Former 5-star Recruits with 1st-round Potential in 2026 NFL Draft

When a college football team signs a 5-star prospect, both the program and its fan base alike quickly begin dreaming of a path to stardom.

Ultimately, most—if not all—of those players are also chasing the dream of reaching the professional. Some eventually reach that level, but only a small percentage of them become first-round NFL draft picks, too.

As the football world prepares for the 2025 edition, though, we're taking a peek at recent top recruits who could be Day 1 selections in 2026.

Recruiting data is based on 247Sports Composite Rankings.

There's an awful lot of projection here!

Arch Manning is set to take the reins at Texas, and the famed quarterback tree looks likely to continue with him. This season will be his first as a full-time starter, though, and we've certainly seen hyped QBs falter.

Two more familiar names are Drew Allar and Cade Klubnik, who helped Penn State and Clemson, respectively, make the College Football Playoff last season. Both of them have struggled against top competition, so the seniors have plenty to prove during their last season in school.

The same sentiment applies to others like UCLA's Nico Iamaleava, Oregon's Dante Moore and Auburn's Jackson Arnold and more.

However, their inclusion is a reflection of playing the most important position and its draft-related upside—not their recent performance. They would need to have a major breakout season to truly join this conversation.

It appears the value of running backs—which took a pretty heavy perception hit—has started to rise again. Thank you, Saquon Barkley.

Anyway, within this former 5-star category, a pair of Big Ten runners stand out. The first is Nick Singleton, who's surpassed 1,000 scrimmage yards in all three seasons at Penn State. Justice Haynes, a transfer from Alabama, is also worth mentioning for his upside in a physical Michigan system.

At receiver, it's another list heavy on projection.

The most established player is Evan Stewart, a three-year contributor between his time at Texas A&M and Oregon. Stewart had a modest 613 yards and five scores last year, however, so UO is hoping for a genuine surge in 2025.

South Carolina's Nyck Harbor—who I still believe may be a better edge-rusher than receiver—USC transfers Zachariah Branch (Georgia) and Duce Robinson (Florida State) and returning USC wideout Makai Lemon are on the radar.

In short: Receiver is a fascinating spot to watch in the 2026 cycle.

After quarterback, of course, few positions in the NFL are as valuable as offensive tackles or edge-rushers.

The upcoming cycle's list of blockers begins with Alabama left tackle Kadyn Proctor and Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa. Both are two-year starters who will enter 2025 with All-American expectations.

On the defensive side, there are a couple of star playmakers.

Suntarine Perkins led Ole Miss with 14 tackles for loss (10.5 sacks) last season, while Dani Dennis-Sutton collected 13.5 TFLs (eight sacks) for Penn State. They each had at least 5.5 stops in the backfield in 2023, as well.

Damon Wilson II is a lesser-known player, but he could emerge as a star on Missouri's defense after transferring from Georgia.

First, look to the SEC.

Anthony Hill Jr. garnered second-team AP All-America honors last year, guiding Texas with 113 tackles and 16.5 for loss. He, quite simply, has been a superstar.

LSU's Harold Perkins Jr., meanwhile, is shifting to a hybrid position in what should be a bounce-back season. He missed most of the 2024 campaign due to a torn right ACL, but Perkins tallied 13-plus TFLs in the previous two years.

Rounding out the position is Sonny Styles, a converted safety in the Big Ten.

Styles moved to outside linebacker in 2024 and recorded 100 tackles (10.5 for loss) for Ohio State during its championship-winning campaign. He's a critical piece on a defense that is reloading up front.

To the surprise of approximately zero people who have watched CFB for even just a decade, we have Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State in this section.

Domani Jackson began his college career at USC but transferred to Alabama and turned in a quality 2024 campaign. The cornerback notched 52 tackles with a pair of interceptions and seven pass breakups.

Another corner, Daylen Everette secured third-team All-SEC recognition with Georgia last year. He made 58 tackles and also grabbed two picks.

But there's no question the featured player is safety Caleb Downs.

As a true freshman at Bama in 2023, he was a second-team AP All-America pick. Nick Saban's retirement nudged Downs into the portal, where he landed with Ohio State. He proceeded to become a first-team All-American and national champion while amassing 82 tackles (7.5 for loss) and two interceptions.

Jackson and Everette could be first-round selections in 2026; Downs, on the other hand—it would be stunning if he's not.