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Notre Dame has pushed its way into the No. 2 slot of our 2026 class rankings after adding a second ESPN 300 running back. On the heels of landing Javian Osborne, the Fighting Irish brought on Jonaz Walton, a versatile athlete who is also an accomplished track-and-field participant.

Walton has a compact frame and can produce after contact, but with multiple 10.6 100-meter times, he also has the speed to pull away when he gets in the open. As a junior, he not only rushed for more than 1,300 yards but also showed he can be productive as a target out of the backfield, hauling in 39 passes for more than 600 yards.

The Fighting Illini shook off the loss of ESPN 300 CB Victor Singleton quite well and have managed to ascend the rankings. Leading that charge was the commitment of Nasir Rankin, a top-10 athlete in the ESPN 300. An early in-state priority for this class, the two-sport prospect (basketball) could contribute on either side of the ball but projects to offense, where he can use good ball skills and his ability to make defenders miss after the catch.

With a wave of official visits set for many of the top prospects, June is shaping up to be a busy month, with the expectation that by early July, a sizable portion of the 150-plus uncommitted ESPN 300 prospects will come off the board. With that, the class rankings are poised for several shake-ups over the coming weeks.

Here’s a look at our latest top 25.

New this ranking: Texas

Out: Ole Miss

(Previous update: May 14)

Previous ranking: 1

ESPN 300 commits: 12
Top offensive prospect: OT Keenyi Pepe
Top defensive prospect: CB Elbert Hill

No program has more 2026 momentum than USC under Lincoln Riley, especially after hiring general manager Chad Bowden away from Notre Dame. The Trojans have double-digit ESPN 300 commits, with several joining the list since January. That includes two five-stars to start May in Pepe and Hill, and a pair of four-star commits who flipped from Big Ten rival Oregon: in-state defensive lineman Tomuhini Topui and quarterback Jonas Williams. Topui is a physical, aggressive defensive tackle who could develop into an interior pass-rushing headache for opposing offenses, and Williams is a true dual-threat signal-caller.

USC also made it a point to beef up in the trenches. It pulled four-star defensive tackle Jaimeon Winfield out of Texas, landed in-state defensive end Simote Katoanga and traveled to Utah to snag Corner Canyon offensive lineman Esun Tafa. To further bolster the O-line, the Trojans landed Pepe out of IMG Academy. He is huge at roughly 6-foot-7 and 320 pounds, but is light on his feet as well as physical and can become a standout tackle. On the perimeter, they will not have to wait for in-state defender R.J. Sermons as the ESPN 300 CB reclassified to 2025 and will join the Trojans this fall. For 2026, they pulled Elbert Hill, the top-ranked corner, out of the Midwest. Hill possesses elite speed, having been measured at over 22 mph in game play.


Previous ranking: 3

ESPN 300 commits: 12
Top offensive prospect: OT Tyler Merrill
Top defensive prospect: DE Rodney Dunham

Notre Dame started the year off slowly on the recruiting trail but heated up during the spring, landing a handful of ESPN 300 prospects in April. On defense, the Irish landed Dunham, an edge player with nice length and a quick first step, and Ayden Pouncey, a rangy safety out of Florida.

On offense, ESPN 300 OT Gregory Patrick joined a class that already featured several top OL prospects including top-10 OT Merrill, who at 6-7 and 335 pounds is a massive presence with physicality and power in the run game. This group collectively can continue the school’s strong reputation as an offensive line factory.

The Irish also landed Thomas Davis Jr., whose father is former Panthers star Thomas Davis, and four-star quarterback Noah Grubbs, who already has shown impressive footwork and a sound release from the pocket.


Previous ranking: 2

ESPN 300 commits: 11
Top offensive prospect: WR Chris Henry Jr.
Top defensive prospect: S Blaine Bradford

Ryan Day has the luxury of building his 2026 class around one of the most coveted players in the country: five-star receiver Henry, whose father, the late Chris Henry, was a star receiver for West Virginia and the Cincinnati Bengals. Henry Jr. stands 6-6 and has a combination of length and quickness rarely seen from high school receivers.

The rest of the Buckeyes’ class has started to take shape around Henry. The team has added a handful of ESPN 300 prospects since March, including Bradford out of Louisiana and linebacker Simeon Caldwell out of Florida. C.J. Sanna is a prospect we like on tape; he is a big, physical linebacker with excellent range and is a bit of an underrated pickup for this talented class. In-state offensive tackle Maxwell Riley is impressive changing direction and finishes plays with the type of nastiness that will endear him to fans in Columbus.


