The 2026 recruiting cycle is officially in full swing as some of the top high school football players around the country are already announcing their respective college decisions. During the week of May 2-8, seven players from the 2026 class committed to an SEC program. The group of SEC commits features a trio of Top247 prospects, headlined by the nation's fourth-ranked quarterback. Five SEC schools secured at least one commitment this week. Arkansas and Ole Miss led the way with two each, while Georgia, Texas, and Vanderbilt each had one. With that in mind, scroll down to take a look at the Class of 2026 prospects who committed to an SEC program over the past week.
MAY 2: IZAYIA WILLIAMS | LB
Committed to: Ole Miss
247Sports rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 159 Overall | No. 10 LB
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-1 ½, 215-pound linebacker out of Tavares (Fla.) High School, Izayia Williams flipped his commitment from Florida to Ole Miss, becoming the sixth member of the Rebels' 2026 recruiting class. The Top247 prospect had been pledged to the Gators for nearly two months before making the flip on the heels of an official visit to Oxford. In 10 games as a junior, Williams racked up 125 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, and one interception return for a touchdown on the defensive side of the ball, per MaxPreps. Offensively, he rushed for 423 yards and six touchdowns on 23 carries and caught five passes for 97 yards and four touchdowns.
Abbreviated scouting report: "Supercharged linebacker with the athletic juice to make headlines at the NFL Scouting Combine one day, but one that is still discovering all of his capabilities. … Closes gaps with jurisdiction and can turn into a mallet as he slams opponents. Owns rare sideline-to-sideline range with his gallop and has continued to improve depth perception as a drop-coverage defender." — 247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins
Reminds us of: Smael Mondon Jr. | LB | Georgia Bulldogs
MAY 2: JAIVION MARTIN | TE
Committed to: Arkansas
247Sports rank: 3-star | 89 rating | No. 17 TE
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-3 ½, 250-pound tight end out of Pflugerville (Texas) High School, Jaivion Martin committed to the Razorbacks over Power Four offers from Arizona, Houston, Arizona State, California, Duke, Maryland, and Texas Tech, among others. Arkansas tight ends coach Morgan Turner was the lead recruiter for the Lone Star State product, and he is commit No. 14 for head coach Sam Pittman and his staff in the 2026 recruiting cycle. In 12 games as a junior, Martin hauled in 51 receptions for 804 yards and 11 touchdowns on offense while recording eight tackles, one sack, three quarterback hurries, and one pass breakup on defense, per MaxPreps.
Abbreviated scouting report: "Pass-catching bully with terrific production, a multi-sport athletic profile, and some limited defensive snaps to bolster on-field catalog. Displays strength and sneaky athleticism in run-after-catch opportunities. Instinctive in finding open space as a target. Possesses the physical specs to move around as an attached tight end, a flex, and an H-back." — 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks
MAY 2: TROTT O'NEAL | LS
Committed to: Texas
247Sports rank: 3-star | 80 rating | No. 2 LS
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-2, 235-pound long snapper out of Plano (Texas) Prestonwood Christian, Trott O'Neal committed to the Longhorns just two days after landing his first Power Four offer from Steve Sarkisian's program in the wake of an unofficial visit to Austin. He also holds an offer from Air Force. Texas special teams coordinator and tight ends coach Jeff Banks was the lead recruiter for O'Neal, who becomes the fifth commitment for the Longhorns in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
MAY 4: DAMARIUS YATES | RB
Committed to: Ole Miss
247Sports rank: 4-star | 91 rating | No. 110 Overall | No. 7 RB
Recruiting background: A 5-foot-9 ½, 179-pound running back out of De Kalb (Miss.) Kemper County, Damarius Yates committed to the Rebels over offers from Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Mississippi State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others. The in-state prospect was previously pledged to Mississippi State for nearly three months before reopening his recruitment in December, but he now becomes the seventh member of the Rebels' 2026 recruiting class. Ole Miss running backs coach Kevin Smith was the lead recruiter for the top-150 prospect, who becomes the seventh commitment for the Rebels in the 2026 recruiting cycle. In 11 games as a junior, Yates rushed for 1,339 yards and 15 touchdowns on 131 carries and caught 31 passes for 453 yards and four scores on offense while adding a pair of return touchdowns on special teams (one kickoff, one punt), per MaxPreps.
MAY 5: JARED CURTIS | QB
Committed to: Georgia
247Sports rank: 4-star | 95 rating | No. 13 Overall | No. 4 QB
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-3 ½, 225-pound quarterback out of Nashville (Tenn.) Christian School, Jared Curtis committed to the Bulldogs over fellow finalist Oregon, giving head coach Kirby Smart and his staff their eighth pledge of the 2026 recruiting cycle. Georgia offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo was the lead recruiter for the elite signal-caller, who was named the MaxPreps Tennessee Player of the Year as a junior after leading Nashville Christian to a 12-1 record and a Tennessee Division II-A state championship. During that junior campaign, he completed 179 of 255 passes (70.2%) for 2,830 yards with 40 touchdowns against just three interceptions while rushing for an additional 637 yards and 18 touchdowns on 88 carries.
Abbreviated scouting report: "Refined and polished passer that matches a higher floor with a higher ceiling. Possesses not only the desired build for the position, but also elite pocket-passing qualities to go along with some slick athleticism. Has both the arm and the eyes to constantly tax defenses. Smooth mechanics result in pin-point accuracy on the basic throws while a powerful base helps serve up lasers to both the second and third levels." — Ivins
MAY 7: HUGH SMITH | OT
Committed to: Arkansas
247Sports rank: 3-star | 86 rating | No. 80 OT
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive tackle out of Missouri City (Texas) Ridge Point, Hugh Smith committed to the Razorbacks over Power Four offers from Houston, Arizona State, Boston College, Kansas, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Stanford, and Vanderbilt, among others. Arkansas offensive line coach Eric Mateos was the lead recruiter for the Lone Star State product. Smith is the 15th commitment for head coach Sam Pittman and the Razorbacks in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
MAY 8: KAHDEN SMITH | WR
Committed to: Vanderbilt
247Sports rank: 3-star | 87 rating | No. 131 WR
Recruiting background: A 6-foot-2, 185-pound wide receiver out of Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Hillcrest, Kahden Smith committed to the Commodores over offers from Stanford, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Liberty, Tulane, and USF, among others. His recruitment was spearheaded by Vanderbilt pass game coordinator and wide receivers coach Alex Bailey, and he is the seventh commitment for head coach Clark Lea and his staff in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Smith averaged an impressive 20.6 yards per catch during his junior season, finishing with 39 receptions for 804 yards and six touchdowns over 10 games, per MaxPreps.
