Oliviyah Edwards
The CONSENSUS TOP 25 is an initiative launched last week with the class of 2025 to combine some of the nation’s most trusted and experienced outlets and see what the collective space is saying about the nation’s top players.
THE CONSENSUS TOP 25 IS HERE (link)
For the 2026 class the most exciting thing is that there is a full on race for the No. 1 spot. There are no fewer than three players in the hunt and the rankings could change multiple times in the next 12 months.
As of the Fall releases for ESPN.com, ProspectsNation.com and 247Sports.com, Saniyah Hall of Lorain, Ohio, and a junior at Montverde Academy in Florida, is holding down the top spot. She is currently ranked No. 1 by both ESPN.com and ProspectsNation.com. 247Sports.com has Kate Harpring of Atlanta, Georgia and the Marist School in the top spot. She is ranked 2nd on ESPN and PN.
Jerzy Robinson of Woodland Hills, California, and Sierra Canyon High School, spent some time at No. 1 and is unanimously No. 3 among the outlets used to calculate the CONSENSUS Top 25.
This should be settled on the court though the opportunities for direct matchups are projected as limited. This coming calendar is an Under-16 year for FIBA competition, meaning many players in the 2026 class will be too old to try out for the USA Basketball U16 team. Robinson decided not to play club ball last spring and summer. Based on last year’s club teams both Harpring and Hall will be on separate circuits. Last year it was the Overtime Select weekends that brought the trio together at the end of the summer. It could be the same in the 2025 calendar year if chalk holds for teams and Robinson opts out of the club season.
The prospects getting the most marquee matchups outside of head-to-head could find an upper hand as this plays out in the months to come. It should be great for competition and debate.
There are several players in the CONSENSUS Top 25 that have some larger spreads between highest and lowest ranking, such as Jacy Abbi (No. 7 ESPN, No. 16 247Sports), Ashlyn Koupal (No. 9 247Sports, No. 21 ESPN), Amari Byles (No. 10 PN, No. 17 ESPN), Kelsi Andrews (No. 10 247Sports, No. 20 PN), and Lola Lampley (No. 15 PN, No. 23 ESPN) for example. But to be honest, those spreads all have the players pretty much in the same groupings. A single evaluation could shuffle the numbers for any of these players within the current rankings.
The next CONSENSUS Top 25 update is expected in the Spring, assuming all three release updates timely.
2026 – CONSENSUS TOP 25 LINK
Chris Hansen is managing editor of ProspectsNation.com and serves on the McDonald’s All-American and Naismith Trophy selection committees. He was a co-founder of and the national director of scouting for ESPN HoopGurlz from 2005 until 2012 and is the director of the Check Me Out Showcase and ELITE is EARNED events. He can be reached at chris@chrishansenbasketball.com.
