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TSR's 2026 D1 Indoor Top 25 Individual Rankings (Men): Update #2
Written by Rachel Hickey, Finn Birnie, Mike McKean & Garrett Zatlin
Edits and additional commentary via Garrett Zatlin
NOTE: These rankings are based on how an individual fared throughout the entirety of a season, not just how they ran at a singular meet or (eventually) at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships.
KEY
(Unranked):
Was not ranked in our last update.
(#/#):
The first number indicates how much the individual has moved in the rankings.
The second number indicates where the individual was ranked in our last update.
25. Landon Bott, Senior, Utah State (Unranked)
Utah State’s Landon Bott is someone who’s always snuck just under our radars. After all, he did qualify for the 800-meter finals at the West Regional Championships last spring, proving his ability to navigate nationally-relevant fields.
But over the course of this indoor track season, Bott has quietly continued to climb the ranks and make a case for himself in our rankings. At Texas A&M’s Ted Nelson Invitational a few weeks back, Bott posted a decent indoor best of 1:48.99 (800) to earn runner-up honors behind Aggie freshman, Peter Narumbe, who ran 1:47.24.
That caught our attention, for sure, but his solo personal best of 1:47.79 (800) at altitude on a flat track truly sealed the deal. At that meet, Bott dominated the field by over six seconds, making his quick mark all the more impressive. Even better, his converted time of 1:45.72 (800) puts him at NCAA #5 on the national leaderboard thus far, making him a genuine All-American threat.
This Utah State veteran should not be overlooked on the national scene, although it's fair to still have questions about him. Can he replicate that latter mark at sea level? How will he fare when he faces top-tier competition? How will he handle races that are more tactical?
Our uncertainty with the answers to those question is the biggest reason why we've opted to place the Aggie ace no higher than TSR #25 in our rankings.
24. James Harding, Junior, Oregon (Unranked)
When it comes to impressive doubles, Oregon’s James Harding definitely had one for the books at the Razorback Invitational. And it was that weekend double which rightfully earned him a spot at TSR #24 in these rankings.
Harding may be one of the more versatile middle distance-based utility pieces in the country currently, and is heavily underrated at the same token. The Duck junior opened his season respectably enough, with a mildly surprising 3:55 (mile) victory at the Boston U. Season Opener back in December. Taking down Georgetown’s Tinoda Matsatsa in the process, we didn’t yet know what to make of the Oregon veteran.
But what truly earned his way into our rankings was his ability to replicate such a result. Harding again posted a 3:55 (mile) mark to take 6th in a loaded collegiate field at the Razorback Invitational to prove that his opener was no fluke. That mark, however, came after a huge 1:46 (800) victory the day before, signaling that Harding doesn’t necessarily need to have fresh legs in order to repeat top-tier performances.
Indeed, the Oregon junior certainly will make his impact felt come March, whether in an open event or as a critical utility athlete on the Ducks' DMR lineup.
23. Camden Marshall, Rs. Senior, Indiana (Unranked)
If there’s anyone on this list making us scratch our heads a bit, it has to be Indiana redshirt senior, Camden Marshall.
On the one hand, Marshall demolished the invitational section of the 800 meters at the Meyo Invitational, blasting a 1:45.99 mark. That mark currently puts him in the top-six on the national leaderboard, comfortably granting him a national qualifying mark in the event.
On the other hand, the veteran talent admittedly faltered at this past weekend’s Windy City Invite in Chicago (a lot). In a field that, truthfully, was set up for Marshall to succeed, the Hoosier fell to last place with a somewhat surprising 1:52 (800) effort. And, generally speaking, Marshall was well out of contention with the entirety of the field.
We won’t read too much into that latter performance -- it’s clear that Marshall just had a hiccup in that race. Plus, he’s experienced enough on the national stage to warrant some recognition for his sub-1:46 (800) career best on the indoor oval.
While his most recent outing gives us some pause, we still look at Marshall as a genuine top-half All-American contender in the half-mile come March.
22. Tayvon Kitchen, Freshman, BYU (Unranked)
Welcome to our rankings, Tayvon Kitchen!
