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Eli Lederman
With just a few weeks to go before the early signing period, the 2026 class is mostly wrapped up. Only eight of the prospects ranked inside the ESPN 300 remain uncommitted, including just one — defensive end Jordan Carter — among ESPN’s top 100 recruits.
However, there’s still plenty of activity expected over the homestretch of the 2026 cycle. As committed prospects hit the road for November visits across the country and top programs scour the flip market for late-cycle additions, recruiting drama this time of year is expected. Adding to the intrigue this fall is early activity on the coaching carousel that left job openings at major programs, including Auburn, Florida, LSU and Penn State, sparking flip interest from other top schools and sending committed recruits to reconsider their options before December.
As the business end of the 2026 cycle arrives, ESPN spoke to sources across the industry about 10 prospects who could be on the move in the 23 days between now and the early signing period.
Hometown: Erwinsville, Louisiana
ESPN 300 rank: No. 1
Position rank: No. 1
Committed to: LSU
Recruiting intel: Brown became the highest-ranked pledge of the Brian Kelly era at LSU when he committed to the Tigers over Miami and Texas A&M in July. Five months later, the nation’s top-ranked recruit remains the cornerstone of the program’s incoming class as the school searches for its next coach in the wake of Kelly’s firing.
Brown, who was recruited as a legitimate two-way offensive/defensive line prospect, recorded 91 tackles and eight sacks across his first three varsity seasons at Louisiana’s University Laboratory School, which is located on the LSU campus, just one mile east of Tiger Stadium.
The latest: Brown has emphasized the value of playing at LSU as a Louisiana native and the chance to remain close to home throughout his recruitment. More than two weeks after Kelly’s dismissal, ESPN sources continue to expect Brown to sign with the Tigers during the early signing period, regardless of where the program’s coaching search stands at that point.
Brown’s continued commitment is critical for LSU, not only because he would be the program’s first No. 1-ranked signee since Leonard Fournette in 2014 but because the 6-foot-5, 285-pound defender is seen as the linchpin of the Tigers’ incoming class, according to sources within the program. If Brown sticks with LSU, those sources expect the majority of the 2026 class to do the same.
Still, Brown has been the subject of renewed interest from Miami and Texas A&M in recent weeks. Between those two, sources believe Texas A&M — a narrow runner-up for Brown’s pledge in June — presents the biggest threat to LSU. Brown is not slated to take any visits this month, but his recruitment will be one to watch.
Hometown: Flowood, Mississippi
ESPN 300 rank: No. 39
Position rank: No. 3
Committed to: Auburn
Recruiting intel: Auburn beat Florida, Ohio State and Texas A&M to Womack’s commitment in August, and Mississippi’s 2024 Gatorade Football Player of the Year remains the Tigers’ top-ranked 2026 pledge.
ESPN sources viewed Womack’s pledge as tied heavily to the future of Auburn coach Hugh Freeze before the program fired the third-year coach Nov. 2. After Freeze’s exit, Womack is considering all of his options, with major programs interested.
The latest: Texas A&M is working on several high-profile flip targets in the final stages of the cycle, including Womack, Brown, Anthony Jones (Oregon) and Kevin Ford (Florida). Among that group, Womack might be the most attainable for coach Mike Elko and the Aggies.
Texas A&M finished second in Womack’s recruitment over the summer, and the Aggies are expected to have him back on campus this weekend for the program’s visit from South Carolina.
In-state programs Mississippi State and Ole Miss are two others in pursuit of Womack; his visit for the Bulldogs’ Week 11 loss to Georgia marked a significant development for Mississippi State. Summer finalists Florida and Ohio State can’t be counted out either.
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
ESPN 300 rank: No. 78
Position rank: No. 13
Committed to: Penn State
Recruiting intel: College talent evaluators view the longtime Penn State commit as a potential multiyear starter at the next level. It’s a big part of why Ohio State and West Virginia, among a group of other major programs seeking to land an impact, late-cycle addition on the offensive line, have swarmed Brown since the Nittany Lions fired coach James Franklin last month.
Andy Kwon. It’s not out of the question that Smith could stick with the Bruins under a new head coach, particularly if Kwon remains on the program’s staff.
