College football’s latest on-campus recruiting period began on Monday, which means the nation’s top prospects will spend the next few months flocking to campuses for unofficial visits before official visits in the early summer.
Five-star Ohio State wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. will visit Miami, USC and Oregon this spring, but it will be difficult to flip from his pledge to the Buckeyes. However, 10 of ESPN’s 16 five-star recruits in the 2026 cycle remain uncommitted, including No. 1 quarterback Jared Curtis (No. 2 overall) and top offensive tackles Jackson Cantwell (No. 4) and Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 9). All told, 71 of ESPN’s top 100 prospects and 220 members of the ESPN Junior 300 have yet to settle on their next school as the busy part of the recruiting cycle opens.
As programs prepare to host key targets this spring, here are five programs that have started hottest on the 2026 recruiting trail and 10 more with important recruiting seasons ahead.
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Who has momentum? | Who needs a big spring?
Programs with early momentum
Oregon Ducks
Commits: 9 (7 from ESPN Junior 300)
Top offensive commit: TE-Y Kendre’ Harrison (No. 8 overall)
Top defensive commit: DT Tomuhini Topui (No. 72 overall)
Early pledges: Oregon has placed an emphasis on defensive tackles this cycle. Between Topui and fellow four-star commits Tony Cumberland (No. 88 overall), Bott Mulitalo (No. 99) and Viliami Moala (No. 232), the Ducks already hold pledges from four of ESPN’s top 15 prospects at the position in the 2026 class.
Harrison has been the top-ranked member of Oregon’s 2026 class since November, and the nation’s top tight end told ESPN last month that he is no longer seriously engaging with other programs. Four-star running back pledge Tradarian Ball (No. 87 overall) projects as an explosive, all-purpose weapon, and four-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene (No. 38) — ESPN’s No. 5 offensive tackle prospect — is an important player at a key position for Oregon.
Top targets: The Ducks suffered a blow when four-star quarterback Jonas Williams flipped to USC late last month. Williams’ move, however, landed amid Oregon’s continued efforts with other quarterbacks,…
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