Plenty of QB dominoes left to fall as critical June hits mid-point
There are still so many twists and turns with top quarterbacks in the 2026 class halfway through the big visit weekends in June. Here’s the latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney.
MORE GORNEY: Biggest storylines heading into huge recruiting weekend | Finalists beginning to crystallize for top prospects
The five-star quarterback from Folsom, Calif., visits Oregon this weekend, BYU next weekend and then could come to a decision.
Michigan, Ohio State, Ole Miss, USC and others have been involved since the beginning but this feels like a two-team race down the stretch. As much as the outsider sees the Ducks as the front-runner here, BYU is under very serious consideration and as a bonus, his sister lives in Provo.
Ole Miss is out, Alabama decided not to offer recently and now the four-star quarterback from Jackson, Ala., is down to Auburn and South Carolina, where he was committed earlier in his recruitment.
Duckworth is back at Auburn this weekend after an earlier trip this month and after being in Columbia last weekend. With Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight with the Tigers, the path to the starting job is probably clearer with the Gamecocks but Duckworth keeps going back to Auburn and remains highly interested.
Oklahoma or LSU? That will be the final decision for the four-star quarterback from Celina, Texas, who visited both Norman and Baton Rouge over the last two weeks.
An argument could be made for both programs right now as Bentley is close with new OU offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle but the word is that the Tigers might have the slightest edge considering all the QB success LSU has seen over time.
It’s very close though.
Stanford and Indiana are the top two and the Hoosiers could have taken a step forward after his weekend visit there since there is the Big Ten affiliation and he loved what coach Curt Cignetti and position coach Chandler Whitmer laid out for him.
The Ohio State visit at the end of the month could be everything, though, as Fahey awaits whether the Buckeyes will offer or not. If they do, it would be tough to turn down, but not impossible since Stanford and Indiana have been involved for so long.
O’Neal has been committed to Oklahoma for nearly a year and moved to Mustang, Okla., for his senior year. If the Sooners never started recruiting Bowe Bentley then this recruitment could be over.
But now with Bentley down to OU or LSU and O’Neal not feeling as much love, Florida State has become one to watch, along with Arizona.
What becomes really interesting – and the gamble Oklahoma took – is if Bentley picks LSU. Does O’Neal stay or was the courting of Bentley enough to push O’Neal elsewhere, too?
The Omaha (Neb.) Millard South four-star has been committed to Iowa State since April. He loves coach Matt Campbell and the staff, loves how the offense looked this past season and the drive home is just 2.5 hours away.
But Alabama offered, he visited and loved it, and could return for another visit soon. Alabama also has resources both NIL and otherwise that could be compelling as Thomalla makes a decision on what’s best for him and his family at the end.
Ponatoski is a little bit of a wild card because the four-star from Cincinnati (Ohio) Moeller wants to play baseball and football in college. Alabama has emerged as a real contender for him but what if Thomalla flips before Ponatoski makes his decision?
Oregon is also a key player but would the Ducks take him if Lyons commits? If Lyons goes to BYU then Oregon makes way more sense.
Kentucky and Arkansas are the two others in his top four as things shake out.
UCLA was the dream school growing up and he had an outstanding visit there this past weekend (where he met Adam Sandler) and the connections he has close to home are making a major impression on the Downey, Calif., standout.
But Rios loves the Arizona staff and how long they’ve been involved in his recruitment. Kentucky’s SEC draw is compelling as well.
But the Bruins have moved up fast and have made the four-star a big priority.
A four-star talent who hasn’t seen his recruitment really take off, that changed earlier this week when Alabama offered. The Crimson Tide are juggling Thomalla, Ponatoski and now Kaawa, who has all the credentials after throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 35 touchdowns last season.
If not the Crimson Tide, this one could be wide open.
Georgia Tech continues to be the program to watch in Bergeron’s recruitment and the Yellow Jackets look to be in good shape. But if Fahey picks Ohio State or Stanford, then Indiana has said that the three-star quarterback from Lafayette (La.) St. Thomas More is the next target.
UCLA is getting more interested as well, especially if Rios goes elsewhere.
The three-star quarterback from Murrieta (Calif.) Vista Murrieta backed off his Boise State pledge publicly on Thursday after throwing for the Oregon staff in Redlands, Calif., on Wednesday as the Ducks have emerged as the biggest contender now in his recruitment.
Beaver is also hearing from Ohio State, Alabama and a little bit from Oklahoma so a snap decision might not be made. The Ducks look great, though, and it was his dream school growing up.