After a strong rookie cross country season, the Cougar freshman continues to make his presence known, now on the track. Kitchen opened his indoor collegiate campaign with a 13:30 (5k) effort back in December at the Boston U. Season Opener. That was a marked improvement from his prep-time career best of 13:53.
Kitchen now has raised the bar for himself even higher, posting a fantastic 13:19 (5k) mark at the Boston U. John Terrier Classic this past weekend and emerging as the top collegiate in the field.
Despite his youth, Kitchen raced with poise and confidence well above his years and held his own against professionals and top collegians alike. His youth-based upside and surprisingly great poise has made it impossible to omit him from these rankings at this point in the season.
21. Tyler Bilyard, Senior, Washington (-2 / 19)
It feels weird to shrug our shoulders at a 3:54 (mile) mark, but that’s exactly what we’re doing for Tyler Bilyard’s performance at the UW Invite.
Bilyard placed 5th in the elite field, posting a 3:54.43 mark, roughly two seconds off of his 3:52 PR from last winter. And after a stellar 1000-meter performance at Washington's last home meet, it feels safe to say that we expected more out of the British athlete in this event.
We might have even felt a bit better if he finished in the top-three! But overall, this outing feels as if it lacks the same spark that he has shown this season.
Maybe we’re biased as we’re used to seeing Husky after Husky post ridiculous mile marks at this meet, so we can’t totally fault Bilyard for what is still a solid performance. Even so, he will have to post a faster mark if he wants to contest the mile at the national meet come March.
20. Dan Watcke, Rs. Sophomore, Villanova (-5 / 15)
The start to Dan Watcke’s redshirt sophomore campaign has been fairly quiet, and that’s a large reason why he takes a dip in our latest rankings update.
After opening the season with back-to-back wins between the 800 meters and 1000 meters, the half-miler ventured to Happy Valley to partake in one of the most loaded middle distance fields that we’ve seen this winter. In the end, Watcke would settle for 6th place en route to a 1:46 (800) seasonal best.
While we would’ve liked to see the Villanova product contending for the win, or more seriously threaten the 1:46 (800) barrier, that mark remains good enough for a top-10 performance for the half-mile distance across the NCAA so far. Not only that, but it's only tenths of a second off of his lifetime personal best!
Despite that, we witnessed the Illinois native settle for bronze this past weekend at the Penn Classic, posting a 1:47 (800) mark in what was, admittedly, a weaker field.
On one hand, we’re left perplexed at where to place the Wildcat sophomore -- some of his results have left us wanting more, specifically his final placement in these races. On the other hand, we’re keen to the fact that this is still a top half-miler in the country, one that is mega talented and should be in contention for an All-American honor.
With that said, we’re opting to keep him in our top-20...for now.
19. Colton Sands, Senior, North Carolina (Unranked)
When analyzing the biggest movers and shakers in our latest rankings update, look no further than Tar Heel veteran, Colton Sands.
After opening up his indoor track campaign with a stellar 13:17 (5k) personal best at the Boston U. Season Opener in early December, the North Carolina ace got back to stacking weeks of training, patiently biding his time until his next performance. Of course, the much-anticipated wait was worth it for fans of the sport like us.
At the Brant Tolsma Invite, the Chapel Hill-based senior posted a wildly impressive 3:54 (mile) personal best to take runner-up honors in a sneaky-loaded field. A narrow defeat to Wake Forest’s Paul Specht shouldn’t take away from the fact that Sands defeated the dynamic Lumberjack duo of Colin Sahlman and Tor Hortung-Davidsen.
In just two performances so far this winter, Sands is two-for-two when it comes to recording personal bests, not to mention he has collected the scalps of the NCAA’s best (Sahlman, Hortung-Davidsen and Evans Kiplagat) to boot. His newfound mix of speed and strength should allow him to compete with (and even defeat) other upper-echelon collegians.
Now, with nationally competitive marks between the 5000 meters and the mile to his name, we eagerly await Sands' season debut over 3000 meters -- an event we believe to be his best.
