Team Recruiting Rankings are built on individual prospect grades, and those grades matter. But roster building is much more nuanced than simply stacking stars and calling it a day. Talent usually wins. Fit, development, and lineup balance can decide how long the winning lasts.

Every cycle, a handful of recruiting classes sit outside the top 10 in February, only to look dramatically different one or two years later. When looking at class impact, I’m looking at multi-year upside, translatable tools, positional balance, and how pieces can scale together.

So take a look at Rivals’ 2026 Industry Team Rankings, and let’s discuss five programs that are ranked outside of the top-15 who could see their futures shaped with this 2026 high school recruiting class.

No. 17 Purdue

The Class: 4-star SG Jacob Webber (No. 34), 4-star PG Luke Ertel (No. 48), 4-star C Sinan Huan (No. 57), 3-star PF Rivers Knight (NR)

The headliners of this class are Webber and Ertel. In Webber, you have the highest upside shooter in the cycle. Deep shooting touch with unconscious range. In the 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6 range, he will need to continue getting stronger and rounding out his game, but there is immense upside here as he gets accustomed to the speed of the game. Ertel is possibly the best pick-and-roll point guard in the class. He is strong on the ball and can make every read from the teeth of the defense, keeping his balance. He could make the offense hum. Matt Painter identified him early and locked him in quickly. Huan has touch, some intriguing offensive skills, and excellent timing around the basket. A bit heavy-footed, the speed of the game could be interesting for him, but the natural tools are certainly there with patience. Knight could be a solid long-term depth piece.

While this group lacks that five-star pop, the development of multi-year players has been Purdue’s sweet spot over the past decade-plus.

No. 18 Oklahoma State

The Class: 4-star F Latrell Allmond (No. 36), 4-star SF Jalen Montonati (No. 75), 4-star SG Parker Robinbson (No. 118)

Allmond is the tone-setter. The one who will bring physicality and toughness from day one. He can guard up or down a line-up, and someone who attacks the rim with a purpose. The McDonald’s All-American was a big recruiting win for the Cowboys. Then they added shooting. With the up-and-down-style they play, getting spacing from the wings will be imperative. Montonati is a Cowboy legacy, someone with USA Basketball experience, and a state high school player of the year. Robinson is someone who is comfortable off the ball or as a secondary-type initiator. He also brings toughness to the table as someone who elevates the floor of the team around them.

Steve Lutz is out to a 16-10 start this season, building a lot out of the portal. Here is a class that could bring stability to Stillwater as they grow.

No. 21 Vanderbilt

The Class: 4-star SF Ethan Mgbako (No. 51), 4-star G Anthony Brown (No. 99), 4-star C Jackson Sheffield (No. 101)

Mark Byington has seemingly found his groove in Nashville, jumping out to a 21-5 start and a No. 19 ranking. While his high school class is within the top-25, the pieces he fit together could outplay that number in their time at Vanderbilt. In Mgbako and Brown, who brought in two scoring perimeter players who are high-volume, and high upside bucket-getters. Brown plays more on the ball, and Mgbako more off the ball, but both are capable of getting theirs from multiple levels, both touching the paint or knocking down shots. Then there is the physicality factor that Sheffield brings. A big man who doesn’t need the spotlight, but he hunts contact and hustle stats.

Vanderbilt plays an attractive style of ball in a great city, and now they are pushing for a second consecutive NCAA Tournament and top-four finish in the SEC.

No. 28 VCU

The Class: 4-star SF Sammy Jackson (No. 55), 4-star C Collin Ross (No. 60)

It is rare for a mid-major program to land a top-100 prospect in this modern era of recruiting. However, in this cycle, VCU went out and got two players ranked among the top-60 in the 2026 cycle. Jackson might be one of the more unique prospects in the class. Many programs liked him, but didn’tparticularly know what to do with him. That panned out well for Phil Martelli Jr. Jackson is a lengthy 6-foot-6 on-ball player. He is a quick processor and at his best as a ball-in-hand decision maker. The son of former NBA center Marc Jackson, Sammy isn’t a great shooter at this point and an average athlete, but he is able to consistently create advantages at multiple levels of the half-court, and that should bode very well for his floor as he continues to get stronger. In Ross, the commedores get one of the best defensive big men in the class. A late-bloomer, he is lengthy and mobile at 6-foot-10, and he is someone who can protect the rim while also sliding his feet and switching up a lineup. Just breaking into his upside, Ross’ best basketball is ahead of him.

The A10 is one of the toughest mid-major leagues in the country. Martelli is currently 12-2 in the league, sitting at No. 2 in the standings. It is no surprise that success brings quality.

No. 30 West Virginia

The Class: 4-star PG Miles Sadler (No. 22), 4-star C Aliou Dioum (No. 94), 3-star SG Kingston Whitty (NR)

The centerpiece of this class is Sadler. Someone who plays with a consistent chip on his shoulder. And despite being consistently overlooked The 5-foot-10 lead guard has produced at the FIBA, high school, and EYBL levels of the game. He is capable of bending a defense as well as any lead guard in this class, with an array of finishes at the rim or the ability to toss any live dribble pass necessary in the teeth of the defense. Ross Hodge hung in there with Sadler and ultimately earned the recruiting win. He also has range that extends beyond the three-point arc. Dioum is one of the best defensive big men in this class. He has excellent timing as a rim protector and can slide his feet and guard down a line-up or get in the passing lanes if necessary. He needs some offensive polish and strength, but there is a lot to like with his natural abilities on the defensive end of the floor. Whitty could be a solid long-term depth piece.

West Virginia is in year one of the Ross Hodge era, and for his first full recruiting cycle, what better way to go about it than bookend your team with a high upside one and a five?