Breaking down the 2026 On3 Top 100 Watch List

charles power hsby:Charles Power•08/21/23•

CharlesPower

Monday marks On3’s first rankings release for football prospects the 2026 cycle with the Top 100 Watch List. The ranking is comprised of prospects who are entering their sophomore seasons. It will expand to the On300 next spring and be updated on a regular schedule throughout the remainder of the cycle.

The 100 prospects that compose the watch list have an early four-star rating. The majority have a grade of 90 (the lowest four-star grade) with 10 holding a grade of 91.

INITIAL 2026 On3 Top 100 Watch List

Why a watch list?

We view a watch list as a more honest portrayal of the early stage of the cycle as opposed to an effort to thin-slice rising sophomore prospects and rank them numerically 1 to 100. Simply put, we don’t see anyone involved benefitting from a 1 to 100 order this early in the process.

With that said, this ranking is very much a projection and will certainly change drastically over the next year. Prospects emerge and develop at different rates.

Many of the prospects who will end up as the best in the cycle have yet to pop up on the national radar. This is particularly the case with positions that involve physical and skill development, like offensive line and quarterback, among others. We also sought to emphasize contributions on the varsity level, with the understanding that some physically-gifted prospects may play at top high school programs where it’s harder to get on the field as a freshman. This is a very, very early look at the cycle as there are three full seasons of high school football remaining for this group.

Let’s get into some storylines surrounding this initial release.

Julian Lewis headlines quarterback group

Six signal callers find themselves in the On3 2026 Watch List, with Carrollton (Ga.) High’s Julian Lewis being the lone quarterback with an initial 91 rating. Lewis is a polished passer who turned in the most productive freshman season from the group. The 6-foot-0.5, 185-pounder completed 65.5% of his passes for over 4,100 yards and 48 touchdowns against 12 interceptions while leading Carrollton to a state title appearance last fall. Lewis has advanced accuracy and overall polish at this stage and has shown some encouraging pocket presence and reaction to pressure. This is all while facing some of the toughest competition among top 2026 quarterbacks. There’s a long way to go his his development and evaluation as he’s just one game into his sophomore season, but Lewis is advanced at this early stage.

Jared Curtis out of Nashville (Tenn.) Nashville Christian School emerged as an early national name with a strong freshman season and good showings on the camp circuit. Curtis is physically advanced for this stage, checking in at 6-foot-3 and over 210 pounds. He’s shown a strong arm with fluid mechanics and movement skills. Curtis is a playmaker on Friday nights, showing the ability to create on second-reaction plays.

Bolingbrook (Ill.) High’s Jonas Williams has the look of a top quarterback early on. The 6-foot-1.5, 200-pounder turned in a strong freshman season, accounting for over 2,700 yards and 37 touchdowns. Williams has a strong build and shows the ability to make some impressive plays from the pocket and on the move. He’s also young for the cycle and could feasibly be a 2027 prospect due to his June birthday.

Faizon Brandon looks like one of the more athletic signal callers early on in 2026. He could be in line for a big year at Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley, throwing to a talented receiving corps. Tayden Kaawa has the potential to be the best quarterback prospect from the state of Hawaii since Tua Tagovailoa. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder is a toolsy passer with a multi-sport background as a top baseball player. Though he’s seen little varsity action to this point, Dia Bell has shown some encouraging flashes as a passer. The son of former NBA player Raja Bell could be primed for a breakout season at Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage.

Talented athletes setting the pace early in 2026

Early rankings tend to favor skill players as there’s less typically less physical development needed to make an impact early on as a high school freshman.

Two wide receivers separated themselves from a deep group at the position early on. Ohio State commit Chris Henry Jr. has been a name on the national radar for some time. The 6-foot-4.5, 185-pounder has a rare combination of size and movement skills. Henry already tests as a strong athlete and has the ability to drop his weight and change directions. He projects as a strong route-runner at his size. Douglasville (Ga.) Douglas County receiver Aaron Gregory has arguably the best ball skills we’ve seen from a 2026 prospect to this point. Gregory, who was the On3 MVP at Under Armour’s Orlando camp during the spring, is an effortless catcher of the football. He pairs the high level coordination with fluid movement skills.

