Quincy Wilson, Tate Taylor, and the Recruiting Race for Top Track & Field Recruits
The Changing Landscape of Track and Field Recruiting
Track and field recruiting in 2025 looks nothing like it did just a few years ago. Between new NCAA rules, revenue sharing, and NIL opportunities, the pathway from high school to college — or even directly to the pros — has never been more complicated.
At SCArecruiting.com, our mission is to track the nation’s best high school athletes and provide verified, data-driven national track and field recruiting rankings. This cycle, no two names have drawn more attention than Quincy Wilson and Tate Taylor, both 5-Star recruits in the Class of 2026 — with Miles Nesmith rising fast among the nation’s top jumpers.
Quincy Wilson: The 99-Rated Superstar Still on the Market
When Quincy Wilson failed to qualify for the 2025 World Championships, many called it a disappointment. After all, he was part of Team USA’s 2024 Olympic gold-medal 4×400m relay and had already run one of the fastest 400-meter times by any American that year.
But Wilson’s story is far from finished. Still in high school and officially part of the Class of 2026, he hasn’t gone pro — which means every top NCAA track and field program in America is still recruiting him.
The College Battle for Quincy Wilson
The Quincy Wilson recruiting sweepstakes has been underway for over a year. Powerhouse programs like Florida, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, and UCLA have all taken their shot. Any school with NIL resources to support a track and field athlete is expected to put those funds toward landing Wilson.
At SCArecruiting.com, Wilson holds a 99 overall rating — the highest in the nation — and sits firmly as a 5-Star recruit on our SCA National Track and Field Rankings. His 400-meter performances are already faster than what most collegiate athletes ran last season. Whoever lands him could instantly add a national-title contender to their roster.
The NIL Era: Confusion and Opportunity for Track Families
For parents and athletes navigating NCAA track and field recruiting, the new NIL and roster-cap rules have made everything more complex. Some programs are expanding scholarships, others are cutting events or downsizing, and many are still trying to understand how revenue sharing will affect non-revenue sports.
At SCArecruiting, we see firsthand how confusing the process has become. That’s why our national recruiting database and star-rating system are designed to cut through the noise — helping families see where their athlete stands in the new NCAA era.
Tate Taylor: America’s Fastest High School Sprinter
If Wilson dominates the 400, Tate Taylor owns the short sprints. Also rated a 99 overall 5-Star recruit, Taylor broke high school national records in both the indoor 200m and outdoor 100m during the 2025 season.
He also qualified for the USA Outdoor Championships in both events — a rare feat for a high school sprinter — and while he didn’t reach the final, simply being there proves his elite status.
Who’s Recruiting Tate Taylor?
Three major programs lead the chase: Texas A&M, Baylor, and Tennessee.
Texas A&M consistently recruits the top sprint talent in the country and previously signed Gatorade National Track Athlete of the Year Issam Asinga.
Baylor remains a proven sprint factory, recently producing world-finalist Nathaniel Ezekiel in the 400-meter hurdles.
Tennessee continues to show its sprinting pedigree, developing T-Mars McCallum, who made Team USA in 2025.
In a recruiting world where colleges often turn overseas for elite sprint talent, Tate Taylor represents the best America has to offer.
Miles Nesmith: The Nation’s Best Jumper
Beyond the sprints, Miles Nesmith stands alone among jumpers. With a 96 overall SCA rating, he’s the top horizontal jumper in the country and one of only a few 5-Star-level athletes outside the sprint events.
His recruiting list includes Florida State, Texas Tech, LSU, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and Arkansas — all programs with national-level jump traditions. Oklahoma, for instance, swept the top two spots in the triple jump at last year’s NCAA Championships. Wherever Nesmith commits, expect immediate national impact.
The Class of 2028: Waiting for the Next Five-Star
As of now, no boys in the Class of 2028 have earned a 5-Star rating on SCArecruiting.com. That will change as the season unfolds, but the standard is high — and so far, the 2026 class remains the one setting the pace nationally.
We’ll continue to update our Track & Field Recruiting Rankings as more data rolls in from indoor and outdoor seasons, national meets, and verified marks across all events.
Final Take: The Future of College Track and Field Recruiting
From Quincy Wilson’s 400m dominance to Tate Taylor’s sprint records and Miles Nesmith’s jumping power, the next generation of stars is already here. But as NIL reshapes college athletics and programs fight for roster space, understanding where recruits stand has never been more important.
That’s exactly what SCArecruiting.com was built for — to track, rank, and analyze every elite high school track and field recruit in America, from 5-Stars to rising prospects.
Visit SCArecruiting.com daily for:
Updated track and field recruiting rankings by class and event
Verified star ratings for top high school athletes
Real-time college commitment updates
Deep dives into the NCAA recruiting landscape
Because in this new era of NIL, only the best-informed programs — and families — will win the race.