The camp and combine circuit is in full swing down South, with several events already in the books featuring top underclassmen college football prospects.
Following up the contact period, where college coaches got to meet and eyeball young athletes, the industry has been able to see many in action, updating evaluations from the fall as new scholarship offers and opportunities come in.
Rivals has been on hand for several stops in the state of Florida, including the Under Armour Next Orlando event last weekend, where plenty of sophomore prospects have turned heads. Here are five in the class of 2026 yet to earn a rating worth keeping an eye on early this spring.
The big passer from the Orlando area is now at state power Sanford (Fla.) Seminole and he’s all but his the ground running this offseason. There is a poise and confidence about how he carries himself, and why not with a smooth release and touch to all three levels. Clayton has seen his recruitment take form early this year, now up to double-digit scholarship offers with Ole Miss, Illinois and USF among the newest on the table. As a sophomore last fall at Orlando (Fla) Edgewater, Clayton threw for nearly 2,000 yards and 18 touchdowns. Expect those tallies to rise in 2024.
Another breakout quarterback from the Orlando area, Coleman has become one of the most talked about sophomores in the state. He led Jones High to a deep playoff run last year despite sharing time with Florida State freshman Trever Jackson throughout the campaign. Still, it was Coleman who was counted on as the primary passer for the program, showcasing play-making ability inside the pocket and out with easy velocity along the way. He has a strong frame, still with much to add to it, and some length to project towards the Power Four level. Coleman’s offer list has blown by the one-dozen mark, with a head-turning tender from Oklahoma among the latest.
The well-built sophomore lived in the backfield last fall and it was easy to see why in person. He works with great leverage and power in addition to having speed to burn against bigger tackles. Kruel is closing in on 20 scholarship offers as a combination rusher, with programs like Oklahoma, Duke and local UCF of course doing well early on. More should come in for Kruel, who was about the only defensive lineman that had success against top 2025 guard Solomon Thomas on Sunday, following the staggering 17-sack, 34-tackle-for-loss numbers he put up in 2023.
Imagine trying to slow down a Rivals100, All-American pass rusher any time you feel like getting work in? That’s reality for Pickett, the younger brother of Booker Pickett, who signed with Miami in December. Of course the Canes are already on Canon’s offer list, but they’re not alone with many jumping on board including Oregon and LSU just this week. Pickett is already closing in on 300 pounds despite his youth, and he has shown the ability to get out of his stance with the snap quickness one may expect given his bloodlines. He also showed some coachability on Sunday, another strong sign of his future as the technique continues to match the natural talent.
Coming from the Panhandle to compete over the weekend, Legree has an impressive build at better than 6-foot, nearly 200 pounds. Though a two-way player, he showed up working out at wide receiver and played the part, too. Legree works out of his breaks with power and finishes with easy hands more reminiscent of an upperclassman than a versatile young athlete who works all over the field. The more we dig into the sophomore, who hauled in passes for more than 500 yards and five touchdowns in 2023, the more we like the wide receiver projection. Kentucky and Tulane are the most recent offers in, but more should be on the way before Legree suits up as a junior.
A brand new name to track from a recruiting perspective, Rodgers has a head-turning frame at 6-foot-5 and there is enough game to back it up. On track to be a four-year varsity performer, Rodgers’ stride and speed have been his calling card as a pass rusher and even elsewhere, like when he took a kickoff to the house as a freshman in 2022. Now-a-days, the lengthy edge has developed into a first-step player who gets tackles on their heels. As he becomes more flexible, the north Floridian could blossom into a true pass-rushing specialist. Offers from more than a half-dozen programs are in early, including from Georgia Tech and Iowa State from the Power Four ranks.
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John Garcia Jr., National Recruiting Analyst