Previous ranking: 4

ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: WR Davion Brown
Top defensive prospect: S Matt Sieg

The Nittany Lions jumped out to a fast start fueled by strong in-state recruiting and have kept that momentum going. Several of their top commits are Pennsylvania natives, including four-star Harrisburg High School teammates Kevin Brown and Messiah Mickens. Brown is a big, flexible offensive tackle, while Mickens has been a productive prep running back, which bodes well for a Penn State program that must finally replace Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton after 2025.

James Franklin also landed in-state athlete David Davis Jr., who has clocked a 20.5 mph max speed and has the cover skills to fit into the back end of a defense one day. While most of the early commits are within Penn State’s primary recruiting radius, the Nittany Lions also landed strong-armed quarterback Troy Huhn out of California. He’s a big body with good feet and brings nice upside. They also went out of state to land a potential big-play target in Davion Brown. Out of Virginia, Brown possesses excellent speed, having been recorded at over 21 mph in game play, and can do a good job of high pointing the football to win contested matchups.


Previous ranking: 5

ESPN 300 commits: 8
Top offensive prospect: WR Naeem Burroughs
Top defensive prospect: S Kentavion Anderson

Clemson is coming off a College Football Playoff appearance, but the Tigers are still chasing the heights of their mid-2010s success under Dabo Swinney, and their 2025 class ranked just 37th in the country. Their 2026 group is looking more promising, especially after a red-hot March in which Swinney landed eight verbals, including five ESPN 300 commits.

Much of the talent is currently concentrated on offense. Burroughs is a burner in the 100-meter dash who can take the top off a defense and has a high football IQ. Fellow receiver Connor Salmin is another big-play threat. Grant Wise, Adam Guthrie and Chancellor Barclay give the Tigers multiple ESPN 300 OLs to help reload a senior-heavy unit that is projected to lose multiple starters after 2025. They could one day protect fellow four-star Tait Reynolds, a dual-threat QB out of Arizona who could push to be part of the long-term solution to replace Cade Klubnik.

While the foundation of the class is on offense, Anderson is a key in-state pickup on the other side of the ball. With his frame (roughly 6-foot-2, 190 pounds) and range, he can be a versatile back-end defender for the Tigers.


Previous ranking: 6

ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: RB Jonathan Hatton Jr.
Top defensive prospect: CB Victor Singleton

Mike Elko has quickly proved he can identify and recruit at a high level. He has worked fertile recruiting grounds, landing the Aggies’ top-ranked commit, defensive end Jordan Carter, out of Georgia. He landed fellow four-star defensive tackle Jermaine Kinsler out of New Jersey.

Elko has also been able to unearth talent from more unlikely places, such as quarterback Helaman Casuga out of Utah. Casuga is not a big, physical prospect at roughly 6 feet, but he has a live arm and can get the ball out quickly. Singleton, one of the top prospects in Ohio, was a nice flip from Illinois. He has clocked a 21 mph max speed and has the type of quickness and excellent feet to thrive in man coverage. A key in-state keep is Hatton, who has an excellent blend of size (200 pounds) and speed (he was measured hitting 21 mph on film).


Previous ranking: 8

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OL Kaden Snyder
Top defensive prospect: CB J.J. Dunnigan

Lance Leipold is no stranger to building a program, and he’s off to a hot start in fortifying Kansas’ 2026 class. At 6-3, 190 pounds, in-state corner Dunnigan has the length to reroute receivers off the line and the straight-line speed to hang with them on vertical routes. The Jayhawks have a few offensive linemen committed, led by 6-5 Kansas native Snyder, who has an enticing combination of athleticism, pass protection skills and upside if he can continue to fill out his frame.

The Jalon Daniels era enters its sixth and final season in 2025. In-state three-star commit Jaylen Mason is an intriguing developmental option for the future at QB.


Previous ranking: 7

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OT Javeion Cooper
Top defensive prospect: DE Kamron Wilson

The Fran Brown era in Syracuse certainly isn’t boring. He led the Orange to just their second 10-win season since 2001 behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord, then landed a solid 2025 recruiting class. Now he’s pushing for more talent in 2026. Four-star defensive end Jarius Rodgers out of Florida is one of Brown’s biggest gets so far. The 6-5 220-pounder has tremendous length and an impressive track background. He has considerable physical tools and upside if Syracuse’s coaching staff can harness it. Wilson is another big pull out of Florida; the edge defender has good initial quickness and tallied 17 sacks in 2024.

