Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Mississippi
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May 30, 2025
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Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from Mississippi
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 Mississippi using data from 247Sports. Here's the players from Mississippi set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
- National rank: #560 (3 stars) - Position rank: #91 - College: not committed - Offers: Arkansas State, LSU, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Southern Miss - High school: Canton (Canton, MS)
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#19. Iverson McCoy (CB)
- National rank: #548 (3 stars) - Position rank: #44 - College: not committed - Offers: Louisville, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, UNLV, Arkansas - High school: Tupelo (Tupelo, MS)
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#18. Hayden Ainsworth (IOL)
- National rank: #489 (3 stars) - Position rank: #44 - College: not committed - Offers: Ole Miss, North Carolina, Liberty, Florida State, Nebraska - High school: Biloxi (Biloxi, MS)
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#17. O'Mari Johnson (WR)
- National rank: #443 (3 stars) - Position rank: #71 - College: North Carolina - Offers: North Carolina, Mississippi State, Tulane, Arkansas, Arkansas State - High school: Jackson Academy (Wesson, MS)
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#16. Zayion Cotton (WR)
- National rank: #418 (3 stars) - Position rank: #66 - College: not committed - Offers: Mississippi State, Arkansas, NC State, Auburn, Florida State - High school: Grenada (Grenada, MS)
- National rank: #387 (4 stars) - Position rank: #32 - College: not committed - Offers: Florida State, LSU, Baylor, Ole Miss, Mississippi State - High school: Holmes County (Lexington, MS)
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#14. Dereon Albert (DL)
- National rank: #357 (4 stars) - Position rank: #43 - College: not committed - Offers: Arkansas, Mississippi State, Tennessee, Auburn, Baylor - High school: Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS)
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#13. Bryson Cooley (OT)
- National rank: #290 (4 stars) - Position rank: #26 - College: not committed - Offers: Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, Baylor, Colorado State - High school: West Jones (Laurel, MS)
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#12. Corey Wells (DL)
- National rank: #272 (4 stars) - Position rank: #33 - College: not committed - Offers: Mississippi State, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Florida State - High school: Petal (Petal, MS)
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#11. Tylan Wilson (S)
- National rank: #235 (4 stars) - Position rank: #21 - College: not committed - Offers: Clemson, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama - High school: Pascagoula (Pascagoula, MS)
- National rank: #231 (4 stars) - Position rank: #17 - College: Mississippi State - Offers: Mississippi State, Arkansas State, Auburn, Florida, Florida State - High school: New Albany (New Albany, MS)
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#9. Preston Ashley (S)
- National rank: #212 (4 stars) - Position rank: #18 - College: not committed - Offers: Colorado, Auburn, Arkansas, Duke, Florida - High school: Brandon (Brandon, MS)
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#8. Damarius Yates (RB)
- National rank: #126 (4 stars) - Position rank: #11 - College: Ole Miss - Offers: Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Mississippi State - High school: Kemper County (De Kalb, MS)
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#7. JaReylan McCoy (DL)
- National rank: #122 (4 stars) - Position rank: #16 - College: not committed - Offers: LSU, Texas, Ole Miss, Florida, Auburn - High school: Tupelo (Tupelo, MS)
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#6. Xavier McDonald (WR)
- National rank: #114 (4 stars) - Position rank: #16 - College: not committed - Offers: Mississippi State, LSU, Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn - High school: Morton (Morton, MS)
- National rank: #113 (4 stars) - Position rank: #7 - College: not committed - Offers: Mississippi State, Tennessee, Florida State, Auburn, North Carolina - High school: Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS)
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#4. Jase Mathews (WR)
- National rank: #103 (4 stars) - Position rank: #12 - College: not committed - Offers: Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, Colorado, Mississippi State - High school: Greene County (Leakesville, MS)
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#3. Nolan Wilson (DL)
- National rank: #56 (4 stars) - Position rank: #6 - College: not committed - Offers: Miami, Ole Miss, Auburn, Alabama, Florida - High school: Picayune Memorial (Picayune, MS)
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#2. Bralan Womack (S)
- National rank: #21 (5 stars) - Position rank: #1 - College: not committed - Offers: Ohio State, Auburn, Texas A&M, Florida, Alabama - High school: Hartfield Academy (Flowood, MS)
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#1. Tristen Keys (WR)
- National rank: #3 (5 stars) - Position rank: #1 - College: LSU - Offers: LSU, Miami, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn - High school: Hattiesburg (Hattiesburg, MS)
