The annual culmination that is college football's December early signing period is still eight months away. But we have reached April, which means the heart of the 2026 recruiting cycle is just around the corner. For the nation's elite programs, there's no busier period on the recruiting calendar than the 140 days from now to the start of the regular season in late August.
As things stand, 100 members of the ESPN Junior 300 have verbally pledged, meaning exactly two-thirds of the nation's top prospects in the 2026 class are still searching for their next school. That includes 65 of the cycle's top 100 recruits and nine of ESPN's 16 five-star talents, setting the stage for plenty of high-profile recruiting fireworks through the summer.
Which recruitments and storylines will ultimately define the 2026 cycle? ESPN spoke to top prospects and player personnel figures within programs across the country for the latest intel on the most intriguing and critical developments set to unfold on the recruiting trail up ahead.
Jump to a section:
Oregon vs. UGA for Curtis
Henderson staying with Houston?
QB dominoes | Chris Henry visits
OT battles | No. 1 safety chatter | UNC's spring
Georgia or Oregon for five-star quarterback Jared Curtis?
The latest: The most consequential recruitment in the 2026 cycle will come to a close on May 5. That's when Curtis -- ESPN's No. 1 quarterback prospect -- is set to choose between Georgia and Oregon, scoring a major victory for one of the sport's recruiting blue bloods and likely setting off a domino effect within the 2026 quarterback class (more on that shortly).
Curtis, who decommitted from the Bulldogs this past October, visited both programs in early March. He's expected back at Georgia for the program's spring game on April 12, and Curtis could still return to Oregon prior to his commitment date, too. As Curtis enters the final weeks of his recruitment, it's a toss-up for ESPN's No. 2 overall prospect.
Great in home visit tonight! pic.twitter.com/lDPzwH8lTv
— Jared Curtis 2026 QB (@Jaredcurtis37) January 24, 2025
"He's torn real bad," Curtis' father told ESPN. "Jared loves Georgia and that program is just a factory. And then you go up there and spend time in Oregon with Dan Lanning, [offensive coordinator] Will Stein and all the coaches up there -- it just feels like a rocket ship. They're getting better and better every year. Both schools are just great. Jared has a hard decision."
How will it play out: Oregon has dominated Curtis' recruitment since he pulled his pledge from Georgia last fall. The Ducks have sold Curtis on his fit in Stein's offensive scheme, and Lanning's presence within the program's rise since his arrival in 2022 makes Oregon an exceptionally attractive proposition. Meanwhile, coach Kirby Smart and his Bulldogs staff have spent years recruiting Curtis; the program's connection to the quarterback and his family runs deep.
Ultimately, the same relationships that landed Georgia Curtis' initial commitment this past March should win out again in a tight recruitment, particularly with the Bulldogs expected to step up their NIL efforts with the 2026 class in the wake of several misses with top recruits in recent cycles.
Can Houston hold on to five-star QB Keisean Henderson?
The latest: Few prospects in the 2026 class hold higher upside than Henderson, the raw playmaker from the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas. He has been committed to the Cougars since last May, and despite persistent efforts from some of the nation's top programs, Henderson is still fully locked in with Houston following his latest visit to the school last week.
"It's a good feeling every time I go there," he told ESPN. "It feels like home."
While Henderson's pledge remains firm, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Ohio State and Oregon are all maintaining regular contact with ESPN's No. 15 overall prospect. Henderson's stock has risen rapidly since his MVP performance at the Navy All-American Bowl in January.
How will it play out: Yes, there are blue bloods calling. However, Henderson has not planned visits to any other programs this spring nor does he seem to be planning any.
"I'm not even thinking about getting swung any which way," Henderson said. "My mindset is kind of clear on what I want and what I'm going to do in the future. I'm just maintaining the relationships and keeping in contact with [other schools] because any of those coaches recruiting me now could be NFL coaches down the line."
Henderson's connection to Houston is rooted in his relationships with Houston coach Willie Fritz, offensive coordinator Slade Nagle and quarterbacks coach Shawn Bell, three of the earliest coaches to offer him as a quarterback. That connection should carry Henderson's Cougars pledge to the early signing period. But it will surely be tested this spring as the quarterback market develops and elite programs stay in the mix.
How will the rest of the class of 2026 quarterback class unfold?
The latest: The nation's top programs -- and the class' elite uncommitted quarterback prospects -- all appear to be waiting on Curtis to make a decision. After the five-star passer commits on May 5, expect things to start moving quickly for the 10 ESPN 300 quarterbacks who remain uncommitted and the schools still searching for a quarterback pledge in the 2026 cycle.
Florida State, LSU, Ole Miss and South Carolina stand among the most quarterback-needy programs in 2026. Those four schools, alongside Alabama, Auburn and Ohio State, are expected to be especially active in the quarterback class this spring, while Oklahoma and Penn State could sign two passers this cycle. Once Curtis commits, either Georgia or Oregon will enter the fray and become an immediate contender to potentially flip Henderson as well.
