The college basketball landscape is in a constant state of change these days, as NIL and the transfer portal have ushered in a new era on the recruiting trail. The changes have helped bring renewed life to a handful of programs that have seen their recruiting profiles soar in recent years.
This week, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores five such programs and outlines how each hopes to continue their respective rise up the recruiting pecking order.
Rumor Mill: Chatter collected from a week on the road
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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2026 Rankings: Rivals150
Transfer Portal: Full coverage | Player ranking | Transfer tracker | Player search
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BYU
The Cougars haven’t totally flexed their new recruiting power just yet, but buzz about what could be on deck is certainly building. Losing a coach as successful as Mark Pope, who bounced to Kentucky this offseason, would set most programs back a bit on the trail. That hasn’t been the case in Provo, however, as fans and donors alike have been energized by the program's hiring of new head coach Kevin Young.
The Cougars now seem to have the financial support and winning history they need in order to compete for elite talent. BYU is thought to be among the leaders for No.1-ranked prospect A.J. Dybantsa, whose offseason transfer to nearby high school Utah Prep wasn’t some grand coincidence.
Young’s program is also in play for prospects such as four-star big man Xavion Staton and four-star wing Ryder Frost. Local products Dean Rueckert, Anthony Felesi and Junior County are all in play in the class of 2026, as is future star Miikka Muurinen, who is set to shoot into the top 15 in the next Rivals150 update.
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GEORGIA
Georgia has long recruited well in short spurts. It managed to land top-ranked prospect turned NBA star Anthony Edwards in 2019, after all. The NIL era and the hiring of Mike White seem to have made things a bit more consistent in Athens, however.
Obviously, the big indicator was seeing the program secure five-star forward Asa Newell last cycle, but the Bulldogs are now routinely wading in waters in which the program hadn’t often swam in the past. Top-30 big man Somto Cyril, who was once committed to Kentucky, signed with the Dawgs in the last class. So did Serbian guard Savo Drezgic, who is a hyper-intriguing international prospect.
The Bulldogs already have a four-star in the fold for 2025 in the form of Jacob Wilkins and should be involved in a significant way with 2026 five-star Kayden Allen, who is originally from the Atlanta area. The upcoming season feels vital for White’s team, however, as it will need to find a way to get over the hump and qualify for the NCAA tournament if it is to retain the recruiting momentum it has built by playing its way into the postseason conversation in each of the last two years.
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MISSOURI
The future of Missouri as a budding recruiting power will hinge on how the upcoming season plays out. Anything resembling last year’s 8-24 disaster will likely kill the momentum that sprouted from the program’s sixth-ranked 2025 class – a class that included four four-star prospects, three of whom ranked inside the top 100.
Keeping four-star guard Aaron Rowe home in Columbia was a victory in the 2025 class, but it’s the 2026 class that could pay dividends for head coach Dennis Gates should the program have a bounce-back season this year. It’s an open secret that the Tigers have a nice supply of NIL money but how much of it is available to use may hinge on how the Gates era seems to be going following the 2024-25 season.
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RUTGERS
Possibly the most obvious selection for this list, Rutgers is coming off an absolute dream cycle in 2024, as the Scarlet Knights landed their best recruiting class in program history. How things work out for NBA hopefuls Ace Bailey and Dylan Harper, both of whom chose head coach Steve Pikiell's program over multiple bluebloods in the 2024 class, may determine the immediate future of Rutgers hoops.
Should the five-star duo find success at their non-traditional home, there will almost certainly be a positive ripple effect with future classes. Should this season go south, however, things could go back to the status quo rather quickly.
Either way, landing Harper and Bailey sent a message to the country that Rutgers has what it takes to stand toe-to-toe with heavy hitters in the NIL era and could become an even bigger player for elite talent should it start placing guys in the NBA Draft Lottery.
There are the seedlings of something special brewing in Piscataway, and those seedlings could blossom quickly if the upcoming season plays out the way Rutgers fans hope.
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PROVIDENCE
The dawn of the NIL era made recruiting less about charisma than it once was, but the fact that Providence head coach Kim English is dripping in it certainly hasn’t hurt the program's cause on the trail.
The Friars have been on the upswing in the recruiting game for more than a year, and the program’s 2025 class is shaping up to be one of its best hauls in recent history. Four-star forwards Jamier Jones and Jaylen Harrell are already in the fold and complement each other in a way that will make the future Providence frontcourt formidable to say the least.
English’s program also remains in play for four-star guard Jalen Reece, who has already visited campus and may make a return trip this fall. Canadian import Efeosa Oliogu has game-changing talent and is also considering the Friars. West Coast-based big man Tee Bartlett is also worth monitoring, as he has taken a shine to English and his staff as well.
If Providence takes another step forward on the court this year and locks in a second consecutive 20-win season and its first NCAA tournament berth under English, there will likely be even more recruiting success in 2026.