Cooper has real upside too. He has good size (6-5, 300 pounds) yet plays with impressive balance for someone with his power and contact explosiveness. The Orange also have been active in the mid-Atlantic, landing three receivers from Delaware. Among that group is B.J. Garrett, a big target (6-3, 191 pounds) with good hands who could develop into a player in the mold of Oronde Gadsden, who had similar measurables coming out in the 2021 class.


Previous ranking: 9

ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: QB Jake Fette
Top defensive prospect: DE Julian Hugo

Kenny Dillingham deftly pulled all the roster-building levers available to him as he rebuilt the Sun Devils back to national relevancy. They have an interesting 2026 class so far that includes a pair of ESPN 300 recruits. Fette, a four-star Texas native, is a dual-threat playmaker with excellent short-area quickness and a smooth, consistent release.

They lost a key, potentially productive, target with the decommitment of Israel Briggs, but still sit in good position. The class already included another TE in Hayden Vercher, who possesses excellent ball skills and is a good route runner, with more than 1,000 yards receiving in 2024. Shortly after losing Briggs, they added ESPN 300 WR Nalin Scott, a big target at roughly 6-3, 210 pounds who moves well for his size and can be tough to tackle after the catch.


Previous ranking: 20

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: ATH Nasir Rankin
Top defensive prospect: LB Cam Thomas

Good recruiting starts at home, and an early priority for the Fighting Illini was in-state athlete Rankin. A two-sport star who also excels on the hardwood, the ESPN 300 prospect projects to wide receiver, where he can be a playmaker with good hands and the ability to make defenders miss after the catch. Also from in-state, big man Casey Thomann is one of the top OL prospects in Illinois, and three-star Tony Balanganayi is an interesting big man. He projects to the defensive line, where he has shown he can be disruptive, but with more mass could offer higher upside as an OL.

From within the Big Ten footprint, four-star Thomas (Ohio) is a defender with an outstanding first step and could develop into an edge rusher with big upside. Parker Crim brings good arm length, can move well and has shown he can be explosive off the ball. Tony Williams, out of Florida, is a middle linebacker with good instincts and can be a physical presence between the tackles.


Previous ranking: 10

ESPN 300 commits: 8
Top offensive prospect: WR Tristen Keys
Top defensive prospect: CB Havon Finney Jr.

The Tigers are tough to beat for in-state talent, and they built the foundation for one of the top classes in the country on homegrown recruits. But landing Keys from nearby Mississippi delivered Brian Kelly and his staff their first five-star of the 2026 cycle. As of now, the 6-3 Keys would be the highest-rated receiver to make it to Baton Rouge since Kayshon Boutte. Keys is a long strider with long arms who prioritizes winning and is a favorite of coaches and teammates alike.

LSU also recently added wide receiver Jabari Mack (a strong route runner) and offensive tackle Brysten Martinez, a pair of in-state four-star recruits who bolster a class that now features more than half of the top 10 players from Louisiana. That includes a pair of teammates from Edna Karr High: DT Richard Anderson, a stout presence at more than 300 pounds with good initial quickness, and Aiden Hall, a safety with good length, speed and downhill physicality. Though much of their recruiting success is from within their primary recruiting footprint, the Tigers did go out west to land ESPN 300 Finney. A 2027 prospect who reclassified into the 2026 class, he has shown he can be physical in press coverage but also brings excellent speed to be able to run with receivers.


Previous ranking: 15

ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: QB Jared Curtis
Top defensive prospect: S Zechariah Fort

The Bulldogs have been a consistent staple among the top three overall classes during Kirby Smart’s tenure and look to be a contender to do so again in 2026. A big step toward finishing near the top again is bringing five-star quarterback Curtis back into the mix. After a decommitment, the Bulldogs were able to fend off other suitors, most notably Oregon, and give themselves a potential impact QB for the future. Curtis might need to adjust to a relatively steep jump in competition level, but he has elite physical tools, including a smooth, quick release and the ability to change arm angles.

With three of their top four pass catchers from 2024 having moved on and the fourth likely to leave after this season, Georgia is bringing in new receiving targets with speed. Vance Spafford out of California won the fastest-man competition last summer at the UA Future 50 event and in-state prospect Brady Marchese has been recorded hitting over 22 mph in game play. After signing two ESPN 300 TEs in their 2025 class, the Dawgs continue to restock there, adding Lincoln Keyes, who with his big frame and good body control can offer a wide catch radius. On defense, Fort is a safety with good range who can be active in run support.