18. Isaiah Givens, Rs. Junior, Colorado (-4 / 14)
Isaiah Givens’ season debut over 3000 meters was highly anticipated. He did, after all, start his 2026 indoor track campaign by dropping the fastest mile time ever run on Colorado soil which led to a stunning 3:51.73 converted mark.
Unfortunately for the Buffalo veteran, his performance at the Boston U. John Thomas Terrier Classic was a far cry from what he’s truly capable of -- a 7:58 (3k) mark is a clear indication of an “off” day for Givens. That type of showing doesn’t tell us anything new about the Colorado ace, and we certainly won’t overreact to it.
Givens will comfortably qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships in the mile, which in turn, can allow him to chase a qualifying mark for the 3k, something we know he’s capable of doing.
17. Simeon Birnbaum, Rs. Sophomore, Oregon (-4 / 13)
Some of what we said about Isaiah Givens can be applied to Duck sophomore, Simeon Birnbaum.
Coming off of an exceptional cross country season that resulted in his first All-American honor on the grass, it was hardly a shock to see Birnbaum open his indoor track campaign with a magnificent 7:39 (3k) personal best at the Boston U. Season Opener. And while Birnbaum’s showing at the Razorback Invitational may have been underwhelming, there’s something to be said about his sheer and raw talent when you’re disappointed with a 3:55 (mile) mark.
That disappointment is only strengthened when factoring in that the Oregon maestro recorded a 3:52 (mile) personal best at the same meet a year ago.
The Eugene-based athlete, on his best day, is more than deserving of a top-20 ranking. For that reason, we’ll elect to place him at TSR #17 for now.
16. Denis Kipngetich, Junior, Oklahoma State (+4 / 20)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
15. Reuben Reina, Senior, Washington (+8 / 23)
Many of us at The Stride Report were giddy at the thought of Reuben Reina spending his swan song in the NCAA with Coach Andy Powell and the Washington Huskies.
It’s been no secret that the Razorback-turned-Husky has been a highly regarded miler within the NCAA for quite some time. He did, after all, post upper-echelon marks and earn berths to the national stage during his tenure with Arkansas. Of course, Coach Andy Powell’s history of developing some of the most talented milers within the NCAA felt like the edge that Reina needed to reach his full potential.
After just a few short weeks into his senior campaign on the indoor oval, it appears the Seattle-based star is reaching an entirely new tier of fitness. After recording a 7:43 (3k) personal best to open the season, Reina contested back-to-back mile races at the Dempsey, with the latter effort resulting in a super impressive 3:52 (mile) personal best.
A massive jump to the top-15 portion of our rankings feels well deserved for the Washington senior. And while being under the tutelage of Coach Andy Powell is a factor, it’s also a testament to Reina’s entire body of work throughout his collegiate career -- and it feels like he’s finally coming into his own.
14. Nick Plant, Senior, Virginia Tech (+7 / 21)
We'll admit, it's hard to justify placing Nick Plant in the top-15 portion of our rankings given that he hasn't contested the 800 meters or the 1500 meters yet this winter. In fact, it gets even harder to justify his TSR #14 ranking after he failed to qualify for the NCAA Indoor Championships (as an individual) last winter.
And yet, running a 2:17.80 mark over 1000 meters to earn an NCAA #5 all-time mark is also hard to ignore. Plus, it's not like Plant has performed poorly this season in any other races -- the only other individual effort that we've seen from him this winter is a 3000-meter race in late January.
Plant, and Virginia Tech as a whole, typically don't go all-out for their main events during the winter months until we reach late February. There's a good chance that Plant is going to run a national qualifying time over 800 meters in the very near future. And when he does, it's possible that he goes under the 1:46 barrier.
That optimism, paired with the fact that we think he is flat-out better (or more proven) than most of the names behind him was enough for this TSR #14 spot.
13. Jaouad Khchina, Junior, South Carolina (+11 / 24)
When Jaouad Khchina clocked a blazing-fast 1000-meter time of 2:17 to earn an NCAA #2 all-time mark at that distance, he caught our attention. Sure, we knew the South Carolina product was talented, but that mark suggested that he was now at a different level.
