Where are all the recruiting commitments?
Welcome to the quietest recruiting cycle in recent memory.
It’s mid-July, and not a single player ranked in the top 10 of the 2026 class has committed to a school. That’s not a typo. Zero. Zilch. And among the top 35, only three have made decisions—all of them staying close to home: JJ Andrews to Arkansas, Elijah Williams to Baylor, and Marcus Johnson to Ohio State. All of them are in-state recruits choosing to stay home.
So what’s behind the drought?
According to multiple coaches, it comes down to one thing: money. And not in the way you might think.
“No one’s going to pay a freshman $1.5 million anymore,” one high-major coach told ESPN. “You can’t have a third of your cap going to a guy who’s never played in college.”
Another coach added: “The last cycle, money was flowing. A kid that might have gotten $500,000 now might not get $200,000." It’s just not the same for high schoolers anymore. They are now getting the leftover deals and promises of playing time are drying up.
That’s the reality in the revenue-sharing era. With collectives becoming more financially responsible—and with the transfer portal offering instant impact players—high school recruiting has become a slower, more cautious game. NIL is now being pushed through a clearinghouse, and so many changes are slowing it all down.
Add in the fact that there are only two NCAA-approved evaluation periods in July this year (July 10-13 and July 17-20), and it’s easy to see why decisions are delayed. Coaches are waiting to see who shines at Peach Jam. Players are waiting to see who offers the right opportunity—and the right number.
Meanwhile, the Transfer Portal has taken center stage. Players with college experience are simply safer bets. They come with tape, maturity, and a better sense of what they bring. High school stars? They’re now investments, not guarantees.
That doesn’t mean recruiting is broken. It’s just different. Slower. More calculated.
So where are all the commitments? They’re coming. Just not at the speed we’re used to. And maybe that’s not a bad thing.
As for what it means for the Cats? Well, BBN will just have to be much more patient than in past years when recruiting was being wrapped up by July. It is just now getting started.