New to the 2026 Rankings (21-30)
In this article:
The 2026 Rankings have been updated and increased to 100 total players ranked in the class. 62 new players have seen their name added in the update and we’ll break down who was added. Here were the players who debuted…
Access all of Prep Redzone
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingThe 2026 Rankings have been updated and increased to 100 total players ranked in the class. 62 new players have seen their name added in the update and we’ll break down who was added. Here were the players who debuted in the 2026 rankings in this update.
The Winfield Generals aren’t typically known for their passing attack but I have a feeling they’re going to open things up more because of 2026 receiver Aiden Hernandez Aiden Hernandez 6’1″ | 175 lbs | WR Winfield | 2026 State WV . The 6’1 175 wideout was a First Team All-Cardinal Conference selection and an Honorable Mention All-State pick by the WVSWA for his sophomore season performance. Hernandez has some freakish athletic traits that he showcased on his sophomore tape. He already has good length and it wouldn’t surprise me if he grew 2-3 more inches by the time he’s a senior too. His speed jumps out right away with a quick release that often leaves defenders in the dust. Hernandez is a very fluid athlete for his age and it’s scary to think what he’ll be when he puts 20+ pounds of muscle on over time. He has great separation ability during the route and after the catch even with DBs playing off coverage on him most of the time. Hernandez has a great burst and is an explosive athlete with ball skills to go with his athletic tools. Already a Top 25 player in the 2026 class, his ranking still might be too low and I expect he’ll steadily increase it over the next two seasons while emerging as a D1 prospect in time.
Trying to rank the three stud Cabell Midland sophomore offensive linemen is like trying to pick your favorite son. The three rank as the #4, #5, and #6 offensive linemen in the 2026 class currently with Caleb Parlier Caleb Parlier 6’2″ | 255 lbs | OL Cabell Midland | 2026 State WV rounding out the three. Parlier plays tackle right now at 6’2 250 which is typically a bit short for the position but his athleticism is plentiful giving him no issues at that position. He has great feet and is very light on them easily blocking down to the second level and in space. His kick steps on pass sets are also very good often handling long and quick DEs and OLBs easily. Parlier has great bend and plays with low leverage which will also benefit him greatly if he eventually slides inside to guard. He has violent hands with a powerful punch and a strong grip often neutralizing defenders on first contact. Pass and run blocking skills are even being a very quality blocker in both sets. If Parlier adds length he may just end up being a Top 5 OL in the 2026 class.
Philip Barbour seems to be churning out offensive linemen at a high level lately and Malachi Cross Malachi Cross 6’5″ | 275 lbs | OL Philip Barbour | 2026 State WV looks to be the next one in line for the Colts. Great size already at 6’4 270 and is one of the bigger linemen in the class currently on our radar. Small sophomore highlight tape but it does the job and gives you a good idea of what he can become eventually. Only had run-blocking highlights to show which hurt his evaluation a bit, but I thought he moved well for a young tackle his size and I believe he can potentially play tackle in college. Very apparent early physical strength driving defenders back like they aren’t there at times but can take it to the next level with a big off-season in the weight room. Cross is still raw right now but you can see flashes of great potential and he’s another high-upside player in the 2026 class showing early signs.
The below video was too good not to share and speaks to how strong the young man is at 15 years old wrestling in the 285-pound weight class.
Another young offensive line prospect who is impressing early is Spring Valley’s Michael Shy Michael Shy 6’3″ | 260 lbs | OL Spring Valley | 2026 State WV . Shy was a Second Team All-MSAC performer at tackle this season and is another lineman who may slide inside to guard in the future. The 6’2 255 sophomore plays right tackle currently and showed quality athleticism to be able to play on the outside in their offensive scheme. Shy is asked to block down to the second level often showcasing solid foot quickness and can also pull from his tackle spot. He’s a physical run blocker which they stress in that program further showing a possible move to guard in time with the ideal size and skillset for that position. Kick steps during pass sets is an area he can continue developing in, but Spring Valley heavily leans on their running game. Shy does a nice job finishing and sustaining blocks creating a high number of knockdowns. He’s a strong young lineman with a bright future ahead of him ranking as a Top 10 OL in the 2026 class at this time.
