Ranking the Top 25 Players in the 2027 CFB Recruiting Class
There already have been some outstanding players in the 2027 class to come off the board, and in a day and age where prospects are committing and enrolling early, that's a big deal.
This year's late signing session just ended, and if you're just now starting on the '27 class, well, join the club. It's our job to get you acquainted with the nation's top playmakers, and you'd better believe coaches around the nation already have committed these dudes to memory.
Of course we take into consideration rankings from major services such as 247Sports and Rivals, but we've studied these guys and have some early opinions on them, too.
As the actual football calendar now flips the focus to the 2026 season, all our attention is on the '27 class with this year's group already signed and focused on their program of the future (or, the transfer portal era, at least the present).
Here are the marquee names you need to know for the next recruiting cycle.
25-21. Johnson to Haven
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25. Jayce Johnson, Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6'3", 210 pounds
City, State (School): Valdosta, Georgia (Lowndes)
1 Thing to Know: Johnson hails from the football hotbed of Valdosta, Georgia, which used to be the nexus of high school football in the country. He's a true dual-threat quarterback, but he's raw, coming off his first year as a starting quarterback in '25.
24. Kesean Bowman, Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6'1", 175 pounds
City, State (School): Brentwood, Tennessee (Brentwood Academy)
1 Thing to Know: The Tennessee prospect is going to enjoy the recruiting process. After he made an early pledge to Oregon, he backed off it and is now considering the Ducks, Vols, Miami, Ohio State, Vanderbilt and others. The race is wide-open for the lanky pass-catcher.
23. Honor Fa'alave-Johnson, Safety
Height/Weight: 6'1", 190 pounds
City, State (School): San Diego, California (Cathedral Catholic)
1 Thing to Know: Several schools are trying to tell Fa'alave-Johnson that he can play both ways on the next level, which is his ultimate goal. He's a megastar safety right now, but he also could be a force at running back, too.
22. Kaeden Penny, Interior Offensive Lineman
Height/Weight: 6'4", 280 pounds
City, State (School): Bixby, Oklahoma (Bixby)
1 Thing to Know: Penny may wind up being one of the top linemen in the country because of his elite athleticism for his size. The Oklahoma commitment continues the Sooners pipeline into that school, which has become a feeder program chock-full of talent.
21. Elijah Haven, Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6'5", 215 pounds
City, State (School): Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Dunham School)
1 Thing to Know: Some think Haven is the top signal-caller in the nation, and he is playing ball in Lane Kiffin's backyard. Right now, though, the Bayou Bengals aren't being prominently mentioned. Alabama may be the favorite for his commitment, but Auburn and Kentucky are lurking, too.
20-16. Sabb to Hackett
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20. Xavier Sabb, Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6'1", 180 pounds
City, State (School): Glassboro, New Jersey (Glassboro)
1 Thing to Know: The Sabb name is becoming important at Alabama. Crimson Tide starting safety Keon is Xavier's older brother who started his career at Michigan before starring in Tuscaloosa. On Wednesday, '26 recruit, athlete Amari Sabb, committed to UA over Notre Dame and Oregon State. Xavier could make three.
19. Kamarui Dorsey, Safety
Height/Weight: 6'3", 200 pounds
City, State (School): Hampton, Georgia (Hampton)
1 Thing to Know: Texas A&M coach Mike Elko continues to have success recruiting the Peach State, and that's where Dorsey was plucked from Kirby Smart's territory. He's the nation's best back-level defender, but Dorsey also had more than 800 receiving yards as a high school junior.
18. Maxwell Hiller, Interior Offensive Lineman
Height/Weight: 6'5", 300 pounds
City, State (School): Coatesville, Pennsylvania (Coatesville Area)
1 Thing to Know: This may be far too low for Hiller, who is an incredible athlete for his size and has a basketball scholarship offer from La Salle. His brother, Colton, is a '28 recruit who'll play basketball and already boasts offers from Penn State and Kansas State.
17. Zyron Forstall, Edge
Height/Weight: 6'3½", 235 pounds
City, State (School): Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy)
1 Thing to Know: The New Orleans native decided to head to powerhouse IMG to play his prep football, and he's already making a name for himself against top-tier offensive lines around the nation. Forstall earned Under Armor All-American honors and also an invitation to the Polynesian Bowl.
16. Cooper Hackett, Offensive Tackle
Height/Weight: 6'6½", 250 pounds
City, State (School): Fort Gibson, Oklahoma (Fort Gibson)
1 Thing to Know: Along with Kaeden Penny, Hackett makes up the backbone of a strong future O-line in Norman, and the Sooners were blessed to have two of the nation's top blockers in their state. Hackett and Penny committed to OU on the same day.
