Top SEC commits in the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking

As it does on an annual basis, the SEC is atop the heap when it comes to recruiting again in the 2026 class.

Six of the nation’s top 10 recruiting classes belong to SEC programs — and 10 of the top 25. But where the league really separates itself is with the nation’s elite recruits. All 32 five-stars in this class are currently committed, and 15 are pledged to one of the league’s 16 teams.

After the latest Rivals Industry Ranking updates, as well as new rankings from other services, we break down the top prospects set to head to the SEC next year.

ATH Lamar Brown – LSU

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 1
School: University Lab (Erwinville, LA)
Scouting Summary: “The rare prospect with five-star ability on either line of scrimmage. A true jumbo athlete. Measured in at around 6-foot-4, 285 pounds before his senior season. Has a plus length with arms around 34 inches. A mega athlete in the camp setting, posting some of the best testing numbers on the national camp circuit for a lineman. Lines up at right tackle and defensive end for his high school. Elite athleticism and movement skills show up on both sides of the ball. Fires off the snap from his right tackle position. Flashes outstanding twitch in pass protection and working to the second level. Can take defensive linemen for a ride once engaged. Shows disruptive ability as a big defensive end. Has the power to hold his ground and sift through the trash to make plays in the backfield. Can close quickly on the quarterback. Touts a strong background as a thrower in track and field, winning an indoor state title in the shot put (56-2.75 feet) and an outdoor gold medal in the discus (151-6 feet) as a junior. Enters his senior season more proven as an offensive lineman than defense on Friday nights. Would be the top interior offensive line prospect in the 2026 cycle if he wanted. Should be considered a high-upside, developmental defensive line prospect who will need to make strides in his overall technique as he gains more experience on that side of the ball.”

QB Jared Curtis – Georgia

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 4
School: Nashville Christian (Nashville, TN)
Scouting Summary: “Elite arm talent with creative playmaking ability. Has a big frame, measuring in at around 6-foot-3.5, 225 pounds with a 9.5-inch hand prior to his junior season. Looks like the top arm talent in the 2026 cycle. Ball explodes off his hand. Generates considerable velocity on throws to all areas of the field. Has a loose, natural throwing motion. Capable of delivering impressive passes from several arm angles. A pure rotational athlete who does not need his feet set to throw accurate passes. Plays with a gunslinging mentality and is not afraid to drive the football into tight windows over the middle of the field. A fluid athlete who is tough to corral in the backfield. Dangerous playmaker and improviser. Had some unbelievable second-reaction plays as a junior, evading pass rushers and uncorking throws 50+ yards downfield. Made impressive strides with his accuracy and decision-making as a junior. Completed over 70% of his passes for 2,830 yards (11.1 yards per attempt) for 40 touchdowns and 3 interceptions while leading his team to a state title. Also rushed for 637 yards and 18 scores. Does not play top competition and is older for the cycle. Will need to continue improving his consistency, but the pure arm talent and playmaking ability give him one of the highest upsides in the 2026 cycle.”

QB Dia Bell – Texas

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 4
School: American Heritage (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Scouting Summary: “Precision passer with the arm talent, size, and athleticism to translate to college football and beyond. Measured in at around 6-foot-2.5, 215 pounds with a 10-inch hand before his senior season. Mechanically clean with a smooth throwing motion that he replicates with consistency. Has polished footwork that is married to his upper body. Shows high-level arm talent, delivering well-placed passes to multiple levels of the field. A dangerous operator from the pocket. Able to evade pressure, reset his feet, and fire. Throws a pretty deep ball. Was a first-year starter as a sophomore and showed marked improvement while playing top competition as a junior. Flashed an added playmaking element and rushing component to his game down the stretch of his junior season. Ripped off long runs, including two 40+ yard touchdown runs against top programs. Completed 70.6% of his passes for 2,597 yards (11.4 yards per attempt) and 29 touchdowns against six interceptions in 2025. Also rushed for 561 yards and five touchdowns. Was tabbed as the Elite 11 MVP prior to his senior season. Also has a basketball background. Is the son of long-time NBA veteran guard Raja Bell. The level of improvement displayed throughout his junior season should be taken as an encouraging sign of his long-term upside.”

WR Tristen Keys – Tennessee

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 7
School: Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, MS)
Scouting Summary: “Contested catch maven who looks like the top wide receiver prospect early in the 2026 cycle. Has good size, measuring at ver 6-foot-2, 185 pounds with good length as a junior. Turned in a strong junior campaign, catching 58 passes for 1,275 yards and 14 touchdowns while leading his team to a deep playoff run. Excels in contested catch situations, elevating to come down with acrobatic grabs. Hangs in the air and is able to contort his body into favorable positions. Displays a huge catch radius, high-pointing the football and coming down with one-handed grabs. High-level ball tracker with the ability to locate and corral the ball over his shoulder. Shows some route-running nuance. Has some shake off the line of scrimmage and is able to stack corners with his releases. Runs hard after the catch. Able to attack all areas of the field with his well-rounded skill set. Made some huge plays in big contests as a junior. Also a star on the 7-on-7 circuit before his junior season. Good marks in track and field in the high jump (6-0 feet) and triple jump (43-2 feet). Also plays basketball. Can continue improving his top-end speed.”

