ACC Highlight: Evaluating high 2026 standouts to NFL Draft prospects
ACC Highlight: Evaluating high 2026 standouts to NFL Draft prospects
Because the NFL Draft creeps nearer, the nationwide analyst workforce at Rivals is having a look at some present 2026 recruits that examine favorably with upcoming draft picks. Subsequent up is the ACC.
MORE: Evaluating high 2026 standouts to Massive Ten NFL Draft prospects | SEC comparisons
COMMITMENT PREDICTIONS FOR THE 2026 RIVALS250: Nos. 1 – 50 | Nos. 51-100
YOU DECIDE: What metropolis produces the most effective highschool soccer expertise?
CB CJ BRONAUGH: Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State)
The huge body Thomas entered school with – north of 6-foot-2 – created numerous positional questions surrounding his future. At all times assured he might play cornerback, that’s the place he broke out in Tallahassee and after placing on some 20 kilos of muscle within the course of, Thomas is projected to go as early as a first-round choose as soon as the draft opens. Greater corners have been a little bit of a fad however perhaps it is coming again? Thomas might be a part of an early spherical group of gamers similar to Travis Hunter, Will Johnson, Trey Amos and lots of others amongst these on the island at 6-foot-1 or higher come April.
Within the 2026 class, the prospect rising up the ranks regardless of the larger construct on the place is CJ Bronaugh, the Nebraska dedication loads of different applications nonetheless need. The Orlando native has really elite verified velocity, together with sub 10.4-second marks within the 100-meter sprint, nice size and cornerback instincts on the catch level. Lengthy and lean right now, he’ll fill out within the coming years and have lots of the bodily traits essential to command consideration on the place.
RB DERREK COOPER: Omarion Hampton (North Carolina)
Armed with an amazing body and base relative to the place, Hampton is seen as a bell cow again with that uncommon mixture of energy and shiftiness regardless of the good dimension. Whereas he can run by means of tackles, the imaginative and prescient and instincts in area to make defenders miss as each a runner and receiver generally shock within the course of.
Cooper is starting to be seen in a really related mild. Definitely able to enjoying near 220 kilos on the subsequent degree, the five-star is already one of many unicorns of the cycle in that whereas he’s listed as an even bigger again, he strikes and wins like a a lot smaller prospect.
From an elite pass-catching sport to professional one-cut wiggle in tight quarters, Cooper has rounded out his sport despite the fact that he can nonetheless work very properly behind his pads on the contact level.
EDGE JAKE KREUL: Donovan Ezeiraku (Boston Faculty)
Undersized forward of his time at Boston Faculty, Ezeiraku placed on appreciable weight earlier than bursting onto the scene as maybe the most effective cross rusher within the ACC of late. His 30 sacks have been a mixture of fast twitch, easy cross dashing strikes and a motor that’s straightforward to note. It additionally translated that means towards the run and it might lead to an early-round choice.
At this level, anybody following school soccer recruiting even casually has seen clips of Kreul successful in a pass-rush setting. The IMG Academy star has a considerably compact, but prolonged body and regardless of improved power, it is the pure athleticism and relentless motor that mix to borderline dominate nearly each outing.
Kreul is coveted coast to coast along with his pass-rushing prowess, however he has labored to spherical out his sport each on and off the ball on the skin, too.
TE JAYDEN PETIT: Elijah Arroyo (Miami)
There was numerous splash and impression within the area sport in trying again at Arroyo popping out of highschool at 6-foot-4, 220 kilos. It donned a top-10 positional rating as the sport moved to those hybrid mismatch-type tight ends who’re an excessive amount of bodily for smaller defensive backs and but too expert for greater cowl defenders.
Arroyo confronted some blocking questions popping out of the state of Texas and Petit has a few of the similar connected to his title popping out of Southwest Florida. Extra of a jumbo vast receiver at 6-foot-4, simply over 200 kilos, there’s a dominance of smaller gamers that Petit has proven. Maybe most significantly for the projection, there’s additionally loads of trench expertise on protection as a cross rusher to his title, making many within the space fairly snug with the tight finish projection. Because the mass is added and all of it comes collectively, Petit might quickly be fairly the win for a university program.
DT FREDDIE WILSON: Joshua Farmer (Florida State)
Farmer was an intriguing big-bodied defensive position recruit popping out of highschool and he has since packed on the kilos. Now seen as extra trendy inside sort at north of 300 kilos, he can assist the depth of the unit on all three downs and it ought to result in a range within the first few rounds come April.
Wilson presently checks in at about 260 kilos however in seeing him reside this spring, it is clear that he’ll proceed so as to add professional mass to that body and work nearer to 300 kilos when he hits his school stride. Like Farmer, Wilson is a faster than quick rusher at this stage with loads of room so as to add energy to his sport and stability out just like the three-down participant all defenders aspire to venture as towards each the cross and the run.