Sure enough, Khchina went on to run 3:53.90 in the mile in a loaded mile field at the Razorback Invite. That mark was validation of his tremendous 1k performance from earlier in the season and it also showed us that Khchina could remain competitive against top-tier competition.
We still have questions about Khchina, but far less now than we did two weeks ago. Yes, we still need to see how he handles more tactical and slower championship races, but his overall body of work so far suggests that he has the leg speed and turnover to match other key names late in certain races.
12. Trent McFarland, Junior, Michigan (Unranked)
I am a firm believer that Trent McFarland has been one of the NCAA's best tacticians in the mile and 1500 meters over the last year or two. He did, after all, win two BIG 10 titles between those two events and even qualified for the outdoor national meet last year at the metric mile distance.
However, despite having an extremely lethal kick, McFarland's raw fitness has never been strong enough to take down other top-tier stars...well, not until this winter, that is.
At the Razorback Invite, the Michigan ace secured one of the single-best wins of the entire season (so far). With a commanding performance which he dictated in the latter portion of the race, McFarland pulled away from a mile field that featured names such as Elliott Cook, Fouad Messaoudi, Tomas Palfrey, Jaoud Khchina and Simeon Birnbaum (among others) en route to a 3:52 mile win.
On paper, McFarland now looks like a truly complete miler. He is tactically savvy (and proven), holds a tremendous kick, is plenty experienced, is capable of securing major wins and now holds borderline elite fitness.
Virginia's Gary Martin is still the favorite for the mile national title this winter, but if you were to ask me who his biggest threat for gold was, McFarland may be my first answer.
11. Allon Clay, Senior, Penn State (+14 / 25)
When Allon Clay clocked a 2:18 mark over 1000 meters on his home track (en route to the win), we were incredibly encouraged. This was someone who had already proven to be tactically savvy last spring and made further improvements during the summer months.
If his fitness was at a new level this winter, then he had the potential to make some major noise later in the season.
Well, sure enough, that's exactly what happened as Clay threw down a ridiculously impressive 800-meter time of 1:45.17 at the Penn State National Open two weekends ago! In that race, Clay very narrowly fell to Georgetown standout Tinoda Matsatsa and produced a mark that now sits at NCAA #6 all-time.
Clay looks incredible right now. His fitness has taken a massive leap up and he hasn't really lost much (or any) of his tactical prowess, either. Few men in the NCAA are on the hot streak that he is and for that reason, we opted to give him a very generous (but also well-deserved) placement in our rankings at TSR #11.
10. Matthew Erickson, Rs. Senior, Oregon (-5 / 5)
We've only seen Matthew Erickson finish one race this season -- the men's 800 meters at the Razorback Invite. He also contested the mile at that meet, but recorded a DNF result, presumably from a pacing effort.
Erickson's lone 800-meter effort earlier this season admittedly left us wanting more. His 1:47.26 performance, en route to a 3rd place finish behind two of his teammates, wasn't bad by any means. And yet, at the same time, the bar is much higher for someone who ran 1:44 (800) this past summer, earned runner-up honors over 800 meters at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June and was the half-mile national champion over 800 meters at NCAA Indoor Championships last winter.
Despite the shrug-inducing performance, it's hard to be too critical of Erickson. The Oregon veteran is allowed to have an "off" day and it's important to remember that it was his season debut as well. As such, we didn't want to penalize him too much in these rankings.
That said, if we don't see any noticeable improvement in the coming weeks, then he'll fall much more than he did this time around in our third rankings update.
9. Tinoda Matsatsa, Junior, Georgetown (+3 / 12)
Tinoda Matsatsa has been plenty busy so far this winter, racing three times in three different events over the last two months. His latest outing was a tremendous 1:45.12 (800) effort at the Penn State National Open where he fell to Handal Roban, but fended off a loaded field to earn silver.
Truthfully, we didn't really learn much about Matsatsa. Despite the craziness of that race in general, Matsatsa largely delivered on expectations, stepping up to the moment and presenting himself as a national-caliber star. Sure, he didn't win, but falling behind a guy who ran 1:44.91 (800) hardly leaves room for criticism.
