Rivals Rankings Week: Storylines surrounding new 2026 rankings

The 2026 rankings have been updated and expanded to include 100 prospects, and the most notable change is the one at the top. Five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr. has seized the top spot after being ranked No. 2 for the last handful of months, and his rise represents just one of many moves that permeate the list.

Below, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores a handful of the biggest storylines of the rankings update.

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RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE

Sunday: Previewing the 2025 and 2026 updates

Monday: Top 10 countdown for 2025

Tuesday: New Rivals150 for 2025 | Top storylines in 2025 rankings

Wednesday: Top 10 countdown for 2026

Thursday: New ranking for 2026 | Top storylines in 2026 rankings

Friday: Rankings Roundtable

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The 2026 rankings have a new king of the castle, as California-based guard Brandon McCoy Jr. has supplanted former No. 1 prospect Tyran Stokes at the top of the list on the back of a sophomore season that saw McCoy’s massive long-term potential begin to give way to dominant production.

A star at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco High School, the 6-foot-4 McCoy has long been seen as one of the best long-term prospects in the class and his well-rounded set of physical tools are now becoming more polished and expansive.

The promising point guard has pro-level length and seems to be adding muscle to his frame, not to mention that he’s not yet maxed out from a skill perspective. Finding holes in his game is difficult, as McCoy checks most boxes that grab the attention of NBA scouts. He'll take another step in the year ahead as he becomes stronger and an even more reliable outside shooter.

Meanwhile, Stokes seems to be a clear choice at the No. 2 spot for now as he and McCoy have separated from the pack a bit. Obviously, rankings outlooks change quickly, especially during the grassroots season, but the discussion for the top spot this time around included just two prospects.

The top debuting prospect in the update is Georgia-based forward Moustapha Diop, who could be just scratching the surface of his climb. The 6-foot-10 Diop oozes versatility and two-way potential. He’s already a high-level rim protector and moves as well as any prospect with his build in this class.

His offensive game will ideally develop to become more lethal outside of 12 feet, but his soft hands and slick post moves allow him to make an impact on the offensive end even now.

It’s not difficult to imagine a scenario where Diop charges toward the top five as he adds polish and thrives against top-flight competition on the adidas 3SSB circuit in the coming months.

The five-star forward attends The Walker School just outside Atlanta and will run with the Game Elite grassroots organization this spring and summer.

He holds early offers from Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Auburn and Missouri.

Diop isn’t the only prospect making a splashy debut in the rankings, as Finland-born forward Miikka Muurinen burst through the door and now sits in the No. 19 spot.

The long, fluid Muurinen stands all of 6-foot-10, is an above average athlete and attacks the rim with aggression at almost all times. His motor pops off the page and while he wasn’t as consistently dominant as you’d like a top-20 prospect to be this season the indicators of future growth and success are all in place.

Muurinen, who played this season with Kansas-based powerhouse Sunrise Christian Academy, has the potential to be a modern floor-spacing big man, as he is a willing 3-point shooter with a smooth stroke, even if he is a bit up-and-down from behind the arc for the time being.

He impacts games on the boards and has shown signs of becoming a big-time rim-protector. For now, the four-star forward is ranked where he is based on long-term upside but could flirt with the top 10 before the year is over should his potential begin to turn to production and his budding skill set comes together.

To say Jason Crowe Jr. has established himself as one of the premier pure scorers in the country would be understating the point. The Lynwood (Calif.) High School sophomore spent the season rattling off 40-point games and has already scored more than 2,300 points at the high school level.

The 6-foot-2 Crowe may lack truly elite size for the time being, but he’s young for his grade and comes equipped with nearly unlimited range and a skill set that seems polished beyond his years.

UCLA is among the early programs to watch for Crowe, but additional suitors should start lining up this summer, especially if he’s able to add an inch or two of length down the road.