You can look at it position by position or top to bottom in terms of projected impact. I would argue 2024 comes out on top at WR, Edge, and DL. 2026 is better in the aggregate at RB, TE, OL, LB, ST. Secondary is a wash.
Top to bottom in terms of projected impact—even with Golden, Bond, and Mukuba, I would argue that 2026 has a higher preseason ceiling. Obviously Coleman has a lot of work to do to surpass what Golden accomplished, for example, but Coleman is being talked about as an All-American first-round type of player. Golden did not have that level of expectation in the spring. So, I’d rank preseason projected impact as follows:
1. Coleman (26)
2. Biles (26)
3. Bond (24)
4A/B. Brown/Smothers (26)
5. Mukuba (24)
6. Siani (26)
7. Moore (24)
8. Mascoe (26)
9. Golden (24)
10. Seymour (26)
Next few: I think Masunas and Geffrard would come with higher expectations than any of the remaining 24 portal class. We can disagree about the exact placement of players on this list, but at least in terms of preseason projections, I would take 2026 portal players for 9 out of the first 13 spots. In terms of high-end talent, 2026 looks superior to 2024. But, again, guys like Mukuba and Golden far exceeded their preseason expectations. Will the same thing happen this year?