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While the Edmonton Oilers approach history with a record-breaking win streak, it’s another Western Canadian team that takes over the top spot of the NHL Power Rankings this week.

Plus, while we identified each team’s best new addition in last week’s Power Rankings, this week it’s the opposite side of the coin: What are the moves (or non-moves) on which each team might like a do-over?

How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.

Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Jan. 19. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.

Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 71.88%
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Jan. 27)

Vancouver has hit all the right notes this season. The Canucks’ only regret might wind up being not extending Elias Pettersson before now (if it was an option). He’s on pace for another 100-plus-point campaign and will be (rightfully) looking for a significant payday when the time comes to negotiate. Vancouver will have to come prepared — and maybe back up the Brinks truck.


Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 71.88%
Next seven days: @ PHI (Jan. 27)

Perhaps this would be considered a “good problem to have.” Boston has red-hot netminder (and pending RFA) Jeremy Swayman up for another contract negotiation this summer — and the way he’s playing, Swayman’s going to demand even more than he did a year ago. The Bruins might regret not getting something longer-term done with Swayman when they had the chance, prior to his levelling up again in 2023-24.


Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 70.65%
Next seven days: vs. TOR (Jan. 27)

The Jets are excellent in so many areas that it’s easy to gloss over the fact their power play is in the bottom 10 of the league. Yikes. The Jets haven’t remedied that situation for over half the season, and it’s the type of problem that comes back to bite a contender in the playoffs. Winnipeg might regret letting its not-so-little problem linger (although perhaps a remedy could be on the way ahead of the trade deadline).


Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 67.71%
Next seven days: vs. LA (Jan. 26)

Colorado took a risk replacing injured goaltender Pavel Francouz with waiver-wire pickup Ivan Prosvetov last October — and it hasn’t paid off. Prosvetov has provided little help to starter Alexandar Georgiev in a backup role, and as Colorado leans heavily on Georgiev now, the more likely he’ll be burned out by spring. The Avalanche might regret not bolstering their goalie tandem sooner.


Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 66.67%
Next seven days: vs. WSH (Jan. 27)

Dallas didn’t upgrade its backup goalie position for the season, sticking with Scott Wedgewood behind the usually fantastic Jake Oettinger. Well. Oettinger has struggled between injury stints, and Wedgewood has been taxed in the meantime. The Stars are a good team despite their below-average goaltending — but will GM Jim Nill regret not adding a more reliable No. 2 option?


Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 65.96%
Next seven days: @ PIT (Jan. 26), @ NYI (Jan. 27)

The front office will regret not re-signing Sam Reinhart last summer. The pending UFA is one the league’s hottest scorers and will be in high demand on the open market (if he makes it there). The Panthers are obviously enjoying Reinhart while they can — but he’s going to need a raise this offseason.


Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 64.77%
Next seven days: vs. NSH (Jan. 27)

This one is easy: Edmonton should have keyed on new head coach Kris Knoblauch way sooner. Why? Because replacing Jay Woodcroft with Knoblauch in November (when the Oilers were 3-9-1) is the best thing to happen for Edmonton this season, and the team has the lengthy win streak to prove it.


Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 64.89%
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Jan. 26), @ OTT (Jan. 27)

The addition of Blake Wheeler on a one-year deal followed Winnipeg buying out his contract last summer is a move New York might regret. Even that minor $800,000 investment in the veteran hasn’t gone the Rangers’ way. Wheeler has been underwhelming with just 17 points in 46 games. Have to wonder now if New York wouldn’t have put its money behind a different depth addition.


Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 64.58%
Next seven days: @ NYR (Jan. 26), @ DET (Jan. 27)

Vegas failed to add or change much in the offseason following its Stanley Cup victory. Now, standing pat looks like a questionable call. The Golden Knights have fizzled following a hot start, with predictable problems piling up for a team susceptible to fatigue. This is when a lack of fresh legs can become one major regret.


Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 60.87%
Next seven days: @ WPG (Jan. 27)

Toronto signed Ryan Reaves to a three-year, $4.050 million contract in the offseason that has translated into one goal in 21 games and Reaves being moved to IR — despite the 36-year-old recently stating he has been healthy for weeks. Huh? Talk about an all-around bad situation the Leafs have to regret.


Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 62.77%
Next seven days: vs. ARI (Jan. 27)

The re-signing of Tony DeAngelo on a one-year, $1.675 million contract over the summer is the easy choice here, as the defenseman has spent most of this season as a healthy scratch. Granted, the Hurricanes have solid defensive depth to work with, but the club seemingly miscalculated what DeAngelo’s fit would be with its group.


Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 58.89%
Next seven days: @ COL (Jan. 26), @ STL (Jan. 28), @ NSH (Jan. 31)

The Kings swung for the fences acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois from Winnipeg in trade last summer — and then inked him to a monster new contract. It hasn’t exactly been a great fit. Dubois is on pace for a career low in points and was recently called out by head coach Todd McLellan for needing to be more of a “difference-maker.” Are the Kings destined for buyer’s (or, trader’s) remorse?


Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 57.14%
Next seven days: vs. BOS (Jan. 27)

Will the Flyers regret not going all-in on chasing the playoffs this season? The team didn’t start off expecting to be in the postseason mix, and if it sticks with the plan of trading players away ahead of the deadline, Philadelphia could quickly fall out of contention. And where’s the enjoyment in that — compared to making a surprising run to a playoff berth?


Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 58.16%
Next seven days: vs. NJ (Jan. 27)

Tampa Bay inked Tanner Jeannot to a two-year, $5.33 million contract in July, hoping to revive a player who broke out with 24 goals in the 2021-22 season. That hasn’t happened. Jeannot had just 12 points in 41 games this season before the Lightning moved him to IR. For a cap-strapped club like Tampa Bay, that’s a disappointing return on investment.


Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 57.29%
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Jan. 27), vs. OTT (Jan. 31)

Detroit must regret not tapping into whatever well Alex Lyon‘s been drinking from lately because the Red Wings have been red-hot in January and it’s Lyon who’s leading that charge. Lyon was a third-string option until recently taking the No. 1 reins, and the results (minus one poor outing against Dallas this week) have put the Red Wings back on a playoff track.


Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 55.43%
Next seven days: @ TB (Jan. 27)

To put it charitably, New Jersey has had its issues with goaltending this season — and the Devils could regret not addressing that problem. Vitek Vanecek has taken a serious step back since last season’s breakout, and Akira Schmid hasn’t provided much help either. If New Jersey expects to get into the playoffs and make some noise, a new option will have to come via trade; other teams know this and won’t make that move a cheap one for the Devils.


Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 55.21%
Next seven days: @ EDM (Jan. 27), @ OTT (Jan. 29)

Sending Ryan Johansen to Colorado last summer (while retaining half his salary) looked like a necessary swap for a rebuilding team. And yet, the offensively challenged Predators could really use Johansen about now as they continue a somewhat surprising push for the playoffs. The Avalanche have Johansen in a third-line role, but he would be contributing higher up in Nashville. Over the short term at least, moving on from Johansen kind of stings.


Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 54.55%
Next seven days: vs. FLA (Jan. 26), vs. MTL (Jan. 27)

Could it be the Erik Karlsson trade? Pittsburgh took on the defenseman and his $10 million-per-year contract for four more seasons via last summer’s blockbuster. Given Karlsson’s average production and the Penguins’ seventh-place position in the Metropolitan Division at present, it’s hard not to wonder if GM Kyle Dubas regrets (for now, at least) going all-in on that big-time move.


Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 53.13%
Next seven days: vs. FLA (Jan. 27)

The Isles finally went for a coaching change last week when GM Lou Lamoriello tapped Patrick Roy to replace Lane Lambert. Could they regret not making a change before the season? New York failed to maintain any consistency through the first half, and now it’s scrambling to stay in the playoff race.


Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 54.35%
Next seven days: @ SEA (Jan. 26), vs. LA (Jan. 28), vs. CBJ (Jan. 30)

Ultimately, St. Louis replaced Craig Berube with Drew Bannister behind the bench after a dismal start to the season. But the Blues waited until December to make the switch, and it cost them valuable time to keep pace in the Central Division. They’ve been well over .500 under Bannister’s watch; will St. Louis look back and wonder why a clearly needed change took so long?


Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 52.13%
Next seven days: @ CAR (Jan. 27)

Arizona might have extended Sean Durzi sooner if it had known what a terrific season the pending RFA would put together. As it is, Durzi will be looking for a handsome raise (with long-term implications) when the time comes. Durzi has been an exemplary offensive defenseman and an integral piece of the Coyotes’ above-average power play. No doubt Durzi will want to have his (pay) day now.


Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 54.35%
Next seven days: @ DAL (Jan. 27)

Washington did not orchestrate a trade for Evgeny Kuznetsov in the offseason, and he has continued to be something of a dead weight in their struggling offense. The Capitals’ second-highest-paid forward has just six goals in 40 games for a team frequently being outshot and outscored at alarming rates. Washington must regret not being able to find Kuznetsov a new home — and perhaps some higher-scoring options for itself.


Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 52.13%
Next seven days: vs. STL (Jan. 26), vs. CBJ (Jan. 28), @ SJ (Jan. 30)

Failing to extend a qualifying offer to Morgan Geekie last summer seems like a big mistake now. Geekie was swiftly scooped up by the Bruins, and he’s having a fantastic season that’s on track to be a career high in every respect. Meanwhile, the Kraken have struggled for scoring. Having Geekie around would have helped.


Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 48.96%
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Jan. 27)

Calgary has appeared to hem and haw about what to do with pending UFA Elias Lindholm. That’s a regretful tactic. The longer Calgary waits to either sign Lindholm or trade him to a contender, the less control the team may have in ensuring either scenario works out in its favor.


Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 48.96%
Next seven days: vs. ANA (Jan. 27)

Minnesota didn’t — and frankly, due to a lack of cap space, couldn’t — add much to the roster over the summer, and that came back to haunt it in a brutal first half of the season. The Wild were plagued by injuries and had a glaring lack of depth to fill in the gaps. GM Bill Guerin said recently he still believes in his team — but Guerin might also regret not doing more to bolster the Wild earlier.


Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 47.92%
Next seven days: @ SJ (Jan. 27)

After an encouraging closing stretch to last season, the Sabres didn’t shy away from establishing (publicly) a playoffs-or-bust mentality for 2023-24. It hasn’t served them well. The Sabres were rightfully confident in themselves heading into the season, but that additional pressure has seemingly come back to bite them.


Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 48.96%
Next seven days: @ PIT (Jan. 27)

Montreal is not exactly in “win now” mode, but will the Canadiens ultimately regret the slow play of this rebuild? Their first-period struggles, listless losses, injury pile-ups and poor specialty teams erode confidence in not just players, but coaches too. Perhaps Montreal could have done more in the offseason to help itself stay closer to the average during this season.


Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 43.18%
Next seven days: vs. NYR (Jan. 27), vs. NSH (Jan. 29), @ DET (Jan. 31)

The Senators thought they’d solved the goalie position by signing Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract last summer. Ottawa can’t be pleased with how he has performed since. The goalie intended to be a verifiable No. 1 has a sub-.900 SV% and nearly 3.50 GAA to show for his season thus far. That long-term investment is something the Senators could come to regret.


Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 41.49%
Next seven days: @ VAN (Jan. 27), @ SEA (Jan. 28), @ STL (Jan. 30)

Columbus has dealt with enough distractions, and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins needed not to be another one. The Blue Jackets’ purported starter put up career-worst marks last season, and yet Columbus hung on to him hoping this season would be different. It’s not. Between his trade request and the Blue Jackets not getting what they need from him, it’s the kind of drama the club was hoping to avoid.


Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 35.42%
Next seven days: @ MIN (Jan. 27), vs. SJ (Jan. 31)

Anaheim traded Jamie Drysdale to Philadelphia for Cutter Gauthier, and already it feels like the Ducks could regret that in the short term at least. They were struggling without Drysdale as it was when he was injured, and now he’s gone altogether. Gauthier will step in at some point, but right now the Ducks don’t seem to have done themselves a favor getting rid of Drysdale.


Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 30.61%
Next seven days: @ CGY (Jan. 27)

Chicago is getting something special from Jason Dickinson right now. And you wonder if coach Luke Richardson doesn’t regret not finding that spark for his offense sooner. Dickinson is playing some of his best hockey in years as a pillar of the Blackhawks’ consistent second line (which, at present, is the only one scoring), and it’s Dickinson who’s offering Chicago some much-needed stability.


Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 31.25%
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Jan. 27), vs. SEA (Jan. 30), @ ANA (Jan. 31)

It’s no surprise given their spot in the standings, but the Sharks have been brutal in multiple categories, including goaltending. That’s especially disheartening considering the Sharks gave Mackenzie Blackwood a two-year, $4.7 million deal in the offseason — and he has been worse all around than backup Kaapo Kahkonen. If San Jose had high hopes for Blackwood’s backstopping, he has yet to reach those heights.

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

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Stanford hires former Nike CEO Donahoe as AD

Stanford has hired former Nike CEO John Donahoe as the school’s new athletic director, the university announced Thursday.

