The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Arkansas using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Arkansas set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Isaiah Bowman (IOL)
- National rank: #2,172 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #184
- College: Arkansas State
- Offers: Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Colorado State, Louisiana-Monroe, Murray State
- High school: Conway (Conway, AR)
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2 / 20#19. Josiah Warrior-Benson (WR)
- National rank: #1,847 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #267
- College: Central Arkansas
- Offers: Central Arkansas, Arkansas State, Tulsa
- High school: Joe T. Robinson (Little Rock, AR)
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3 / 20#18. Blair Irvin III (WR)
- National rank: #1,775 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #256
- College: Arkansas
- Offers: Arkansas, West Virginia, USF, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas
- High school: Bentonville (Bentonville, AR)
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4 / 20#17. Cody Taylor (IOL)
- National rank: #1,447 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #115
- College: Charlotte
- Offers: Charlotte, Appalachian State, Arkansas State, Florida Atlantic, Kentucky
- High school: Greenwood (Greenwood, AR)
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5 / 20#16. Tucker Young (OT)
- National rank: #1,186 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #98
- College: Arkansas
- Offers: Arkansas, Arkansas State, Memphis
- High school: Lakeside (Hot Springs, AR)
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6 / 20#13 (tie). Kevin Young Jr. (RB)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #63
- College: not committed
- Offers: Kansas State, Arkansas State, Central Arkansas, Missouri, Vanderbilt
- High school: Forrest City (Forrest City, AR)
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7 / 20#13 (tie). Jordan Harris (Edge)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #91
- College: not committed
- Offers: Arkansas, Appalachian State, Houston, Mississippi State, Missouri
- High school: Maumelle (Maumelle, AR)
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8 / 20#13 (tie). Kyndrick Williams (S)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #88
- College: Arkansas
- Offers: Arkansas, Central Arkansas, East Texas A&M, UNLV
- High school: Fayetteville (Fayetteville, AR)
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9 / 20#12. Kane Archer (QB)
- National rank: #962 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #49
- College: UCF
- Offers: UCF, Appalachian State, Arizona, Arkansas, Arkansas State
- High school: Greenwood (Greenwood, AR)
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11 / 20#10. Tay Lockett (S)
- National rank: #778 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #67
- College: Arkansas
- Offers: Arkansas, UCLA, Akron, Arizona, Auburn
- High school: Conway (Conway, AR)
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12 / 20#9. Kamauri Austin (WR)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #104
- College: Appalachian State
- Offers: Appalachian State, Air Force, Arkansas Baptist, Arkansas State, Army
- High school: Bryant (Bryant, AR)
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13 / 20#8. Braxton Lindsey (LB)
- National rank: #483 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #35
- College: BYU
- Offers: BYU, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas State
- High school: Rogers (Rogers, AR)
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14 / 20#7. Matthew Nelson (Edge)
- National rank: #442 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #45
- College: Oklahoma
- Offers: Oklahoma, Alabama, Tulane, Air Force, Appalachian State
- High school: Bryant (Bryant, AR)
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15 / 20#6. Anthony Kennedy Jr. (DL)
- National rank: #432 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #48
- College: Miami
- Offers: Miami, Missouri, Alcorn State, Appalachian State, Arkansas
- High school: Little Rock Central (Little Rock, AR)
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16 / 20#5. Dequane Prevo (WR)
- National rank: #415 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #60
- College: Arkansas
- Offers: Arkansas, SMU, Auburn, Baylor, Florida
- High school: Bentonville (Bentonville, AR)
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17 / 20#4. Jakore Smith (LB)
- National rank: #382 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #27
- College: Oklahoma
- Offers: Oklahoma, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgia Tech
- High school: Bryant (Bryant, AR)
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18 / 20#3. Terry Hodges (RB)
- National rank: #328 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #20
- College: Missouri
- Offers: Missouri, Arkansas, Arkansas State, Auburn, Baylor
- High school: Bryant (Bryant, AR)
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19 / 20#2. Evan Goodwin (OT)
- National rank: #239 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #21
- College: SMU
- Offers: SMU, Mississippi State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Appalachian State
- High school: Bauxite (Bauxite, AR)
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