Highest-rated Class of 2026 football recruits from New York

The recruiting race for the Class of 2026 is already heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2026 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2026 football recruits from New York using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by the 247Sports Composite ranking. Here's the players from New York set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.

SEALANDSKYPHOTO // Shutterstock

#7. Matthew Heininger (LB)

- National rank: #2,059 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #172

- College: Buffalo

- Offers: Buffalo, Albany, Army, Bucknell, Cornell

- High school: Brighton (Rochester, NY)

David Lee // Shutterstock

#6. Ameir Morrow (RB)

- National rank: #2,017 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #129

- College: Temple

- Offers: Temple, Delaware, Buffalo, Boston College, Bryant

- High school: Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, NY)

kuzmaphoto // Shutterstock

#5. Lawrence Iyalekhue (OT)

- National rank: #1,643 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #139

- College: Boston College

- Offers: Boston College, UMass, Temple, Bryant, Monmouth

- High school: Roosevelt (Yonkers, NY)

Ron Alvey // Shutterstock

#4. Jacob Butler (WR)

- National rank: #1,121 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #166

- College: Stanford

- Offers: Stanford, Boston College, Buffalo, Duke, East Carolina

- High school: Long Island Lutheran (Glen Head, NY)

Fabricio Barili // Shutterstock

#3. Gerald Green Jr. (CB)

- National rank: #962 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #80

- College: Boston College

- Offers: Boston College, Buffalo, Delaware

- High school: Moore Catholic (Staten Island, NY)

Andrew Angelov // Shutterstock

#2. Crew Davis (RB)

- National rank: #613 (3 stars)

- Position rank: #38

- College: North Carolina

- Offers: North Carolina, Army, Buffalo, Fordham, UNLV

- High school: Iona Preparatory School (New Rochelle, NY)

zoff // Shutterstock

#1. Messiah Hampton (WR)

- National rank: #131 (4 stars)

- Position rank: #15

- College: Oregon

- Offers: Oregon, Syracuse, Miami, Penn State, Appalachian State

- High school: James Monroe (Rochester, NY)