QB Faizon Brandon – Tennessee

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 9
School: Grimsley (Greensboro, NC)
Scouting Summary: “Accurate passer with the physical traits to make him one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 cycle. Measured around 6-foot-3.5, 200 pounds with a 9.25-inch hand before his senior season. Has the frame to add more good weight. Flashes a live arm, particularly in the camp setting, easily generating zip on his passes. Piloted his team to a state title as a junior, completing 77.1% of his passes for 2,814 yards (13.1 YPA) and 35 touchdowns against 2 interceptions. A good athlete with solid speed, running for 625 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior. Does a good job limiting mistakes and avoids putting the ball in harm’s way. Has the skill set to stress defenses with his arm and legs. An effective distributor in operating the quick passing game. Also played basketball. Plays in a conservative high school offense that offers few downfield passing opportunities. Will benefit from honing his footwork and lower body mechanics once he works with college coaches. One of the youngest top quarterbacks in the cycle, turning 17 years old in June before his senior season. Will need to continue gaining more useful passing reps, but has early-round upside if developed properly.”

EDGE Richard Wesley – Texas

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 10
School:Sierra Canyon (Los Angeles, CA)
Scouting Summary: “Versatile edge defender that wins with power and speed as a pass rusher that possesses advanced hand usage for his age. Verified 6-foot-4.5, 245 pounds with above average length. Impressive athlete in the combine setting as well as on the track running 11.67 in the 100m during his sophomore track and field season. Variety of pass rush moves including swims, rips, long arms and a ghost move. Stout run defender that can set the edge and displace blockers at the point of attack. Collected 16 tackles-for-loss and 9 sacks during his sophomore season. Reclassified from the 2027 cycle to the 2026 cycle so will be a year younger than most of his peers in the class. Versatile skillset allows him to project to a strong-side or weak-side end. Has the ability to play with his hand in the dirt or stand up off the edge and should excel as a three-down edge defender at the next level.”

LB Tyler Atkinson – Texas

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 12
School:Grayson (Lawrenceville, GA)
Scouting Summary: “Dominant high school linebacker who plays with outstanding instincts and physicality. Measured at around 6-foot-2, 210 pounds with arms a shade over 31 inches. A star linebacker playing at a powerhouse program in Georgia’s highest classification. Flies around the field like a man possessed. Wins with his elite motor and willingness to throw his body around. Sees plays quickly and triggers downhill in a split second. At his best when he has the runway to see and pursue the football. Plays with an enforcer’s edge. Finished his junior season with 166 tackles, 32 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, and one interception in 15 games. Measurables, both dimensions and combine testing, are not those of a typical elite linebacker prospect. Will need to get bigger and stronger to hold up at the point of attack against college linemen. A high-floor prospect due to his instincts and track record against top competition.”

CB Brandon Arrington – Texas A&M

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 13
School: Mount Miguel (Spring Valley, CA)
Scouting Summary: “Elite athleticism at the corner position with impressive mirror ability for a taller, longer corner prospect. One of the strongest track profiles in the country. Ran a blistering 10.21 in the 100m and a 20.35 in the 200m during his junior track season. Can run with any receiver lined up across from him. Has the length and ball skills to attack the football and play through the receiver’s hands in order to separate them from the ball. Would like to see him gain some mass throughout his frame and become more confident in run support. Boundary corner projection due to his size and speed. Has the length and athleticism to line up against virtually any receiver type at the next level.”

S Jireh Edwards – Alabama

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 16
School: St. Frances Academy (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Scout’s Take: “We feel like Jireh Edwards is really one of the more high-floor, ready-made prospects at safety in this cycle. He is hyper-physical, and really showed out against top competition playing one of the toughest schedules in the country at St. Frances. And he’s just kind of a grown man. He’s older for the cycle and is already pretty physically mature. So there are questions as to the ultimate long-term upside. But in terms of a safety who could come in and earn significant snaps as a freshman, he’s one of the guys in this cycle who could do that.”

LB Xavier Griffin – Alabama

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 20
School:Gainesville (Gainesville, GA)
Analyst’s Take: “I think his No. 1 strength is getting after the quarterback. I’ve seen him numerous times in different events, settings, games, practices, and camps. That acceleration, ability to turn up the field and get to the quarterback is what he does best. I’ve seen him line up in the middle, the edge, hand down, and standing up. He’s a very good athlete, a twitchy kid who can move and be explosive. I think he needs to continue to get stronger and develop that strength and power part of his game. He is going to get to the quarterback and get him to the ground. To me that’s where at his best. He’s rangy and think he has a good frame to add weight and strength. A lot of upside there for a guy like Xavier coming off the edge. He can also move around, put him in different positions, and be more effective in a defensive scheme.” – Rivals’ Chad Simmons