Top Big 12 commits in the initial 2026 Rivals300 rankings

The initial Rivals300 rankings for the 2026 cycle were released on Monday. The Big 12 has made waves amongst some of the most high-profile recruitments this spring and summer.

As of July 17, there are 21 recruits that are featured in the Rivals300 who are also pledged to a Big 12 program. Eight Big 12 schools have multiple representatives in the new rankings.

BYU and Kansas each lead the way with three commits among the top 300 prospects in the nation. There are six top-100 recruits that are dispersed among the conference.

Below is a look at the top Big 12 commits in the Rivals300, as well as a breakdown of how many Rivals300 commits each program has in their 2026 class to date:

OT Kelvin Obot — Utah

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 7 NATL. (No. 2 OT)
School: Fruitland (Idaho)
Committed Since: July 1, 2025

Scout’s Take: “A hyper-athletic offensive tackle who has one of the highest upsides at the position in the 2026 cycle. One of the top prospects from the state of Idaho in recent memory. Measured at over 6-foot-5.5, 300 pounds with arms over 34 inches before his senior season. Lines up at both offensive tackle spots for his high school team. Truly dominates the level of competition. A fantastic functional athlete who is an effortless mover. Shows outstanding reactive quickness in pass protection, quickly resetting his feet. An effortless mover to the second level. Drives undersized defensive linemen off the ball at will. Plays with strong leverage, sinking his hips and firing up through the defensive linemen. Plants the opposition in the dirt at a high rate.

…Also lines up at defensive line, racking up 52 tackles and six sacks. Plays for former first-rounder and All-Pro offensive tackle Jordan Gross at Fruitland High School. Also a top thrower in track and field, winning state titles in the shot put (54-3 feet) and discus (155 feet) as a junior. Unproven in a neutral setting, and plays a lower level of competition in rural Idaho. May need some time to adjust to the speed of the game at the college level, but has the upside to develop into a top college offensive tackle and eventual early-round NFL Draft pick.”

OT Felix Ojo — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 40 NATL. (No. 7 OT)
School: Lake Ridge (Texas)
Committed Since: July 4, 2025

Scout’s Take: “Developmental offensive tackle with the frame, length, and physicality to develop into a top prospect at the position. Measured in at around 6-foot-6, 275 pounds with plus length before his senior season. Has a lean, long frame and should be able to add considerable mass once in a college strength program. Pairs his long arms with outstanding hand strength to stun defenders on contact. Punch is palpable, both on film and in the camp setting. Latches onto defensive linemen and manipulates them to his will. Plays with a nasty edge, working to finish blocks. Flashes dominance as a run blocker. Play strength, length, and solid athleticism point to upside in pass protection.

…Showed considerable growth in his game from his sophomore to junior seasons. Will need to improve his lower body flexibility as he can play high and displays some hip stiffness. The youngest top offensive tackle prospect in the cycle, turning 18 years old in July prior to his freshman season of college football. Rapid rate of improvement and notable strengths give him one of the higher upsides among 2026 offensive tackles.”

QB Ryder Lyons — BYU

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 53 NATL. (No. 6 QB)
School: Folsom (Calif.)
Committed Since: June 24, 2025

Coach’s Take: “I just think he’s a phenomenal athlete. You take a look at a kid who, he has a basketball background. It’s not that he’s a superstar in the basketball court or anything, but you do see a guy that’s very athletic. So he’s able to just create. He’s one that, yes, he could use his legs to end up, having a 50 yard run out there, but he’s also going to do a real good job using his legs just to create space and buy just a little bit more time to end up making a big play down field. That’s something that is pretty common that you’d see on him. If there was a Heisman Trophy that would go out to high school football, you would imagine that Ryder would definitely be in the mix for that just with his style of play. He’s just a big-time play maker, and it comes very natural to him too. So that’s that’s the awesome part.” — Quarterback trainer Danny Hernandez

EDGE Jamarion Carlton — Baylor

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 56 NATL. (No. 9 EDGE)
School: Temple (Texas)
Committed Since: July 10, 2025

Carlton on his decision: “It’s family down there. They make you feel love. Everything about it is love,” he told Rivals about the Bears. “I love how they communicate. Every Monday morning I get a big text from the whole coaching staff. They have been consistent with contact a lot … I love how they practice. They’re gonna have a good year this year … they’re gonna be up there in the Big 12.”

