Top 2026 football recruits in the state of North Carolina

North Carolina’s reputation as a basketball state is well-established, but football is continuing to grow as more and more schools put out top recruits on the gridiron.

The 2025 class strong at the top led by five-star Tennessee signees David Sanders Jr. and Isaiah Campbell. But the 2026 crop looks to be even better — headlined by a trio of five-stars and featuring 20 blue-chip recruits in total, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

With football kicking off in the Tar Heel State over the next few weeks, let’s take a look at the top players around the state:

1. QB Faizon Brandon – Tennessee commit

High School:Grimsley (Greensboro, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 11

The Skinny: Over the course of three high school seasons, Brandon has amassed 6,300 passing yards, 79 touchdowns and just 9 interceptions, while adding 1,200 rushing yards and 12 rushing scores. The Tennessee commitment led the Whirlies to North Carolina’s Class 4A state championship and is poised for a massive final year of high school football.

2. EDGE Rodney Dunham – Notre Dame commit

High School:Myers Park (Charlotte, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 13

Scout’s Take: “He’s a top EDGE prospect heading into the season; we continue to feel strongly about his upside. Dunham showed great flashes on the field as a junior, and we love his movement skills — the first-step quickness and ability to bend around the edge. We want to see continued growth and development from him over the course of his senior year. He definitely has a high upside and is one of the top EDGE recruits in a really strong cycle at the position.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

3. TE Kendre Harrison – Oregon commit

High School:Reidsville (Reidsville, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 17

A dual-sport star on the hardwood and the gridiron, Harrison is coming off a junior season where he caught 33 passes for 555 and eight touchdowns. That followed a breakout sophomore campaign where he hauled in 50 catches for 800 yards and established himself as one of the country’s premier tight ends. On the basketball court, he is a walking double-double at 6-foot-6, 250 pounds and was recently named a top performer at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam.

4. OT Ekene Ogboko – Georgia commit

High School:South Garner (Garner, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 54

Scout’s Take: “Ogboko is a prospect we kept coming back to the more we learned about the offensive tackle group. We felt like he stacked up higher than where we had him. The measurables check out at 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds with arms over 34 inches. He’s really filled out his frame impressively over the course of the last 18 months. He carries his weight well and has impressive junior film. The power and run-blocking ability, alongside the athleticism and upside as a pass-protector stands out to us.” — Charles Power, Director of Scouting and Rankings

5. DL Aiden Harris – South Carolina commit

High School:Weddington (Weddington, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 74

As a junior, Harris posted 80 tackles and 13.5 sacks on his way to multiple defensive player of the year awards in the state of North Carolina. He teams up with twin brother Andrew to create one of the most disruptive defensive lines in the Tar Heel State heading into the 2025 season.

“He’s just so twitchy and athletic at his size,” his high school coach Andy Capone told GamecockCentral.com. “He can do standing back flips and back handsprings. He’ll go in the cheerleading practice and stunt with them. I’ve never seen somebody be able to do just such special things athletically.”

6. PJ Dean – Georgia commit

High School:West Forsyth (Clemmons, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 81

The Skinny: Originally listed as an interior offensive lineman, Dean began to get recruited as a D-lineman by each of the top schools in his recruitment after dropping more than 40 pounds during the offseason. As a junior, Dean notched 13 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and three sacks on defense, and was named first-team All-Region and All-State as an offensive lineman.

7. CB Samari Matthews – Texas commit

High School:William Amos Hough (Huntersville, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 104

Scouting Notebook: “After a quiet Day 1 of OT7 yesterday being hardly thrown at all afternoon, teams decided to test Samari Matthews on Sunday and they paid the price. It felt like every time you looked up Matthews was getting his hand on a pass or coming down with an interception. He was dominant in the redzone as well showing off his physicality and hip fluidity in press man coverage, forbidding any receiver the chance of coming down with a touchdown when going up against him. Matthews was shutting down an entire side of the field throughout Day 2 of OT7 and made offenses pay the price for testing him.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

8. EDGE Ebenezer Ewetade – Notre Dame commit

High School:South Garner (Garner, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 107

Scout’s Take: “The long-limbed EDGE rushed out of South Garner (NC) has all the physical and athletic tools to develop into a premier pass rusher. The length, the bend and the hand fighting ability allows him to consistently keep his chest clean while rushing the passer and shedding incoming blockers. And his body is still developing, his frame can carry at least 25 more pounds of mass throughout his frame while still maintaining his athletic ability all while getting stronger and more explosive. He has every chance to develop and mature into a dominant edge defender at the next level due to his traits.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

9. OL Leo Delaney – Clemson commit

High School:Providence Day School (Charlotte, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 110

The Skinny: Providence Day School continues to churn out top talent in the Tar Heel State, particularly along the offensive line. Delaney follows in the footsteps of five-star David Sanders and will now be the leader of the Chargers’ offensive line group. Last season, Delaney notched a 92 run-blocking grade for the season and is one of the country’s top interior maulers.

10. DL Keshawn Stancil – Clemson commit

High School:Clayton (Clayton, NC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 124

The Skinny: As a junior, Stancil was one of the state’s most dominant players, having posted 63 tackles, including 22 for a loss, with nine sacks in 12 games. He’ll look to repeat that in 2025 and help Clayton make a deeper run in the state playoffs.

Other notable North Carolina football recruits in the 2026 class

WR Gordon Sellars – Clemson commit
LB Thomas Davis Jr. – Notre Dame commit
DL Trashawn Ruffin – North Carolina commit
OT J.B. Shabazz – Tennessee commit
CB Camdin Portis – Miami commit

DL Noah Clark – South Carolina commit
EDGE Andrew Rogers
EDGE Andrew Harris – South Carolina commit
EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes – North Carolina commit
LB Elijah Littlejohn – Penn State commit