Rivals.com – Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines to follow with top 2026 WRs and TEs

The first Rivals250 for the 2026 class has been released and now it’s time to break down each position. We continue with wide receivers and tight ends by looking at four big storylines moving forward.

NEW 2026 POSITION RANKINGS: Pro-Style QB | Dual-Threat QB | Running Back | All-Purpose Back | Wide Receiver | Tight End

At the moment there is only one five-star wide receiver for the 2026 recruiting class. That’ll surely change over the next couple of years. There are several candidates to become the next five-star from this group, as Kayden Dixon-Wyatt and Daniel Odom are toward the top of the candidate pool.

Yet the player I think has the best shot is Georgia wide receiver Devin Carter. The one-time Florida State commit has excelled on the field since his freshman year. He’s also been dominating the camp circuit this offseason. He’s one of the best players every time he steps on the field.

This tight end group doesn’t appear to be as top heavy as the 2025 cycle. The position has been loaded the last couple of cycles so that’s a tough bar to clear. Still, there are a lot of talented prospects throughout the top 10.

Kendre’ Harrison is a multi-sport standout who has elite traits. Kaiden Prothro has been red hot during camp season and is probably athletic enough to play wide receiver.

Then we have the question of which Midwest tight end will make a surge. It happens every year; a Carter Nelson (2024) or Linkon Cure (2025) explodes onto the scene. It’s not a matter of if that will happen, but when.

There is a very strong chance that California five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr. will go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 prospect at his position. He excels in every facet of playing the position. He’s got great size (6-foot-5, 190 pounds) and speed. Henry is a good route runner and he high-points the ball very well.

Never say never but It’s going to be tough to bump him off the top spot at wide receiver.

We could be in for some shuffling at the tight end position through the cycle. The group being jumbled up could mean that we see some big swings in the future at the position. There are bound to be big risers, but the race for the top tight end comes down to four players currently for me.

Harrison, Prothro, Brock Harris and Corbyn Fordham have the best shot from the early group to hold the eventual crown. Tight end is a late-blooming position too so it’s possible that someone who has shown early flashes takes a big leap.