Please note that the players listed have under 25% roster percentage on Fantrax or were unavailable at the time of this writing.
Quarterbacks
Zaid Lott, Syracuse
Zaid Lott is one of the more intriguing under-the-radar quarterbacks in the 2026 class because the camp and offseason buzz has started catching up to the physical tools. The 6’4″, 220-pound Providence Day passer and Syracuse commit originally pledged to North Carolina in June 2024 before flipping to Syracuse in March 2025 following the coaching transition, and many evaluators believe the Orange may have landed a developmental steal.
A former backup to five-star QB Jadyn Davis at Providence Day, Lott steadily developed into a full-time starter and emerged as a major riser after strong camp performances showcased his 56 MPH velocity, prototypical frame, and ability to drive throws outside the numbers. As a senior, he threw for 2,497 yards and 35 touchdowns with just four interceptions while adding 708 rushing yards and 13 scores on the ground, finishing his career with nearly 6,000 passing yards and 97 total touchdowns. He has legitimate arm elasticity, clean mechanics, tight spirals, and an impressive deep-ball touch, while his mobility and size allow him to extend plays and create outside structure.
Syracuse coaches have specifically praised his ability to throw from the far hash to the sideline, reinforcing the high-end arm talent that has generated camp buzz. The biggest developmental area remains speeding up processing and maintaining timing consistency versus pressure looks, but the combination of size, arm talent, athleticism, and growing confidence. While he’ll need to sit a year, Lott is a name to keep in mind.
Rocco Marriott, UCF
UCF freshman quarterback Rocco Marriott has generated steadily increasing buzz since arriving on campus as one of the highest-rated quarterback signees in program history. Early reports around the program point to Marriott impressing coaches with his physical tools, leadership traits, and competitiveness during offseason work and early developmental reps. While veteran transfer Alonza Barnett III is expected to control the starting job entering 2026, Marriott has reportedly positioned himself as a long-term centerpiece in Scott Frost’s rebuilt quarterback room.
At 6’4″ and roughly 220 pounds, Marriott checks the box physically for NFL size. He arrives at UCF after a dominant Missouri high school career at Platte County, where he led back-to-back undefeated state championship seasons while accounting for more than 160 career touchdowns and over He finished his high school career with 118 touchdowns and almost 9,000 yards, which put his name in the Missouri high school football record books.
Marriott is a true dual-threat quarterback with legitimate ability to create both inside and outside structure. His game is built around size, athleticism, arm elasticity, and playmaking instincts. He’s a fluid mover for his frame who accelerates well in the open field and can punish defenses on designed quarterback runs, zone concepts, and scramble situations. Marriott’s arm talent stands out most on intermediate and vertical throws, where he can drive the football with velocity while still layering touch over defenders. He has mobility, toughness, and the ability to create explosive plays as a runner and passer.
The developmental areas mostly center around refinement rather than raw ability. Marriott can still speed up his processing against complex coverage rotations, but his footwork occasionally becomes inconsistent under pressure, leading to some ball-placement volatility. He sometimes trusts his arm too much and will need continued growth operating rhythm-based concepts from the pocket. But the upside is substantial because the physical ceiling, competitive makeup, and production profile are all high-end.
The camp and offseason buzz around Marriott has largely centered on how advanced he looks physically for a freshman and how strongly the UCF staff believes in his long-term trajectory. Scott Frost publicly emphasized being “picky about quarterbacks” when discussing Marriott’s recruitment, and the program views him as a foundational developmental piece for the offense’s future.
Running Backs
Kory Amachree, Kansas
Kory Amachree is a 6’0”, 203-pound true freshman running back at Kansas who has quickly generated spring buzz as a physically ready, early-impact candidate in Lance Leipold’s offense. A former 3-star recruit, he rushed for 1,102 yards and 18 TDs in just six games as a junior at Haslett HS (MI) before a season-ending tibia/fibula injury, flashing downhill burst, contact balance, and explosive cut ability. He tested with a 96th-percentile agility score, reinforcing the tape that shows a sudden, one-cut runner with a strong lateral burst and the ability to accelerate through tight windows.
Early spring reports out of Lawrence describe him as “college-ready physically,” with coaches praising his maturity, assignment understanding, and rapid grasp of protections and route concepts, giving him a legitimate path to early playing time despite a crowded RB room. A recent KU update also noted he has been “impressing and could garner playing time as a true freshman,” with staff emphasizing his development and versatility as he continues to push for snaps in fall camp.
The combination of early production, SEC-level frame, and advanced movement skills makes him a high-upside developmental name in Kansas’ 2026 backfield who could climb quickly if he earns consistent touches.
