Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from New York
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 York using data from 247Sports. Here's the players from New York set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
#4. Jacob Butler (WR)
- Position rank: #173
- College: Stanford
- Offers: Stanford, Boston College, Buffalo, Duke, East Carolina
- High school: Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, NY)
#3. Gerald Green Jr. (CB)
- Position rank: #87
- College: Boston College
- Offers: Boston College, Buffalo, Delaware
- High school: Moore Catholic (Staten Island, NY)
#2. Crew Davis (RB)
- Position rank: #36
- College: North Carolina
- Offers: North Carolina, Army, Buffalo, Fordham, UNLV
- High school: Iona Preparatory School (New Rochelle, NY)
#1. Messiah Hampton (WR)
- Position rank: #11
- College: not committed
- Offers: Syracuse, Miami, Penn State, Georgia, Michigan
- High school: James Monroe (Rochester, NY)