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Jeff Borzello
There are currently 18 five-stars atop the ESPN 100 player rankings for the men’s college basketball class of 2026. Three are off the board as of early September: No. 12 JaShawn Andrews was the first of this group, announcing his commitment to Arkansas in May. He was followed in July by No. 4 Jason Crowe, who gave Missouri its first five-star recruit since 2017. Most recently, coach Dennis Gates landed his second five-star recruit in the 2026 class in No. 14 Toni Bryant. And the Tigers are still heavily in the mix for more ESPN 100 players.
We’re tracking every five-star commitment announcement and break down how it happened, the fit and more, right here. Players are ordered by rank below.
Last updated: Sept. 8, 2025
See the full 2026 ESPN 100 player rankings here
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 4
Committed to: Missouri Tigers
Commitment date: July 18, 2025
Background: Crowe didn’t wait until the end of the July live period to make his commitment, setting a date for mid-July in advance. He also never announced an official school list. For much of his recruitment, though, Kentucky and USC were considered the primary contenders: Crowe’s father played with Kentucky assistant Jason Hart and the two remain friends, and the Trojans made him a priority throughout the process. But over the final few weeks, Missouri emerged as the favorite and was able to land the top-five scorer.
How he fits: Crowe is one of the elite scorers in high school basketball, averaging better than 23 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit. He’s explosive with the ball in his hands and is an adept playmaker who can get others involved. At Missouri, Crowe will likely become the team’s best offensive player early, although point guard Anthony Robinson and UCLA transfer Sebastian Mack could return to Columbia in 2026-27 and take the pressure off Crowe. It’s also worth noting that Dennis Gates & Co. have made some real headway with fellow five-star Toni Bryant (No. 13).
What’s next for Kentucky and USC? Crowe would have been the ideal start of the 2026-27 roster for either Kentucky or USC, but both programs have talented prospects remaining at the top of their boards. The Wildcats are in pursuit of No. 1 prospect Tyran Stokes, No. 5 Caleb Holt, and five-star point guards Taylen Kinney (No. 17) and Deron Rippey Jr. (No. 18), among others. USC is eyeing Christian Collins (No. 2), Brandon McCoy (No. 6) and Tajh Ariza (No. 20) at the top.
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 12
Committed to: Arkansas Razorbacks
Commitment date: May 15, 2025
Background: While highly ranked prospects from the state of Arkansas have typically stayed home for college — ironically, Malik Monk choosing John Calipari’s Kentucky over Arkansas was one of the high-profile exceptions — the Razorbacks had to do some work to land Andrews. He had LSU and Missouri among his final three, with Dennis Gates’ Tigers appearing to be in a strong position down the stretch. But Calipari has proved he still has juice with five-stars.
JJ Andrews is a BEAST 🔥 24 points and 10 boards for the Arkansas commit as Brad Beal Elite beats Oakland Soldiers 94-78 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/HF6yxctCer
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) July 17, 2025
How he fits: The No. 1 player in the state of Arkansas, Andrews has been on the radar of top programs for multiple years. He has tremendous physical tools and is aggressive going to the basket on the offensive end. Although he’s not a prolific perimeter shooter, he did shoot 40% from 3-point range during the EYBL regular season with just about one make per game. It’s always unclear who will return to a Calipari-coached roster, but Andrews should have an early role when he arrives in fall 2026. Unsurprisingly, the Razorbacks are in pursuit of a slew of other five-stars in 2026.
2026 ESPN 100 ranking: 14
Committed to: Missouri Tigers
Commitment date: Sept. 8, 2025
Background: A 6-foot-9 power forward from Zephyrhills Christian Academy in Florida, Bryant is the No. 4 power forward in the 2026 class, averaging 13.3 points and 5.8 rebounds on the Puma Pro16 circuit this past spring and summer.
As we mentioned when Jason Crowe committed, Missouri was long considered a top contender for Bryant. Dennis Gates and the Tigers were among the first high-major schools to show heavy interest in Bryant, extending a scholarship offer in May 2024 — well before he emerged as one of the top frontcourt players in the 2026 class. A number of other programs jumped into the mix over the past 16 months, including blue bloods Kansas (March) and North Carolina (earlier this month). But Missouri brought him on campus this past weekend for the Tigers’ football game against the rival Jayhawks, and Bryant ended his recruitment less than 48 hours later.
How he fits: Bryant is the second five-star recruit in Missouri’s 2026 group, joining Crowe in what is now the only class in the country with multiple five-star prospects. Bryant’s stock has risen considerably over the past year, with his athleticism and two-way potential making an impression. He’s active in transition and on the offensive glass and is showing signs of being able to knock down shots from the perimeter.
He won’t have to shoulder a huge offensive load right away as a freshman in Columbia, particularly with high-usage point guard Crowe running the show. But expect Crowe to get Bryant involved on lobs and in fast-break settings. Bryant should be able to make an impact on the defensive end, given Missouri’s aggressive style at that end of the floor.