Donahoe, 65, will arrive in the collegiate athletic director space with a vast swath of business experience, as Stanford officials viewed him as a “unicorn candidate” because of both his business ties and history at the school. Stanford coveted a nontraditional candidate for the role, and Donahoe’s hire delivers a seasoned CEO with stints at Nike, Bain & Company and eBay. He also served as the board chair of PayPal.

He also brings strong Stanford ties as a 1986 MBA graduate. He has had two stints on the Stanford business school’s advisory board, including currently serving in that role.

“My north star for 40 years has been servant leadership, and it is a tremendous honor to be able to come back to serve a university I love and to lead Stanford Athletics through a pivotal and tumultuous time in collegiate sports,” Donahoe said in a statement. “Stanford has enormous strengths and enormous potential in a changing environment, including being the model for achieving both academic and athletic excellence at the highest levels. I can’t wait to work in partnership with the Stanford team to build momentum for Stanford Athletics and ensure the best possible experiences for our student-athletes.”

Donahoe replaces Bernard Muir, who announced in February that he was stepping down after serving in that role since 2012. Alden Mitchell has been the school’s interim athletic director.

The hire is a head-turning one for Stanford, bringing in someone with Donahoe’s high-level business experience. And it comes at a time when the athletic department has struggled in its highest-profile sports, as football is amid four consecutive 3-9 seasons and the men’s basketball team hasn’t reached the NCAA tournament since 2014.

In hiring Donahoe, Stanford is aiming for someone who can find an innovative way to support general manager Andrew Luck and the football program while also figuring out a sustainable model for the future of Stanford’s Olympic sports.

“Stanford occupies a unique place in the national athletics landscape,” university president Jonathan Levin said in a statement. “We needed a distinctive leader — someone with the vision, judgment, and strategic acumen for a new era of college athletics, and with a deep appreciation for Stanford’s model of scholar-athlete excellence. John embodies these characteristics. We’re grateful he has agreed to lead Stanford Athletics through this critical period in college sports.”

Stanford’s Olympic sports remain the best in the country, as Stanford athletes or former athletes accounted for 39 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics. If Stanford were a country, it would have tied with Canada for the 11th-most medals. Stanford has also won 26 of the possible 31 director’s cups for overall athletic success in college, including a 25-year streak from 1995 to 2019.

School officials approached Donahoe in recent weeks about the position, with both Levin and former women’s basketball coach Tara VanDerveer among the chief recruiters. Donahoe has a long-standing relationship with both, as he maintained strong ties to the school throughout his career.

Sources said Luck will report to Donahoe. Luck spent time with him in the interview process and is excited to work with him, sources said. It’s also a change from the prior structure, as upon Luck’s hiring he had been slated to report to Levin.

“I am absolutely thrilled John Donahoe is joining as our next athletic director,” Luck said in a statement. “He brings unparalleled experience and elite leadership to our athletic department in a time of opportunity and change. I could not be more excited to partner with and learn from him.”

Stanford is set to begin a football season in which it is picked to finish last in the 17-team ACC. Former NFL coach Frank Reich is the interim coach, and both sides have made clear this is a definitive interim situation and that he won’t return after the 2025 season.

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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to $5M

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Iowa State extends Campbell, bumps pay to M

Iowa State and coach Matt Campbell have finalized a contract extension through 2032 after the winningest coach in program history led the Cyclones to their first-ever 11-win season in 2024.

Campbell will earn $5 million per year in total compensation, according to a copy of the contract obtained by ESPN on Friday. The three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year honoree took a discount on the deal, sources told ESPN, to ensure that his staff salary pool increased and to allow Iowa State to allocate an additional $1 million to revenue-sharing funds for its football roster.

Campbell earned $4 million in 2024 while leading the Cyclones to a Big 12 championship game appearance, an 11-3 record and a No. 15 finish in the AP poll. He’s entering his 10th season in Ames and has won a school record of 64 games during his tenure.

Colorado coach Deion Sanders will be the Big 12’s highest-paid head coach this year at $10 million after landing a five-year, $54 million contract extension in March. Campbell’s new salary will not rank among the top five in the conference, but he prioritized maximizing Iowa State’s ability to invest in its football roster following a historic season.

Campbell, 45, told ESPN in July at Big 12 media days that “probably our top 20 guys took a pay cut to come back to Iowa State” for 2025, relative to what they could’ve earned in NIL compensation by entering the transfer portal.

The head coach’s deal includes performance incentives based on the Cyclones’ regular-season record, starting at $250,000 for seven wins and climbing to $1.5 million for a 12-0 season. He’ll earn at least $100,000 for a Big 12 title game appearance and up to $500,000 for a Big 12 championship. The deal also permits him to distribute up to $100,000 of his performance incentive earnings each year to his football staff.