A very high upside and great potential receiver in the 2026 class is Linsly’s Jaxon Murray Jaxon Murray 6’2″ | 170 lbs | WR Linsly | 2026 State WV . Murray just finished up his first year of high school football for the Cadets and performed very well during his first season at this level. Linsly needed some pass catchers to step up this season after graduating some high-level receivers a year ago and Murray did so in a big way. He averaged 24 yards per catch on 19 catches for 457 yards and 5 touchdowns in his sophomore campaign. Murray should build on that momentum heading into his junior year while building a better rapport with our #2 2026 QB Braden Wade Braden Wade 6’0″ | 190 lbs | QB Linsly | 2026 State WV the next two years. He’s a three-sport athlete who’s also a very quality basketball and baseball player with a very good athletic base to build around. Murray has very good size for a wideout at 6’2 170 with natural playmaking ability and athleticism that makes the transition back to football much easier. He has the speed and quickness to develop the technical side of the position while also having natural ball skills to pair with his athleticism. While he’s still raw right now, if Murray sticks with football it may just be his best sport out of the three, and could see himself as a sought-after college football prospect by the time he’s a senior.
East Fairmont’s Adrian Fleming Adrian Fleming 6’0″ | 200 lbs | LB East Fairmont | 2026 State WV popped on his sophomore highlight tape that propelled him to the early #2 LB spot in the 2026 rankings. Fleming was a First Team All-Big 10 selection as a sophomore this season totaling 62.5 tackles, 10 TFLs, and 2 sacks while seeing reps at running back too. He has solid early size at nearly 6’1 and 195 pounds with some good weight room development already as a young athlete. The biggest thing that caused him to move up past other 2026 linebackers is his game speed and quick reaction time. Fleming has a self-reported 4.7 40 which looks to be accurate from watching his sophomore film. There are a lot of good young linebackers who have the playmaking ability for the position but having the athleticism that Fleming has to pair with it is much rarer. I love how quickly he reads the play wasting no time getting downhill and delivering a punishing blow. Fleming has good hips through contact often making textbook tackles and can do so in space and behind or at the line of scrimmage. He has very good speed coming off the edge from his OLB position with great pursuit when blitzing or reacting and takes good angles. If Fleming can get in that 6’2-6’3 range he may just find himself being a D1 prospect in time and may do so even if he doesn’t.
Princeton’s Kalum Kiser Kalum Kiser 6’1″ | 215 lbs | DL Princeton | 2026 State WV made the move from PikeView for his sophomore season and it paid off for him in a big way. Kiser was a Second Team All-State selection by the WVSWA being only one of four sophomores on the First or Second Team. Unfortunately, he has not posted any sophomore film yet so it’s hard to fully evaluate him without it but the production was there totaling 11.5 sacks from the stats we could find. That means that we’re taking a bit of a flyer on him right now but as a 2026 prospect, you’re typically already doing that for young athletes. Kiser has 6’1 215 size which could warrant an eventual move to a DE/OLB hybrid position if he doesn’t grow over the next two years. We’ll get a full evaluation on him when he posts his highlights but Kiser will debut in the 2026 rankings as the #3 DL for now.
The early top specialist in the 2026 class is University punter Jimmy Gregg Jimmy Gregg 6’1″ | 205 lbs | K University | 2026 State WV . If you aren’t familiar with this young man yet I’d recommend familiarizing yourself quickly. He’s rated as a 4 1/2 star Punter by the prestigious Kohl’s Kicking and currently ranks as the #7 Punter in the country for the 2026 class. Gregg just finished 6th in the punting category at the Kohl’s Future Stars Camp further cementing himself as one of the top 2026 punters in the country. He has quality size already as a sophomore at 6’1 205 with a self-reported 4.6 40 time doubling as a very good athlete as well. Gregg averaged over 35 yards per punt this season while placing 11 of them inside the 20. He has very good hangtime on his punts showcasing a booming leg when he’s not accurately putting shorter kicks inside the 20. Gregg’s time from snap catch to kick is very quick while also maintaining good mechanics and a fast swing. I expect his floor to eventually be an FCS prospect with an FBS ceiling who should be a no-doubt D1 Punter.