USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2025 to ’26 and beyond.
Auburn continued its hot streak on the recruiting trail, landing its quarterback of the future. However, the Tigers still haven’t figured it out on the field this season.
Are we also witnessing two of the best freshman receivers we’ve ever seen? It’s hard to argue, but the Ohio State and Alabama standouts are making a case.
On the high school football side of things, one of the best 2026 prospects reclassified to 2025, and another top-three prospect in the class saw his junior season end way too early.
Let’s dive a bit deeper into that in the latest edition of Friday Night Notes.
Ryan Williams, Jeremiah Smith….wow
Everyone knew that Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith would eventually be stars at the college level. How fast the two have already taken the college world is a different story.
It could be argued that the two best receivers in the country are freshmen.
Smith once again led the Buckeyes in their 35-7 win over Iowa. He had a team-high four receptions and 89 yards to go along with another circus touchdown catch.
Williams and the Crimson Tide were upset 40-35 on the road by Vanderbilt, but he still put on a show. The 17-year-old caught three passes for 82 yards, a touchdown, and also had a rushing touchdown late that brought Alabama within five.
Williams has 19 receptions for 544 yards and six touchdowns on the season. Smith has 23 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns.
Top 2026 receiver out for the year
Ohio State has become a wide receiver mecca over the last decade, and that will continue with its 2026 class. However, the Buckeyes top prospect in that group took a step back Friday night.
Chris Henry Jr., the No. 3 player in the 2026 class and No. 1 wide receiver, suffered a season-ending knee injury in Mater Dei’s 40-18 win over Santa Margarita.
The son of former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry committed to the Buckeyes last July. He’s the lone pledge in a Buckeyes class that will likely once again rank high inside the top 10.
Top 2026 recruit reclassifies to 2025
New Orleans (La.) Edna Carr four-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart was viewed by most recruiting outlets as one of the nation’s best in the 2026 class. Now, fans won’t have to wait an extra year to see him at the college level.
Stewart announced on Saturday morning that he would be reclassifying from 2026 to 2025, making him one of the most coveted uncommitted prospects remaining on the board.
The 6-foot-6, 270-pounder ranks as the No. 55 player in the class and No. 8 defensive lineman. He ranks as the No. 2 player coming out of Louisiana this cycle.
While LSU looks to be the favorite to land Stewart, the Tigers will have quite a bit of competition. Oregon, LSU, USC, and Ohio State will all host Stewart for official visits before he makes his final decision.
Auburn continues to win on the trail, lose on the field
What Auburn has done this season on the field greatly contrasts how well the Tigers have done on the recruiting trail. While recruiting elite talent doesn’t always lead to immediate success—look at Texas A&M’s 2022 group—the Tigers have a 2025 group that seems to be special.
That group added its future signal-caller in Lucedale (Miss.) George County top-40 quarterback Deuce Knight. A long-time Notre Dame pledge, Knight flipped his commitment from the Fighting Irish to Auburn on Wednesday.
Knight’s decision propelled Auburn’s 2025 class from one inside the top-5 solidly in the top-3. They have 25 pledges and only trail Ohio State and Alabama in the rankings.
On the field, it has been less of a success. Auburn dropped to 2-4 on the year following a 31-14 loss to Georgia. The Tigers have lost three straight, four of their last five games, and are 0-3 in conference play.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: College football recruiting news after Week 7 action comes to an end
