What to know about the Philly area’s top football recruits in the Class of 2026

They flock now to Philadelphia. College scouts from the SEC, Big Ten, ACC, Big 12, and PAC-12 are looking in this corner of Pennsylvania for prime talent more than ever. Over the last decade, the area has become a far more fertile ground for football.

In the last two years, the Philadelphia area has produced consecutive top-four picks in the NFL draft — Abdul Carter, the 2022 La Salle College grad who was selected No. 3 overall this year by the New York Giants; and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the 2021 St. Joseph’s Prep grad who was the No. 4 pick by the Arizona Cardinals in 2024.

This year, Syracuse coach Fran Brown put his stamp on the area, hauling in four major prospects, with Penn State’s James Franklin getting three, and Notre Dame’s Marcus Freeman two, while Temple’s K.C. Keeler has made an immediate impact, getting two stellar players.

» READ MORE: Two-way football star Joey O’Brien picks Notre Dame. Now, he has a state title to win with La Salle.

It was big for Freeman to get La Salle’s Joey O’Brien and a big loss to Franklin, who helped himself recently by receiving a commitment from Malvern Prep edge rusher Jackson Ford.

Here’s a thumbnail look at 20 of the area’s top seniors, according to area coaches and scouting and recruiting services:

Kennett, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, K

A kicker? Yes, a kicker. If you are a Penn State fan, the last name should be familiar. Barker is the younger brother of Nittany Lions kicker Ryan Barker, a redshirt sophomore. Shay’s longest field goal is 41 yards. He made 3 of 4 field goal attempts last season and is considered by some scouting services to be among the top 10 high school kickers in the country. He only kicks. He has kicked field goals as far as 63 yards in practice, and Kennett coach Lance Frazier, who has had success building the program, will allow Barker to attempt 50-yarders this season. Barker is going to Syracuse on a full scholarship, turning down preferred walk-on status at Penn State. Syracuse is also looking to use him as a punter as well.

Neumann Goretti, 6-5, 255, TE/DE

He has great hands, great speed, and great agility for someone his size. Bashir runs routes very well. He is projected to be a tight end, though he plays both ways for the Saints as a defensive end. He chose Syracuse over his dream school, Miami, and Boston College. He is a big-body tight end who can split out to the slot or be an outside receiver. His size and speed make him a matchup problem, being too athletic for smaller defensive backs to defend and too fast for larger defensive linemen and linebackers to stay with.

Malvern Prep, 5-10, 220, RB

Bates is a bruising inside power back who is a classic Big Ten rusher, which fits, considering that he is committed to Minnesota. He chose the Gophers over Virginia Tech, Boston College, and Wake Forest. He has good short-area quickness, is a very good blocker, can catch the ball swinging out of the backfield, and has great vision.

Imhotep Charter, 6-2, 235, LB

Belser possesses exceptional size and speed at linebacker, though his greatest asset is reading plays. He is very good in the open field, and his ability to decipher plays quickly comes as a byproduct of playing quarterback early in his football career. Central Florida, Virginia Tech, Michigan State, Duke, and Florida State are interested, among many others.

Roman Catholic, 6-1, 190, QB

He has great pocket presence, throws an accurate ball, and excels well with short and intermediate-level passes. He is a proven leader and a winner, guiding the Cahillites last season to their first appearance in the PIAA Class 5A state championship. Beals is considering offers from Syracuse, Duke, Boston College, and Colorado, among others. Some recruiters referred to him as a smaller Jayden Daniels.

West Chester East, 6-6, 315, OT

Duell is a three-year starter who will play some defensive line this season. He is very athletic, with quick hands and feet for someone 6-6 and 315 pounds. Duell has gained 40 pounds in a year. He chose Rutgers over Cincinnati, Kentucky, and Pittsburgh.

» READ MORE: How will local high school football and basketball recruits be impacted by the House settlement?

Malvern Prep, 6-4, 240, Edge

Ford is a late bloomer who is athletic off the edge. He displays a combination of being physical and able to bend. Ford is highly disruptive, last year garnering nine sacks and 22 tackles for losses in leading the Friars to their second straight Inter-Academic League championship and third in four years. He chose Penn State over Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Michigan.

Haverford School, 6-3, 285, DL

Frazier is very disruptive and must be accounted for. He is difficult to block one-on-one and comes with a high motor. He is very strong at the point of attack. Frazier chose Syracuse over Kentucky, Cincinnati, and UConn.

