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 New Jersey using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from New Jersey set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Gemaus Sackie (LB)
- National rank: #962 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #75
- College: Syracuse
- Offers: Syracuse, Maine, Monmouth, Stony Brook, Temple
- High school: Burlington Township (Burlington, NJ)
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2 / 20#19. Adam Shaw (LB)
- National rank: #923 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #72
- College: Michigan State
- Offers: Michigan State, Rutgers, Bucknell, Cornell, Fordham
- High school: Pascack Valley (Hillsdale, NJ)
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3 / 20#16 (tie). Josiah Zayas (WR)
- National rank: #848 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #116
- College: Iowa State
- Offers: Iowa State, Boston College, Buffalo, East Carolina, Syracuse
- High school: St. Thomas Aquinas (Edison, NJ)
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4 / 20#16 (tie). Jordan Rodriguez (S)
- National rank: #848 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #73
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Duke, Akron, Arkansas, Army
- High school: St. Peter's Prep (Jersey City, NJ)
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5 / 20#16 (tie). Steve Klein (ATH)
- National rank: #848 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #64
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Army, Bryant, Cornell, Delaware
- High school: Westwood (Westwood, NJ)
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6 / 20#12 (tie). Roseby Lubintus (OT)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #63
- College: not committed
- Offers: Penn State, Syracuse, Boston College, Buffalo, Florida
- High school: Timber Creek (Sicklerville, NJ)
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7 / 20#12 (tie). CJ Edwards (Edge)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #68
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, Boston College, Central Michigan, Duke, Kent State
- High school: St. Joseph (Metuchen, NJ)
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8 / 20#12 (tie). Zaiden McDonald (S)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #57
- College: Stanford
- Offers: Stanford, Northwestern, Akron, Boston College, Duke
- High school: Malcolm X Shabazz (Newark, NJ)
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9 / 20#12 (tie). Chase Enlow (RB)
- National rank: #724 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #44
- College: Buffalo
- Offers: Buffalo, Boston College, Charlotte, Cornell, Dartmouth
- High school: Hun School (Princeton, NJ)
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10 / 20#11. Xavier Jackson (CB)
- National rank: #662 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #56
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Temple, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Army
- High school: Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ)
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11 / 20#9 (tie). Julian Peterson (CB)
- National rank: #629 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #51
- College: not committed
- Offers: North Carolina, Wisconsin, Penn State, Akron, Boston College
- High school: Winslow Township (Atco, NJ)
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12 / 20#9 (tie). KJ McClain (S)
- National rank: #629 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #44
- College: Tennessee
- Offers: Tennessee, Boston College, Central Michigan, Duke, James Madison
- High school: St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, NJ)
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13 / 20#8. Logan Nagle (DL)
- National rank: #506 (3 stars)
- Position rank: #60
- College: Pittsburgh
- Offers: Pittsburgh, Miami, Michigan State, Boston College, Indiana
- High school: DePaul Catholic (Wayne, NJ)
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14 / 20#7. Marlen Bright (OT)
- National rank: #378 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #36
- College: Penn State
- Offers: Penn State, Washington, Stanford, Illinois, Boston College
- High school: DePaul Catholic (Wayne, NJ)
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15 / 20#6. Kai Pritchard (IOL)
- National rank: #375 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #28
- College: Illinois
- Offers: Illinois, Duke, Boston College, Rutgers, James Madison
- High school: Donovan Catholic (Toms River, NJ)
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16 / 20#5. Derek Zammit (QB)
- National rank: #350 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #25
- College: Washington
- Offers: Washington, Alabama, Boston College, Cincinnati, Duke
- High school: DePaul Catholic (Wayne, NJ)
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17 / 20#4. Jermaine Kinsler (DL)
- National rank: #243 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #31
- College: Texas A&M
- Offers: Texas A&M, Arizona, Auburn, Boston College, Central Michigan
- High school: Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ)
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18 / 20#3. Damari Simeon (DL)
- National rank: #211 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #29
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Texas, Penn State, Michigan, Auburn
- High school: St. Augustine Prep (Richland, NJ)
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19 / 20#2. Jordan Thomas (CB)
- National rank: #98 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #11
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, San Diego State, Southern Miss, Akron, Alabama
- High school: Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ)
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20 / 20#1. Luke Wafle (Edge)
- National rank: #62 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #8
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Penn State, Ohio State, Florida, Boston College
- High school: Hun School (Princeton, NJ)
