Mid-South Spotlight: Prospects on the rise in 2026 class

With spring camp season fully underway across the nation, plenty of big-time prospects in the 2026 class will begin to make names for themselves. Check out five 2026 prospects on the rise in the Mid-South region.

MORE: East Coast prospects on the rise in 2026 class

Calicut, who is set to play opposite five-star Ohio State commit Devin Sanchez this fall, is being tabbed as the next hot item out of the Eastside. His size, length, athleticism and ball skills will draw eyes during camp season and as coaches make their way to North Shore during spring ball.

Calicut holds just one offer right now, but national powers such as Georgia, Florida State and Florida are beginning to pop up on the radar.

Davis’ recruitment is set to take off sooner rather than later. He has an ideal frame at 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and, most importantly, is very accurate. As a sophomore, Davis completed just a tick under 72 percent of his passes and threw for 42 touchdowns to just two interceptions in 35 quarters of work.

Marshall and North Alabama are the only programs that have offered Davis at this point, but he is on the radar at LSU and Arkansas. His offer list should expand as he makes the rounds at camps this spring and summer.

Kennedy Jr. has seen his name take off in recent weeks. The 6-foot-6 defensive lineman has picked up offers from Georgia, USC, Texas A&M, TCU, Oklahoma State, Arkansas, Oklahoma and others.

Kennedy has not even scratched the surface on his physical potential, but this spring will be a good indication of the path he is moving on. He should be an attention-grabber at camps this spring.

At 6-foot-2, 215 pounds, King is the prototypical modern linebacker. He is a sideline-to-sideline defender who is disruptive in rushing the passer and will hold his own when in coverage. He will test well in the speed department, running in the upper 4.5s in the 40-yard dash.

King was productive as a sophomore with 138 tackles and eight sacks. More than 15 programs have extended offers and more will follow suit.

I believe Krempin to be one of the region’s premier tackle prospects in the 2026 cycle. He has one of the most promising frames I have seen to this point at 6-foot-5, and his weight continues to climb with good mass. He is technically sound and plays with an aggression that pops on tape.

Krempin’s popularity is evident, already holding 20-plus offers, but he has yet to crack the rankings. In just the past eight weeks, he has picked up offers from Texas A&M, LSU, Florida State, Auburn, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State and others. The spring and camp evaluation period will likely help solidify Krempin as one of the elite offensive linemen in this class.