If Campbell accepts another Power 4 head coaching job before the end of his contract, his buyout would be $2 million. He would not owe liquidated damages if he departs for an NFL coaching opportunity. Campbell interviewed with the Chicago Bears in January during the organization’s head coaching search.

Campbell surpassed Dan McCarney as the program’s winningest head coach last season and has led the Cyclones to bowl games in seven of the past eight seasons, including a Fiesta Bowl victory and a top-10 finish in 2020.

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

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What you missed from college football recruiting this summer

The busiest 60 days of the annual recruiting calendar are officially behind us. And while another four months still remain before the December early signing period, college football’s top programs have already wrapped up the majority of their business in the 2026 cycle.

Per ESPN Research, a total of 155 prospects in the 2026 ESPN 300 made commitments in an avalanche of summer recruiting business from June 1 to July 31. In the wake of that, only 16 uncommitteds remain in the ESPN 300 as of Saturday morning. Within that group are just nine top-100 recruits, with five-star defensive end Jake Kreul, No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and No. 2 defensive tackle Deuce Geralds among those expected to come off the board in August.

More settled by this point of the cycle than any other in recent memory, college football’s 2026 class is unfolding against the backdrop of yet another moment of change in the sport. The House settlement and earliest ebbs of college athletics’ revenue sharing era have already shaped the 2026 cycle, and their effects will continue to ripple across the class until February’s national signing day.

As the recruiting trail prepares to take a (relative) back seat to fall camp practices, here’s a look at how the cycle played out this summer and what could come next for the class of 2026:

Revenue sharing and a new era in recruiting

The House settlement, which now permits schools to pay their athletes directly, among other sweeping changes, officially took effect July 1.

But according to personnel staffers, agents, recruits and parents surveyed by ESPN this month on the condition of anonymity, byproducts of college football’s new reality and the initial revenue sharing cap of $20.5 million across all sports have been steering the 2026 cycle for months. “In the past, collectives would always say we’re only going to offer what we know we can pay you,” a player agent told ESPN. “Now programs know what the budget will be, and harder numbers were discussed earlier than usual. The ability for programs to get those numbers out there early was huge.” As schools prepared roster budgets and braced for post-settlement oversight this spring, a number of Power 4 programs began front-loading their 2025 rosters in the lead-up to July 1.

In some cases, that meant negotiating updated, pre-settlement contracts with transfers and current players, deals that will not count against the post-July 1 revenue share cap. In others, sources told ESPN that programs and collectives found workarounds on the recruiting trail, doling out upfront payments as high as $25,000 per month to committed recruits in the 2026 class, primarily through advantageous high school NIL laws that exist in states such as California, Oregon and Washington.

Those front-loading efforts helped several programs jump out to fast starts in the 2026 cycle. Per sources, the impending arrival of revenue sharing also played a significant role in speeding up the 2026 class this spring. With programs in position to present firmer financial figures, a flurry of elite prospects committed to schools on verbal agreements before July 1.

“People rushed to get deals done pre-House,” a Power 4 personnel staffer told ESPN. “You know there’s only so much money available, and schools let kids know that. The first one to say yes gets it.”

Friday loomed especially large in the short-lived history of the House settlement.

Per the settlement, Aug. 1 was the first official date rising seniors could formally receive written revenue share contracts from programs and NIL collectives, the latter of which will now operate under looser regulation from the newly founded College Sports Commission, per a memo sent to athletic directors on Thursday. Put another way, Aug. 1 was the first day committed prospects and their families could officially learn whether terms they had agreed to earlier this year were legit.

“We’re going to see how serious these schools are,” said the parent of an ESPN 300 quarterback. “I think we might see some kids decommit and find new schools this fall.”

Across the industry, sources believe programs will, for the most part, deliver on the verbal agreements. Multiple agents and personnel staffers told ESPN that a number of programs have also generally ignored the Aug. 1 stipulation across the spring and summer, presenting frameworks of agreements to prospective recruits or flouting the rule entirely. Another question hovering over the months ahead: How much will these agreements do to contain the annual shuffle of flips, decommitments and late-cycle drama in the 2026 class?

“These deals should keep things more in check,” another Power 4 personnel staffer said. “But I’m not naive to think some won’t flip. There’s some snakes out there.”


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No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown commits to LSU

No. 1 overall prospect Lamar Brown stays home and commits to play for the LSU Tigers.

