Rivals Rankings Week: Meet the five new five-stars
Rivals Rankings Week for the 2026 class kicked off Monday and five new five-star prospects were unveiled. Take a closer look at each of the prospects that were elevated to elite status.
RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK
Sunday: Who should be No. 1?
Monday: Five-Star Countdown | Latest recruiting buzz on top 2026 prospects
Tuesday: New Rivals250 unveiled | Gorney goes position-by-position | Biggest risers
Wednesday: New offensive position rankings released | QB rankings breakdown | RB rankings breakdown | WR/TE rankings breakdown | OL rankings breakdown
Thursday: New defensive position rankings released | DL rankings breakdown | LB rankings breakdown | DB rankings breakdown | ATH rankings breakdown
Friday: New state rankings released | Who is No. 1 in each state?
Saturday: Rankings Roundtable
“Not many quarterbacks in the country put together a season like Curtis did at Nashville (Tenn.) Christian Academy this past year. The newly minted five-star passer completed almost 72-percent of his throws to the tune of 2,830 yards and 40 touchdowns compared to just three interceptions. Curtis added another 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. His junior season ended with a state championship as well as Gatorade Player of the Year honors for Tennessee.
“Curtis has elite arm strength and delivers high-level throws with outstanding touch. More impressive is the quarterback’s accuracy on the move. Curtis’ mobility is a major element of his game – whether it’s maneuvering within or outside the pocket or making throws on the move, Curtis maintains his pinpoint accuracy and is a load to tackle in space at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds. There are elements of Josh Allen in Curtis’ game.” – Sam Spiegelman, national recruiting analyst
“Arrington did not do many offseason events because of his track obligations so it was difficult to get the most accurate ranking on him until we could see him this season. So I took a 2.5-hour drive to Spring Valley (Calif.) Mt. Miguel, only miles from the Mexican border, to see Arrington and his team against a loaded Los Angeles Loyola team and Arrington was absolutely phenomenal, totally dominant, on both sides of the ball.
“What stands out most about Arrington is his length, speed, athleticism and playmaking ability. He blew by cornerbacks for some long touchdown catches and he showed off great route running but also just incredible speed and an ability to glide around the field.
“On defense, Arrington can jam receivers at the line with his long arms and he has surprising strength. He can also make a play on every pass and he has no hesitancy to come up and hit, either. There were times where it looked like Arrington was going head-hunting as well. The physical side of the game is no problem for him.
“Texas A&M has been the mainstay in his recruitment as a top favorite and now USC and Oregon have really emerged as serious contenders as well but every team in the country will be interested in him before all is said and done.” – Adam Gorney, national recruiting director
“Bradford’s sophomore season ended on a high note and the newly minted five-star safety from Louisiana capitalized off that in a big way this fall. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder boasts verified 4.4 speed and plays at that pace, too. Bradford is a superb tackler in space and can blow up plays when he lowers his shoulder.
“During his time at Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic, he’s played free safety over the top, lined up in the nickel, and played near the line of scrimmage. Bradford regularly sets the tone on his side of the ball and can cover a ton of real estate on the back end of the defense. In multiple live evaluations, we love Bradford’s instincts at safety and his physical play style versus the run and in pass coverage.” – Spiegelman
“Hill is a dynamic playmaker that could legitimately be a star on either side of the ball in college. He’s electric with the ball in his hands on offense and his high school team uses his skill set in a variety of ways to score points. But he projects best as a potential shut-down cornerback.
“Hill is not the biggest cornerback you’ll find standing at 5-foot-10, 161 pounds, but he’s extremely athletic and can leap with the best of them. The Ohio native is smooth in and out of his backpedal and can flip his hips with ease. His offensive skills show when it’s time to make a play on the ball as well. Hill also shows good technique playing press man coverage at a young age.
“He’s taken many visits to Ohio State and I’ve got the Buckeyes as the front-runners in his recruitment. But Michigan, Penn State and Oregon are all getting serious consideration by the big-time cornerback prospect.” – Greg Smith, national recruiting analyst
“There aren’t many pass-catchers in the country capable of taking over a game quite like Harrison. The dual-sport standout played part of his junior season at Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day before returning to Reidsville (N.C.) High. At both spots, the five-star tight end was brilliant, dominating in red-zone scenarios and winning on 50-50 balls.
“Harrison is dangerous working outside the numbers, down the seams and moves extremely well at 6-foot-7 and 245 pounds given his background on the basketball court. We love Harrison’s ability to work and eat up chunk yardage in space as well as reel in passes in contested-catch scenarios.” – Spiegelman
