CHICAGO – The early signing period is officially in the books, and as always, it delivered plenty of movement on the recruiting trail. Some programs walked away with momentum-building commitments, while others missed on key targets or failed to generate much buzz at all.
With a clearer picture of where things stand heading into the rest of the cycle, here’s a look at the biggest winners and losers from the early signing period.
Michigan State
Michigan State and Tom Izzo close the early signing period with the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class, marking their strongest haul since 2023. The Spartans built momentum early with the summer commitment of 5-foot-11 guard Carlos Medlock Jr., a four-star guard out of Wayne, Mich., then added versatile 6-foot-7 forward Julius Avent out of Oradell, N.J. This past week delivered the biggest splash: four-star guard Jasiah Jervis of White Plains, N.Y., and 7-foot-1 center Ethan Taylor from Shawnee, Kan. both pledged to MSU, giving Izzo a balanced, high-upside quartet of recruits. With guard play, size and long-term development all addressed, Michigan State emerges as one of the clear winners of the early signing period.
Duke
Duke lands firmly on the winners list after assembling yet another top-tier class. The Blue Devils opened with 6-foot-5 wing Bryson Howard out of Frisco, Texas, the son of former NBA veteran Josh Howard, then added 7-foot-1 center Maxime Meyer from Bradenton, Fla., an underrated big who helped set a strong early foundation for the class. The headliner arrived this past Friday when five-star Cam Williams, a 6-foot-11 forward from Phoenix, Ariz., committed to Jon Scheyer and staff, giving Duke a potential frontline star and elevating the class into elite territory. With five-star Deron Rippey, a 6-2 guard from Blairstown, N.J., including Duke in his final five and Jordan Smith Jr., 6-foot-2 out of Fairfax, Va., still on the board as their top remaining target, the Blue Devils could finish the cycle even stronger than they currently stand.
Texas
Texas has quietly put together one of the most underrated classes of the cycle under Sean Miller. The Longhorns opened with four-star Bo Ogden, a 6-foot-5 guard from Austin, Texas and the son of assistant coach Chris Ogden, who committed in late September. They followed with four-star Joe Sterling, a 6-foot-4 guard from Studio City, Calif., who can shoot the cover off the ball. Momentum picked up even more this past week as Texas added three-star Cameron Elkins, a 6-foot-10 forward from Austin, Texas, and then landed their biggest prize on Monday with the commitment of Austin Goosby, a 6-foot-5 wing from Melissa, Texas. Altogether, this group brings size, shooting and long-term upside, giving the Longhorns a class capable of shaping the program for the next few seasons.
Purdue
Purdue is almost always among the nation’s top teams on the floor, but it’s far less common to see them near the top of the recruiting rankings — until now. Matt Painter has assembled one of the best classes of his tenure, headlined by four-star Luke Ertel, a 6-1 guard from Mount Vernon, Ind., who became the Boilermakers’ first pledge and fits the mold of a classic multi-year Purdue guard. Four-star Jacob Webber, a 6-6 wing from Kearney, Neb., committed next and is playing his senior season at La Lumiere, where he is joined by fellow Purdue pledge Rivers Knight, a 6-8 forward from Charlotte, N.C. The class was rounded out this past week when four-star big man Sinan Huan, a 7-foot center from Georgetown Prep in Maryland, announced he would also be heading to West Lafayette next season. Altogether, this four-man group stands out as one of the strongest Painter has landed in his 21-year tenure at Purdue.
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West Virginia
What Ross Hodge has accomplished on the recruiting trail in his first season at West Virginia has been nothing short of spectacular. The Mountaineers opened the cycle with four-star Aliou Dioum, a versatile 6-foot-10 forward from Denver, Colo., and followed it up with three-star Kingston Whitty, a 6-2 guard from Atlanta, Ga. who committed in early October. Both prospects fit Hodge’s system perfectly and are expected to be around for multiple seasons. Then this past weekend, Hodge landed the biggest commitment of his young tenure when four-star Miles Sadler, a 6-foot guard from Scottsdale, Ariz. became the highest ranked prospect to ever commit to West Virginia. Sadler is a crafty floor general and current high school teammate of Dioum at CIA Bella Vista in Arizona. All in all, it’s an outstanding first recruiting haul for Hodge in Morgantown.
