I've Got Five On It: High school freshmen to watch
We here at Rivals won’t rank the 2026 class until almost a year from now, but that doesn’t mean we’re unaware of the next wave of high school talent. This week in I Got Five On it, we take a glance ahead at the youth and explore five freshmen who are likely to make names for themselves this season and be sifting through a massive pile of offers down the road.
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ABOUT HIM: Young as he is, Dybantsa has been on the national radar for some time now. As things stand, he’s the odds-on favorite to sit atop the 2026 rankings when they're released next year. That said, there’s no telling what the talented wing’s freshman year may hold. A Massachusetts native who will play for Needham (Mass.) St. Sebastian’s High School, the 6-foot-8 Dybantsa has elite physical tools and is capable of scoring at all three levels.
He plays with the confidence of a much older prospect and is as battle tested as a freshman can be. Dybantsa played 15U with Expressions on the Nike EYBL and also made a splash against elite talent at USA Basketball October minicamp. He has the tools and advanced skill set to be a special player and one you’ll be hearing about ad nauseam as he progresses through the high school ranks.
EARLY OFFERS: Boston College is Dybantsa’s first and only scholarship offer, but everything about him screams “blueblood involvement.” Offers should begin to trickle in as he plays his freshman season at St. Sebastian’s, and he’ll be one of the most in-demand players in the class when all is said and done. Dybantsa grew up watching North Carolina and took a shine to the program as a youngster, so the Tar Heels would be among the teams to watch should they decide to offer.
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ABOUT HIM: A 6-foot-5, broad-shouldered wing out of Alabama’s Buckhorn High School, Holt spent the summer playing the adidas 3SSB circuit with Game Elite. He’s less developed than Dybantsa from a skill standpoint, but his physical tools are capable of wowing onlookers. He plays downhill and handles the ball well for a prospect of his age. Holt held his own with some of the top 2023 and 2024 prospects in the country at Pangos All-American Camp this year, and he certainly has a promising future.
EARLY OFFERS: SEC schools have already taken note of Holt’s upside. In fact, they started to line up before he officially hit ninth grade. Holt currently holds offers from programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Ole Miss and Florida.
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ABOUT HIM: Cannady is a new name at a familiar high school, as he’s the newest potential star for Virginia’s powerhouse Bishop O'Connell High School, which always has its share of D-I prospects. The 6-foot-2 Cannady can play the point and looked good doing so at this year’s Border League event.
He has some offensive versatility and is capable of thriving at either backcourt spot, but his motor and discipline on defense shouldn’t be overlooked. He averaged 13 points per game while playing against older prospects at a loaded DMV Live event this summer and will likely attract a ton of attention in the year ahead.
EARLY OFFERS: Kansas State, Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Mississippi State have already offered Cannady, who played for Team Melo in the EYBL this season.
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ABOUT HIM: The son of former Ohio high school star Sonny Johnson, who went on to play his college ball at both Cleveland State and Ohio University, Marcus Johnson will likely follow his father’s footsteps as an elite high school player. Just how elite he’ll become remains up in the air, but the 6-foot-1 guard already has people talking. The shifty lefty handles the ball well and is able to create for himself, thanks to his skill and a level of confidence freshmen often lack. He still has some developing to do physically, but he’s already starting to shine as a shooter. His brother, Sonny Johnson Jr., currently plays at Detroit Mercy. Marcus Johnson will play his freshman season at Ohio’s Garfield Heights High School.
EARLY OFFERS: Ohio, Cincinnati, Detroit Mercy and West Virginia offered over the summer. Alabama made things official in early October, and it feels like more high-major interest is brewing. If Johnson adds a few more inches of length in the coming years his ceiling will become higher than it already is.
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ABOUT HIM: At 6-foot-6 Nwigwe doesn’t lack for length, and the freshman from New Jersey’s motor also looks to be elite. He’ll take the court for famed Bergen Catholic High School as a freshman this season, but he already has high-level experience having played 17u for the Riverside Hawks on the Under Armour circuit this summer. Nwigwe’s ability to score at the bucket and through traffic is his calling card so far, but he’s developing as both a shooter and a versatile defender. It's too early in his career to make any wild proclamations about what he may become, but his combination of size, ball-handling and scoring ability make him one to watch this season, to say the least.
EARLY OFFERS: Illinois, LSU, Rutgers, Rhode Island and St. Bonaventure have already made things official. There’s plenty more in store for Nwigwe, however, as his name is making its way into the recruiting offices of additional high-major programs. Georgetown is involved but has yet to offer.