Previous ranking: 13

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: RB Crew Davis
Top defensive prospect: DT Trashawn Ruffin

Unsurprisingly given his ethos, Bill Belichick is building North Carolina’s 2026 class from the inside out. In-state four-star defensive tackle Ruffin flipped from Texas A&M and the 300-pounder has plenty of raw physicality to mold. Ruffin is one of several interior linemen in the class right now, and Belichick went to his former home base in Massachusetts to bring in 335-pound guard Lenneil Hall. The Tar Heels also pulled a pair of three-star corners out of California in Justin Lewis and Marcellous Ryan. High three-star athlete O’Mari Johnson further bolsters that unit as he also projects to the secondary.

Now North Carolina is beginning to layer in skill players such as three-star receiver Darrion Kirksey, who picked the Tar Heels over offers from Ole Miss and Arkansas and has outstanding short-area quickness. Davis can be a versatile back with the power to run between the tackles, but he also possesses good ball skills. As a junior, he rushed for more than 1,300 yards and also hauled in more than 50 receptions.


Previous ranking: 14

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: RB Evan Hampton
Top defensive prospect: DB Jaydin Broadnax

Jeff Brohm has raised Louisville’s floor with a 19-8 record and an appearance in the ACC championship game two years ago. His 2026 class already has more than a dozen commits, with four-star defensive back Broadnax out of Florida the biggest get so far. At nearly 6-3, he has great length, balance and body control for a corner. DE Kevontay Hugan was another nice pull out of Florida. He lacks ideal length but possesses a quick first step and has been a versatile defender for his high school and was productive as a junior with more than 100 tackles with 18 sacks.

Hampton, a three-star running back, ran for 1,549 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior at in-state Owensboro High School. He’s an elusive, upright runner with the ball skills to affect the pass game and also has a baseball background; he originally committed to rival Kentucky as a freshman before pursuing football. Adding more help along the line could be a focus for Louisville after Miami flipped three-star offensive tackle Joel Ervin.


Previous ranking: 12

ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: OT Jackson Cantwell
Top defensive prospect: LB Jordan Campbell

Despite a rocky finish to the 2024 season, the Hurricanes are trending in the right direction. They’re coming off a 10-win season, former QB Cam Ward was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and they’ve reeled in two consecutive top-15 recruiting classes. Mario Cristobal’s 2026 class is working to match or even exceed those groups.

The Hurricanes are adding pieces to field a dominant offensive line. They could lose several projected 2025 starters after this season but are adding big men who can step in and project a bright future in the trenches. In addition to landing the top-rated interior OL in the 2025 class, they have added several OLs to their 2026 class, led by No. 1 tackle Jackson Cantwell. Much like current standout OT Francis Mauigoa, who was a five-star himself and a Year 1 starter, Cantwell could step in at one of the tackle spots upon arriving in South Florida. He is a massive presence at roughly 6-7 and 320 pounds and carries his size well. In addition to being powerful, he possesses good quickness and flexibility, and much like Mauigoa is being projected to be a high NFL draft pick.

QB Dereon Coleman has room for growth but has a quick release and accuracy. Four-star Miami native Jordan Campbell is 6-2, 220 pounds with the versatility to make plays in pursuit and the bend and power that portend a potential impact pass rusher. He’s a candidate to take a leap with college coaching.


Previous ranking: 11

ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: TE Kendre’ Harrison
Top defensive prospect: DT Tony Cumberland

Dan Lanning’s run of sustained excellence in Eugene rolls on with Oregon’s 2026 class. Reeling in five-star tight end Harrison in November set the tone. The 6-6 250-pounder is a dynamic two-sport athlete with an exceptional catch radius who is a nightmare for opposing defenses in the red zone. In late February, the Ducks added four-star defensive back Xavier Lherisse, who clocked an impressive 1.62 10-yard dash and 4.49 40-yard dash a few days later at the Under Armour Miami camp. Four-star running back Tradarian Ball adds explosiveness and excellent ball skills.

While the commitment of five-star DE Richard Wesley was short-lived, the Ducks still have a strong defensive line foundation within this class. They secured the top two big men in-state, in ESPN 300 DTs Cumberland and Viliami Moala. The latter is a massive 300-pounder who not only brings jolting power but is light on his feet for his size and can be a handful in the heart of the trenches. DE Dutch Horisk will arrive from one of the top programs in California (St. John Bosco), where he will have been a multiyear starter and is a sound football player who uses his hands well. As a junior he had nine TFLs and four sacks.