Ultimately, our biggest question for Matsatsa is, how will he fare on the national stage? We've seen him have major regular season success before, but the Hoya junior hasn't always looked his best at the NCAA Championships.
8. George Couttie, Junior, Virginia Tech (+3 / 11)
It's admittedly hard to look at George Couttie's NCAA record of 4:57 over 2000 meters and put much stock into that result. That distance is rarely contested and there isn't much history in that event in general.
That said, Couttie did run 2:18.53 over 1000 meters this past weekend in a race headlined by Nike pros Cooper Teare and Cole Hocker, as well as fellow Virginia Tech teammate, Nick Plant.
Believe it or not, among record-eligible marks, Couttie's latest performance now sits at NCAA #9 all-time over 1000 meters. That's a pretty big development given that he already ran 7:36 for 3000 meters back in December. In other words, Couttie should be able to drop a scary-good mile time, possibly sooner rather than later.
With top-tier turnover and outstanding aerobic strength, Couttie looks like a complete product as far as racing is concerned. He has done everything that one could realistically ask of him and it feels like he's still approaching his peak as we inch closer and closer to the month of March.
7. Elliott Cook, Rs. Senior, Oregon (+2 / 9)
Sure, he didn't win, but Elliott Cook's 3:53 mile effort at the Razorback Invite deserves massive props. The Oregon veteran not only ran an excellent time, but he secured runner-up honors, falling behind Michigan ace Trent McFarland, but taking down an incredibly deep field in the process.
However, what really boosted Cook up two spots in our rankings is the fact that he also ran 1:46.94 over 800 meters (for another runner-up finish) at the same meet! That's a heckuva weekend double, even for someone as accomplished as himself.
So far this season, in just two meets, Cook has run 1:46 (800), 3:53 (mile) and 7:41 (3k). He has looked incredibly sharp in each of those outings and he is currently in a national qualifying position in all three of those events. That is an elite level of range that deserves to be rewarded in our rankings.
6. Handal Roban, Rs. Junior, Penn State (+4 / 10)
It can be easy to forget that Handal Roban ran 1:42.87 for 800 meters. That, of course, is because it happened this past summer in the midst of the World Championship coverage (and, more specifically, the lead-up to it).
That's why, with that insanely elite mark in mind, should we be surprised that Roban dropped a monster half-mile time of 1:44.91 over 800 meters two weekends ago?
In short, no. But just because that mark was within reach for someone with his resume doesn’t make this performance any less staggering. That mark now sits at NCAA #3 all-time (for the indoor track) and that’s a statement no matter how you slice it.
At the Penn State National Open, the Olympian handled business with authority, taking down Georgetown standout Tinoda Matsatsa, as well as teammate and our TSR #11 runner, Allon Clay, en route to a sub-1:45 (800) clocking in the process.
And if all of that wasn’t enough, the junior came back this past weekend and ripped off a time of 1:14.89 for 600 meters, the NCAA #2 all-time mark in collegiate history over that distance.
When you stack times of that caliber alongside a win over Matsatsa, a legitimate national title contender, it becomes impossible not to view Roban as one of the favorites for gold in March. Yes, it's true, we still want to see how these electric marks translate in a slower, more tactical championship setting. But leaving him out of the national title conversation at this point would be doing a serious disservice.
5. Marco Langon, Senior, Villanova (-1 / 4)
Has not competed since our last rankings update.
4. Habtom Samuel, Junior, New Mexico (-1 / 3)
Running a time of 8:11 for two miles at the Milrose Games in arguably one of the most competitive fields ever assembled over the distance isn’t a half-bad result. And yet, given just how monstrously talented Habtom Samuel has proven to be, we can’t help but think that there was more on the table.
It’s worth noting that the race went out much slower than anticipated, which led to a hard charge over the final stretch. Samuel is certainly no slouch when it comes to a kick, but understandably, that gear isn’t quite on the same level as Cole Hocker and some of the other elite pros in the field.
