College Football’s No. 5 QB Recruit Announces Top 6 Schools

Four-star QB Kingston Preyear narrows his 2028 college football recruitment to six top programs.

Kingston Preyear, one of the nation's top Class of 2028 QB recruits, has narrowed his focus down to six schools. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Kingston Preyear is not waiting around. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound sophomore quarterback from Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama, has trimmed his college list down to six schools: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Vanderbilt, Notre Dame and Clemson.

Preyear is ranked as a top-five quarterback in the 2028 class by the Rivals Industry Rankings, and he is also the No. 4 signal caller in the country per the 247Sports Composite.

He backed up that billing on the field last season, throwing for 3,127 yards, 31 touchdowns, and rushing for 564 yards.

When Preyear described his timeline, he was candid about the reason for moving fast. "Just to get in and recruit the guys around me because the Class of 2028 is loaded," he said. A decision is expected in July, making this one of the earlier timelines for a prospect of his caliber.

SEC schools leading the Preyear sweepstakes

Four of the six finalists are SEC programs, and the conference's footprint on this recruitment is hard to ignore. Auburn leads the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine at 35.7 percent, with Alabama second at 23.8 percent and Florida third at 14.0 percent.

Auburn's pull is partly geographic; Alexander City sits just 36 miles from campus, and Preyear has made multiple trips there already. "I was very excited," he told Auburn Undercover after receiving an offer. "It was like a dream come true. I watched Auburn as a kid. In-state school, right up the road from me."

Alabama's pitch is complicated by an already crowded quarterback room. Just one day before Preyear's announcement, Virginia's Charles Scott Jr. committed to Alabama as a 6-foot-5, 235-pound high school sophomore. The Tide also landed five-star Elijah Haven, the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class, just last week. That's three straight cycles with a five-star quarterback for Kalen DeBoer.

NEWS: Four-Star QB Kingston Preyear is down to 6 schools, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 6’4 200 QB from Alexander City, AL is ranked as a Top 5 QB in the 2028 Rivals Industry Rankingshttps://t.co/K5bwRnEOZt pic.twitter.com/C9Jjl6U1i5

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 2, 2026

One factor still working in Alabama's favor: wide receiver Cederian Morgan, Preyear's top target at Benjamin Russell last year, signed with the Crimson Tide in the 2026 class and would be a rising junior by the time Preyear arrived on campus.

Florida is actively trying to change its fortunes under first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, and a commitment from Preyear would provide a marquee addition to go along with 2027 commit four-star QB Davin Davidson.

Vanderbilt quietly rounds out the SEC contingent and should not be dismissed; Preyear visited the program in April. The Commodores don't yet have a QB commit in their 2027 or 2028 classes.

Notre Dame, Clemson and what matters most to Preyear

Outside the SEC, Notre Dame and Clemson represent two very different value propositions. Preyear visited South Bend recently and came away impressed on multiple levels.

"I love that part because not a lot of schools have the after-football piece," he said of Notre Dame's post-career development emphasis. "It's bigger than football. They're building generational wealth for your kids' kids' kids."

He also connected with the coaching staff. "I love Coach Freeman," Preyear said. "He's just a true leader. It was a wholesome moment with him, my coach and my dad in the room." Notre Dame currently does not have a 2027 or 2028 quarterback commit, so Preyear would be a foundational piece for the Irish.

-3,127 passing yards
-31 touchdowns
-564 rushing yards
-12-2 record
-AGTG✝️@kirkjuice32 @chodgens7 @MrFootball_6 @QBC_Bham @raisingchamps_ @TomLoy247 @Andy_Villamarzo @On3sports https://t.co/cV2lJJ6FMA

— Kingston “King” Preyear C/O 2028 🏈 (@K3preyear) December 21, 2025

Clemson enters the mix with one 2027 quarterback already committed in four-star Kharim Hughley.

Scouts have praised Preyear's ability to place the ball anywhere on the field, describing him as terrific at navigating the pocket, extending plays and avoiding sacks under pressure. Those traits fit what Dabo Swinney's staff has historically valued in a signal caller.

With "the academic piece" being what Preyear says matters most in his final decision, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt may have a structural advantage that pure football pedigree alone cannot overcome.