The national analyst team has been out on the road all offseason checking on top prospects, updating evaluations and finding new prospects who will rise up the rankings.

Which player in the 2026 class is the closest to being ready to compete on day one of their college career? Our national analyst team – Adam Friedman, John Garcia Jr., Adam Gorney, Greg Smith and Sam Spiegelman – give their takes below.

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You don’t often find offensive linemen making an impact right away at the college level but very few prospects are as physically and mentally ready as Iheanacho. The 6-foot-7, 350-pound offensive tackle has the strength, athleticism and intelligence to make a strong case to be a day one starter at any school he picks.

The Maryland native possesses unique athleticism and flexibility for his size and a natural strength that puts him in an uncommon category. Iheanacho’s technique could still be refined between now and when he gets to college, but there’s no doubt he’ll be physically ready for the rigors of the college game.

While the offensive tackle class seems like low hanging fruit for this one, I’ll turn to another deep position group in the secondary and go with Bralan Womack. The top-ranked nickel projection on Rivals checks nearly every box as a versatile defensive back recruit with a great, college-ready frame and game at about 6-foot, 200 pounds. The physical traits are fairly obvious within the three-phase samples we see on Friday nights, but he also excels in between the margins.

From his football IQ to how it meshes with his instincts and natural athleticism, it just feels like he can handle a spot in a college secondary sooner rather than later. Womack is primed to win at the line of scrimmage, yet he understands the route tree and anticipates well enough to work deep to short all the same.

It wouldn’t shock to see him spend some time on an island at cornerback in a pinch, either. Throw in great ball skills and true short-area explosiveness to his battle-tested resume and Womack’s floor and ceiling make him Saturday ready regardless of defensive scheme.

Cantwell is all of 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, and he’s 16 years old until late May but he’s ready to go into a college program right now and start from day one. That’s very rare along the offensive line, especially at the elite level schools that Cantwell is considering. He has the physical nature, the build, the background, and he understands what it takes to be elite at the highest level.

Cantwell proved it at the Under Armour Game, playing a year early and still looking like one of the better players on the field. It’s easy to say the No. 1 player in the Rivals250 is most ready to get on the field. There are certainly other strong choices and at other positions that are easier to get on the field earlier, but Cantwell is an elite offensive tackle and he could step in from day one and be a massive contributor.

Cooper is a very well-built running back standing at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds. Because he’s not going to need time in the lab getting strong enough to play big-time college football, he should hit the ground running in his college career.

Cooper runs with good power and pad level that you’d expect from a back his size. But he’s a mismatch nightmare catching the ball out of the backfield and even lining up in the slot. He’s a one-cut back that will see the field early.

Georgia, Miami, Ohio State and others are vying for his services.

Anderson is the most college-ready prospect in the Rivals250 right now. At 6-foot-4, 330 pounds, he obviously has the frame to be penciled in right in the middle of the LSU interior defensive line. Anderson is a gap filler, a space eater and someone who has the propensity to be an interior pass rusher. But more importantly, he is strong, powerful at the point of attack, disruptive behind the line of scrimmage and is able to be a force not only slowing down opposing running games, but playing his part as a defensive lineman in a four-down system.

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