Where do things stand with the 2026 five-star class?

Oregon offensive tackle commit Immanuel Iheanacho, No. 13 in the 2026 ESPN 300, initially planned to announce his commitment Aug. 5. But, like many of the 2026 five-stars who entered late spring still uncommitted, Iheanacho felt the heat of an accelerated market in June.

“There were a couple of schools I was looking at that asked me to commit early, really wanting to get me in their class,” Iheanacho told ESPN. “Oregon didn’t rush me at all.”

Even so, Iheanacho eventually shifted his commitment timeline forward more than a month. ESPN’s second-ranked offensive line prospect picked the Ducks over Auburn, LSU and Penn State on July 3, landing as one of 11 five-star recruits to commit between June 14 and July 20.

As of Saturday morning, only one of the record 23 five-star prospects in ESPN’s class rankings for 2026 remains uncommitted. LSU secured a class cornerstone and the highest-ranked pledge of the Brian Kelly era in No. 1 overall recruit Lamar Brown on July 10. Meanwhile, Florida (McCoy) and Texas A&M (Arrington) each landed a top-15 defender, Ojo landed a historic deal with Texas Tech, and Texas closed July with the most five-star pledges — four — in the country.

With Kreul, the skilled pass rusher from Florida’s IMG Academy nearing a decision from among Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Texas, ESPN’s 2026 five-star class could be closed out before Week 0.

No matter how it plays out from here, the cycle’s five-stars are already historically settled. As of Saturday morning, 95.6% of the five-star class is committed among 14 schools across the Power 4 conferences. Per ESPN Research, it’s by far the highest Aug. 1 five-star pledge rate in any cycle since at least 2020. Just over a decade ago, only six of the 20 five-stars (30%) in the 2015 cycle were committed on Aug. 1, 2014; nearly half the class committed after New Year’s Day.

Highest rate of five-star pledges by Aug. 1 since the start of the 2020 cycle

  • 2026: 95.6%

  • 2024: 76.1%

  • 2025: 72.7%

  • 2021: 66.6%

  • 2020: 58.8%

A number of factors — the early signing period, NIL, transfer portal, new rules around recruiting windows and on-campus visits — explain why elite recruiting continues to inch further and further from the traditional February signing day. Amid the fallout of the House settlement, the latest five-star class seemingly received another nudge this summer.


What’s left for the 2026 QB market after summer moves?

The last major quarterback domino in the 2026 class fell July 18 when four-star Landon Duckworth (No. 178 overall) committed to South Carolina. More than four months from the early signing period, the quarterback market in 2026 is effectively closed.

After Ryder Lyons (BYU), Bowe Bentley (Oklahoma) and Jaden O’Neal (Florida State) found homes in June, Duckworth was the last uncommitted ESPN 300 quarterback. Further down the class, several major programs across the Big Ten and SEC dipped into the flip market or outside the top 300 to secure their 2026 quarterback pledge(s) this summer.

Notable quarterback moves since June 1:

Oregon ended its monthslong chase for a quarterback pledge June 25 with former Boise State commit Beaver. One of the cycle’s top summer risers after a standout Elite 11 finals showing, Beaver landed with Ducks coach Dan Lanning and offensive coordinator Will Stein over interest Alabama, Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss in whirlwind, 13-day rerecruitment.

Alabama has five-star freshman Keelon Russell. But still repairing the program’s quarterback pipeline under coach Kalen DeBoer, the Crimson Tide added two pledges this summer between Thomalla — an Iowa State flip — and Kaawa. Across the state, Auburn and coach Hugh Freeze made their move June 26 flipping Falzone from Penn State before Ohio State (Fahey) and Kentucky (Ponatoski), another pair of quarterback-needy programs, landed pledges in July.

For now, the quarterback class is settled and only so many major programs are still searching in 2026.

Among the 68 Power 4 programs and Notre Dame, only 10 reached August without at least one pledge among the 106 quarterback prospects rated by ESPN: Colorado, Georgia Tech, LSU, Iowa, Iowa State, Maryland, Stanford, UCLA, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.

Who might still be looking within that group?

Colorado (Julian Lewis), Maryland (Malik Washington) and UCLA (Madden Iamaleava) each signed a top-300 quarterback in the 2025 class. With all three programs in the midst of roster rebuilds, none is likely to make a serious push at the position this fall.

With Garrett Nussmeier out of eligibility in 2025, and after the LSU lost No. 1 overall recruit Bryce Underwood to Michigan last fall, the Tigers remain a program to watch in the coming months.


