Four-star offensive tackle Hayden Ainsworth is making a big leap — into the 2026 class.

Ainsworth, a Rivals250 OT in the 2027 class — is set to reclassify into the 2026 cycle, Rivals has learned.

One of the nation’s top recruits at a premium position is now set for an expedited timeline for his college decision — with his senior season now on deck at Bixoli (Miss.) High School in Mississippi.

The four-star OT from Mississippi was in Oxford last month for the Rebels’ junior day — and raved about his time around OL coach John Garrison and the Ole Miss staff.

“Every time I’ve been there, he treats me as a player they want and not just a pushover or a guy they just invited because they wanted to,” Ainsworth told Rivals. “His philosophy about OL and how they run some schemes align almost identically to what I’ve run and the tempo he showed is something I love.”

Alabama, North Carolina State, Oklahoma, Georgia Tech, and Nebraska are all battling Ole Miss for the four-star tackle — in the 2026 class.

Ainsworth is scheduled to visit NC State (March 4), Duke (March 5), and Georgia Tech (March 6) next month. He is eyeing between three and five official visits this summer ahead of his college commitment.