2026 recruiting class: What to know about the ESPN Junior 300

As the spring camp circuit fades away and we prepare for another season of high school football, we’re updating our 2026 ESPN Junior 300 player rankings to account for top rising performers, new additions to the list and sleepers who are just now rising to the national radar.

The scouting reports below include visual evaluations from several premier events plus further film study on the top players in the class.

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2026 risers | Notable newcomers | Sleepers

Biggest risers

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 53

Moa rises in the rankings on the strength of his versatility, speed and playmaking. He’s lean at 175 pounds and needs to further fill out his frame, but he has good length and showed he’s a competitor willing to embrace challenges. Moa’s most natural fit at this stage seems to be receiver. He’s an explosive player with good hands and over 100 catches in his high school career. Moa’s length and quickness offer great value as a defensive back prospect, although he seems to prefer offense. He stood out in both roles on the camp circuit this offseason.

Moa is uncommitted but keep an eye on in-state Utah (where his father played) and BYU (where his two brothers currently play). He’s a two-way prospect with a laser-timed 4.55-second 40 and a 34-inch vertical. Other national programs such as Washington and Oregon will also be in the mix.

Salesi Moa went to work at UA Next Camp in Salt Lake City to punch his ticket to Future 50 😤 @salesimoa8

He primarily saw reps at receiver, but also took some at corner. Versatility is key 👀 #UANext pic.twitter.com/OpOIgzBHvP

— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) June 14, 2024

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 16

The edge defender has elite length and could develop into a dangerous pass rusher with great initial quickness. He posted one of the top 10-yard splits at his position for the entire 2024 camp series. Considering his coveted physical tools — a good frame, explosion off the ball and the ability to run ball carriers down — he still has a nice ceiling for development.

Elee already has multiple offers and that list is likely to grow. He was on campus at Notre Dame this summer and earned an Ohio State offer after attending camp with the Buckeyes.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 54

Cooper impressed with standout performances this offseason. He has a nice frame at 6-foot-1, 190 pounds with good speed, reaching nearly 21 mph in games. Those physical tools and an MVP performance at the Miami Under Armour camp initially landed Cooper on the ESPN Junior 300. Now, he rises due to his consistent performance and versatility. Cooper showcased strong ball skills and was again one of the top performers at Future 50, which had many of the nation’s top 2026 skill prospects. He’s a good route runner and showed he can be an all-purpose back. He could also potentially land in the secondary in college, only enhancing his value.

After briefly committing to Georgia, Cooper is once again uncommitted. The Bulldogs remain in the mix along with other programs including in-state Miami and Florida State.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 74

Recent Oregon signee Ify Obidegwu and current ESPN 300 cornerback Blake Woodby are among recent highly touted St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, Maryland) defensive back prospects. Edwards is poised to be next. The versatile 6-foot-2 defender has elite length, blending a build similar to Obidegwu with speed closer to Woodby. While not quite as fast as Woodby, Edwards can move for his size and has posted consistent laser-timed mid-4.5 40-yard dashes. He has excellent range to quickly cover ground. Edwards was disruptive at Future 50 and did an excellent job defending jump balls and showcasing good ball skills. Unsurprisingly, Edwards has drawn national interest with programs such as Miami, Tennessee, USC and Maryland already involved.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 12

Henderson’s willingness to be a jack-of-all-trades this spring, particularly at Future 50 last month, is impressive. He wants to play quarterback, but his size and ability with the ball in his hands makes him too dangerous as a pass catcher. This was a big pickup for new Houston head coach Willie Fritz in his first year in the Big 12.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 154

Kinsler won MVP at the New Jersey Under Armour All-America camp as a defensive lineman, standing out among the tackles and ends. His 81.5-inch wingspan is top among all 2026 defensive ends. Kinsler is long and will continue to gain considerable weight, and he could be eventually used in a similar way to Peter Woods of Clemson.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 111

What the 5-foot-10, 170-pound Spafford lacks in size and stature, he makes up for in blazing speed and quickness. His laser-timed 4.35 40-yard dash won the fastest man competition at Future 50. That’s the fifth-fastest 40 time among the 241 graded wide receiver prospects in the 2026 class. He can make an early impact in the return game and then become the ultimate slot receiver.  Cincinnati, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Arizona State are among his reported offers over the past month.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 32

