Have you ever watched a player and known he’s built different? In the 2026 recruiting cycle, that’s got to be Brandon Arrington. The 6’3, 180-pound do-it-all weapon from Mount Miguel High in Spring Valley, California, doesn’t just play football. He owns the field. And if you ask him what sets him apart, he keeps it real—“My speed. I feel like my track times benefit me for getting these big offers because colleges love speed.” 

That speed isn’t just impressive. It’s program-changing. And right now, three powerhouse programs are throwing everything they’ve got to land him. Oregon, USC, and Alabama—who will be the lucky winner of the jackpot draw? Turns out, Brandon Arrington is leaning towards a certain destination. 

In a new On3 Recruits on April 22. Josh Newberg asked the question everyone’s thinking—where is Brandon Arrington going? Steve Wiltfong didn’t pull any punches in response. “Well, the visits that he takes, those have all been needle movers,” said On3‘s VP of Recruiting and Transfer Portal. “When he visited Oregon earlier this calendar year, the Ducks were the leader. And he had a great visit to Alabama. Loved the California pipeline in their secondary. A&M’s been the front runner, and he was recently back over there.” And that’s not all.

There’s USC too, and the home state pull is strong. As Wiltfong reported, “USC’s really on the gas for Brandon Arrington. He’s had some good visits with them for spring practice.” But right now, Texas A&M leads On3’s RPM with an 83.0% edge. But it’s too soon for the Aggies to rejoice.

Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney predicts that Brandon Arrington won’t be leaving the West Coast. “I keep asking people close to Brandon Arrington whether the Aggies are the for-sure leader and I continue to be told that’s not the case while there is serious interest in Texas A&M,” he said. “Texas A&M is right in the thick of Arrington’s recruitment, but staying closer to home is more likely right now.”

So the signs point back to the West Coast programs being high on Brandon Arrington’s list. “Oregon’s definitely a program I could see Brandon Arrington landing at,” Wiltfong revealed. “Chad Simmons and I, in our intel scoop for the top 32 players in the country this morning, we wrote that we think the West Coast programs will ultimately have the edge for Brandon Arrington. Which means that Oregon and USC are the two programs that we have the keenest eye on right now.” And whichever program gets this No. 1 speedster in the state of California, they’re getting a unicorn. 

Brandon Arrington’s speed is record-breaking

Brandon Arrington is not your average fast guy. He’s a cheetah rewriting record books. His 40-yard dash time is 4.32 seconds. See what he did on the track field this spring….

First, he broke Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles’ meet record (20.49) in the 200-meter race with 20.35 after the Arcadia Invitational. A week later, he dominated Mt. SAC relays with a 10.21 in the 100 and 20.44 in the 200, both meet records. So you see why coaches from coast to coast are lining up, because speed like that changes the game on Day 1. 

The 5-star phenom backs it up on the football field too. As a junior, Brandon Arrington had 31 receptions for 527 receiving yards and five TDs. He also carried the pigskin five times to add 52 rushing yards and a rushing score. He also made his presence felt on the defense with three PBUs and 26 tackles. No wonder he’s the nation’s 9th best player in his class. 

So yeah, Brandon Arrington’s recruitment is hitting the homestretch. And the speedster who turns track meets into highlight reels is about to make one lucky program a whole lot faster. Well, his cryptic alarm clock post on X today already has fans of USC, Oregon, and Alabama on the edge of their seats.