Previous ranking: NR

ESPN 300 commits: 6
Top offensive prospect: QB Dia Bell
Top defensive prospect: CB Hayward Howard Jr.

As Texas tackles the 2025 season led by one of the most high-profile signings in recent years in quarterback Arch Manning, the Longhorns continue to build for the future as well, including another five-star QB. Bell brings valuable experience, having faced quality competition during his time in high school. He has shown good accuracy and deep-ball touch, and as a junior threw for more than 2,500 yards and completed 70% of his passes.

The Horns also added potential targets including ESPN 300 WRs Chris Stewart and Jermaine Bishop Jr. Stewart brings big-play speed, and Bishop is a quick, fluid target who can create after the catch. To protect their new offensive weapons, they have also landed some top in-state OLs, including top-10 OG Nicolas Robertson, a powerful big man with good feet.


Previous ranking: 17

ESPN 300 commits: 4
Top offensive prospect: QB Faizon Brandon
Top defensive prospect: DE Zach Groves

Brandon, a five-star quarterback, is the headliner, and rightfully so. He’s a strong, accurate passer who fits Tennessee’s offense perfectly. His commitment was big initially but seems even more impactful now after the well-publicized split with Nico Iamaleava. In-state four-star receiver Tyreek King (Knoxville Catholic) pairs well alongside Brandon. He is a quick, fluid target who has clocked in-game speeds faster than 21 mph. The Vols also added 6-3 wide receiver Tyran Evans out of North Carolina in January, and likely aren’t done at the position.

They are doing well in-state, and Groves is another strong addition from within their borders. A defender with good quickness and power, he has amassed more than 50 TFLs heading into his senior season. Keep an eye on in-state offensive tackle Gabriel Osenda, who is a massive presence (6-7, 330 pounds) for the Vols to develop.


Previous ranking: 25

ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: WR Dyzier Carter
Top defensive prospect: ATH Chris Hewitt Jr.

The Scarlet Knights have added some top talent to their wide receiver room with Carter and Elias Coke, both of whom have been long-time commits, having joined the class before the 2024 season started. Carter is a good route runner with strong hands and could be a quick contributor once arriving. Coke is a nice target at roughly 6-2.

On defense, Joey Kopec is a two-way player in high school, contributing at RB and LB. He has good range and is effective dropping into coverage. Athlete Hewitt projects to the secondary.


Previous ranking: 24

ESPN 300 commits: 2
Top offensive prospect: TE Brock Harris
Top defensive prospect: DT Bott Mulitalo

The Cougars finished 63rd in the 2025 cycle but are capitalizing on in-state talent to compete for one of the top classes in the Big 12 in 2026. Harris is the top-rated player in the state of Utah and one of the top TE prospects in the country. He has excellent size at roughly 6-6 and is smooth in his movements with excellent ball skills. Harris could be a highly productive target in BYU’s passing attack.

Mulitalo, the top-ranked defensive player in the state, can offer versatility along the line and, in camp evaluations, has demonstrated an intense demeanor with the ability to take and apply coaching well. He has been transitioning his focus to the offensive line, evident by his OL MVP performance at the UA Salt Lake City camp this spring. His ability to contribute on either side of the ball only raises his value. The Cougars also stayed in-state to land a QB to develop in Kaneal Sweetwyne, who has a rangy frame with quick feet and can be a dual-threat option with nice upside as a passer.


Previous ranking: 16

ESPN 300 commits: 5
Top offensive prospect: WR Devin Carter
Top defensive prospect: DE Hezekiah Harris

Though other teams have more total commits at this stage, Hugh Freeze has done a great job attracting premium talent to the Plains as he rebuilds the Tigers. In-state defensive talent forms the early foundation, with commitments from Harris and linebackers JaMichael Garrett and Shadarius Toodle. Harris is a lengthy edge defender with good power and range. Toodle and Garrett are highly productive players who have combined for more than 200 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in their careers.

Freeze then added four-star Carter out of Douglasville (Georgia) High School in January. The son of 1990 NFL first-round running back Dexter Carter, Devin is one of the faster receivers in the class and pairs his speed with fluid, smooth route-running ability.


Previous ranking: 22

ESPN 300 commits: 1
Top offensive prospect: OG Marek Jin
Top defensive prospect: DE Mason Leak

Bill O’Brien has injected new life into Boston College by returning the program to its local roots. That has continued so far in 2026, with most of BC’s commits hailing from Massachusetts, Connecticut or New York. A key add from that Northeast footprint is Jin, an ESPN 300 OL. At their height, the Eagles built a reputation for developing NFL-caliber talent, particularly along the offensive line and on defense, and just recently had two offensive linemen drafted into the NFL. Jin, who played both ways in high school, fits that mold but projects to the offensive line, where he can be very productive with a nice blend of flexibility and mobility.

