Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Greg Smith looks at four burning questions ahead of the next rankings update for the 2025 and 2026 recruiting cycles, including the possibility of a Midwest prospect ranked No. 1 overall.
MORE: Recruiting Rumor Mill | Do Nebraska and Tennessee have a legit shot at five-star David Sanders? | NFL Top 100 players as high school recruits
*****
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
*****
1. Is Tavien St. Clair the No. 1 prospect in the Rivals250?
It’s been a steady climb for the Ohio State quarterback commit in the 2025 recruiting rankings. Right now, Tavien St. Clair is sitting at No. 11 in the Rivals250. But the debate around him is no longer just about where in the rankings he should fall but if he’s the best prospect in the country.
He’s got a strong argument after seeing him multiple times this offseason. That includes at the Rivals Five-Star in Jacksonville where he was a top performer against the nation’s best prospects. St. Clair’s combination of size, athleticism and arm talent might make him the No. 1 prospect in the 2025 Rivals250.
*****
2. Can DaSaahn Brame catch Linkon Cure in the tight end rankings?
After seeing DaSaahn Brame in person at the Rivals Five-Star and at another 7-on-7 event it’s clear that he’s a top-100 prospect. But will he be able to catch fellow Kansas native Linkon Cure? We have not seen Cure in a football setting in person which makes this comparison more difficult.
Both prospects have tremendous upside. Brame has an enormous catch radius and is a smooth route-runner. Cure is off-the-charts athletically and still has his best football ahead of him. These two elite tight ends are going to be linked for a long time.
*****
3. Could Jayden Woods make a splash in the inside linebacker rankings?
Shawnee (Kan.) Mill Valley defender Jayden Woods has been evaluated as a weakside defensive end throughout his recruitment. He’s carried a good ranking at that position, too. Most recently he was No. 212 overall in the Rivals250 and the No. 8 prospect at the position.
Earlier in July, I got a chance to see him working out at inside linebacker during a 7-on-7 tournament. His high school team plans to use him more there this fall which is very intriguing.
Woods has a great frame and moves well. He performed well in coverage during the tournament and I saw him getting extra work on the side with linebacker drills. His potential position switch is very intriguing and he’d be an impact inside linebacker for Penn State in college.
*****
4. Who is the top tight end in 2026?
The Midwest consistently produces elite tight end prospects and the 2026 class will be no different. The two prospects at the top of a talented group, Mack Sutter and JC Anderson, are both from Illinois. They are both national recruits already and have offers from big-time programs from around the country.
The prospects offer a little different flavor to their games. Sutter is more of the new-age tight end that teams can split out wide to create mismatches in the passing game. Anderson’s size makes him a candidate to be more of a traditional inline prospect. But he’s also got good athleticism.
The two are friends so it’s a friendly rivalry but it’s very similar to the battle in 2025 that we have brewing between Linkon Cure and DaSaahn Brame.
