Kentucky's Lance Heard, Tavion Gadson both make On3's top 100 list for 2026 season

The college football countdown officially got started on Tuesday when reached the 100 days mark. How is On3 celebrating? By releasing the top players in college football ahead of the 2026 season. The long offseason is almost over.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore lead the way. Kentucky will face South Carolina EDGE Dylan Stewart (No. 4 overall), LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt (No. 8 overall), Florida running back Jadan Baugh (No. 17 overall), Missouri offensive tackle Cayden Green (No. 18 overall), Oklahoma defensive lineman David Stone (No. 20 overall), LSU tight end Trey’Dez Green (No. 21 overall), and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers (No. 22 overall) this season.

NEW: Top 100 Players in College Football👀

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Full list: https://t.co/ASSc9wTp5c pic.twitter.com/3QHuxkALYq

— On3 (@On3) May 21, 2026

The Wildcats will face some top talent this season. They will also have some top talent on the roster. A pair of Kentucky players appeared in this year’s list.

82. Tavion Gadson

Tavion Gadson is a former Florida State commit had battled injuries through his first two seasons on campus before delivering a big year three. Gadson recorded 28 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 20 pressures on 345 snaps in 2025. This defensive tackle emerged as a real pass rush threat and figures to be a great fit in a more attacking scheme. This was a quiet spring for the former top-500 recruit, but Gadison is a candidate to become the best player on this defense in 2026.

Kentucky will need this three-technique defensive tackle to be a playmaker on defense.

84. Lance Heard

Lance Heard is a multi-time SEC transfer with 24 career starts was added to be Kentucky’s starting left tackle. That’s exactly where Heard was at during spring practice. The former blue-chip recruit brings two-way production to this offensive line and can be a dominant force in the run game. Kentucky is expected to ask a lot of this big-ticket addition. A minor injury forced Heard to miss the spring game but UK expects him back at full strength this summer.

Heard was arguably UK’s biggest win in the portal this offseason. Expectations are high for the senior.

100 days to kickoff: The top 100 players in college football for 2026