Top 2026 Uncommitted Recruits After Early Signing Day
The early signing period has changed recruiting in college football.
In today's hurry-up-and-play-me world, recruits know they're more likely to get on the field earlier if they enroll earlier, and with the transfer portal window opening during the late signing session, spots are much more likely to be filled on rosters by the time February rolls around, limiting destinations for recruits.
So, they're essentially all signing in December now.
This year, that's especially the case, as there are almost no big-ticket prospects remaining who aren't at least committed to a school, even if they are unsigned. Only three 4-star players remain uncommitted, and there are fewer difference-makers than ever.
Still, there are a few out there. Rankings don't always point to who's the best, though. We tried to follow the visits, the interests and the decommitments and zero in on the best remaining players on the market. Here they are.
Tyren Hornes, 4-Star Wide Receiver
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Without doubt, the far-and-away best offensive playmaker remaining on the recruiting board is Tyren Hornes.
The 6'0", 175-pound Booker High School prospect from Sarasota, Florida, is a 4-star prospect and the nation's No. 170-ranked player according to 247Sports. He's formerly a commitment of UCF and Michigan State, but he's looking for a forever home.
The Knights are still heavily in the mix, along with others. Hornes—previously Tyren Wortham—has narrowed his choices to Auburn, Georgia, Louisville, Ole Miss and UCF.
Anybody would be lucky to get Hornes, a silky-smooth pass-catcher who could play early. Those simply don't exist in the late signing period, so there could be even more twists and turns in his recruitment before he ultimately signs.
It's difficult to find playmakers this late as this list will show, and Hornes is the best of the bunch left out there.
Dylan Berymon, 4-star Defensive Tackle
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There are a couple of big-prize defensive linemen out there, but none of them has the upside of Dylan Berymon, who could grow into a road-grader and will have a bunch of suitors even signing this late.
The 6'2", 330-pound Ouachita Parish High School 4-star prospect out of Monroe, Louisiana, comes from a LSU hotbed, but he was committed to the Texas Longhorns before backing out of that commitment late in the game.
It's not often one of the nation's top 200 players (he's currently ranked No. 199, according to the 247Sports composite rankings) remains out there this late. He's ranked even higher on 247Sports, sitting as the No. 97-rated player and 12th-ranked defensive tackle prospect.
Berymon would be a major coup at this stage, because you simply can't teach the massive size he possesses. At 330 pounds, he could have an immediate role as a run-stuffer if he's in shape.
New LSU coach Lane Kiffin is hot on the trail of Berymon, and kids from Monroe traditionally wind up in Baton Rouge, so that's a safe bet right now. Others are pursuing, too, though.
Anthony Jones, 4-star Defensive Lineman
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The UCLA Bruins' horrific start and discombobulated team necessitated the early-season firing of DeShaun Foster, but one thing the coach was doing fairly well was recruiting. So, the class fell apart.
Stud offensive lineman Micah Smith decommitted and ultimately signed with Illinois, and 4-star edge-rusher Carter Gooden backed off his Bruins pledge and signed with Tennessee. The other big prize was 4-star Anthony Jones, who didn't sign, either.
The 6'4½", 285-pound athletic D-lineman from Irvine, California, actually decommitted from UCLA twice in the process, first when Foster was let go and then again on December 4 when he elected not to sign with the school he had decided upon again.
Now, there are going to be a lot of teams who want Jones, who is rated as a 4-star prospect by 247Sports and a 3-star in the composite rankings. Regardless of where he's ultimately ranked, he can play.
The biggest threat to sign him right now looks like Arizona State, though Jones seems open to being recruited by new UCLA coach Bob Chesney, according to On3's Hunter Shelton.
Kentrell White, 3-Star Tight End
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All this coaching churn can't be easy on kids who already seem to have their college destinations picked out, so that's one of the reasons you see late-game flipping going on.
For Kentrell White, the 6'4", 210-pound developmental tight end from Atlanta was all set on going to Auburn before the Tigers let Hugh Freeze go, then he stuck around during DJ Durkin's interim reign.
Late last week, though, White elected to decommit from the Tigers.
Now, Alex Golesh will have to re-recruit him if White is going to wind up on the Plains. Will he, though, considering White's decommitment almost immediately followed the commitment (and ultimate signing) of former USF tight end pledge Damarcus Broughton Jr.?
White originally committed to Auburn over Virginia Tech, and the Hokies are one of the hottest names on the trail now with new head coach James Franklin. Could White wind up there? It will be interesting to see who recruits him hard in the late cycle.
Aveon Williams, 4-Star Athlete
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There is a lot to love about a prospect like 6'6", 245-pound Casa Grande, Arizona, jumbo athlete Aveon Williams.
