“I’ll just go ahead and put it out there that I will not be back in the No. 21 car next year.” With that blunt statement during a routine Ford media session, Josh Berry shocked everyone. He himself said that Wood Brothers Racing had told him the day before that they would not exercise his 2027 contract option. Now, as he begins looking for green pastures elsewhere, one of the most famous seats in NASCAR is available. The No. 21 is a Ford-backed, Team Penske-related opportunity, not simply another Cup vehicle.

However, according to NASCAR journalist Jordan Bianchi, the list of realistic replacements may be far shorter than fans expect. He has five names, and the one name he started with is no surprise: Jesse Love.

“Jesse wants to get in the Cup series. He’s been very open about this. He believes he has a talent and the ability to be in the Cup series, and you talk to people in the garage, they are high on him,” Bianchi said. “It would check a lot of boxes for the Wood Brothers. They get a young, hungry, proven driver who is ready, chomping at the bit to prove himself at the next level.”

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If there is one name that keeps coming up in the conversations about the No. 21 seat, it is Love. The rumors have been going on for weeks now, especially after Austin Hill, not Love, was given the remainder of Cup starts in Kyle Busch’s car. That only added fuel to the rumor that maybe Love’s path to the Cup Series may happen outside of Richard Childress Racing.

As far as performance goes, he has proved himself. He is the 2025

NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion and has a fairly steady title defense, and is now ranked second in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series as of June 2026. The 21-year-old native of California is hence considered one of stock car racing’s emerging stars, and Wood Brothers would be more than interested in getting him.

“Chandler Smith and Layne Riggs, two of the mentioned names with Front Row Motor Sports, or somebody to keep an eye on. They are tied into Front Row Motorsports, but if there’s an opportunity there to move up and you can align yourself with Team Penske, that may be something too big to ignore,” Bianchi further added.

Smith, in particular, remains an intriguing name. He is now in his second Truck Series season with Front Row Motorsports after stepping away from a near-Cup opportunity. The 23-year-old, meanwhile, has continued to flash his potential.

His resume from Trucks (including the 2026 Fresh From Florida 250 win) and O’Reilly is solid enough to support Cup discussions. He sure had his ups and downs, but if he gets the backing of sponsors like Motorcraft and DEX, he would be at a major advantage.

As far as Riggs goes, the ceiling is high. A very successful second-generation racer, he won the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series National Championship in 2022 and was named Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2024. Now in his third full-time Truck Series season, he has continued to show the kind of speed and upside that all show that he’s close to a Cup opportunity. Even Riggs has made it clear he’s not rushing the process.

“I want to move up, but I want the opportunity to be right, so just waiting for that, and trying to make sure I do all I can in this series that I’m in and focus on that, and hopefully the rest will take care of itself.” Let’s see if he gets that opportunity with Wood Brothers.

Then, there’s Chris Buescher and Ryan Preece, both with contract issues at hand.

“We know what’s going on at RFK, and they’ve got to make a decision on Ryan Preece. There’s been some chatter about Chris Buescher and his contract status, and whether or not he’s going to return to RFK or not.”

Both drivers are in the final year of their contract with RFK Racing, and it will be interesting to see who stays and who becomes available. And if available, whether they land in the 21-seat or not.