Three Predictions: Kaiden Prothro, Jaquez Wilkes, Super Bowl

Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia, Jr. has three predictions on Kaiden Prothro‘s ranking, Auburn and Alabama losing out on an in-state target and the Super Bowl.

There is all but a year remaining in the rankings process for the 2026 recruiting class but as we start to focus on the juniors as the primary group, one position may be closing in on completion at the top.

Kaiden Prothro has been dominant over the last year or so, from winning MVP at the Rivals Camp Series in Atlanta to a state title run in the fall with 1,200 yards and 22 touchdowns to his name. He carried that momentum over through Under Armour All-America Game week in Orlando against those in 2026 and even older, so the top of the tight end rankings may soon be his for good.

Prothro is a legitimate 6-foot-6 and he operates as a jumbo wide receiver on the outside, putting together legitimate routes instead of relying on his physical advantages against smaller defenders. The catch radius is wild (and yes, the basketball background here shows itself) and there is still considerable room to fill out.

The best part may be that Prothro is leaning into the tight end projections instead of citing them as a knock on his game as an everyday wide receiver.

One of the hottest recruits in the state of Alabama is two-way star Jaquez Wilkes, who has blossomed into a national recruit over the last year or so. Another dominant 2024 performer, leading Wadley (Ala.) High School to a state championship with a 300-yard rushing effort at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, most view the junior as a potential edge rusher at the next level. That premium position forecasted in the middle of SEC country may create a perception that Wilkes could be the next big Iron Bowl battle between Alabama and Auburn – but think again.

Auburn has long courted him and is in better shape than Alabama, which just offered this week, but others in the SEC have also long been on Wilkes’ trail. Georgia is on the offer list and spent time watching Wilkes play basketball last week. Tennessee has hosted the Yellowhammer State star and made an impression. Texas A&M has been pushing for more visits as long as any program has, and we hear Wilkes has reciprocated energy for the Aggies. Wilkes has some five-star traits and as his ranking rises, his recruitment will prove just as interesting.

Did we just coin the phrase that will be associated with this Chiefs’ run? Probably not, but you get the point. Kansas City had rolled into the depths of the playoffs with an elite defense and timely offense to its name, but Sunday reminded the football world that it lives in the thick of the Patrick Mahomes era.

The former three-star recruit just finds a way to get the job done and now there’s just one game in between him and unprecedented NFL history. It’s far from the right time to pick against the modern G.O.A.T. no matter how many points Philadelphia put up just hours before.