D.J. Bordeaux gives O’Brien a promising quarterback to develop. The three-star has bounced around a bit in high school but has a smooth throwing motion, completed 68% of his passes as a junior and performed well among a talented QB pool at this offseason’s Under Armour Salt Lake City camp. On defense, Leak is an interesting prospect who probably will need developmental time but flashes very good raw tools and could in time be a breakout player from this class.


Previous ranking: 21

ESPN 300 commits: 0
Top offensive prospect: WR Dequane Prevo
Top defensive prospect: DE Colton Yarbrough

The talk about coach Sam Pittman on the hot seat seemed to cool off entering the offseason, which will benefit recruiting and aid a 2026 class that already has a solid foundation. Four-star Prevo out of Texas is a 5-10 receiver who has outstanding balance, body control and short-area burst. Several high-three-star prospects anchor the class, including quarterback Jayvon Gilmore, a tall (6-4) but lean passer with a nice frame to develop. He has a strong arm with a smooth release and is a nice early pickup by the Razorbacks.

Yarbrough brings upside at defensive end with good first-step quickness and range. Pittman, a former offensive line coach, also landed in-state big man Tucker Young, who can get push and help create lanes in the run game.


Previous ranking: 19

ESPN 300 commits: 3
Top offensive prospect: OT Kodi Greene
Top defensive prospect: DE Derek Colman-Brusa

Jedd Fisch did an excellent job bringing in talent at Arizona and is now working to retool Washington’s roster and get the Huskies back into the playoff hunt. The Huskies won a key recruiting battle by pulling away Greene, an ESPN 300 OL, from rival Oregon. He is a 300-pounder who moves very well for his size with good quickness and the one-time Washington resident can be a key option in the trenches. The Huskies went east to land their QB in Derek Zammit, a tough, smart player with a smooth, quick release. He should continue to improve with the tools to develop into a productive starter.

Washington landed several commitments in the secondary, including in-state Durr, who has good size at roughly 6 feet and is smooth in his movements. He could develop at cornerback or safety.


Previous ranking: 18

ESPN 300 commits: 3
Top offensive prospect: ATH Efrem White
Top defensive prospect: S Tedarius Hughes

The Seminoles are coming off a disastrous 2-10 season and a disappointing No. 26 finish in the 2025 recruiting cycle after losing several ESPN 300 commitments down the stretch. Florida State also took a hit when four-star 2026 quarterback Brady Smigiel decommitted in late January. Despite the challenges, they are still scoring some victories on the recruiting trail.

In-state athlete White projects as a receiver but has been a jack-of-all-trades in his high school career as a quarterback, corner and returner. Though he’s undersized at 155 pounds, his speed, quickness and creativity make him dangerous in space. Fellow four-star athlete Darryon Williams has the elusiveness and ball skills to develop into a valuable receiver in the open field once he gets to campus. The Seminoles further bolstered their class by adding a trio of in-state prospects early in 2025: offensive tackle Xavier Payne, running back Amari Thomas and linebacker Karon Maycock, who can close well and be a physical hitter.

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Deion announces he battled, beat bladder cancer

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Deion announces he battled, beat bladder cancer

BOULDER, Colo. — University of Colorado football coach Deion Sanders announced Monday that he had undergone surgery to remove his bladder after doctors discovered a tumor there. Sanders said, since the surgery, there are no traces of cancer, and he will continue to coach this season.

In a packed Touchdown Club in the Dal Ward Athletic Center, Sanders appeared with Dr. Janet Kukreja, director of urological oncology at University of Colorado Cancer Center, and answered some of the questions that have swirled around him throughout the offseason.

The 57-year-old Sanders has largely been out of the public eye in recent months, save for an appearance at Big 12 media days earlier this month when he acknowledged Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark for repeatedly checking in on him and praised Colorado athletic director Rick George.

Sanders deflected questions about his health at Big 12 media days and previously had not publicly offered any specifics. In July his son, Deion Jr., posted a video on social media in which Deion Sanders is heard saying he was dealing with a health issue and that “I ain’t all the way recovered.”

In the video he was seen stepping into an ice bath as well as shooting a basketball and a walk with his daughter. Sanders said in May he had lost about 14 pounds as he had limited contact around the program during the team’s spring and summer workouts.

