5-star loaded 2026 classes put two college football programs ahead of the pack

Two of the most elite college football programs who played against each other for the national championship just two seasons ago now find themselves once again at the top of the sport when it comes to the most recent national recruiting effort.

A couple years after playing each other for the title, both Ohio State and Notre Dame finished up the 2026 college football recruiting cycle leading the nation by each signing five five-star prospects, according to the final Rivals300 player rankings.

Rivals unveiled its final list of the 300 best players in the 2026 recruiting class, including the final tally of those special 32 unique prospects given the coveted five-star rating, and a full 31 percent of those players are either Buckeyes or Fighting Irish.

Teams with the most 5-star signees in the final 2026 Rivals300⭐️https://t.co/0Idi5Iwx0D pic.twitter.com/Wy7n0olHyS
— Rivals (@Rivals) January 28, 2026

Ohio State and Notre Dame led the way nationally, while Michigan and LSU were each tied at second in the country by each signing three five-star prospects, and in third place was a tie between Oregon, Alabama, USC, and Texas, all with two five-stars each.

Who the Buckeyes signed

The highest-ranked prospect for the 2024 national champions is cornerback Jay Timmons, the player considered the No. 1 recruit at his position by the Rivals rankings and the fifth-best nationally, according to an average of the recruiting services.

Chris Henry, Jr. joined the Buckeyes’ 2026 haul from Mater Dei (Calif.) as the top-ranked wide receiver in the nation, according to that same average.

Wide receiver Jerquaden Guilford signed with Ohio State from Fort Wayne (Ind.) after being named the second-best at his position by the Rivals analysts.

Edge rusher Khary Wilder is a consensus top-ten ranked prospect at his position, earning a No. 8 ranking from the 247Sports analysts in 2026.

Cincere Johnson comes out of in-state power Cleveland Glenville as the No. 1 linebacker on the Rivals prospect ranking and as the third-best at his position when taking an average of the ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports consensus.

Who the Fighting Irish secured

Two of the ten-best prospects in the country are headed to South Bend after a very successful effort by Marcus Freeman this cycle.

Offensive tackle Grayson McKeogh, standing at 6-foot-7 and 280 pounds, is the No. 3 prospect at his position and the No. 7 overall player, according to Rivals.

Right behind at No. 8 nationally is Irish pledge Rodney Dunham, a consensus top-ten edge rusher in the country considered the fifth-best according to the national average.

Khary Adams is the No. 2 cornerback in the nation, and Joey O’Brien was named the top-ranked safety by the Rivals rankings.

Ian Premier figures to be an important target in the Irish offense going forward as the No. 1 tight end in the nation, according to both Rivals and 247Sports.

The top player?

Ranked No. 1 in the 2026 college football recruiting class is an edge rusher that committed to neither the Irish or the Buckeyes.

That honor went to defensive end Luke Wafle, the top-overall player in this cycle who ultimately signed with the USC class that itself was the No. 1 in the country.

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