As The Dallas Morning News unveils its new area recruiting rankings for the Class of 2026, expanding from 50 to 100 players, several pieces of data stand out.
Most notably, it’s only June and 66 of the top 100 recruits in D-FW have made their college commitment — two months before starting their senior year. Here’s a breakdown of the list:
The uncommitted top five
North Crowley offensive lineman John Turntine III, Mansfield Lake Ridge offensive lineman Felix Ojo, DeSoto wide receiver Ethan Feaster, Frisco Lone Star athlete Davian Groce and Frisco Panther Creek wide receiver Jalen Lott have yet to finalize their college plans.
High School Sports
Those five players list a combined 215 offers on their 247Sports recruiting pages — 53 for Feaster, 50 for Ojo, 47 for Lott, 36 for Turntine and 29 for Groce.
Local colleges lead the waySMU: Seven players
SMU, coming off an 11-3 season and an appearance in the College Football Playoff, has had the most success recruiting D-FW so far, landing seven commitments from Dallas-area players in the Class of 2026. The top two are Kaufman wide receiver Aljour Miles and Lake Highlands running back Christian Rhodes, ranked No. 18 and No. 21 in the area, respectively.
Baylor: Six players
Baylor has commitments from six D-FW players, headlined by Frisco Lone Star safety Jordan Deck, Plano HSAA safety Jordan Davis and Argyle Liberty Christian quarterback Quinn Murphy.
Oklahoma, TCU, Texas Tech, Arizona, Tulsa and Wake Forest all have three Dallas-area commitments.
Which high schools have the most Top 100 players?
There are 55 high schools represented in the area Top 100, with Duncanville, Prosper and South Oak Cliff leading the way with five players apiece. South Oak Cliff was the 5A Division II state runner-up last season, Duncanville was a 6A Division I state semifinalist after winning state titles in 2022 and 2023 and Prosper is coming off an 8-3 season.
Frisco Lone Star, Melissa, Southlake Carroll and North Forney each have four players on the list.
After losing in the 6A Division II state title game, eight-time state champion Southlake Carroll should be a title contender once again with Ohio State pledge Brock Boyd at wide receiver, running back Davis Penn, Pitt pledge Angelo Renda at quarterback and offensive lineman Carey Clayton.
Area state champions have two apiece
After going 16-0 and winning the Class 6A Division I state title, North Crowley has only two Top 100 recruits — Turntine and safety Aaron Bradshaw, who is committed to Texas Tech. North Crowley had five Top 100 players on last year’s team as it won its first state title since 2003 and scored 864 points — the most in Dallas-area history and 16th-most in state history.
Celina, coming off a 16-0 season and Class 4A Division I state title, also has two Top 100 recruits: Oklahoma pledge Bowe Bentley at quarterback and Pittsburgh pledge Wyatt Villarreal at tight end.
Which position is most represented?
For the second straight year, wide receiver has the most Top 100 players, with 20 for the Class of 2026 after there were 26 in the Class of 2025. There are 16 offensive linemen in the Top 100, followed by 13 cornerbacks and 11 defensive linemen.
The Top 100
Below is an interactive map detailing which schools the top football recruits in the Dallas area attend. Below the map, you will find a table that can be sorted by school and position.
To read about our No. 1 recruit, North Crowley’s John Turntine III, click here.
To see The Dallas Morning News’ top 100 for the class of 2025, click here.
Find more high school sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.
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