Forget Signing Day: How the Fourth of July commitment weekend shifted the landscape, and rankings, in 2026

The Fourth of July has become one of the hottest stretches on the college football recruiting calendar. Aside from the flurry leading up to the early signing period in December, few windows generate more sizzle. This holiday weekend proved no different, lighting up the trail with fireworks — both literally and metaphorically. 

From the start of July through Sunday, more than 160 prospects in the 2026 class made their decisions, including 27 players ranked in the current Top247 and eight five-star recruits.

While Joey Chestnut was polishing off another Mustard Belt, college programs were firing up their own recruiting grills for a big feast. All the headline commitments reshaped the team rankings race, shaking up the leaderboard with roughly five months to go until the early signing period. 

Felix Ojo commits to Texas Tech: Red Raiders pull off recruiting stunner landing No. 5 prospect in 2026 class

Cody Nagel

Among the biggest winners — and movers in the top 20 — were Alabama, Florida, LSU, Michigan, Oregon, Syracuse and Tennessee, each making strides to strengthen their 2026 classes and solidify their positions in the recruiting race.

It takes a good amount to change a ranking at this point in the cycle. Knowing that, the below movement is pretty remarkable — with huge leaps from Oregon, Alabama and Syracuse and corresponding drops from teams who were jumped. 

Note: Rankings as of the morning of July 7

Alabama gets five-star double dip

The Crimson Tide continued their rapid rise with three more top-100 commitments since the start of July, including a pair of five-stars — safety Jireh Edwards (No. 26 overall) and wide receiver Cederian Morgan (No. 11) — joining their 2026 class. Less than three weeks ago, Alabama was outside the top 40 nationally. As of Monday morning, the Crimson Tide surged all the way to No. 5. Alabama now boasts eight top-100 recruits with four-star defensive lineman Nolan Wilson (No. 99) also adding his commitment to the growing class.

LSU heats up with summer momentum

LSU added three key commitments since the beginning of the month, including a pair of Fourth of July additions. Five-star edge rusher Trenton Henderson (No. 28) gave coach Brian Kelly and the Tigers a major boost with a crucial SEC recruiting win over Florida and Texas last Wednesday. The momentum has LSU on pace to secure their fourth consecutive top-10 recruiting class.

Oregon beefs up offensive line

Oregon continues to make massive moves along the offensive line. Five-star interior lineman Immanuel Iheanacho (No. 22) committed last Thursday, giving the Ducks a massive anchor up front in the 6-foot-6, 345-pound mauler. He became Oregon’s second five-star pledge in the 2026 class. The Ducks, who sat outside the top 20 at the end of June, have climbed to No. 12 in the team rankings after three early July additions — including 6-foot-6, 330-pound four-star offensive tackle Tommy Tofi (No. 97).

Tennessee builds defensive foundation around No. 1 QB

Two Top247 commitments headline the quartet of newcomers to Tennessee’s 2026 class in July. While much of the national attention has centered on surrounding No. 1 overall prospect and five-star quarterback Faizon Brandon with offensive firepower, the Volunteers’ latest additions have come on the other side of the ball. All four July commitments project on defense, including four-star linebacker TJ White (No. 86) and four-star defensive lineman Dereon Albert (No. 184), giving the class a more balanced and physical foundation. Tennessee jumped to No. 15 after a productive early July stretch that brought plenty of heat to the defensive side.

Florida stays hot after scorching June

Billy Napier and Co. were on an absolute heater in June. That momentum appears to be continuing into July with two more commitments already on the board. Four-star defensive lineman Kendall Guervil (No. 77) became the second-highest-rated pledge in Florida’s 2026 class. Matching their June pace — when the Gators grilled up a dozen new commitments — might be a tall task, but Florida climbed to No. 16 in the team rankings as of Monday.

Michigan stacks depth with early July run

With a trio of four-star commitments in the past week, Michigan has climbed to No. 7 in the 2026 team recruiting rankings. A pair of Top247 additions — edge rusher Julian Walker (No. 155) and wide receiver Travis Johnson (No. 173) — added some star-spangled pop to a class that continues to build depth. The Wolverines currently hold the third-best class in the Big Ten for this cycle.

Syracuse lights fuse on historic commitment

Syracuse has never signed a Top247 five-star recruit in the modern era. That should change with prized wide receiver Calvin Russell (No. 21) committing to the Orange on Saturday. It was one of the most surprising developments of the weekend, with Syracuse beating out heavyweights like Florida State, Michigan and Oregon for the explosive playmaker. That moved the Orange up to No. 20 in the team rankings heading into the heart of summer.

Other Top247 commitments since July 1