Sanders has previously dealt with serious health issues. He has had bouts with blood clots in his legs, had two toes amputated in 2022 and emergency surgery in June 2023 to treat the persistent clots, including one in his thigh in one leg and several just below his knee in his other leg.

On the field, Sanders is set to begin his third season at the school. With his son, Shedeur, at quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter, college football’s most accomplished two-way player in the modern era, the Buffaloes finished 9-4 last season with an Alamo Bowl appearance. Sanders’ son Shilo, a safety for the Buffaloes for the past two seasons, has also moved on to the NFL, along with several high-profile players on offense.

The top storyline on the field for the Buffaloes is the battle to replace Shedeur behind center. In two seasons, Sanders completed 71.8% of his passes for 7,364 yards with 64 touchdowns.

It will be the first season Deion Sanders doesn’t coach a high school or college team with Shedeur at quarterback.

Seventeen-year-old true freshman Julian Lewis, a five-star recruit and No. 2 player in the 2025 ESPN 300, and Kaidon Salter, who started 24 games in four seasons at Liberty, will compete for the job.

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Guardians’ Clase on leave over gambling probe

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Guardians' Clase on leave over gambling probe

Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase on Monday was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave through Aug. 31 as part of Major League Baseball’s investigation into sports gambling, the second Guardians pitcher to be caught up in the inquiry.

Guardians right-hander Luis Ortiz remains on non-disciplinary paid leave after originally being placed there July 3 after unusual gambling activity on two pitches he threw for balls, sources told ESPN. Ortiz’s leave was later extended to Aug. 31.

In a statement, the Guardians said “no additional players or club personnel are expected to be impacted” by the investigation. The investigation, a source confirmed, has not turned up information tying other players with the team to sports gambling.

Clase, 27, is a three-time All-Star and two-time winner of the Mariano Rivera Award as the best relief pitcher in the American League. He finished third in AL Cy Young voting last year when he posted a 0.61 ERA over 74.1 innings. In 47.1 innings this season, Clase has a 3.23 ERA and has already allowed more hits this year (46) than last (39) while striking out 47 and walking 12.

His ties to the investigation that started following a June 27 alert from IC360, a firm that monitors betting markets for abnormalities, are unclear. Sportsbooks and gambling operators were alerted after a spike in action on Ortiz’s first pitch in the bottom of the second inning against the Seattle Mariners on June 15 and in the top of the third inning against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 27, according to sources. In both cases, unusual amounts of money were wagered on the pitches being a ball or hit-batsman from betting accounts in New York, New Jersey and Ohio, according to a copy of the IC360 alert obtained by ESPN. Both pitches wound up well outside the strike zone.

At the All-Star Game in mid-July, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said while he still supports legal gambling because of the transparency regulation offers, he was concerned about so-called microbets, such as ones that offer action on individual pitches.

“There are certain types of bets that strike me as unnecessary and particularly vulnerable,” Manfred said. “I know there was a lot of sports betting, tons of it that went on illegally and we had no idea, no idea what threats there were to the integrity of the play because it was all not transparent,” he added. “I firmly believe that the transparency and monitoring that we have in place now, as a result of the legalization and the partnerships that we’ve made, puts us in a better position to protect baseball than we were in before.”

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Sources: Harper cussed out Manfred in meeting

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Sources: Harper cussed out Manfred in meeting

Philadelphia Phillies star Bryce Harper stood nose to nose with Rob Manfred during a meeting between the Major League Baseball commissioner and the team last week, telling him to “get the f— out of our clubhouse” if Manfred wanted to talk about the potential implementation of a salary cap, sources told ESPN on Monday.

The confrontation came in a meeting — one of the 30 that Manfred conducts annually in an effort to improve his relations with every team’s players — that lasted more than an hour. Though Manfred never explicitly said the words “salary cap,” sources said the discussion about the game’s economics raised the ire of Harper, one of MLB’s most influential players and a two-time National League MVP.

Ahead of the expiration of the collective-bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLB Players Association on Dec. 1, 2026, multiple owners have stumped for a salary cap in baseball, the only major men’s North American sport without one. The MLBPA vehemently opposes a cap, which it argues serves more as a tool to increase franchise values than to lessen the game’s large disparity between high- and low-spending teams.

Quiet for the majority of the meeting, Harper, sitting in a chair and holding a bat, eventually grew frustrated and said if MLB were to propose a cap and hold firm to it, players “are not scared to lose 162 games,” sources from the meeting told ESPN. Harper stood up, walked toward the middle of the room, faced Manfred and said: “If you want to speak about that, you can get the f— out of our clubhouse.”