It should also be noted that his 3000-meter split was 7:39. Again, a strong mark, but we suspect that with more honest, consistent pacing throughout, the overall time could have been quicker.
Ultimately, though, we didn’t really learn anything new about Samuel here. He’s still one of the most gifted distance talents in the country who is capable of mixing it up in world-class fields.
3. Brian Musau, Junior, Oklahoma State (-1 / 2)
Brian Musau has not competed yet this season. However, The Stride Report has received information that Musau is expected to make his season debut this upcoming weekend in Boston.
2. Gary Martin, Junior, Virginia (-1 / 1)
What world are we living in when we’re shrugging our shoulders at a 3:52 mile performance?
Gary Martin’s world, apparently.
It was clear that there was only one thing on the mind of the Cavalier superstar at the Millrose Games: the NCAA mile record.
Through halfway, that goal looked very much within reach. But over the final laps, the field began to break away and Martin struggled to quite hold that gear. He still hung on for a great time of 3:52, but it’s fair to say that he had more in the tank.
If this is an “off” day for Gary Martin, then that should tell you everything that you need to know about him. No matter which event (or events) he chooses to pursue in March, he’s going to threaten for NCAA gold. His performance in New York, despite not reaching his intended goal, is still further evidence of his superstar status.
1. Colin Sahlman, Senior, Northern Arizona (+5 / 6)
Here at The Stride Report, we’ve always had a soft spot for athletes who showcase truly elite range. And when it comes to incredible dynamic talent, Colin Sahlman is up there with the best of the best.
In our last rankings update, we are marveling at the fact that he can run 47 seconds for 400 meters and still finish among the top-20 at the NCAA XC Championships. That alone is absurd.
But even by his standards, dipping under 1:45 for 800 meters on the indoor oval and taking down one of, if not the, most menacing NCAA records ever? Well, that’s something that we didn’t see coming, especially after a lackluster 3:55 mile two days prior.
Sahlman's historic 1:44.70 (800) mark at the Millrose Games is a spectacle in-and-of-itself, but the manner in which he reached it was more impressive. Beating world-renowned half-mile star Mohamed Attaoui is no small feat, let alone besting him in with a kick!
Sahlman’s victory was monumental. And as we barrel toward March, the questions start piling up: Does he double? If so, which pairing gives him the best shot at two titles? Does the mile stay on the table? And, maybe the biggest question of all: After a performance like that, who can realistically beat him over 800 meters?
If this is the version of Colin Sahlman that we’re going to see at the NCAA Indoor Championships, then it's hard to imagine anyone beating him.
ADDED
Landon Bott (Utah State)
James Harding (Oregon)
Camden Marshall (Indiana)
Tayvon Kitchen (BYU)
Colton Sands (North Carolina)
Trent McFarland (Michigan)
KICKED OFF
Collins Kiprotich (New Mexico)
Tyrice Taylor (Arkansas)
Christian Jackson (Virginia Tech)
Harrison Witt (Virginia)
Aidan McCarthy (Cal Poly)
Rocky Hansen (Wake Forest)
Tomas Palfrey (Oregon)
JUST MISSED (in no particular order)
Brian Kweyei (Clemson)
Matthew Endrody (New Mexico)
Tor Hotung-Davidsen (Northern Arizona)
Collins Kiprotich (New Mexico)
Robin Kwemoi Bera (Iowa State)
Yukichi Ishii (Penn State)
Justine Kipkoech (Colorado)
Tomas Palfrey (Oregon)
Creed Thompson (BYU)
Taha Er Raouy (Eastern Kentucky)
HONORABLE MENTIONS (in no particular order)
Niko Schultz (Penn State)
Evans Kiplagat (New Mexico)
Devan Kipyego (Iowa State)
Carter Cutting (BYU)
Paul Specht (Wake Forest)
Nick Sloff (Penn State)
Peter Narumbe (Texas A&M)
Ernest Cheruiyot (Arkansas)
Evans Kurui (Washington State)
Jesse Hamlin (Butler)
Notes
- N/A