15-11. Simien to Brown
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15. Albert Simien, Interior Offensive Lineman
Height/Weight: 6'4", 280 pounds
City, State (School): Lake Charles, Louisiana (Sam Houston)
1 Thing to Know: There have been whispers that Simien could come off the board as early as this month, and it's going to be interesting to see where he winds up. LSU has hopped back in the mix with Lane Kiffin at the helm, and Simien has a great relationship with Nebraska O-line coach Geep Wade. Texas A&M and Alabama may be the favorites, though, with a decision looming.
14. Kavian Bryant, Quarterback
Height/Weight: 6'2½", 180 pounds
City, State (School): Palestine, Texas (Westwood)
1 Thing to Know: Bryant is the best athlete in this year's class, and he is all set to be the future at quarterback for coach Joey McGuire at Texas Tech. He has high-major offers in football and basketball, and his father, Kadrian, played hoops at Mississippi Valley State. The younger Bryant has huge upside under center.
13. Kaden Henderson, Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6'1½", 213 pounds
City, State (School): Tampa, Florida (Jesuit)
1 Thing to Know: Henderson is close friends with '26 quarterback recruit Will Griffin, who went from Jesuit to the Florida Gators, and coach Jon Sumrall is hot on Henderson's trail. But Miami may lead a star-studded pack to land him right now.
12. Monshun Sales, Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 6'5", 195 pounds
City, State (School): Indianapolis, Indiana (Lawrence North)
1 Thing to Know: Right now, Sales—who hails from the shadow of Hoosiers football—is strongly considering Indiana, but he says he grew up an Alabama fan (https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/monshun-sales-auburn-tigers-football-recruiting-junior-day-272931853/. Auburn and Ohio State also are firmly in the mix early for the can't-miss, fluid pass-catcher.
11. Jamier Brown, Wide Receiver
Height/Weight: 5'11", 170 pounds
City, State (School): Sunbury, Ohio (Big Walnut)
1 Thing to Know: The Dayton-area standout is a potential Olympic track star who set freshman national class record in the 60-meter dash (6.75) before winning the Adidas Track Nationals in the event. He can get up and go.
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10. Cooper Witten, Linebacker
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Height/Weight: 6'1½", 220 pounds
City, State (School): Argyle, Texas (Liberty Christian)
1 Thing to Know:
If you want some strong bloodlines, check this: Yes, Cooper Witten is the son of legendary Dallas Cowboys tight end Jason Witten who is in the Hall of Fame.
The younger Witten is a Tennessee legacy, and his father has deep ties to the Volunteers, but the Oklahoma Sooners threw a gargantuan wrench into things when they hired Jason Witten to be the tight ends coach in Norman. Now, it would be an upset for the smart, athletic prospect to go anywhere else.
The safe bet is he plays for his dad with the Sooners.
9. Easton Royal, Wide Receiver
5 of 13
Height/Weight: 5'11", 185 pounds
City, State (School): New Orleans, Louisiana (Brother Martin)
1 Thing to Know:
Elite receiver Easton Royal ultimately chose Texas over Miami when he made his decision, but that hasn't stopped schools from around the country from chasing after him.
The home-state LSU Tigers are especially turning up the heat on him trying to keep him home now that Lane Kiffin is in Baton Rouge.
It's going to be a fight for the Longhorns to keep him in the fold because Royal is the best receiver to come out of New Orleans since Ja'Marr Chase. He has 10.30 speed and terrific hands, and Royal is a bad, bad man.
8. Kennedy Brown, Offensive Tackle
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Height/Weight: 6'4", 285 pounds
City, State (School): Humble, Texas (Kingwood)
1 Thing to Know:
Without a doubt, Kennedy Brown is the real deal with the potential to be the nation's top-ranked offensive tackle prospect before it's all said and done.
There are taller players at his position, but Brown is a huge human who boasts an 89-inch wingspan and has 11.5-inch hands, both incredible traits for a player at his position. He's just a big dude with a tremendous work ethic and checks all the boxes for stardom.
When you stand out in the hotbed that is the Houston area, you're going to make waves. Brown has been a star since he stepped on the field as a sophomore.
7. Kemon Spell, Running Back
7 of 13
Height/Weight: 5'9", 205 pounds
City, State (School): McKeesport, Pennsylvania (McKeesport)
1 Thing to Know:
This is the best year for running back recruiting in a long, long time, and Kemon Spell is highly regarded, thought of as the nation's top-rated player at his position by 247Sports and Rivals.
