Five high school players who could be lethal for SEC coaches in the class of 2026 ft. Calvin Russell

By Viraj Mali

Modified Aug 05, 2024 20:16 GMT

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The high school football class of 2026 contains some of the country's best talent. This autumn, members of that group hope to improve on their impressive sophomore campaigns.

Many upcoming junior football players have received college scholarship offers, and they have two years of prep football left. Players such as Faizon Brandon and Chris Henry Jr. have already announced their commitments. Meanwhile, other top undecided talents have received multiple offers from some of the elite college football programs.

That said, let's examine the five high school players from the class of 2026 that the Southeastern Conference can target.

Five high school players the SEC can target from the class of 2026

#5 Calvin Russell

Calvin Russell, the four-star wide receiver from Northwestern High School, is one of the best players at his position. The 6-foot-5 receiver currently has almost 50 college offers.

According to On3 Industry Rankings, Russell is ranked 17th nationally, the second-best receiver in his class and the third-best player in the state of Florida.

Russell has received offers from teams such as Florida, Auburn, Arkansas, LSU, Oklahoma and Tennessee. Although Miami is the favorite to land the four-star recruit, Florida and Auburn aren't far behind as they have the second and fourth-best odds of signing Russell.

#4 Cederian Morgan

Cederian Morgan, a four-star recruit from Benjamin Russell High School, is one of the most sought-after prospects in the class of 2026. Morgan has received 14 offers from elite college programs.

The 6-foot-5 receiver is ranked no.79 nationally and is the 12th-best wide receiver in the class, according to On3 Industry Rankings. He is also the sixth-best overall prospect from the state of Alabama.

He holds offers from Auburn, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Oregon, Miami, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Ohio State and Kentucky. The Tigers lead the race to acquire the four-star recruit, but the Crimson Tide has a strong chance of landing the Alabama native.

#3 Jackson Cantwell

Jackson Cantwell, the five-star offensive lineman from Nixa High School, is a dual-sport athlete who competes in football and shotput for his high school. The son of former Olympians Christian Cantwell and Teri Cantwell, he is currently sitting on over two dozen college offers.

According to On3 Industry Rankings, the 6-foot-7 lineman is the best player at his position in the class of 2026 and the best overall prospect from Missouri.

Mizzou is the frontrunner to acquire the talented lineman's services, but other teams aren't far behind. Schools such as Oklahoma, Alabama and Georgia are in the mix to sign the five-star recruit.

#2 Zion Elee

Zion Elee, the 6-foot-3 edge rusher from St. Frances Academy, is an elite performer. The five-star recruit has 30 offers from the best programs in the country and has established himself as one of the most highly recruited players in his class.

Elee is ranked as the 6th-best overall prospect from the class of 2026 and is the best edge rusher in the country, as per On3 Industry Rankings. He is also the second-best overall prospect from the state of Maryland.

Elee has received offers from schools such as Tennessee, Maryland, Penn State, Syracuse, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama and Purdue. Although Maryland, his home state school, leads the race to land him, other SEC schools might make a push to acquire the blue-chip prospect.

#1 Faizon Brandon

Faizon Brandon, the five-star recruit from Grimsley High School, has announced his commitment to the Tennessee Volunteers. His goal was to play in the SEC and he had multiple options before signing with UT.

The 6-foot-3 quarterback from Greensboro, North Carolina, ranks no.10 nationally and is the second-best quarterback in his class, according to On3 Industry Rankings. He is also the second-best prospect in North Carolina.

Josh Heupel managed to outbid other SEC schools, such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M, for Faizon's services. Other programs that extended offers to the five-star recruit were TCU, Miami and Oregon, NC State, Ohio State, Penn State and Florida State.