Kyndall McCaleb, Wake Forest
Kyndall McCaleb enters the Wake Forest program as one of the more intriguing under-the-radar backs in the 2026 recruiting cycle, carrying legitimate developmental upside and steadily growing recruiting buzz. The former Harvard University commit flipped to Wake Forest University late in the cycle after a dominant senior season at Riverside High School in Ohio, giving Wake a productive downhill runner with strong academics, toughness, and long-term upside.
At roughly 6′ and 205 pounds, Kyndall McCaleb wins with contact balance, downhill acceleration, and efficient one-cut running. He consistently creates extra yardage through leg drive, pad level, and body control while showing patience pressing interior rushing lanes. His film shows a back comfortable operating in zone concepts, planting decisively, and getting vertical without wasted movement. McCaleb also flashes promising receiving ability and pass-game awareness, projecting as a potential three-down option long term after spending time at wide receiver in high school.
Production-wise, McCaleb put together a massive senior campaign. He rushed for 1,743 yards, eclipsed 2,000 all-purpose yards, and scored 26 total touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per carry. He also contributed defensively with 44 tackles and several impact plays. Across his varsity career, he broke Riverside records for rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns, and points scored. As a junior, he added another 1,670 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns, cementing himself as one of the more productive high school backs in Ohio despite an interesting offer list.
Early offseason and camp buzz has centered on McCaleb’s physical maturity and verified athletic testing. He has posted impressive track numbers, including a 10.74-second 100-meter dash and a 22-foot long jump, while reportedly running in the mid-4.4 range in the forty-yard dash. His pledge is viewed as part of one of the program’s strongest recent recruiting pushes under head coach Jake Dickert.
Wide Receivers
Deshawn Spencer, Auburn
DeShawn Spencer has emerged as one of the more consistent early spring risers in Auburn’s offense, generating steady buzz after flashing during A-Day and continuing to earn trust throughout installation periods and scrimmage work. At 5’11” and roughly 165 pounds, Spencer profiles as a quick, compact slot receiver whose game is built around suddenness, sharp route detail, and natural timing rather than overwhelming size or physicality.
A product of Saraland (AL) — the same powerhouse program that produced Ryan Williams and Ryan Coleman — Spencer was an ultra-productive high school playmaker, finishing his senior season with 76 receptions for 1,385 yards and 20 touchdowns while also adding value as a runner. He quietly put together one of the most productive prep careers in the state, surpassing both Williams and Coleman statistically while posting monster campaigns that included 1,641 receiving yards as a sophomore and 1,324 yards with 19 touchdowns as a junior.
Early spring evaluations consistently point to Spencer’s advanced feel for space, ability to quickly process coverages, and knack for uncovering underneath on option routes and quick-game concepts. Coaches have reportedly been impressed by his polish, competitiveness, and reliability as a freshman, traits that have earned him early rotational looks during practice sessions.
While he was not a Top 300 recruit and therefore avoids some of the Year 1 expectation thresholds tied to elite-ranked prospects, Spencer’s combination of production, route-running polish, and early camp momentum gives him a legitimate chance to carve out immediate depth snaps within Auburn’s receiver rotation.
Jordan Clay, Washington
Jordan Clay enters the Washington Huskies as one of the more physically impressive receiver signees in the 2026 class, bringing legitimate size, ball-winning ability, and early spring buzz pointing to future impact. At 6’3″ and roughly 205 pounds, Clay profiles as a true boundary receiver who wins with length, body control, strong hands, and contested-catch ability rather than elite suddenness or separation quickness. His tape consistently shows him high-pointing the football, shielding defenders with his frame, and finishing through contact, with impressive play strength and reliable hands at the catch point, already standing out during early practices.
At Madison High School in San Antonio, Clay posted 819 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore before following it with roughly 900 receiving yards and five touchdowns as a junior despite increased defensive attention, helping establish himself as one of Texas’s more intriguing outside receiver prospects. Coaches were aggressive in flipping Clay late in the cycle from Baylor, believing his physical profile filled a major need in Washington’s receiver room.
While the upside is significant, Clay still needs development in key technical areas, particularly with his release package and manipulation at the top of the stem, where he can become more efficient in creating leverage and separation against tighter coverage. Early spring buzz has remained positive despite minor hamstring issues during camp, with coaches viewing him as one of the higher-ceiling developmental receivers on the roster who is already pushing for early playing time in rotational packages and situational snaps.
From an analytical standpoint, Clay also presents an opportunity to meet Y1Z thresholds in Washington’s system, given his combination of size, contested-catch ability, and production profile as a composite top 35 wide receiver nationally, though his internal grading by the recruiting team was closer to a lower-tier evaluation (around WR90), making him more of a developmental upside swing than a blue-chip certainty.