How will it play out: More than half of ESPN's top 20 quarterback recruits are still available, and several more could be on the move between now and the early signing period.
Four-star passer Brady Smigiel (No. 42 overall in ESPN Junior 300) narrowed his finalists to Michigan, South Carolina, UCLA and Washington last month. As the former Florida State pledge prepares for official visits to all four schools this spring, coach Jedd Fisch and the Huskies hold the edge in Smigiel's recruitment.
BYU, Oregon and USC lead the way for four-star quarterback Ryder Lyons (No. 49 overall). He has already set officials with each of those schools plus Michigan with Ohio State and Ole Miss both still involved as well.
Coach Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have made No. 1 dual-threat quarterback Landon Duckworth (No. 120 overall) a top priority, hosting him multiple times in 2025 and as recently as last week. The Rebels should be considered favorites for Duckworth's pledge entering the spring ahead of Florida State, Georgia, Missouri, North Carolina and South Carolina.
Four-star Oklahoma commit Jaden O'Neal (No. 75 overall) told ESPN in February that he was initially shaken by the Sooners' pursuit of a second quarterback in 2026. O'Neal has since moved from California to Oklahoma's Mustang High School, just 30 miles from the Oklahoma campus. He also visited Georgia in March and could quickly become a top flip candidate if the Bulldogs miss out on Curtis. Dual-threat passer Bowe Bentley, No. 270 in the ESPN Junior 300, remains a priority target for the Sooners, especially if O'Neal's situation changes. Bentley trimmed his finalists to Oklahoma, LSU and Georgia over the weekend and will take officials with all three programs in June.
Flip rumors around Arizona State quarterback pledge Jake Fette have quieted after LSU, Ole Miss and Mississippi State entered the picture in January. Utah and Iowa have emerged as top contenders for rising four-star passer Peyton Falzone (No. 210 overall) with Penn State, Rutgers and West Virginia still involved. Mississippi State's early recruitment of Derek Zammit (No. 217 overall) looks likely to pay off for the Bulldogs in a battle with Alabama, Syracuse and Washington.
Schools on both coasts working to flip No. 1 overall recruit Chris Henry Jr.
The latest: If the Ohio State pledge ultimately signs with the Buckeyes later this year, Henry will have spent more than two years committed before putting pen to paper. No top-300 prospect has been pledged to his program longer than the 6-foot-6 pass catcher from California's Mater Dei High School. Still, Henry's recruitment remains open this spring.
The other schools still prominently involved in his process: Oregon, USC and Miami. Each program has hosted Henry on campus in 2025, and he's set for officials with all three schools from May 30-June 13 before a return trip to Ohio State for Henry's final official visit on June 20.
How will it play out: Henry has emphasized two key points throughout this recruitment: First, he's going to be difficult to flip. Second, Henry was always going to take officials to other schools this spring, even while maintaining his firm commitment to the Buckeyes.
Still, each candidate has a case for why they'll be the one to flip Henry over the next eight months:
Oregon: After Ohio State, no program has recruited Henry more consistently than the Ducks. Oregon signed the nation's No. 3 class last cycle, led by No. 1 wide receiver Dakorien Moore. Lanning is building another list of impressive pledges in 2026, and Curtis -- the five-star quarterback -- could soon be part of the Ducks' pitch, too.
USC: It's been little more than a year since Henry moved from Ohio to within an hour of the Trojans' campus. USC's nine ESPN Junior 300 pledges are more than any other program so far in 2026, and Henry presents an ideal target as newly hired general manager Chad Bowden works to revamp the Trojans' in-state recruiting presence.
Miami: The Hurricanes desperately need to add a high-level wide receiver in the 2026 cycle. Coach Mario Cristobal remains one of the nation's top recruiters and Miami is equipped to compete from an NIL standpoint.
Alongside Ohio State's own NIL wherewithal and the program's vaunted wide receiver pipeline, Henry has a close relationship with Buckeyes wide receivers coach Brian Hartline. So, while intrigue might hover over Henry's recruitment into the fall, for the time being, Henry still looks destined to land with Ohio State come signing day.
Who will land top tackles Jackson Cantwell, Lamar Brown and Immanuel Iheanacho?
The latest: Among ESPN's top 10 prospects in the 2026 cycle, three play along the line of scrimmage, and there are plenty of suitors still circling around the five-star trio of Cantwell, Brown and Iheanacho as the spring/summer recruiting swing enters frame.
Cantwell and Iheanacho -- ranked No. 4 and No. 9, respectively -- remain the top targets among the elite programs searching for cornerstone additions on the offensive line in 2026. Cantwell is fresh off recent visits to Miami, Ohio State and Michigan, with Georgia, Oregon and Missouri filling out his list of finalists.
Iheanacho, Maryland's No. 2 overall prospect, visited the home-state Terrapins this past Saturday, the same day he trimmed his recruitment to seven schools: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Maryland, Oregon, Penn State and Texas A&M.
Brown, out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a true two-way prospect on the line of scrimmage. But he has narrowed his process in recent months toward schools recruiting him to play defensive line with LSU, Texas A&M, Miami and Florida State for ESPN's fifth-ranked recruit.