Syracuse
One of the biggest losers so far on the recruiting trail has been Syracuse and Red Autry. The Orange have struggled to land any top targets and it now appears a possibility that they could finish the 2026 cycle without a high school commitment. Top target Deron Rippey Jr., a 6-2 guard from Blairstown, N.J., cut Syracuse from his final five after previously taking an official visit. Five-star guard Jordan Smith Jr., a 6-foot-2 prospect from Fairfax, Va., recently visited Syracuse but seems focused on programs like Duke, Georgetown and Arkansas. Meanwhile, 6-foot-10 forward Asher Elson of Brooklyn, N.Y., who has Syracuse in his top four, is set to announce his commitment on Wednesday and is not expected to select the Orange. As it stands, the Orange are left without a commitment, with most of the elite prospects already off the board.
Oklahoma
Another big loser during the early signing period was Porter Moser and the Oklahoma Sooners. Despite already having one commitment in four-star Gage Mayfield, a 6-foot-7 forward from Moundville, Ala., the Sooners came up empty on two other key targets last week. Miles Sadler, a 6-foot guard from Scottsdale, Ariz., chose West Virginia over Oklahoma, with sources indicating that the Sooners were likely his second choice. Sadler had visited Norman on an official visit in late October, but it clearly wasn’t quite enough to seal the deal. Four-star Ethan Taylor, a 7-foot-1 big man from Shawnee, Kan., was another major target for Moser and had them listed in his top six, but he committed to Tom Izzo and Michigan State instead. This leaves Oklahoma with just one high school commitment and most of their 2026 targets now heading elsewhere.
UCLA
One trend becoming increasingly common on the high school recruiting trail is UCLA’s limited involvement. The Bruins remain without a commitment in their 2026 class, and there don’t appear to be many prospects who are still in the mix. They previously pursued four-star Lucas Morillo, a 6-foot-7 guard from New Rochelle, N.Y., but he committed to Illinois about a month ago. Five-star Christian Collins, a 6-foot-8 forward from Playa Del Rey, Calif., currently lists UCLA in his top three, though sources indicate Kentucky is in the pole position. UCLA didn’t sign any high school prospects in the 2025 cycle, and it remains unclear how active they are in pursuing the 2026 class. That said, it may not be a major concern for Mick Cronin and his staff.
Arizona
While the addition of four-star guard Cam Holmes is a positive for Arizona, it’s difficult to overlook the major miss Tommy Lloyd and his staff suffered last week. Cameron Williams, a 6-foot-11 forward from Phoenix, Ariz. and the Wildcats’ top target, committed to Duke, marking a significant local loss for Lloyd and Co. Arizona had heavily recruited Williams, but in the end he chose the school he says he dreamed of attending since childhood. The Wildcats remain involved with five-star Caleb Holt, a 6-5 guard from New Market, Ala., but they face a steep climb if they hope to remain serious contenders. Despite securing Holmes, the Williams miss puts Arizona squarely on the losers list this early signing period.
Oregon
Despite pulling in five-star Tajh Ariza in early October, a major headliner for the class, the Ducks haven’t had much luck since, ultimately landing on the losers list as the early signing period closed. Adam Oumiddoch, a 6-5 guard from Arlington, Va. and a key target who visited in September, chose St. John’s over Oregon and several others. Ethan Taylor, the 7-foot-1 center from Shawnee, Kan., also considered the Ducks but committed to Michigan State last Friday. Another X-factor for Oregon is four-star Kendre Harrison, a 6-foot-7 forward from Reidsville, N.C., who is committed to play both basketball and football at Oregon, though football is expected to be his primary focus, per a source. The Ducks can still hold out hope for five-star Tyran Stokes, a 6-foot-8 forward from Louisville, Ky. and the nation’s top overall player, but he remains one of the biggest wildcards in the 2026 class. So while last week didn’t break their way, there’s still a chance this class ends up in a better spot than it looks right now.
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