Brandon has now attended five camps over the past two years. His performances in May at the Charlotte Under Armour camp and, more recently, his Future 50 showing demonstrated consistent gains. He’s big, strong and athletic with a powerful arm. There are times when he can be a bit robotic, but he seems to have smoothed things out a bit this summer. He made the biggest jump among quarterbacks.  Faizon is expected to commit on Aug. 3 and set his final four schools as Tennessee, Alabama, LSU and NC State.

Faizon Brandon had a monster sophomore season this past fall 🤯 @faizon_brandon

🏈 3,026 pass yards (69% COMP)
🏈 528 rush yards
🏈 45 TOTAL touchdowns

One of the top QB prospects in the country will be competing on the Under Armour Camp stop this Sunday 🔥 #UANext pic.twitter.com/tMJA1WCyTH

— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) May 11, 2024

Notable new entrants

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 164

Ojo has excellent arm length, ideal measurables and a big frame to develop. He uses his length well on film. Ojo demonstrates good lower body flexibility. Although his testing numbers might not wow you, he displays good feet and balance on the field. Though he can still improve technique, Ojo’s excellent raw tools and high ceiling for development places him among the most promising 2026 offensive linemen. Texas, Georgia, Ohio State and LSU are among his most recent offers.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 173

Robertson weighs in at over 300 pounds and is a big, wide presence. He needs to watch his weight going forward, but Robertson still has decent range with good agility and balance. He can effectively pull down the line and work to the second level. When he locks up, Robertson has good power to drive defenders off the ball. He is a tackle in high school but will move inside in college, where he has the tools to be a highly productive player. Robertson is uncommitted and Alabama, Texas and Penn State are among his notable reported offers this offseason.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 134

Robinson is an acrobatic pass catcher with size and agility. Given his size at 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, his ability after the catch is unique. He is much better in space and posted a 10.9-second 100-meter dash and is still flying under the radar to some degree.  Robinson picked up offers from both Texas and Texas A&M in early June.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 138

Prior to getting injured at the Charlotte Under Armour camp, he ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at almost 6-foot-3 and 208 pounds. He has also reached 20.3 mph via Max Speed tracking. We have always loved Mosley’s size and aggressive style of play and were encouraged after seeing him sync his top-level speed and size. The Carrollton native reportedly picked up offers from Ohio State, Clemson and Colorado in June.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 145

Morris’ athletic traits are fantastic. He posted a 20.9 mph Max Speed at 225 pounds. Morris is just now embarking on his varsity career, but the early returns on film are very encouraging. He’s rugged, physical and supremely athletic. He also participates in track and field as a discus thrower. Morris is going to be fun to watch develop. 

Sleepers

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 167

While he carries some unneeded weight at 340 pounds, he’ll benefit from reworking his body composition. Anderson also moves deceptively well, starting with his ability to quickly get out of his stance and into defenders to generate good push with his size. He can also climb to the second level in the run game. In pass protection, Anderson displays a good base and balance. We’d like to see him better maximize his size, but Anderson could become an excellent interior college lineman if he can streamline a bit and further improve his quickness and mobility. Tennessee, LSU, as well as in-state Georgia Tech and Georgia are among recent reported offers.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 151

Anderson is really flying under the radar relative to his peers. He should continue to see his recruitment grow. The recent LSU commit plays faster than his testing times. He posted a 21.3 mph Max Speed on film and he’s very exciting in the vertical passing game with his acceleration and athleticism.

ESPN Junior 300 ranking: 184

Primarily playing quarterback, Vincent is really an athlete or a potential wide receiver playing as a direct snap quarterback. His 20.7 mph Max Speed is currently the fastest of any quarterback in the 2026 class if he remains under center. He’s rail thin right now, at 6-3 and 170 pounds, and has loads of physical development upside to become bigger and stronger. Texas is one of the latest in a long line of schools to offer Vincent after he camped with them in early June.