What did ESPN’s top five classes do this summer?

The Trojans got the bulk of their work done on the trail this spring and began June with the most ESPN 300 pledges of any program nationally. That remains the case as USC has bolstered its top-ranked incoming class with five more ESPN 300 pledges over the past eight weeks, adding defenders Talanoa Ili (No. 54 overall), Luke Wafle (No. 104) and Peyton Dyer (No. 269), a July 4 pledge from No. 3 wide receiver Ethan “Boobie” Feaster (No. 25) and the commitment of highly regarded four-star offensive guard Breck Kolojay (No. 198) on Friday.

Can USC hold on to secure its first No. 1 class since 2013? Time will tell. Sources told ESPN that the Trojans’ biggest moves in the cycle are likely finished while the program continues to target the tight end and safety positions, but there’s still time for plenty more to unfold this fall.

The Bulldogs went for volume and quality this summer, collecting 19 commitments including 12 from inside the ESPN 300. Georgia continued to build around five-star quarterback Jared Curtis with five-star tight end Kaiden Prothro, top-50 offensive tackle Ekene Ogboko, running back Jae Lamar and pass catchers Brayden Fogle and Craig Dandridge. On the other side of the ball, defensive backs Justice Fitzpatrick, Chase Calicut and Caden Harris, and defensive tackle Pierre Dean Jr. rank among the newest arrivals in an increasingly deep Bulldogs defensive class.

Georgia’s summer wasn’t without a few major misses. Losing out to Texas on No. 1 outside linebacker Tyler Atkinson — a priority in-state target — stung. Top running back Derrek Cooper’s subsequent pledge to the Longhorns marked another blow, as did wide receiver Vance Spafford‘s decision to flip to Miami in late June. But the Bulldogs are loaded up once again on top during this cycle and will hit the fall in line to secure the program’s 10th straight top-three signing class for 2026.

The Aggies landed a key local recruiting win over Texas on June 17 with a commitment from No. 5 running back K.J. Edwards, the state’s No. 6 prospect in 2026. But Texas A&M’s summer of recruiting was defined on defense, where coach Mike Elko is building another monster class.

Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington, who will play defensive back in college, became the program’s top-ranked 2026 pledge on June 19. Behind him, the Aggies have added top-150 defenders Bryce Perry-Wright, Camren Hamiel and Tristian Givens, and top 300 linebacker Daquives Beck since June 1 to a defensive class that features nine ESPN 300 pledges.

Even after narrowly missing on top defenders Lamar Brown (LSU) and Anthony Jones (Oregon) in July, Texas A&M holds one of the nation’s deepest classes and appears poised to contend later this year for its first top-five class since the Aggies went No. 1 in 2022.

It was a five-star bonanza for coach Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns this summer.

It began with a late-June pledge from Oregon decommit Richard Wesley, ESPN’s No. 3 defensive end. From there, Texas went on to secure its latest pair of recruiting wins over Georgia last month, swooping in to land Atkinson on July 15 before earning Derrek Cooper’s commitment five days later. With No. 1 quarterback Dia Bell already in the fold, the Longhorns have as many five-star pledges in 2026 as the program signed across 11 classes from 2011 to 2021.

Top-50 offensive lineman John Turntine III marked a key addition July 4, and the Longhorns got deeper on defense with commitments from cornerback Samari Matthews and former Georgia defensive tackle pledge James Johnson. But the five-star moves have been the story for Texas this summer, and Sarkisian & Co. might not be done yet with the Longhorns heavily in the mix for Jake Kreul, the last remaining five-star in the 2026 class.

After a productive spring, the Irish landed five ESPN 300 pledges after June 1, plugging the few remaining holes in the program’s 2026 class with a series of elite high school prospects.

Notre Dame landed its top two defensive back commitments within hours of each other on June 20 with pledges from cornerback Khary Adams and Joey O’Brien. On June 26, the Irish secured their highest-ranked tight end commit since the 2021 class in four-star Ian Premer. And in early July, Notre Dame bolstered its wide receiver class with an infusion of talent and NFL pedigree, adding Kaydon Finley (son of Jermichael Finley), Brayden Robinson and Devin Fitzgerald (son of Larry Fitzgerald).

Notre Dame’s trip to last season’s national title game arrived amid the program’s steady rise on the recruiting trail under coach Marcus Freeman. That has continued in 2026, where the Irish are poised to sign more ESPN 300 pledges — 17 — than in any cycle since at least 2006.


