranked recruit out of South Carolina and also finished as the No. 7 recruit in what was then the On300. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Texas\u2019 incoming five-star trio is a great depiction of the new-age recruiting world. Bell, the No. 4 QB in the cycle and son of former NBA guard Raja Bell, committed to the Longhorns very early on his process and never wavered. Atkinson, the No. 2 LB and top-ranked recruit in Georgia, was a Bulldogs lean for a majority of his process, but spurned the in-state school late and chose Texas in July. Wesley, the No. 3 recruit out of California, jumped in a pool with Dan Lanning<\/a> to celebrate his early commitment to Oregon, but backed off that pledge a few weeks later and locked in with the Horns not long after in June. Texas\u2019 class finished No. 10 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Sarkisian landed his first No. 1 class on The Forty Acres in the 2025 cycle. Williams headlined as the No. 7 recruit and No. 1 safety. Williams, Jackson, Lockett and Phillips were all top-10 prospects in the Lone Star State. Terry, the No. 2 DL, had a wild recruitment, choosing in-state Georgia early, then flipping to USC, then decommitting before eventually landing with Texas during the Early Signing Period. Phillips was also a late addition, flipping from LSU ahead of December\u2019s NSD. Jackson and Lockett both finished as the No. 2 players at their positions.<\/p>\n
\u2014 The recruitment of Simmons was hotly-contested, but the Duncanville, Texas product opted for the Longhorns over LSU in August ahead of his senior season. He finished as a Five-Star Plus+ prospect, checking in at No. 15 overall and No. 2 at EDGE in the cycle. He was flanked by four other top-50 recruits in a class that still ended up at No. 6 in the team rankings. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Manning\u2019s recruitment was well-documented and the Five-Star Plus+ QB ended as the No. 1 overall prospect in the cycle. He chose Texas in June and was joined by Cook, the No. 3 WR, just six days later. Baxter ended as the top-ranked RB in the nation and he locked in with Sarkisian and Co. in August. Hill, the No. 2 LB, first chose Texas A&M, but backed off that decision and landed in Austin a week before the December signing period. <\/p>\n
\u2014 While there were no successful flip antics this past cycle, Oregon did keep ahold of its No. 4 class and nine commitments from top-100 prospects, including what turned out to be four five-stars. Harrison was pledged for over a year before signing and finished as the nation\u2019s top-ranked TE. Iheanacho obtained Five-Star Plus+ status and ended as the No. 7 overall prospect and No. 2 OT. He committed on July 3 and was flanked by Lott, the No. 3 WR, just five days later. Washington, the nephew of the late great Kobe Bryant, committed in June and ended as the cycle\u2019s No. 1 safety.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Moore made an early commitment to LSU but that didn\u2019t stick. After taking official visits, he made a Fourth of July pledge to the Ducks over the Tigers, Texas and Ohio State. Moore closed as the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 WR in the nation. Offord, the No. 3 CB and No. 1 player in Alabama, was a longtime Ohio State commit, but Lanning and Co. pulled off a huge flip on National Signing Day with Auburn also in the mix. McNutt was a big addition in the summer and his stock continued to rise, as he ended the cycle as the No. 2 safety. The class also finished at No. 4 in the team rankings. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Bair burst onto the scene as one of the best prospects to ever come out of Idaho. He was originally set to stay home and made a commitment to Boise State. Coaching changes led him to decommit and Oregon was the beneficiary, as it beat out Michigan for his signature. Bair then went on a two-year LDS Mission and will now finally make his debut in Eugene this coming season. He finished as the No. 30 recruit and No. 7 WR in the 2024 cycle, headlining Oregon\u2019s No. 3 class that also featured five other top-100 prospects. <\/p>\n
