Southeast Spotlight: Prospects on the rise in 2026 class
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
With spring camp season fully underway across the nation, plenty of big-time prospects in the 2026 class will begin to make names for themselves. Check out five 2026 prospects on the rise in the Southeast region.
PROSPECTS ON THE RISE: Mid-South | East Coast | West | Midwest
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Rivals was on hand to scout a trio of Palm Beach (Fla.) Benjamin School seniors back in October and it was immediately tough not to notice Balogoun-Ali making plays all over the field. He worked well in space, downhill and even on offense and special teams – all modern linebacker duties looked so natural on that night.
It turns out the sophomore was the team's leading tackler multiple years running and the offers have kept rolling in. More than 20 are in to date, with Florida, Miami, Auburn, Tennessee and many others coming in as of last weekend.
A three-sport athlete now at national power Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna, Cooper has the ideal athlete frame despite his youth. He stands near 6-foot-2, 190 pounds and shows natural athleticism all over the field. He can work at running back or wide receiver on offense with relative ease.
The frame makes many onlookers lean to defense, where a hybrid safety or space-savvy linebacker could be the spot for Cooper when all is said and done. Either way, there is no doubting his explosiveness on said frame, further emphasized by a top-10 national long jump mark of 22.75 feet for the 2026 class.
The offers have flowed in steadily of late, back on the football front, with double-digit tenders coming in this year alone, including from Georgia, Florida State and Miami.
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The lengthy Tampa-area defensive back has racked up the offers throughout the early stages of 2024, with Notre Dame jumping in on Thursday. Georgia, Florida, Oklahoma, USC and others have done the same.
Kelly is another three-sport talent, with a wrestling background, so the projections vary depending on the program. Some say cornerback, others think safety is the collegiate spot for the sophomore, who shows physicality both in run support and certainly at the catch point.
Kelly's hot offseason is showing no signs of slowing down, as Robinson High School has a handful of prospects making waves on the trail under head coach and former first-round NFL Draft pick Mike Williams.
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On the offensive side of the ball, college programs are always seemingly in the market for big mismatches in the passing game, and that's what Prothro is beginning to look like. He stands a legitimate 6-foot-5 or better, and yes there is a basketball background here as well, though he maneuvers more like a jumbo wide receiver than a tight end these days.
The tape and production have created intrigue all over the country for the Peach State standout. The most recent offers on Prothro's list include Alabama, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and many others on the growing list.
Whether recruiting boards classify him as a big boundary WR1 or the next basketball standout-turned-wide receiver-turned-tight end, he is a major name to know.
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Explosive linebackers from Alabama aren't anything new, and they're still as coveted as ever, even as underclassmen. Toodle dominates the competition at Cottage Hill Christian on a stout 6-foot-3, 210-pound frame, projecting as a three-down linebacker with the capability of rushing the passer or dropping into coverage on third downs.
Even if he grows into a full-time pass rusher, there is enough length and pure athleticism to warrant considerable college attention, which Toodle has already commanded.
In the last week alone, Ohio State, LSU, Miami, Texas A&M and Louisville have all jumped in the race for the athletic talent, who is another with basketball on the resume.