Savion Hiter leads the running back group. The 5-foot-11.5, 195-pounder already checks a bunch of boxes at the position. He turned in a very strong freshman season at Louisa County High in Virginia, rushing for 1,526 yards and 24 touchdowns on just 130 carries (11.7 yards per carry). Hiter also registers as a top athlete, already running a 11.11 second mark in the 100 meters in addition to triple jump close to 45-feet. Both are elite marks for a rising sophomore. The athleticism more than shows up on Friday nights, where he’s an explosive, instinctual runner. It’s early, but Hiter has the look of one of the top running back prospects in several cycles. He transferred to Woodberry Forest (Va.) Woodberry Forest for his sophomore season.

Kendre Harrison is the easy nomination for the first-off-the-bus distinction among 2026 prospects. The 6-foot-7, 230-pounder is one of the most physically imposing prospects we saw over the summer, regardless of cycle. Harrison ranks as an athlete at this stage, due to his true versatility as a tight end or EDGE/defensive line prospect. He’s a light, fluid mover as pass catcher and is already a significant mismatch in the passing game. The Reidsville (N.C.) High product doubles as a talented basketball player with high major offers in both sports.

Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic’s Blaine Bradford looks like the safest bet among defensive backs at this early juncture. At 6-foot-1, 195 pounds, Bradford is physically advanced relative to his peers. He’s a highly physical defender with outstanding striking power and pop for a rising sophomore. Bradford also flashes very encouraging play speed with a quick trigger, all while playing strong competition.

Physically-gifted linemen emerging in 2026

A handful of talented linemen lead the way along the offensive and defensive fronts early on in the cycle.

New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart put his name on the national radar early on with dominant camp performances. At over 6-foot-5, 265 pounds with elite length and a big frame, Stewart is one of the most physically imposing prospects in the cycle. He’s also a plus straight-line athlete running sub 5.0 second 40-yard dash at an Under Armour regional camp this off-season. Stewart pairs the physical gifts with advanced technical skills, flashing quick hands and devastating long arm. He’ll need to translate the skills to padded settings on Friday nights and improve his lateral agility, but there’s no question he’s a top defensive lineman early on in the cycle.

If anyone in the cycle is Stewart’s peer as a big-framed, physically-gifted defensive lineman, it’s JaReylan McCoy. The Tupelo (Miss.) High prospect measures in at 6-foot-6.5 and around 245 pounds. McCoy has plus length and a big frame with 34.25-inch arms and 10-inch hands. He tested as a top athlete, ripping of a 4.89 second 40-yard dash at Student Sports’ All-22 camp this off-season. McCoy brings those high-end tools over to the field on Friday nights, where he stars as a defensive end for Tupelo.

It’s not common we see many rising sophomore offensive linemen with the athletic profile of Jackson Cantwell. The Nixa (Mo.) High offensive tackle measures in at 6-foot-7, 305 pounds with outstanding athleticism for a 15-year old. He’s a light-footed, powerful offensive lineman. We already see very encouraging lateral agility, functional strength and the ability to play low. Cantwell, who is the son of two Olympic throwers, doubles as one of the top track athletes in the cycle, positing elite marks in the shot put. He’s also tested as a very strong athlete at college camps.

Virginia Beach (Va.) Green Run offensive tackle Thomas Wilder joins Cantwell as 2026 offensive linemen with an initial 91 rating. Wilder has arguably the best freshman film we watched among the cycle’s offensive linemen. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder flashes outstanding functional movement skills to go with his big frame and apparent size. Wilder is an easy mover to the second level and plays with a nasty streak. His flashes of dominance as a finisher are rare for a young offensive line prospect.

Position and State Breakdown

  • Quarterback: 8
  • Running Back: 9
  • Wide Receiver: 18
  • Tight End: 3
  • Offensive Tackle: 10
  • Interior Offensive Line: 3
  • Athlete: 9
  • Defensive Line: 10
  • EDGE: 7
  • Linebacker: 5
  • Cornerback: 12
  • Safety: 9

24 different states are represented in the watch list. The big four of Florida (12), Georgia (12), California (8) and Texas (8) lead the way. The state of Virginia has a strong cycle on its hands with seven watch list members – good for fifth-most.

Only three prospects are committed to colleges at the moment: wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. (Ohio State), wide receiver Devin Carter (Florida State) and running back Messiah Mickens (Penn State).