Counting down the top 15 prospects in the updated 2027 Rivals300

The high school football regular season is coming to a close across the country in the next few weeks, and Rivals has released its updated 2027 rankings — the Rivals300.

This update comes after the release of the initial RIvals300 in July, which set the table ahead of prospects’ junior seasons. Now with more than six weeks of tape and evaluations, players have moved up and down the rankings with five players earning five-star rankings this go-around.

It also includes a new No. 1 overall prospect. Ahead of the full rankings release, Rivals is counting down the nation’s top 15 prospects:

15. OT Elijah Hutcheson

School: Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Ga.)
About: One of the top trench monsters in the nation, Hutcheson is fielding interest from the who’s who of college football. He told Rivals’ Chad Simmons this summer that he was not rushing a decision. Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and LSU are among those in the mix early on for the Roanoke, Va. native.

14. WR Monshun Sales

School: Lawrence North (Ind.)
About: The state of Indiana hasn’t had a five-star recruit since QB Hunter Johnson in the 2017 cycle. Sales is certainly on pace to finish as one of the 32 best prospects in the 2027 class. The dominant pass-catcher has a suspected Midwest flavor to his recruitment thus far and has taken visits to the likes of Indiana, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan.

13. WR Jamier Brown – Ohio State commit

School: Wayne (Ohio)
About: Brown has long been an impressive wide receiver prospect, and he caught Ohio State’s attention early. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder is already nearing one whole year since his commitment to the in-state Buckeyes. A quintessential target for Brian Hartline, Brown looks to be the next potential five-star pass-catcher to head to Columbus. He’s one of three commits early on for the Buckeyes.

12. S Kamarui Dorsey

School: Hampton (Ga.)
About: Dorsey remains Rivals’ top-ranked safety this update and is now set to be one of the next top juniors to announce a decision. He locked in a Nov. 1 commitment date last week and will choose between Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida State, Tennessee, LSU, Ohio State and Texas A&M. The Aggies are trending, per the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. He’s also Rivals’ No. 1 junior in the Peach State.

11. EDGE Jaiden Bryant

School: Irmo (S.C.)
About: Bryant looks to be one of the next big blue-chippers to come out of the Palmetto State and South Carolina would love to keep him home. In September, Bryant told Rivals’ Chad Simmons that the Gamecocks were setting the pace in his recruitment. He’s logged countless trips to Columbia already. Texas A&M is another program that’s had him on campus this fall.

10. LB Cooper Witten

School: Liberty Christian (Texas)
About: The son of former standout NFL tight end Jason Witten has emerged as an elite prospect and remains Rivals’ No. 1 linebacker in the 2027 cycle. Witten has taken multiple visits this fall with the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Tennessee and Clemson making early moves in his process. His recruitment will be hotly-contested as programs try to pull him out of the Lone Star State.

9. RB Kemon Spell

School: McKeesport (Pa.)
About: Earlier this month, Spell backed off a longtime commitment to Penn State after it fired head coach James Franklin. The top-ranked running back in the nation, Spell told Rivals’ Kyle Kelly over the weekend that he’s got four visits set for the rest of the season and isn’t looking to make another decision until his senior year. Notre Dame already has the edge in the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine, though. Michigan, Georgia and Ohio State are others looking to stay involved.

8. 5-star OT Kennedy Brown

School: Kingwood (Texas)
About: Brown checks in at 6-foot-3.5 and 285 pounds and he’s being courted by a slew of elite programs. He’s checked out Clemson, Nebraska, Tennessee and Texas A&M this fall with a trip to Ohio State to come. Brown is yet to trim down a list of top schools and will continue to let his favorites emerge throughout the fall.

7. 5-star IOL Albert Simien

School: Sam Houston (La.)
About: Simien is another impressive O-line recruit that’s working through a loaded offer list this fall. So far, he’s visited LSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. The in-state Tigers will be tough to beat and Simien is set to make two more game visits to Baton Rouge this fall. He already checks in at 6-foot-3 and close to 265 pounds.

6. 5-star OT Cooper Hackett — Oklahoma commit

School: Fort Gibson (Okla.)
About: It’s been a whirlwind fall for Hackett. As Texas Tech garnered serious buzz in his recruitment, he locked in an early pledge to the Red Raiders in August. That lasted less than a month, though, as the five-star flipped to Oklahoma on Sept. 25. He went on to tell Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong that he took “a good chunk less” on the NIL front to flip to the Sooners. “It’s always felt like home,” Hackett said. He’s already one of three top-100 prospects committed to OU in the 2027 cycle.

5. 5-star WR Easton Royal

School: Brother Martin (La.)
About: The Boot is chock-full of elite talent once again in the 2027 cycle and Royal helps highlight the stardom in the state. An explosive and dynamic pass-catcher for one of the top programs in Louisiana, Royal also continues to field interest from the best of the best in college football. Miami, Ohio State, LSU and Ole Miss have had him on campus this fall. Like Simien, LSU won’t be keen on letting Royal leave the state when it’s all said and done.

4. 5-star CB John Meredith

School: Trinity (Texas)
About: Meredith remains one of the top defensive backs in the nation regardless of class. He’s now trending to Texas A&M, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine. Meredith isn’t expected to announce until the spring. In addition to the Aggies, the likes of Alabama, Penn State and SMU have hosted the five-star corner this fall. Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Notre Dame and more have also offered.

3. 5-star CB Joshua Dobson

School: Catawba Ridge (S.C.)
About: At the end of September, Dobson made his first cut of top schools, tabbing a dozen favorites moving into the back end of the fall. The cornerback has been on the road just about every weekend this season. He’s gotten a look at Clemson, South Carolina, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Texas A&M and LSU, all of which made his top 12 a few weeks ago.

2. 5-star OT Mark Matthews

School: St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.)
About: Matthews has continued to add to his frame and has the look of one of the more imposing tackles in the nation, regardless of class. Suiting up for an elite high school program in Florida, Matthews is feeling the love from the in-state programs. When speaking with Rivals’ Marcus Benjamin earlier this month, he tabbed Miami, Florida State and Ohio State as three early standouts.

1. 5-star DL Jalen Brewster — Texas Tech commit

School: Cedar Hill (Texas)
About: Brewster set an Oct. 4 commitment date and named six finalists. Multiple contenders emerged, but Texas Tech became a constant and flexed its newfound recruiting muscle once again this month by landing Rivals’ new No. 1 overall recruit. Ohio State pushed hard in the lead-up to the decision, but Brewster has locked in with the Red Raiders in Lubbock. TTU head coach Joey McGuire used to coach at Cedar Hill and played a major role in Brewster’s decision.