Manfred, sources said, responded that he was “not going to get the f— out of here,” saying it was important to talk about threats to MLB’s business and ways to grow the game.

Before the situation further intensified, veteran outfielder Nick Castellanos tried to defuse the tension, saying: “I have more questions.” The meeting continued, and Harper and Manfred eventually shook hands, sources said, though Harper declined to answer phone calls from Manfred the next day.

“It was pretty intense, definitely passionate,” Castellanos told ESPN. “Both of ’em. The commissioner giving it back to Bryce and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That’s Harp. He’s been doing this since he was 15 years old. It’s just another day. I wasn’t surprised.”

When reached by ESPN, Harper declined to comment. Manfred declined to comment through a league spokesperson.

Though he has not been outspoken on labor issues in previous years, the 32-year-old Harper, who is represented by agent Scott Boras, personified the union’s perspective on the prospect of a capped system. At the All-Star Game in Atlanta earlier this month, MLBPA executive director Tony Clark called salary caps “institutionalized collusion,” and in a February interview with ESPN, he said: “We always have been and continue to be ready to talk about ways to improve the industry, and we do a lot of things with the league to do exactly that. You don’t need a salary cap to grow the industry.”

The meeting with the Phillies — some previous details of which were reported by The Bandwagon — covered a variety of topics, sources said, but CBA negotiations, and their potential consequences, loomed large. The specter of a potential work stoppage going into the 2027 season has hovered over the game since 2022, when the parties agreed to a five-year labor deal that ended a 99-day lockout by the owners.

“Rob seems to be in a pretty desperate place on how important it is to get this salary cap because he’s floating the word ‘lockout’ two years in advance of our collective bargaining agreement [expiration],” Castellanos said. “That’s nothing to throw around. That’s the same thing as me saying in a marriage, ‘I think divorce is a possibility. It’s probably going to happen.’ You don’t just say those things.”

Though Manfred has not committed to pursuing a salary cap, multiple owners have criticized MLB’s current economic system and alluded to a cap as a panacea directly (Baltimore‘s David Rubenstein) or indirectly (Boston‘s John Henry, Pittsburgh‘s Bob Nutting and the New York Yankees‘ Hal Steinbrenner). Manfred’s regard of lockouts as a tool in negotiations further agitates players.

“It was pretty intense, definitely passionate. Both of ’em. The commissioner giving it back to Bryce [Harper] and Bryce giving it back to the commissioner. That’s Harp. He’s been doing this since he was 15 years old. It’s just another day. I wasn’t surprised.”

Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos

Manfred began holding regular meetings with teams in the aftermath of the 2022 negotiations, having said that “one of the things I’m supposed to do is promote a good relationship with our players. I’ve tried to do that. I have not been successful in that.”

Despite the efforts, distrust in Manfred among players remains — particularly when discussing economic issues.

MLB’s desire for a salary cap dates back decades. The players’ strike in 1994 that canceled the World Series was in direct response to the league’s efforts to move to a capped system. Some of the same talking points used by MLB in the 1990s — particularly about the lack of profitability of teams amid an environment that has seen immense growth in franchise value and revenue — have reemerged in recent years.

“In the back of our heads, we’re like, ‘Why are you talking to us like owning a baseball team is like owning a nail salon?'” Castellanos said. “That you’re only going to be a functional business if you can make up the money that you put in this year?”

Players on multiple teams told ESPN they have used meetings with Manfred to press him on the lack of payroll spending by certain teams. Going into this season, the gap between luxury tax payrolls of the highest-spending team (the Los Angeles Dodgers at more than $400 million) and lowest spenders (the Miami Marlins at just under $86 million) raised ire among fans and made salary caps a far bigger part of the rhetoric surrounding the game than in previous years.

Public discussion has done little to alter the opinions of players on a cap. The benefit of meeting with Manfred, Castellanos said, is to better understand the league’s perspective on a business that made more than $12 billion in revenue last year. With the league aiming to nationalize local television rights by 2028 and the growth of gambling and other ancillary businesses, Castellanos believes education is vital to ensuring a well-informed player population.

“We don’t really know that much about it,” Castellanos said. “It’s not like somebody is teaching us about this conglomerate of Major League Baseball that we, the players, make up, make possible. There’s no players, there’s no Major League Baseball. I don’t believe Rob Manfred is evil. I don’t believe the owners are evil. I don’t believe any of that.

“Nobody wants a work stoppage in baseball. Not the players, not the league.”

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