By Apollo Lundin
With National Signing Day passed for the 2025 recruits, a lot of fans have hope for their teams in the upcoming season. Players like Colorado‘s Julian Lewis and Michigan‘s Bryce Underwood are poised to start as freshmen, and coincidentally both players flipped their commitment late in the cycle. Who are the top five quarterbacks that have yet to commit to the 2026 recruiting class?
Ryder Lyons
Folsom, CA (Folsom)
#2 QB NAT, #1 QB in CA
A top quarterback in the 2026 class, Ryder Lyons is looking to become the best quarterback in the country at the next level. At 6-2, 215 lbs., Lyons has a great build for the position. At the Elite11 regionals, he finished seventh in athletic rating and impressed scouts with his quick release. Lyons was also named California Gatorade Player of the Year.
Lyons has unofficially visited BYU twice and Auburn once.
Lyons’ brother, Walker Lyons, is a tight end for USC. Ryder has an offer from the Trojans, along with schools like Ohio State, LSU, and Alabama, but is projected to land at USC to pair with his brother.
Jared Curtis
Nashville, TN (Nashville Christian School)
#3 QB NAT, #1 QB in TN
Jared Cutis comes into this cycle as a Top 10 prospect in the country and the top-ranked player in the state of Tennessee. At 6-4, and 225 lbs., Curtis has a great build for a quarterback. As a freshman Curtis was named runner-up for Mr. Football in Tennesee, the same season where he made the state title game. He possesses great arm strength and an ability to make defenders miss, which is sure to help him be a successful collegiate quarterback.
More Sports News
In March 2024 Curtis committed to Georgia, but decommitted in October.
He has visits scheduled with Auburn, Oregon, South Carolina, and Georgia, all of which have offered him.
Landon Duckworth
Jackson, AL (Jackson)
#5 QB NAT, #1 QB in AL
At 6-3, 190 lbs., Landon Duckworth has a nice build for a balanced quarterback. Over his junior season, Duckworth tallied just under 2,000 yards, 27 touchdowns, only four interceptions, and added 371 yards with four touchdowns on the ground. As a junior, he had an even better season, posting just under 3,500 yards, 39 touchdowns, and another 12 touchdowns on the ground, but did throw 10 interceptions.
Despite the increase in turnovers, Landon Duckworth showed what he is capable of, gaining high-major offers from schools like Georgia, Auburn, and Texas A&M.
Duckworth, a former South Carolina commit, has gained offers from Missouri, Kentucky, and Florida State over the past few weeks.
Brady Smigiel
Newbury Park, CA (Newbury Park)
#6 QB, #2 QB in CA
Brady Smigiel is the best old-school, big-arm pocket passer in the 2026 recruiting cycle. At 6-5, 205 lbs., he has great size for the position. Over his first two seasons of high school football, Smigiel totaled 7,701 passing yards, 98 touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns, but 25 interceptions. While he needs to cut back on the interceptions, he is accurate and gets the ball out quickly. He’s not the fastest, but he can buy some time make throws.
Smigiel was impressive enough to be invited to the Polynesian Bowl in Hawaii.
In June 2024, Smigiel was committed to Florida State but decommitted on January 26.
Oscar Rios
Downey, CA (Downey)
#8 QB NAT, #3 QB in CA
At 6-3, 175 lbs., Oscar Rios has a good frame but will need to grow into it. Despite this, he has the potential to be an effective dual-threat quarterback at the next level. In his sophomore season, Rios tallied 2,633 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, and only five interceptions. On the ground, he added just under 800 yards and seven touchdowns.
Rios is a former Purdue commit, committing in June and decommitting in October.
Since reopening his recruitment, Rios has gained offers from Kentucky, Oklahoma State, and Colorado.