Even though he's a bit of a project prospect who is barely ranked in the top 700 prospects, according to the 247Sports composite rankings, with size like that, you get him on campus and develop him.
He seemed all set on heading across the country to North Carolina to play for Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels where he was going to be a tight end, but Williams decommitted, and he's back on the market now.
Where he winds up is anybody's guess right now. There hasn't been a ton of movement in his recruitment since that decision in late November.
According to 247Sports' Anna Adams, Williams will consider UNLV, along with Minnesota and Sacramento State. The Runnin' Rebels make a lot of geographic sense for him, considering he's from Arizona.
Earlier in his recruitment, both the Arizona Wildcats and the Arizona State Sun Devils were factors. Could they jump back in? Williams has some decisions to make.
O'Mari Johnson, 4-Star Athlete
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O'Mari Johnson isn't as highly thought of as a prospect as Tyren Hornes, but the team that signs him is still going to get a high-upside prospect with a lot to lend a program, even if it's not right away.
The 6'1", 180-pound pass-catcher from Jackson Academy in Mississippi is still looking for a home, and several teams are going to be trying to catch his eye. The No. 43-ranked athlete is still a top-700 player, and there aren't a lot of those unsigned.
Much like Williams, Johnson decommitted from Bill Belichick—twice. However, the last time somebody caught up with Johnson, he mentioned he was still considering UNC.
That story came from On3's Zach Berry of the Ole Miss Spirit board, and Johnson mentioned, "I like Ole Miss a lot, the vibes are good. Just weighing my options." That article was written in October before Lane Kiffin left.
So, now what does Johnson do? Right now, it's anybody's guess where he's looking or who's looking at the Magnolia State two-way athlete who likely will be a receiver in college.
Xavier Rucker, 3-Star Running Back
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It appears 3-star running back Xavier Rucker of Acworth, Georgia, is going through a recruiting reset at the worst possible time.
The 5'11", 195-pound Allatoona High School prospect was committed to nearby Georgia Tech, but he backed off that pledge to Brent Key's Yellow Jackets in October.
After deciding to look again at his options, Rucker took a visit to Auburn, and then the Tigers got rid of coach Hugh Freeze, so Rucker is really looking for options right now. There hasn't been a whole lot of reported movement for the 3-star runner since that point.
According to On3's AuburnSports' Jeffrey Lee, Rucker was on "commitment watch" when he visited the Plains in November, but that didn't happen.
By all accounts, Rucker was an elite prospect in high school and a mass-producer statistically for a very good team. It's kind of odd that there hasn't been a lot of discussion about where he'll land. He's excellent running the ball and catching passes out of the backfield.
Whoever ultimately lands him will be getting a quality player.
Tieson Ejiawoko, 3-Star Linebacker
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With the way Texas Tech has things rolling downhill and into the College Football Playoff, you don't expect them to lose too many commitments. It seems like Lubbock is currently a destination spot for recruits.
However, 3-star linebacker Tieson Ejiawoko, a 6'2", 220-pound Georgetown, Texas, prospect decided around a month ago that he wasn't sure whether he wanted to be a part of what coach Joey McGuire is building.
Where he will wind up now is uncertain.
Ejiawoko is one of those fast, rangy second-level defenders you saw sprinting all over the field in the Big 12 championship game, even if he wouldn't be ready to get on the field for the Red Raiders right away.
Despite his low ranking, Ejiawoko is an athletic 'backer who would fit in multiple schemes, and he should be a coveted commodity. He was a big loss for TTU, according to SI.com's Michael Cavallo.
Texas, Baylor, Oklahoma, Arizona State and others were interested the first time around.
Ari Slocum, 3-Star Defensive Tackle
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As Ryan Silverfield begins his football program at Arkansas, he's almost hitting the reset button on recruiting.
Perhaps the former Memphis coach wasn't all that impressed with what the Razorbacks had coming in and wants to start rebuilding through the portal.
Regardless, several interviews with recruits in the past couple of weeks resulted in decommitments, such as 3-star defensive tackle Ari Slocum, 3-star offensive lineman Ashley Walker and fullback Ashton Dawson. Slocum's recruitment has been noteworthy thus far, for sure.
The 6'4", 300-pound lineman from Union Parish High School in Farmerville, Louisiana, is a two-time Hogs pledge who re-upped with the program just recently. But now he's looking for a place to play his college ball.
Slocum is the No. 904-rated overall pledge and the 97th-rated defensive tackle, and he holds offers from Houston, Purdue and Missouri, among others.
Both Sam Pittman and interim head coach Bobby Petrino really liked Slocum, who was listed as an interior offensive lineman in their commitments. But there was a parting of ways in the Silverfield era, and now Slocum needs a place to play.
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