He very well may be, too, but he's second on this list. Regardless, Spell—who committed to Georgia earlier this week—is an elite playmaker who will have a terrific college career. He's a blazer who excels in track and also plays cornerback.
Spell is a star-in-the-making.
6. David Gabriel Georges, Running Back
8 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'0", 205 pounds
City, State (School): Chattanooga, Tennessee (The Baylor School)
1 Thing to Know:
By now, you've probably seen some of the runs that David Gabriel Georges has made for the Baylor Red Raiders, a boarding school in Chattanooga that's going to be at the epicenter of high school football the next few years, thanks to Peyton Manning's son, Marshall, attending and next in line at quarterback of the future.
However, the running back of the present is amazing.
He's originally from Canada, and he's taking prep sports by storm. His junior season earned him Gatorade National Player of the Year honors, and Tennessee, Ohio State and Georgia are at the top of his list.
5. DJ Jacobs, Edge
9 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'5", 225 pounds
City, State (School): Roswell, Georgia (Blessed Trinity Catholic)
1 Thing to Know:
It's a long time before national signing day, but the Ohio State Buckeyes pulled off a big-time commitment during the College Football Playoffs when DJ Jacobs decided to head to Columbus.
"Massive shocker," said Andrew Ivins, the Director of Scouting for 247Sports, according to CBS Sports' Will Backus. "Ohio State is putting it all together and I love the fit. Defensive line coach Larry Johnson is perfect for Jacobs given what he's done with kids."
Maybe what makes it even more shocking is Jacobs—who is the No. 1 ranked player according to 247Sports—is a Georgia legacy who lives in the Atlanta area. His father, David, played defensive line for the Dawgs from 1999-2002.
4. John Meredith III, Cornerback
10 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'2", 175 pounds
City, State (School): Fort Worth, Texas (North Crawley)
1 Thing to Know:
Much like DJ Jacobs is the nation's top-ranked player on 247Sports, right now, John Meredith III is the best overall player in the composite rankings.
No matter where you put him, he's going to be a star and is easily among the top cornerbacks in the country. It's going to be extremely difficult to get him out of the Lone Star State as the Texas A&M Aggies have been a long-time leader for him, but others are surging.
Meredith recently visited Tuscaloosa, and coach Kalen DeBoer's program—which is a consistent name at the top of many elite players in the '27 class early on—knocked it out of the park with him, according to 247Sports' Mike Roach. Will it be enough to keep him from sticking near home?
3. Mark Matthews, Offensive Tackle
11 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'6", 300 pounds
City, State (School): Fort Lauderdale, Florida (St. Thomas Aquinas)
1 Thing to Know:
Mark Matthews is still very much a work-in-progress who is just now developing, having gained some 30 pounds over the past year. He is an elite athlete who has the ability to be a two-way lineman.
His big NFL future is at offensive tackle, though, where he could be a special talent. There's a reason he's the nation's top-ranked offensive lineman, and when it comes to potential, it really isn't close.
It's going to be extremely difficult to pry him away from nearby Miami, where he could team with this year's top-ranked lineman—Jackson Cantwell—to pave the way for many future Hurricanes offenses. Plenty others are still in the mix for the uncommitted star, though.
2. Joshua Dobson, Cornerback
12 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'1", 175 pounds
City, State (School): Cornelius, North Carolina (William Amos Hough)
1 Thing to Know:
Everybody in the nation is in hot pursuit of Joshua Dobson, who has the potential to be the top-ranked player in the class regardless of position when it's all said and done.
Right now, LSU has the momentum after a strong visit this past weekend, but others like Texas A&M, Tennessee and Alabama are firmly in the mix, along with Clemson, Notre Dame and others.
It's going to be a hotly contested battle for a kid who, by all accounts, is a hard worker, phenomenal player and born leader. The Rock Hill Herald's Emma Moon wrote a great story about Dobson's faith and family.
Somebody's going to get a good one.
1. Jalen Brewster, Defensive Tackle
13 of 13
Height/Weight: 6'3", 302 pounds
City, State (School): Cedar Hill, Texas (Cedar Hill)
1 Thing to Know:
The most college-ready player in the entire 2027 class right now is Jalen Brewster, who is the latest to fall in line and prepare to play for Texas Tech and coach Joey McGuire, a budding recruiting juggernaut.
Brewster is an incredibly strong lineman with a college junior's body and violent hands that are ready for the NFL. He's got top-of-the-draft potential if he continues to develop. He already has professional bloodlines; his father Robert was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2009 draft out of Ball State.
With D-line coach Zarnell Fitch leaving Texas Tech, it'll be intriguing to see if Rivals No. 1-ranked player wavers on his Red Raiders pledge.
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