Chester, 6-2, 190, DB/WR

Temple may have gotten a steal in Harris, who committed to new coach Keeler over Eastern Michigan, UConn, Syracuse, East Carolina, UMass, and Kent State. In last year’s 28-24 loss to Imhotep Charter, Harris was the best player on a field filled with Division I talent like Penn State-bound running back Jabree Wallace-Coleman and Maryland-bound defensive end Zahir Mathis. In that game, Harris intercepted three passes and scored twice, once on an 83-yard kickoff return and the other a 4-yard TD reception from twin brother and Clippers quarterback Jalen. Harris is projected to be a free safety for the Owls.

St. Joseph’s Prep, 6-4, 265, DT

Haskell is a game-changer. In his first varsity start as a sophomore, he had a strip-sack that teammate Anthony Sacca, now at Notre Dame, scooped up and scored on, and had two sacks in that game. It came against an IMG Academy offensive line that was full of D-I talent. Nittany Lions defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, a Prep grad, and defensive line coach Deion Barnes, out of Northeast, did not need to be sold hard on Haskell, who chose Penn State over Duke, Michigan, and Syracuse.

Chester, 6-8, 330, OT

He is huge, with great, quick feet, and has a 7-3 wingspan. He was the cornerstone of a Chester team that went 9-2 last season, winning the Del-Val League and losing to the eventual District 1 Class 5A champion West Chester Rustin in the second round of the playoffs. Syracuse coach Brown may have found a sleeping giant in Henry, who chose the Orange over UMass and Temple.

» READ MORE: NIL made a ‘big change’ for this local football player in college. Now it’s impacting rising recruits.

St. Joseph’s Prep, 6-1, 180, CB

Hill is projected to be a cornerback at West Virginia, which he chose over James Madison and Syracuse. Hill is long, lanky, and has good recovery speed. He is technically sound, and did a sound job, teamed with Masiia Acrey, of corralling La Salle’s O’Brien in the Catholic League championship last year, holding the Notre Dame-bound standout to six catches for 126 yards and two TDs.

Penn Charter, 6-6, 230, QB

If the name sounds familiar, it should. McGlinchey is the younger brother of former Penn Charter and Notre Dame star Mike McGlinchey, the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers, and now with the Denver Broncos. McGlinchey is headed to Northwestern, which he chose over Air Force, Duke, Miami of Ohio, Syracuse, and UConn. He is projected to play tight end in college.

La Salle, 6-8, 285, OT

McKeogh is a late bloomer with a huge ceiling whose stock has risen considerably since this time last year when he was 245 pounds and just learning the left tackle position. Notre Dame’s Freeman apparently liked his learning curve, and McKeogh picked the Irish over Penn State, Alabama, Boston College, Duke, and Texas.

Malvern Prep, 6-3, 215, LB Kentucky

Mohring is strong at the point of attack, can get great depth in pass coverage with his 4.6-second speed in the 40, and with his height he is long in passing windows. He is projected to be an inside linebacker at Kentucky, which he chose over Central Florida, James Madison, and Navy.

Imhotep Charter, 6-7, 330, OT

Moody did not even play football until reaching high school. He has superior athleticism for his size and will play right tackle. He committed to Maryland during the July 4 holiday, choosing the Terps over Syracuse, Duke, Florida State, Penn State, Rutgers, Boston College, and Miami.

La Salle, 6-3, 225, TE

Oates was a strong find by Keeler. Oates is a converted outside receiver, though in his first season at tight end he made close to 50 catches and proved to be a solid route runner. He chose Temple over Howard, Eastern Michigan, Georgetown, Towson, Richmond, and Monmouth.

La Salle, 6-4, 185, DB/WR

Simply the best player in the state and among the best in the country. He was Freeman’s first five-star pledge in the Class of 2026, choosing Notre Dame over Oregon, Penn State, and Clemson. He is coming off a junior season in which he caught 68 passes for a single-season school-record 1,029 yards and 12 touchdowns and made 36 tackles and had one interception. He’s being projected to be a strong/free safety and nickel back at Notre Dame, though he says he will get a chance to play both ways.

» READ MORE: La Salle’s Joey O’Brien is a prized two-way football recruit who could be the best to come through the area

La Salle, 6-3, 210, QB

Sidwar is a four-year starter who will break every one of La Salle coach Brett Gordon’s passing records before he is through. He committed to Missouri after withdrawing his pledge to Rutgers. As a junior, he threw for 2,747 yards, including a school-record 31 touchdowns against just six interceptions in helping lead the Explorers to a 10-1 record, their only loss coming to St. Joe’s Prep in the Catholic League championship. Sidwar enters his senior year as arguably the best quarterback in the state.

Coatesville, 6-3, 210, LB

Wiggins is long and athletic, with a nose for the football. He is projected to be an outside linebacker for Penn State, which Wiggins chose over offers from Syracuse, Pitt, Minnesota, Maryland, Cincinnati, and Kentucky. He possesses good instincts in the open field and breaks on the ball well.