There are slightly below 20 five-star recruits within the ESPNW Class of 2026. Three gamers dedicated effectively earlier than the 2025 summer time recruiting interval started, and because the July reside interval wound down, one other one hit: No. 1 Saniyah Hall announced Friday she would swimsuit up for USC in 2026-27. Extra bulletins ought to start to trickle in throughout the fall.
With rosters extra fluid than ever because of the elevated concentrate on the switch portal and the brand new period of income sharing, highschool prospects should suppose extra fastidiously about their future faculty touchdown spot. We can’t see these gamers in a university uniform for an additional season, however we will nonetheless make some knowledgeable projections. How will they match of their chosen system? What’s subsequent for these packages which have signed these top-tier abilities? We’ll attempt to reply all these questions right here.
Bookmark this web page, as we are going to replace this record and add key evaluation each time a five-star recruit broadcasts a dedication.
Final up to date: July 25, 2025
See the full ESPNW 100 Class of 2026 rankings here
2026 ESPNW 100 Rating: 1
Dedicated to: USC Trojans
Background: Corridor introduced her dedication to USC on ESPN’s NBA As we speak. She went straight from her official go to at USC to the ESPN studios to interrupt the information, selecting the Trojans over UCLA and North Carolina. She dominated at Montverde (FL) final season and has transferred nearer to residence to Spire Academy (OH) for her senior 12 months of highschool.
Corridor was just lately named the MVP of the U19 FIBA Girls’s World Cup held within the Czech Republic, the place Workforce USA gained gold as soon as once more. Her manufacturing was fairly spectacular, as she averaged 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.0 APG and a couple of.9 SPG. She shot 52.6% from the sector by way of the event, together with 39.3% from behind the arc.
How she matches: Corridor will be part of a 2026-27 roster that can embrace Jasmine Davidson (additionally on the gold medal-winning U19 squad), JuJu Watkins, and 2025 FIBA Americup Gold medalist Kennedy Smith (No. 6 within the ESPNW 100 class of 2024).
The interchangeability and scoring prowess of this mixture can be exhausting to compete towards in ladies’s faculty basketball. They’ll have a WNBA/European type really feel to the roster. Every of those gamers has their very own area of interest, however all of them can deal with, rating and defend at a excessive stage. USC will look to additional bolster its inside play on this 2026 class, and is focusing on No. 2 recruit Oliviyah Edwards, who visited campus formally earlier within the calendar 12 months.
How Corridor should alter: Corridor will arrive on campus gifted sufficient to contribute instantly — there was even discuss of contemplating a reclassification into the 2025 class. Nevertheless, she’s going to nonetheless have to make changes to her recreation, totally on the defensive finish, as a wing who will probably log some minutes on the ahead spot (like she did primarily for Workforce USA). Corridor has at all times been the point of interest offensively for her groups — and whereas that aggressiveness will serve her effectively in any respect ranges, she can be becoming a member of a roster that has Watkins, arguably the very best scoring guard within the nation. So, Corridor might want to discover ways to play with different actually elite gamers, probably taking a few of the load off of Watkins as she returns to the court docket from her ACL harm.
How USC is positioning itself within the recruiting race: The signing of Corridor exhibits simply how robust of a model the Trojans have inbuilt recruiting, notably inside the imprint of the brand new Massive Ten panorama. The USC employees managed to maintain JuJu Watkins, the No. 1 recruit in 2023, near residence, had the No. 1 recruiting class in 2024, landed the No. 1 participant in 2025 (Jasmine Davidson) — and have achieved it once more with Corridor. All indicators level to the Trojans being a recruiting powerhouse.
2026 ESPNW 100 rating: 11
Dedicated to: Kentucky Wildcats
Background: The 5-foot-8 multi-sport athlete (basketball, soccer, monitor) selected Kentucky over finalists Iowa, Duke, Clemson, UCLA, and Stanford in November. It was an enormous win for Wildcats coach Kenny Brooks, who now has two five-stars commits (No. 18 Savvy Swords).
Greenway is without doubt one of the most adorned excessive schoolers to return out of Minnesota, with state championships in all three sports activities, and simply gained a gold medal with the 2025 USA Girls’s Basketball U19 World Cup workforce. She’s additionally the reigning Minnesota Gatorade Participant of the Yr. Her mom, Jenni, ran monitor at Iowa (and is now her highschool monitor coach) and her father, Chad, performed 11 years within the NFL after starring at linebacker for the Hawkeyes.
MADDYN PULL UP JUMPER 💦 @maddyngreenway #USABWU19 x #FIBAU19 pic.twitter.com/m3WF8NIfV5
— USABJNT (@usabjnt) July 16, 2025
How she matches: Kentucky’s level guards should be main playmakers, and Brooks is getting simply that in Greenway. She places quick strain on the protection and scores in any respect three ranges. She’s the last word competitor defensively, making use of ball strain and all-out hustle in rotations.
What’s subsequent: Greenway can be tasked with turning into the following star level guard for Brooks, very like Georgia Amoore, who led Virginia Tech to a Last 4 beneath him in 2023 earlier than each moved on to Kentucky. Brooks is hoping to construct Kentucky in the same methodology in Yr Two.
2026 ESPNW 100 rating: 17
Dedicated to: Michigan State Spartans
Background: Williams’ path to turning into one of many high submit gamers within the nation was completely different from many on this record: she was homeschooled till this upcoming season (the place she’s going to attend Howell Excessive Faculty in Michigan), and he or she performed for unbiased membership program Michigan Mystics P24 quite than for a shoe circuit workforce. She shouldn’t be solely good now, however has extra potential to achieve: At 6-foot 5, Williams can dunk the basketball.
5-star Michigan State commit @LillyAWilliams is getting it achieved on each ends at Tremendous Showcase 🔥@MImystics pic.twitter.com/OmxUpVMTqZ
— Choose Occasions Basketball (@SelectEventsBB) July 10, 2025
How she matches: Williams dedicated to Michigan State in early 2024. She had gives from many of the Massive Ten, after which some. She is going to be part of this system because the tallest participant on the roster, and can be anticipated to anchor a protection that prides itself in strain and creating turnovers. As a cellular and powerful inside participant, Williams will give the Spartans a real middle to play by way of. This system will nonetheless look to signal some extent guard and scoring guard to spherical out the category.
2026 ESPNW 100 rating: 18
Dedicated to: Kentucky Wildcats
Background: The youthful sister of Michigan guard and Canadian Olympian Syla Swords, Swords is a Canadian nationwide workforce staple when not enjoying at Lengthy Island Lutheran in highschool. She missed many of the 2024-25 highschool season and summer time with a knee harm, however has rehabbed efficiently. She brings a successful pedigree from in all places she performs, from highschool to FIBA competitors. She dedicated to Kentucky over finalists South Carolina, UCLA, Michigan, and Notre Dame.
How she matches: The 6-1 youthful Swords will have the ability to log minutes on the wing or ahead spots and doubtlessly be very interchangeable with 2025 McDonald’s All-American signee Kaelyn Carroll. She is a assured shooter and facilitator from the perimeter, however performs with the physicality wanted inside. She and Maddyn Greenway are an amazing early tandem of commits for the Wildcats.