Three-Point Stance: Leonard Fournette, 2026 QBs, remembering 2024 WRs

In this edition of the Three-Point Stance, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney talks about Leonard Fournette’s desire to be LSU‘s running backs coach, he takes a look at the uncommitted 2026 quarterbacks and remembers the outstanding 2024 receiver class.

I don’t know if Leonard Fournette was joking around or being totally serious when he tweeted this week that he wants to be LSU’s running backs coach when Frank Wilson decides to step away from the Tigers but as his NFL career winds down, coach Brian Kelly should seriously consider bringing him on staff as soon as possible.

LSU has never had problems recruiting running backs but imagine putting one of the best to ever do it in Baton Rouge, a New Orleans kid on staff and watch all the elite ones flock to play for him.

Fournette has all the credentials. A five-star running back. A first-round NFL Draft pick. Someone who rushed for more than 3,800 yards with 40 touchdowns during his time at LSU.

Wilson is a phenomenal recruiter and has all the recruiting connections in the world. But when Fournette steps away from the NFL – and it might be coming soon – then LSU should swoop him up and get him on staff as soon as possible.

Travis Hunter would have never gone to Jackson State and then Colorado if Deion Sanders wasn’t there so he could learn from the best. DeMarco Murray has parlayed his playing experience at Oklahoma to land elite backs. Fournette could be a massive weapon for the Tigers in running back recruiting and elsewhere.

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It’s hard to believe since they’re not even through their junior seasons (which means a lot of flips could be happening as things change constantly in the college football landscape) but eight of the top-10 pro-style quarterbacks in the 2026 class are already committed.

It was actually nine but on Thursday four-star Jared Curtis backed off his pledge to Georgia. He along with Luke Fahey, Ryder Lyons and Landon Duckworth (two dual-threat QBs) are the only top quarterbacks remaining uncommitted.

When it comes to Curtis, Alabama, Ohio State and USC are the top programs with South Carolina, Oregon, Clemson and others involved. The Ducks already have a pledge in Jonas Williams and Clemson has two in Tait Reynolds and Brock Bradley so those would be long shots.

Fahey has Ole Miss and Cal as his two front-runners with Washington, Auburn and others involved. The Rebels have really impressed the Mission Viejo, Calif., standout – and he loves coach Lane Kiffin and position coach Charlie Weis Jr. – so that’s something to watch.

USC has been the front-runner for such a long time when it comes to Lyons, the lone five-star in the uncommitted group, but it’s a little curious as to why the Folsom, Calif., standout hasn’t committed yet. The Trojans in the meantime will make a run at Curtis since Lyons hasn’t made his pledge but USC still looks very strong for the five-star QB.

The last uncommitted top quarterback is Duckworth, who was committed to South Carolina for nearly a year before backing off in August. UCF has emerged as the front-runner in his recruitment and the Jackson, Ala., standout could pick the Knights at any time.

After the all-star events last season, we were convinced Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 receiver and the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 Rivals250 but after that in the position rankings there was a debate about whether to take Alabama’s Ryan Williams or Auburn’s Cam Coleman second.

I was pushing the Williams side because he was so dynamic and stellar at the Under Armour All-America Game (all the stuff we’ve seen out of him so far) and while it was easy to fall in love with Coleman’s physical traits and playmaking ability, we thought Williams just had this uniqueness about him. I’m happy we went Williams second and Coleman third.

Smith and Williams have already emerged as two of the best receivers in all of college football. After a hot start, Coleman has cooled off a little and then the other two five-stars in Texas Tech’s Micah Hudson and Tennessee’s Mike Matthews are off to slower starts.

Matthews was always a solid player but I was never sure I saw surefire five-star out of him. Hudson is the one who befuddles me because Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire worked so hard to get him to Lubbock as did the entire coaching staff and Hudson picked Texas Tech over Texas, Texas A&M and others.

So far through seven games, Hudson has only eight catches for 123 yards. Careers are not built in a college player’s first seven games but the five-star is too good to be standing on the sidelines this long. Yeah, Texas Tech has some decent receivers but to not put Hudson on the field and to utilize that playmaking and athletic ability feels like a wasted opportunity so far this season.