QB Jake Fette — Arizona State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 64 NATL. (No. 7 QB)
School: Del Valle (Texas)
Committed Since: Sept. 22, 2024

Elite 11 Review: “Fette was the most explosive mover among the Elite 11 Finalists. A twitched-up athlete, Fette showed eye-catching reactive quickness throughout the week. We came away from Day 1 thinking that Fette moved at a different speed than most others. We continued to see flashes of that explosive burst throughout the week. He also showed a live arm. While Fette had a bumpy 7-on-7 session on Day 3, the movement skills were evident.”

QB Keisean Henderson — Houston

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 94 NATL. (No. 8 QB)
School: Legacy SSS (Texas)
Committed Since: May 27, 2024

Elite 11 Review: “Henderson owns one of the highest upsides among the Elite 11 Finalists. The Houston commit is a loose coordinated athlete with a strong arm. Henderson had highlight moments on each day of action, making some of the best throws we saw all week. His pass on a deep corner route during his pro day was the best throw we saw on Day 2. He was very aggressive during 7-on-7, finishing 14 of 25 with three touchdowns and zero interceptions. Initially considered as an athlete prospect, Henderson has blossomed into a promising quarterback and has made nice strides with his mechanics over the past year. We’re eager to see if he can carry those improvements into the fall during his senior season.”

CB Jamarion Vincent — Baylor

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 107 NATL. (No. 14 CB)
School: Connally (Texas)
Committed Since: Jan. 30, 2025

Scout’s Take: “His length, ability to locate the football and high point ability allow him to make plays on the football that other corners simply can’t. Vincent has textbook footwork and is comfortable in press-man coverage while consistently staying in phase with pass catchers. Plus, he has plenty of long speed to keep up with faster wide receivers. In a strong group of defensive backs, Vincent was far and away the most impressive of the bunch on Sunday afternoon.”

WR Jayden Warren — Houston

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 141 NATL. (No. 18 WR)
School: Iowa Colony (Texas)
Committed Since: July 13, 2025

Warren on his decision: “Houston has been consistent from June 2024 when they first offered me,” he said of his connections to Fritz and Derrick Sherman. “Being that I’m from Houston, they still made my official visit feel like it was home away from home. For me, it feels like home because it is home. Those Houston connections are strong because of their belief in me. What I could possibly bring to the program was established day one.”

WR Milan Parris — Iowa State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 190 NATL. (No. 28 WR)
School: Walsh Jesuit (Ohio)
Committed Since: Jan. 26, 2025

About: The 6-foot-5, 200-pound pass catcher Parris shut his recruitment down early with a verbal to the Cyclones in late January. He had Power-4 offers from Cincinnati, Kentucky, Purdue and Wisconsin at the time. Maryland and Michigan State offered post-commitment, but Parris remained solid to head coach Matt Campbell and staff. As a junior in 2024, Parris caught 28 passes for 597 yards and nine touchdowns. He averaged better than 21.3 yards per reception.” — Bill Seals, Cyclone Report

TE Hayden Vercher — Arizona State

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 202 NATL. (No. 11 TE)
School: Newbury Park (Calif.)
Committed Since: Feb. 2, 2025

Camp Review: “The defensive backs may have gotten the best of the receivers on Sunday, but hardly anyone was able to stop Hayden Vercher. The Arizona State tight end commit was making defenders look silly when it came to breaking off at the top of his routes and attacking the football. He’s extremely savvy as a route runner being able to snap off route effectively and showi great wiggle at the top of his stems. Plus, his natural hands and ability to pluck the ball away from his frame allowed him to reel in tough catches regardless of a defender being in phase. He was easily the top pass catcher in attendance.”

Rivals300 commits in the Big 12 by school

BYU, Kansas: 3
Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Houston, Iowa State, Texas Tech: 2
Kansas State, TCU, Utah: 1
Cincinnati, Colorado, Oklahoma State, UCF, West Virginia: 0