How will it play out: As the nation's top programs commit increasingly heavy NIL resources to securing premium talent on the line of scrimmage, these five-star battles could come to define the summer recruiting cycle in the class of 2026.
Georgia and Oregon remain the presumed front-runners in Cantwell's recruitment. However, the 6-foot-8 lineman from Nixa, Missouri, has maintained that there is no sole leader in his process as he prepares for summer officials with his six finalists.
"I don't really have a favorite right now," he told ESPN. "I wish I did because it would make this process a lot easier, wouldn't it? I'm just continuing to gather information and figuring out the best situation for me. And I think I'm getting closer and closer to an informed decision."
Iheanacho is another prospect Georgia and Oregon will battle over with Texas A&M also firmly in the mix. For the time being, at least, Maryland stands as another leader in Iheanacho's recruitment as the Terps look to continue their local momentum with the pledge of five-star, in-state defender Zion Elee already secured.
Brown, out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a true two-way prospect on the line of scrimmage, and there are offers to play on either side of the ball among his current leaders. As things stand, LSU, Miami and Texas A&M are recruiting Brown as a defensive tackle, while Florida and Florida State see his future on the offensive line. For his part, Brown told ESPN that he remains torn over which position he'd like to play at the next level.
Next steps for Jett Washington, ESPN's No. 1 safety
The latest: ESPN's No. 20 overall prospect is also a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, and Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) High School's run to its second straight 5A state basketball title is the reason why Washington's recruitment and visit schedule has been light over the past three months.
That's going to change this spring. Washington lists Alabama, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Texas A&M and USC among his top schools, and he intends to start whittling down a group of finalists through a series of campus trips in the coming months.
"I'm trying to get to two to four schools this spring before getting my official visits sorted out and then plan on making my decision after my officials," he told ESPN. "The relationships I've built with coaches and programs over time are going to be really important to me."
How will it play out: Washington is the nephew of the late Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant. He spent summers in Los Angeles growing up and made frequent visits to watch the Lakers at the arena formerly known as Staples Center, where Washington returned earlier this year to drop 33 points against San Francisco basketball power Bishop Riordan High School. Given that history, Washington would have seemed an obvious target for USC and the star-studded defensive class the program is building in 2026. But the Trojans dragged their feet, waiting until this past December to offer Washington, and it's why USC has ground to make up.
Alabama and Oregon each had Washington on campus for a visit last fall, and the two programs reached the spring as leading contenders in his recruitment. That early contact might well pay dividends for either school in a process that will come down at least in part to relationships. A positive for USC: The Trojans got Washington on campus this past weekend, signifying a key visit and a potential first step in climbing the ladder with the nation's No. 1 safety.
How will Bill Belichick's first full recruiting cycle at North Carolina unfold?
The latest: The class that Belichick and UNC general manager Michael Lombardi are building could be the most interesting to watch in the cycle.
North Carolina added nearly two dozen recruits to round out the 2025 cycle's No. 45 recruiting class in the initial months of Belichick's tenure. But the 2026 class is set to offer a much more comprehensive picture of the Tar Heels' new reality in high school recruiting, testing both how Belichick plans to approach the task and his and the program's pull on the recruiting trail.
Belichick landed his first top 300 pledge last month in four-star Texas A&M defensive tackle flip Trashawn Ruffin, an in-state recruit North Carolina identified as a priority target earlier this year. Expect Belichick & Co. to push hard for more prospects like Ruffin this spring, particularly within North Carolina and the surrounding states.
How will it play out: Outside linebacker Anthony Jones, ESPN's highest-rated four-star recruit, headlined the deep group of visitors the Tar Heels hosted on campus this past weekend. Can Belichick and the Tar Heels pull ahead of SEC powers including Alabama, Auburn and LSU for the nation's No. 17 overall prospect?
Other ESPN Junior 300 targets who could help define a successful 2026 cycle for Belichick include wide receivers Keeyun Chapman and Jayden Petit, cornerback Dorian Barney, tight end J.C. Anderson, running back Damon Ferguson and athlete O'Mari Johnson.
North Carolina has also been active in the 2026 quarterback market and continues its search at the position after Mack Brown-era pledge Zaid Lott flipped to Syracuse last week. The Tar Heels will host Duckworth for an official visit this spring, but trail Ole Miss in the recruitment of the nation's No. 1 dual-threat passer. Three-star quarterback Travis Burgess, who visited the program this past weekend, is another target at the position for North Carolina.
Belichick's ability to land blue-chip prospects is one story to watch. Another is the way he chooses to construct his first full recruiting class. With the program likely to dip heavily into the transfer portal after the 2025 season, the Tar Heels are expected to narrow in on a relatively small group of top high school prospects in the 2026 cycle. What's certain, given Belichick's access to the $13 million in revenue sharing dollars as stipulated in his contract with North Carolina, is the Tar Heels are going to be more serious financial players in recruiting moving forward.