Top 3 landing spots for 2026 class five-star safety Jett Washington ft. Ohio State

Five-star safety Jett Washington, the nephew of late NBA legend Kobe Bryant, initially focused on basketball and flag football before transitioning to tackle football. Now he is one of the most sought-after football prospects in the nation.

Washington is ranked by On3 as the No. 132 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 8 athlete in the 2026 class and the No. 1 recruit in Nevada. 247Sports places him as the No. 17 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 2 athlete in the class and the No. 1 recruit in the state.

Jett Washington plans to make his college decision in the spring or summer of next year. Let's see which three programs have the most potential to secure his commitment.

Top 3 schools in the race for Jett Washington's commitment

#3. Alabama

Alabama has entered the race for Jett Washington’s recruitment after his first visit to Tuscaloosa over the weekend for the Crimson Tide’s 41-34 victory over Georgia.

“It was great seeing the environment and what a game day looks like," Washington told Recruits Bama. "The first impression was even more than I expected… and I expected a lot.”

Washington was particularly impressed by Alabama's elite defense.

“Their defense is elite and have great defensive backs,” Washington told Touchdown Alabama. “They fly around and make plays. They are one of the Alphas of college football, always have good teams and produce great players."

Alabama has only one committed player in the 2026 class: four-star cornerback Dorian Barney.

#2. Oregon

In an interview with Recruits Bama, Washington mentioned Oregon as one of his top schools early on. He also informed the outlet about a visit to the Ducks for the Ohio State game on Oct. 12.

The Ducks have already amassed a phenomenal 2026 recruiting class, ranking first in the nation with five committed players, including promising prospects such as Kodi Greene, Tony Cumberland, Tradarian Ball, Jonas Williams and Dutch Horisk.

#1. Ohio State

According to On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Ohio State is the frontrunner in Washington's recruitment with a 36.8% chance of landing his commitment. Buckeyes safeties coach Matt Guerreri offered Washington last week.

Bishop Gorman High School, where Washington plays, is a powerhouse program that has seen numerous Buckeyes recruits over the years. He has already visited Columbus twice, including a trip to one of the Buckeyes’ spring practices.

In an interview with Bucknuts, Jett Washington reflected on that experience and said:

"It went well and I got to meet all the coaches. What impressed me was the high level of competition and the way it was best on best."

The Buckeyes have just one commit so far in the 2026 class: five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.