Southeast Spotlight: Five programs off to strong starts for 2026
The 2026 Rivals250 was unveiled last month and programs around the country are beginning to sort out their priorities for the next recruiting cycle. Here are five programs from the Southeast Region that are off to good starts with the 2026 class.
THIS SERIES: Five East Coast programs off to strong starts for 2026 | Mid-South
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CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | State
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AUBURN
It’s incredibly early but the top-ranked 2026 class in the SEC at the moment is Hugh Freeze’s Auburn Tigers. A pair of four-stars are on board early on, each from beyond state lines, with big wide receiver Denairius Gray and Peach State offensive lineman Kail Ellis. Each plays in fertile recruiting areas, with and against elite Auburn targets, so the class could soon balloon with volume to match the top talent it has started off with.
In the Yellowhammer State, it’s simply time for the Tigers to strike. They won some major battles against rival Alabama for some of the state’s best in the 2024 cycle, but 2025 and especially 2026 should push the program up further should the on-field energy match what Freeze’s staff has done on the trail. It could be a youth movement for the Tigers on the field this fall, something always enticing in the recruiting game.
The state of Alabama has the fifth-most prospects in the 2026 Rivals250, with 13 making the cut and 12 of them are undeclared at this time.
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FLORIDA
The Gators are yet to strike in the class of 2026 to date, but the class could line up quite well for Billy Napier on multiple fronts provided the program takes a step forward in 2024. For one, the 2026 class is loaded at many positions in the home state, which is nothing new – but particularly at quarterback. Just like we saw with five-star DJ Lagway on board in the 2024 cycle, a headliner like that galvanizing the class could help it reach new heights on the trail.
Secondly in Florida's favor is the volume of top passers not only close to home, with four four-star QBs in the Orlando area alone, but the highest-ranked is Noah Grubbs and the program he followed most closely coming up is UF.
Defending state champion Cocoa High has a double Gator legacy at the trigger in fellow four-star Brady Hart, who just picked up a Gators offer and has a visit in the works. Landing either one early could provide a national spark as Lagway did not so long ago.
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FLORIDA STATE
The Seminoles boast the top class in the Sunshine State this early in the game thanks to a pair of blue-chip athletes on the commitment list. Each is in a market away from Tallahassee, with Efrem White out of the Orlando area and Darryl Bell from the Miami area – critical pipeline areas for the program to continue to dig into under Mike Norvell. Each works as a wide receiver on occasion but seems destined for the secondary at the next level.
That Florida State is off to a strong start is not much of a surprise coming off of the program’s conference title in 2023. The 2024 season, and how the program follows up its success, will be another deal all together – but prospects perceive the program as the best in the state at the moment.
The hot start may not slow down any time soon, either, with the state of Florida dominating the first class of 2026 Rivals250 with 52 selections.
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GEORGIA
A lot of the fast-start predictions this early out are focusing on the type of moves that can rally a recruiting class together and Georgia has an ace in the hole already – an elite quarterback commitment. Top-20 overall prospect Jared Curtis picked the Bulldogs in late March and the national name could have the program trending in the right direction with offensive targets for some time.
Curtis will help in many areas, we assume, but Georgia has a major need with its wide receiver recruiting. The incoming talent at that position has been solid, but not elite compared to fellow powers Ohio State, Alabama or LSU.
Of course, the state of Georgia is always good to Kirby Smart’s program and the state represents the second-most recruits in the Rivals250, with 32 already in the grouping.
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MIAMI
The Hurricanes are rarely afraid to send out early offers under Mario Cristobal and it has paid off in the form of two strong early commitments. Arguably the most polished wide receiver in the region regardless of class, Malachi Toney jumped on board last summer and remains a solid pledge. Do-it-all athlete Jordan Campbell followed suit during the fall and that evaluation looks better and better each time the rangy prospect works out.
Naturally, South Florida is again loaded in the 2026 cycle and the major recruits have already been to Coral Gables – with most seeing campus multiple times in Cristobal’s tenure. The program has already out-recruited its in-state rivals without having great on-field success, so the combination of momentum, talent and truly elevated on-field expectations heading into 2024 should only boost the recruiting ceiling that much higher for the 2026 group.