Hometown: Gonzales, Louisiana
ESPN 300 rank: No. 84
Position rank: No. 15
Committed to: LSU
Recruiting intel: Brian Kelly’s departure certainly accelerated potential movement in Martinez’s process. But the 6-foot-6, 280-pound lineman had been in contact with multiple SEC programs this fall, well before LSU moved on from its fourth-year coach last month.
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«It necessarily didn’t impact my recruitment,» Ford told ESPN of Napier’s firing. «I liked the campus at Florida and how the fans and culture are building for years to come. I’m not really hoping to see anything with the coaching search, just a person who can elevate the program.»
However, Ford is still drawing interest from multiple programs. He has already set for a visit with USC later this month, and looks likely to take a few more campus trips in the coming weeks.
The latest: Clemson, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and USC are leading the charge to pull Ford away from the Gators in the lead-up to the early signing period.
Initially expected to visit Texas Tech for the program’s top-10 showdown with BYU on Saturday, Ford did not make the trip to Lubbock but could still visit with the Red Raiders this month. Texas A&M, which has hosted Ford twice this fall, stands as another major player in his recruitment as the Aggies pursue late-cycle defensive line talent. USC has been a constant presence throughout Ford’s process and will host him when the Trojans face UCLA on Nov. 29.
Ford remains one of the top members of Florida’s 2026 class. But the Gators will have to fend off several surging programs to keep his pledge through signing day.
Hometown: McDonald, Pennsylvania
ESPN 300 rank: No. 162
Position rank: No. 42
Committed to: Penn State
Recruiting intel: Another longtime Penn State commit, Sieg is courting late-cycle interest from Indiana, Notre Dame, Pitt and West Virginia as he evaluates his next steps while keeping an eye on the Nittany Lions’ coaching search.
«I was really looking forward to getting set up there this December and being able to get into it,» Sieg said of Penn State. «But everything happens for a reason. So right now, I’m just trying to weigh my options and make sure me and my family make the best decision possible.»
A two-way star at Fort Cherry (Pennsylvania) High School, roughly 30 miles outside of Pittsburgh, Sieg remains the third-ranked pledge in Penn State’s 2026 class. But that could change over the next month as programs swarm to one of the nation’s top available safety prospects.
The latest: Sieg hit the road in the weeks after Franklin’s exit at Penn State, opening with trips to Indiana and Pitt before visiting Notre Dame this past weekend. He’ll also visit West Virginia later this month, as the Mountaineers have pitched Sieg on the chance to play both ways, tacking on opportunities at wide receiver/running back to his defensive duties.
Among the flip contenders, Indiana and Notre Dame appear best positioned in Sieg’s recruitment. Similar to other Penn State pledges, Sieg is also keeping an eye on where Franklin might land in a process that is expected to go down to the wire.
«My plan is to probably make a decision on signing day or right before,» Sieg said. «I’m trying to wait and see what ends up happening with Coach Franklin and a lot of the coaches that are still at Penn State and see what they end up doing before I make a final decision.»
Hometown: Leakesville, Mississippi
ESPN 300 rank: No. 258
Position rank: No. 14
Committed to: Auburn
Recruiting intel: Mathews, Auburn’s lone top-300 skill position pledge, fits the mold of the tall, playmaking wide receiver the Tigers have recruited in recent years. He told ESPN that the program’s decision to move on from Freeze, paired with consistent interest from a trio of rival SEC programs, has prompted him to reconsider his options in the late stages of the cycle.
«I’ve had to question myself multiple times,» Mathews said. «I’m hoping to see them grow and not falter from these losses, and in the process, see them strengthen our offense.»
Mathews’ senior season was cut short by an ACL tear. But if healthy, he projects as a potential Day 1 contributor wherever he lands next fall, which explains why the attention he has attracted this fall has only intensified since Freeze’s firing late last month.
The latest: LSU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M were among Mathews’ finalists when he committed to Auburn in August. Weeks out from the early signing period, he told ESPN that those three programs remain in close contact, working to flip the 6-foot-2 pass catcher from the Tigers.
Mathews saw two of those programs in person last month when he visited LSU for the Tigers’ Oct. 25 game with Texas A&M. Though Mathews intends to return to Auburn in the closing weeks of the regular season, he’s also likely to visit a few other campuses before signing day.
«Don’t be surprised if I’m on the road when the Tigers are not playing at Jordan-Hare,» Mathews said.
As Auburn conducts a coaching search, Mathews’ recruitment could roll into the first week of December, opening the door for one of his top-three suitors to make a late move.
