Replenish and retool. Another season of College Football is in the books, and a new class of freshmen is ready to fill the void left behind by departing seniors. This proverbial conveyor belt of talent, a carousel of players hopping on and off, is perpetual. With that, programs already have one eye beyond the upcoming 2025 season. Coaches are hitting the road, seeking to persuade players their way. One particular kid in the class of ‘26 has become the focal point of this entire recruitment trail, with no less than 41 suitors.

To put into context just how much of an athletic specimen said player is, he doesn’t even have a designated position yet. Runs a 100m dash in 10.27s and a 40 in 4.38s. As a junior in high school, mind you. You’d think he’s destined to be a wide receiver. Comparisons to Ryan Williams over at Alabama and National Champ Jeremiah Smith are a tangible trail of thought. But he’s got a little Tyreek Hill to him with raw speed akin to the “cheetah”. However, he’s also got some Pat Surtain II to him. An athletic freak, a 5-star recruit who can play both receiver and corner. The irony is not lost here. Travis Hunter just jumped off the carousel, but someone has laid claim to his seat already.

The player in question is Brandon Arrington. The California Native out of Mount Miguel has swept programs off their feet, quite literally. Every big-time coach in the country is making trips to visit him. Arrington already stands at 6 ‘2, 185 pounds and is being recruited as an ATH, short for “athlete,” owing to his lack of a defined position. 247Sports’ National recruiting analyst Greg Biggins discerns Brandon Arrington as “one of the fastest sprinters in the country… On the gridiron, shows the ability to play corner or receiver and should also develop into a dangerous return man.” Biggins is also full of praise for him for meshing his athletic prowess with football skills at this developmental stage.

“[Brandon Arrington] can run more than just go routes and has improved as a route runner and in his ability to set up an opposing corner,” he said. He did address the elephant in the room that stems this entire ordeal- the freight-train like physical composition with mobility combo Arrington possesses. “The speed definitely shows up on the football field and he’s explosive enough to out-run the angle and get behind a defense. Shows toughness going over the middle and doesn’t shy away from contact. Has upside as a long cover corner as well but upside is probably highest as a receiver and his ceiling is as high as any skill player in the region.” 

So where does Arrington’s recruitment stand at this juncture? Think this. If the school has an FBS football program, they’re probably in the reckoning. However, one program is making strides and seemingly pulling away as the most likely landing spot. The head coach visited Arrington earlier in the week, and the player reciprocated this by visiting the campus in the past 24 hours. Helps that it’s not too far away from the Pacific Coast.

Brandon Arrington appears to be marginally trending toward B1G program

The Oregon Ducks’ hype train came to a halt at a scarlet-red stoplight this season. Their blowout loss in the CFP round 2 game has far from deterred potential recruits. Dan Lanning has proven he’s building something tangible out in Eugene. Their quest to repeat as the no.1 team in the country shall continue in 2025, but additional help in the form of Brandon Arrington may be on its way from ‘26 on.

Arrington visited Eugene over the weekend. He posted a picture of him standing on the gridiron at Autzen to his social media. This comes a fortnight after Lanning visited him out in Cali. The proximity of these interactions would’ve given Oregon a great chance to make inroads. However, their road to landing Arrington is not close to linear. There are a couple of major official visits imminent, which could turn the “tide” and make this a “dogfight”. Pun intended.

The Alabama Crimson Tide and Georgia Bulldogs have official campus visits scheduled for February 1st and March 23rd, respectively. The SEC adversaries will get their opportunity to sway this potential cheat-code player. Kalen DeBoer could certainly do with fending off this amount of competition and landing a recruit of this ilk. It’ll give him a world of confidence. A multitude of other blueblood programs are also in the fray. Even If Oregon has an advantage, it’s marginal at best. A career-altering decision beckons for Brandon Arrington. The program he choses will dictate which position he moves forward with in his career.