Northwestern's 2026 class includes 21 new recruits.
Today was signing day for Northwestern's 2026 recruiting class, and the program spent the day announcing all of its recruits via X. Twenty of them were expected, but one came out of the blue to make the final class 21 members.
Unranked defensive lineman Tre Hoskins is officially headed to Evanston, turning down offers from schools like Air Force, Army and Ball State. The Wildcats represented his only power-four offer, so it isn't shocking that he chose Northwestern, but the 'Cats will take all the talent they can get.
Hoskins is a Missouri native, and he already has the size component down. He's listed at 6-foot-5 and 275 lbs, according to 247Sports. Given his lack of a ranking, he'll surely need development time once he gets to campus, but Northwestern is emerging as a program capable of turning lower ranked recruits into competent starters.
With the class finalized, the numbers are in. Northwestern ranks No. 55 in the nation, a solid mark for head coach David Braun and his staff. The class is led by two four-stars, both of whom received a ranking boost after committing to the 'Cats.
Jaden McDuffie is the No. 54 receiver in the 2026 class and the No. 10 player out of Maryland. He'll join a receiver room next year headlined by two emerging stars in Griffin Wilde and Hayden Eligon. Due to his ranking, we may see some of McDuffie next season, but he'll likely still be buried on the depth chart.
The other four-star is Illinois offensive lineman Owen Fors. The 290 lbs behemoth is the No. 24 interior lineman in his class and the No. 11 player from his state. The 'Cats have had their best luck developing offensive linemen over recent years, so he's an exciting young talent to watch.
Below those two, the 'Cats have entirely three-stars other than Hoskins. It's important to note that many of the three-star players were not ranked when they committed, but they are now. Websites change their rankings all the time, so it's important not to read too much into what they say. It's an important metric, for sure, but it doesn't always tell the full story.
David Braun isn't in a position to attract five-stars just yet, but developing players like this is what it takes to end up in that spot. Having two four-stars helps the class, but adding 21 total players to try to mold into starters is important, too.