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College Football Recruiting Rankings for Top Schools After Early NSD 2025

Kristopher KnoxDec 4, 2025

The early national signing period for the 2026 college football cycle opened on Wednesday, and Day 1 brought its fair share of twists and turns. Things were much quieter on Thursday, though some unresolved drama remains.

For example, Ohio State's top-ranked commit, wideout Chris Henry Jr. announced that he was continuing to weigh options after the departure of Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. Other programs, including Big Ten rival Oregon, are now trying to flip Henry.

Some questions may remain unanswered when the early national signing period ends on Friday, but we should have a clearer idea of how the recruiting classes stack up.

Here's a look at where the top recruits stand, the latest buzz, and where the top classes are ranked entering the weekend.

Top-Ranked Recruits and Statuses After Day 2

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LSU Football Hosts Press Conference Introducing New Head Coach Lane Kiffin

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These are the top 25 recruits for the 2026 cycle and their current commitment/signing statuses, according to ESPN's rankings:

1. Lamar Brown, DT, committed to LSU

2. Zion Elee, DE, signed with Maryland

3. Jackson Cantwell, OT, signed with Miami

4. Keisean Henderson, QB, signed with Houston

5. Jared Curtis, QB, signed with Vanderbilt

6. Dia Bell, QB, signed with Texas

7. Chris Henry Jr., WR, committed to Ohio State

8. Richard Wesley, DT, signed with Texas

9. Faizon Brandon, QB, signed with Tennessee

10. Tristen Keys, WR, signed with Tennessee

11. Derrek Cooper, RB, signed with Texas

12. JaReylan McCoy, DE, signed with Florida

13. LaDamion Guyton, LB, signed with Texas Tech

14. Kendre' Harrison, TE, signed with Oregon

15. Immanuel Iheanacho, OT, signed with Oregon

16. Jireh Edwards, S, signed with Alabama

17. Tyler Atkinson, LB, signed with Texas

18. Brandon Arrington, ATH, signed with Texas A&M

19. Keenyi Pepe, OT, signed with USC

20. Kaiden Prothro, TE, signed with Georgia

21. Jett Washington, S, signed with Oregon

22. Elbert Hill, CB, signed with USC

23. Carter Meadows, DE, signed with Michigan

24. Felix Ojo, OT, signed with Texas Tech

25. Jake Kreul, DE, signed with Oklahoma

Early NSD Recap

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Most of the early national signing day drama occurred on Wednesday, and much of it appeared to be coaching-related. LSU, for example, recently hired head coach Lane Kiffin away from Mississippi. Kiffin has yet to fully assemble his staff, which appears to have given Lamar Brown some pause.

Brown remains committed to LSU but will not sign this week, according to Sam Spiegelman of Rivals. The defensive tackle out of Baton Rouge and ESPN's top overall recruit may still end up with the Tigers, but it appears he won't sign until the regular signing period opens in February.

Of course, a lot can and will change between now and February.

Plenty changed on Wednesday alone. USC flipped 4-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt from Ohio State, which caused the Buckeyes to drop in the class rankings. For the time being, the move also seems to have cemented the Trojans' class as the best in the country.

Blair Angulo of 247Sports, this marks the first time since 2008 that a non-SEC school will have the top-ranked class.

4-star defensive lineman Corey Wells flipped from Texas to Auburn on Wednesday, while Vanderbilt flipped 5-star quarterback Jared Curtis earlier in the week. Henry hasn't flipped yet, but he made it clear that he hasn't signed either.

Thursday didn't see as many surprises, though Michigan did flip 4-star wide receiver Brady Marchese from Georgia. It also brought a couple of notable announcements. Tight end and Oregon commit Kendre' Harrison officially signed. So did safety and Ducks commit Jett Washington.

The signings of Harrison and Washington leave Brown and Henry as the only top-25 recruits who are committed but not signed as the early signing period nears its conclusion. It also helped secure Oregon a spot in the top five recruiting classes.

Should the Ducks successfully flip Henry, the seventh-ranked prospect overall, they might even have a shot at challenging USC for the top spot.