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 Massachusetts using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from Massachusetts set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 17#17. Brendan Farhat (LB)
- National rank: #2,337 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #200
- College: Temple
- Offers: Temple, Brown, Monmouth, New Hampshire, Rhode Island
- High school: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
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2 / 17#16. Charlie Hanafin (WR)
- National rank: #1,775 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #256
- College: West Virginia
- Offers: West Virginia, Boston College
- High school: Dexter Southfield (Brookline, MA)
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3 / 17#15. Dean Ruksnaitis (IOL)
- National rank: #1,643 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #132
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College
- High school: Williston Northampton School (Easthampton, MA)
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4 / 17#14. Mekhi Volcy (LB)
- National rank: #1,612 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #137
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College
- High school: Bedford (Bedford, MA)
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5 / 17#13. Osiris Lopez (QB)
- National rank: #1,409 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #79
- College: Coastal Carolina
- Offers: Coastal Carolina, Syracuse, UConn, UMass
- High school: Leominster (Leominster, MA)
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6 / 17#10 (tie). Amahn Williams (OT)
- National rank: #1,276 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #110
- College: UCF
- Offers: UCF, Boston College, Buffalo, New Hampshire, Old Dominion
- High school: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
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7 / 17#10 (tie). Qur'an McNeill (QB)
- National rank: #1,276 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #69
- College: Buffalo
- Offers: Buffalo, Arkansas, Campbell, Cincinnati, Syracuse
- High school: Milton Academy (Milton, MA)
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8 / 17#10 (tie). Dominic Funke (Edge)
- National rank: #1,276 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #103
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple
- High school: Xaverian Brothers (Westwood, MA)
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9 / 17#9. Mac Fitzgerald (DL)
- National rank: #1,013 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #116
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College
- High school: Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, MA)
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10 / 17#7 (tie). Nick Fiumara (OT)
- National rank: #962 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #81
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Maryland, Air Force, Akron, Army
- High school: Belmont Hill School (Belmont, MA)
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11 / 17#7 (tie). Orion Saunders (CB)
- National rank: #962 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #80
- College: Tulane
- Offers: Tulane, Buffalo, Fordham, Maine, Monmouth
- High school: Middlesex School (Concord, MA)
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12 / 17#6. Marcus Almada (DL)
- National rank: #923 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #104
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, Maryland, Virginia, Stanford, Arizona State
- High school: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
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13 / 17#5. Anthony Hall (IOL)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #57
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Boston College, Charlotte, Duke, Kentucky
- High school: Dexter Southfield (Brookline, MA)
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14 / 17#4. Brady Bekkenhuis (OT)
- National rank: #580 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #52
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Maryland, Rutgers, Syracuse
- High school: Arlington (Arlington, MA)
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15 / 17#3. Marcelino Antunes Jr. (OT)
- National rank: #459 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #41
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Syracuse
- High school: Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, MA)
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16 / 17#2. Marky Walbridge (OT)
- National rank: #429 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #37
- College: Michigan
- Offers: Michigan, Alabama, Boston College, Penn State, Duke
- High school: St. Sebastian's (Needham, MA)
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17 / 17#1. Carter Gooden (DL)
- National rank: #198 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #27
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, Georgia Tech, Kansas State, Miami, Tennessee
- High school: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
