With the high school football season reaching its third or fourth week of action in most states, the Rivals300 rankings for the 2026 class have been updated after the early part of players’ senior campaigns. And a handful have seen their stocks rise in a massive way after coming out of the gate ready to dominate.
In the new rankings are also a number of recruits that Rivals is higher on than the industry’s other two services: 247Sports and ESPN.
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With that in mind, Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power and National Scout Cody Bellaire break down some of the biggest outliers for Rivals thus far in the 2026 cycle:
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 4
Next Highest Ranking: No. 62 (247Sports)
School: Fruitland (Fruitland, ID)
Scout’s Take: “Kelvin Obot is a prospect Rivals has been higher on for some time now and was a newly minted five star in our previous update. And now that he has some senior film under his belt, we still feel confident in his ability to translate his game seamlessly to the next level. This film is the first time we have seen him move around at his new weight and he looks just as sudden and flexible as ever. The burst off the line of scrimmage, the pad level, and the foot speed is all there. Plus, he looks like he has some extra pop in his hands at the point of attack which is excellent. Obot continues to trend in the right direction and has a chance at becoming the top tackle in the country.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 11
Next Highest Ranking: Unranked 3-star (ESPN, 247Sports)
School: La Salle College (Glenside, PA)
Scout’s Take: “Similar to Obot, Grayson McKeogh is another prospect who had a serious jump in the rankings in our previous update. The 6-foot-7, 280-pounder appears to be such an easy mover in space at his new weight and still has the foot speed to dominate on an island. He continues to add polish to his game in pass protection and looks more and more comfortable with every game he plays. He needs to continue to get stronger as he physically develops, but that should come with time and entering a collegiate strength and conditioning program. If he can add more pop in his pads combined with his technical advancement? He is going to be a menace at the next level.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 12
Next Highest Ranking: No. 190 (247Sports)
School: Greene County (Leakesville, MS)
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Scout’s Take: “Jase Mathews is the first wide receiver to earn a fifth star for Rivals in this cycle, and we feel like he has a strong case as the most skilled receiver in 2026, at least from what we’ve seen so far. He’s got good size, high end ball skills, dangerous with the ball in his hand. He just has a well-rounded skill set and has made some impressive plays early on in his senior year. I think the receiver group is still very much unsettled, but we felt good enough about what we’d seen from him to earn the fifth star.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings
DL Khary Wilder – Ohio State commit
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 14
Next Highest Ranking: No. 198 (247Sports)
School: Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA)
Scout’s Take: “Khary Wilder appeared primed for a big senior season based on what we saw from him at Rivals Five-Star over the summer, and that’s certainly the case through four games. Wilder has been very productive. I think he’s playing certainly the best football we’ve seen from him to this point in his career. He is a really versatile defensive lineman. He lines up all over the line. He’s physical, plays with great strength and really punches above his weight from a strength perspective. He has first step quickness and is a very physical finisher who plays with a ton of effort and a guy who we’ve seen live in the backfield and can create a lot of disruption early on in his senior year. He’s much more productive to this point in his senior year than he’s been at any point as well. He’s playing at a really high level, and we kind of came out of this ranking feeling like he’s pacing to be one of the top defensive linemen in the cycle.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 28
Next Highest Ranking: No. 247 (247Sports)
School: Pine-Richland (Pittsburgh, PA)
Scout’s Take: “Lawrence Timmons is one of the most complete defensive backs in this cycle and is someone we would consider a three-dimensional defender. He can play in the box, he can man cover, and he can play in zone. He truly excels in all of these areas and has such a strong blend of physicality and finesse. He can be fluid in coverage and stay sticky when the ball is in the air. He has the violence at the point of attack and the tenacity to bring down ball carriers. But most importantly, he has fantastic instincts and that allows him to see things happen before anyone else on the field. Timmons has a case for one of the most college-ready skillsets of any back half defender in this class.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 55
Next Highest Ranking: No. 223 (ESPN)
School: Cambridge (Milton, GA)
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Scout’s Take: “Craig Dandridge is having one of the better starts to his senior season among receivers. He’s averaging well over 100 yards per game. He had his best game of the season on Friday to this point with a dominant performance, but really has come out every week and had a strong game. He is just a fast, smooth receiver who can attack every level of the field, is dangerous with the ball in his hands, has the long speed to wind deep, and is a guy who has really shown a bunch of improvement year over year, really dating back to his sophomore year. From his sophomore year to his junior year, and from his junior year to his senior year. He is a high-volume target for his high school when they need him to be. He’s really a competitive, multi-faceted receiver who is playing at a very high level as a senior.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 80
Next Highest Ranking: No. 157 (247Sports)
School: Dutch Fork (Columbia, SC)
Scout’s Take: “Julian Walker has some of the scariest physical and athletic tools at the EDGE position in the 2026 cycle. At 6-foot-6, 255 pounds, Walker has a tremendous first step for his prototypical frame and has the versatility to add weight and kick inside or maintain his build and continue to develop his ability as a pass rusher from the outside. He already has plenty of power at the point of attack and controls blockers with ease. And with that first step off the line of scrimmage, it allows him to rush the passer by getting vertical and defeating blockers with speed or he can convert that speed into a violent long arm or bull rush move. No matter if Walker decides to kick inside or stay off the edge, he has the tools every defensive coach wants to mold at the next level and beyond.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout
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Rivals300 Ranking: No. 154
Next Highest Ranking: Unranked 3-star (ESPN, 247Sports)
School: South Elgin (South Elgin, IL)
Scout’s Take: “Gavin Mueller is a really interesting tight end prospect. He has only played high school football for two years, was really focused on basketball early on, so he’s a really strong three-sport athlete. We knew that going into his senior year, and we liked what we saw enough from his junior season to make him a four-star over the summer. But he has really blossomed as a senior, and everything’s slowing down. He really, to this point in the season, is playing at a level that maybe a few other tight ends that we’ve seen nationally are playing at the level he is. Mueller is just a big plus athlete who is close to 6’6 and 250 pounds. He’s put on a lot of size, and he moves really well. He’s winning at the catch point, and is strong after the catch. He’s a two-way player, and I think his rise may just be starting. Based on what we’ve seen from him so far, if he continues this level of play, I think he’s a realistic shot he can insert himself into that top tier of tight ends in the 2026 cycle. He’s one that Colorado fans should be really excited about having in the fold.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings
