2026 player rankings: Slight changes inside the top 15

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were some slight changes inside the top 15 of the new 2026 Tennessee player rankings. There are also some newcomers.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Here are 4 noticeable changes to the latest installment of the 2026 rankings:</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>New No. 1</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Pope John Paul II's point guard <strong>Trey</strong> <strong>Pearson</strong> is now the No. 1 player in the class. At 6-foot-2, Pearson has a nice frame to play the position. He has the athleticism and solid court vision. Pearson is effective in transition and in half-court. He makes the right reads and sits down on defense. Pearson, who's currently averaging 12.4 points, 5.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game, has continued to improve as a jump shooter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Leeth makes a solid debut</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Knoxville Webb's <strong>Alex</strong> <strong>Leeth</strong> debuts at No. 15. The 6-6 wing had a solid showing this past weekend at the Allen Iverson's Battle in the Bluff event. Leeth has so much more room for growth, so he's still scratching the surface, but the potential is there. He can make shots from the perimeter. Leeth is great in pick-and-roll situations. He doesn't mind hitting the boards. Leeth wants to play defense. He's effort is always there. Under the leadership of Spartans head coach Ricky Norris, Leeth is going to continue to make strides. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Brown cracks the top 45</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Christian Brothers starting point guard <strong>BJ</strong> <strong>Brown</strong> moves up seven spots to No. 44. Brown, at 5-11, is off to a solid start to the 2023 season. He does a great job of taking care of the basketball. Brown is a solid floor general, communicates well, and generates great ball movement until a quality shot becomes available. One of his best performances this season came at home against Houston when he had a stat line of 6 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals. Brown is an all-around solid prospect in this class. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Jackson hops back inside the top 3</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First Assembly Christian School's <strong>Cello</strong> <strong>Jackson</strong> moves up a spot to No. 3. Jackson has to do a lot of things for the Crusaders. Luckily, he's up for the challenge. Jackson is a hand full to keep out of the lane. His upper body strength can overpower a lot of defenders. Jackson keeps playing until the final buzzer. He does a good job, at 6-2, crashing the boards. Jackson, who's averaging 13.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 steals so far this season, can break full-court press defenses. He's an all-around competitor with intangibles that can't be taught. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Jackson's teammate, <strong>MJ</strong> <strong>Hayes</strong> dropped one spot to No. 2. Christian Brothers small forward <strong>Keeper</strong> <strong>Jackson</strong> is No. 4. Knoxville Catholic's <strong>Cade</strong> <strong>Murphy</strong> stays put at No. 5. <strong>Dorion</strong> <strong>Bowen</strong>, <strong>Kamai</strong> <strong>Samuels</strong>, <strong>Trey</strong> <strong>Thompson</strong>, <strong>Fred</strong> <strong>Smith</strong>, and <strong>Cam</strong> <strong>Swearengen</strong> round out the bottom half of the top 10.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->