Five programs poised to push for a top-five finish this fall

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 6

Only one program can match USC’s count of nine top-100 pledges in 2026: Alabama.

The Crimson Tide’s second class under coach Kalen DeBoer boomed in June and July as the Crimson Tide secured a slew of commitments on defense with five-star safety Jireh Edwards (No. 23 overall), No. 3 outside linebacker Xavier Griffin (No. 30) and defensive ends Nolan Wilson (No. 53) and Jamarion Matthews (No. 92). Priority in-state offensive targets Ezavier Crowell (No. 31) and Cederian Morgan (No. 47) marked two more key additions this summer.

Alabama whiffed on another major in-state recruit Thursday when four-star outside linebacker Anthony Jones, the state’s No. 1 prospect in 2026, committed to Oregon. Jones represented one of the last elite targets on the Crimson Tide’s board. But Alabama has already flipped four Power 4 commits this summer and could continue to climb this fall as long as DeBoer and his staff remain active within the class from now to the early signing period.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 11

LSU enters the month with ESPN’s No. 1 overall recruit, a five-star wide receiver in Tristen Keys (No. 10 overall) and 10 total ESPN 300 commits in the program’s incoming recruiting class.

How can the Tigers climb into the upper reaches of the 2026 cycle this fall? First and foremost, they have to hang onto Keys, ESPN’s No. 3 wide receiver. He has been committed to LSU since March 19, but that didn’t keep him from taking multiple official visits in the spring or shield him from serious flips efforts from Miami, Tennessee and Texas A&M this summer.

The Tigers’ battle to keep Keys could stretch all the way to the early signing period.

Sources expect LSU to ramp up its own flip efforts with in-state safety and Ohio State pledge Blaine Bradford (No. 34 overall) in the coming months. The Tigers are also finalists for Deuce Geralds and remain top contenders in the recruitments of offensive linemen Darius Gray (No. 73) and wide receiver Jase Mathews, both of whom are set to commit in August. LSU can’t be counted out from renewing its work in the 2026 quarterback this fall, either.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 7

The defending national champs had a relatively quiet summer atop the 2026 cycle, adding only four ESPN 300 pledges highlighted by the in-state pledges of outside linebacker Cincere Johnson (No. 82 overall) and running back Favour Akih (No. 160). Fahey, ESPN’s No. 28 pocket passer, will pad Ohio State’s future quarterback depth after Air Noland‘s offseason transfer, too.

One priority target who could help push the Buckeyes over the edge is four-star prospect Bralan Womack (No. 32). Ohio State has been consistent a leader in the recruitment of ESPN’s No. 3 safety through the spring and summer, and coach Ryan Day & Co. will have to hold off late pushes from fellow finalists Auburn, Florida and Texas A&M from now until Womack’s Aug. 22 commitment date. The Buckeyes also remain involved in the recruitments of No. 2 running back Savion Hiter and Darius Gray, the nation’s 10th-ranked offensive lineman.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 8

Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore has filled out his class with nine ESPN 300 pledges since June 1, headlined by top-100 defender Carter Meadows (No. 88 overall), who trails only quarterback Brady Smigiel (No. 44) among the top prospects pledged to Michigan in 2026.

Who could be next for the Wolverines? Michigan are finalists for ESPN 300 defenders Davon Benjamin (No. 63) and Anthony Davis Jr. (No. 299) with each set for a decision Saturday. More prominently, the Wolverines remain focused on Hiter (No. 24 overall), a top priority for the Michigan staff this summer whose commitment date is set for Aug. 19. The Wolverines also continue to be linked with Syracuse wide receiver pledge Calvin Russell (No. 28). ESPN’s No. 4 wide receiver closed a narrowing process with a commitment to the Orange on July 5, but sources expect Michigan and Miami to remain involved with Russell this fall.

Current ESPN class ranking: No. 10

No. 2 outside linebacker Anthony Jones committed to the Ducks on Thursday, joining five-stars Immanuel Iheanacho and Jett Washington in a string of high-profile pledges for Oregon this summer.

Insiders believe the Ducks have backed off at the very top of the 2026 class after spending in the 2025 cycle, but Jones’ pledge could be the first move in a late-summer surge for coach Dan Lanning. Oregon is viewed as the front-runner for both Deuce Geralds and Davon Benjamin as the pair of top-65 prospects prepare to announce their commitments Saturday afternoon. If the Ducks land both, Lanning & Co. could be in position to sign another top-five class by December.

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