\u2014 Oregon has dominated recruiting in California since Lanning arrived and Dickey was one of his first big wins. He was trending toward Eugene for some time, then pulled the trigger on a May commitment and remained locked in. He finished as the No. 28 recruit, No. 2 WR and No. 3 player in the Golden State. Oregon wrangled the No. 7 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings with each of its four highest-ranked signees hailing from California. <\/p>\n
Miami<\/a>, USC<\/a> \u2014 6
Oklahoma<\/a>, Texas A&M<\/a> \u2014 5
Clemson<\/a>, Michigan<\/a>, Notre Dame<\/a> \u2014 4
Florida<\/a>, Texas Tech<\/a> \u2014 3
Auburn<\/a>, Colorado<\/a>, South Carolina<\/a> \u2014 2
Houston<\/a>, Maryland<\/a>, Missouri<\/a>, Nebraska<\/a>, Ole Miss<\/a>, UCLA<\/a>, Utah<\/a>, Vanderbilt<\/a> \u2014 1<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2026 recruiting cycle came to a close earlier this month, meaning 32 high school prospects are now…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":478751,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[175214,7303,126779,221230,188880,199474,1376,221231,221232,155632,1383,1385,221233,221234,399,221235,221236,1390,221237,209324,221238,211334,221239,186891,221240,221241,221242,221243,221244,1397,1398,175238,211339,1399,1401,221245,221246,221247,1405,1409,211754,221248,398,396,397,199481,221249,221250,42990,99,221251,221252,221253,221254,221255,169813,221256,1417],"class_list":{"0":"post-478750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-anthony-hill-23-ryan","9":"tag-arch-manning-23-isidore-newman","10":"tag-caleb-downs-23-mill-creek","11":"tag-chris-cole-24-salem","12":"tag-cj-baxter-23-edgewater","13":"tag-colin-simmons-24-duncanville","14":"tag-dakorien-moore-25-duncanville","15":"tag-damon-wilson-ii-23-venice","16":"tag-dezz-ricks-23-img-academy","17":"tag-dia-bell-26-american-heritage","18":"tag-dijon-lee-25-mission-viejo","19":"tag-elijah-griffin-25-savannah-christian-prep","20":"tag-ellis-robinson-iv-24-img-academy","21":"tag-ezavier-crowell-26-jackson","22":"tag-football","23":"tag-gatlin-bair-24-burley-senior","24":"tag-immanuel-iheanacho-26-georgetown-preparatory-school","25":"tag-isaiah-gibson-25-warner-robins","26":"tag-jalen-lott-26-panther-creek","27":"tag-james-smith-23-carver","28":"tag-jaylen-mbakwe-24-clay-chalkville","29":"tag-jett-washington-26-bishop-gorman","30":"tag-jireh-edwards-26-st-frances-academy","31":"tag-johntay-cook-ii-23-desoto","32":"tag-jonah-williams-25-ball","33":"tag-jordan-hall-23-westside","34":"tag-joseph-jonah-ajonye-24-oak-ridge","35":"tag-jurrion-dickey-23-menlo-atherton","36":"tag-justin-williams-24-oak-ridge","37":"tag-justus-terry-25-manchester","38":"tag-kade-phillips-25-hightower","39":"tag-kadyn-proctor-23-southeast-polk","40":"tag-kaiden-prothro-26-bowdon","41":"tag-kaliq-lockett-25-sachse","42":"tag-keelon-russell-25-duncanville","43":"tag-kendre-harrison-26-reidsville","44":"tag-keon-keeley-23-berkeley-prep","45":"tag-kj-bolden-24-buford","46":"tag-lance-jackson-25-pleasant-grove","47":"tag-michael-carroll-25-img-academy","48":"tag-monroe-freeling-23-oceanside-collegiate-academy","49":"tag-naeem-offord-25-parker","50":"tag-ncaa","51":"tag-ncaa-football","52":"tag-ncaafootball","53":"tag-qua-russaw-23-carver","54":"tag-raylen-wilson-23-lincoln","55":"tag-richard-wesley-27-sierra-canyon","56":"tag-ryan-williams-24-saraland","57":"tag-sports","58":"tag-talyn-taylor-25-geneva-community","59":"tag-trey-mcnutt-25-shaker-heights","60":"tag-tyler-atkinson-26-grayson","61":"tag-xavier-griffin-26-gainesville","62":"tag-yhonzae-pierre-23-eufaula","63":"tag-zabien-brown-24-mater-dei","64":"tag-zay-mincey-24-mainland","65":"tag-zayden-walker-25-schley-county"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}