Tag: ESPN 300

Two Gators commits ranked inside ESPN Junior 300

Florida has two of the top 300 recruits from the class of 2026 under commitment, according to ESPN’s latest update to the Junior 300.

A pair of Florida Gators commits — Jesuit (Tampa) quarterback [autotag]Will Griffin[/autotag] and Armwood (Seffner) cornerback [autotag]Jaelen Waters[/autotag] — are ranked inside the ESPN Junior 300 following a recent fall update.

Griffin is the higher-ranked of the two at No. 58 nationally with a scout grade of 83 (four stars). He is also ranked sixth among pocket passers from the class of 2026, 12th in the state of Florida and 34th in the Southeast region.

“Griffin will bring many of the same traits to Florida’s scheme that Graham Mertz provided over the last two years,” ESPN Analyst Tom Luginbill wrote. “We’ve seen that the Gators’ scheme is adaptable to athleticism based on how they’ve used DJ Lagway, so Griffin doesn’t have to be a dynamic runner in this offense. Griffin is a strong-armed, deep-ball passer and Florida loves to push the ball vertically off play-action.”

Waters is ranked No. 222 in the class of 2026 with an 80 scout grade, which is good for a four-star rating. ESPN has him at No. 21 among cornerbacks, No. 38 in Florida and No. 116 in the Southeast.

Florida has held Waters’ commitment since June, but in-state rival Miami is pushing strongly for him. Waters has already attended three Hurricanes games this season and has a history of flipping — the Gators flipped him from Florida State over the summer.

“Florida, that’s still my school,” Waters recently told Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports. “I still represent that school 100 percent, but other schools are impacting my recruitment. I love Florida. I love the city. That’s my school. My parents love it.”

Florida only has one more player under commitment from the class of 2026, three-star safety Devin Jackson out of First Academy in Windermere. ESPN has not formally ranked Jackson just yet.

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ESPN 300 wide receiver Travis Johnson is offered by Rutgers football

Travis Johnson is offered by Rutgers football on Monday.

Consensus four-star wide receiver Travis Johnson was offered by Rutgers football on Monday.

Johnson is a 6-foot-2, 175-pound wide receiver from Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, Virginia). Rutgers got involved with a player who is already a national recruit with an impressive offer list.

A class of 2026 wide receiver, Smith is ranked the No. 72 recruit in the ESPN 300.

The likes of Boston College, Duke, Florida, Miami, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia among others.

In addition to playing football, Johnson also plays varsity basketball for Oscar Smith where he is a small forward.

Johnson posted about the offer from Rutgers on Monday via his social media.

 

Rutgers currently has a top-10 national recruiting class for the class of 2025, one that features four players who are members of the ESPN 300. On Sunday, they received a commitment from linebacker D.J. McClary.

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McClary, who was committed to Penn State since last September, flipped to Rutgers. A four-star linebacker, McClary is the No. 145 recruit in the ESPN 300 for the class of 2025.

Rutgers football beats out Auburn, Penn State and Texas A&M for four-star Tariq Hayer

Tariq Hayer committed to Rutgers football.

It was a big Sunday for Rutgers football as the Scarlet Knights landed four-star defensive back Tariq Hayer following an official visit to campus.

Hayer posted his commitment to Rutgers on Sunday evening. ESPN ranks Hayer as the No. 98 player in the class of 2025 and a four-star recruit.

He is a top-10 safety prospect in the ESPN 300. Hayer is also ranked a four-star by On3 and 247Sports. His commitment this weekend puts the Rutgers class at 21 commits.

He is the second player from Maryland to commit to Rutgers in the 2025 recruiting class. Last week, Baltimore wide receiver Vernon Allen III committed to Rutgers while on his official visit.

He held offers from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville, Maryland, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn State, South Carolina and Wisconsin among others.

Hayer was on an official visit to Cincinnati last week. He was scheduled to be at Michigan State next week and then at Maryland the weekend of June 21.

He posted his official visit to his Instagram.

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Tariq Hayer (@tariqhayerr)

 

It was already a good Sunday for Rutgers as they landed a commitment from three-star offensive lineman from Florida.

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He pocked Rutgers over Duke, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Miami, Purdue, South Carolina, SMU, Tulane and West Virginia.

ESPN analyst Tom Luginbill on why Rutgers football signee Gabe Winowich is a four-star

Tom Luginbill highlights Rutgers football commit Gabe Winowich as a promising player.

Tom Luginbill is a big believer in Gabe Winowich, the four-star running back who is signed and sealed for Rutgers football. Winowich may not have an impressive offer list, but the ESPN analyst believes he is a standout player and an elite talent.

Winowich is a four-star running back with just two Power Five offers (Maryland and Rutgers football) but he is a four-star and part of the ESPN 300. Originally from Michigan, he moved to New Jersey for his senior season and played at Notre Dame Prep (Lawrenceville).

There he partnered with quarterback A.J. Surace (a three-star ranked seventh in New Jersey by Rivals), also a Rutgers commit. Both players are expected to enroll at Rutgers in January.

On Tuesday, Luginbill was asked about his thoughts about Winowich and why the future Rutgers running back was a four-star by ESPN despite only holding a pair of Power Five offers.

“We really liked him. He’s in our ESPN 300 – we don’t care about offers, we care about what he shows us. And we just liked him on film,” Luginbill said.

“We thought he was a really good high-end player and you know what, listen in recruiting and these cycles now, there’s roughly 2,800 kids that will sign an FCS letter. You’re sometimes you’re going to miss on guys and you’re going to pick a guy instead of looking at another guy – and that happens with programs across the country each and every day of the year. So the fact that he didn’t get a lot of attention, I think is a win for Rutgers because they get a really, really good player that they didn’t have to fight over really hard for and he is in their footprint.”

The changing landscape of college football, headlined by conference expansion, is impacting Rutgers. If Rutgers is to continue their progression and their rebuild following a 7-6 season and a win over Miami in the Pinstripe Bowl, they will need to continue adding quality recruits from ‘The State of Rutgers.’

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“I think was what’s happened with the Big Ten with conference realignment and expansion, you know, for schools like Rutgers who like Minnesota, Maryland to some degree…the landscape just got more competitive,” Luginbill said.

“It just got more difficult, right? And in New Jersey, where there’s generally each and every year a high level of quality of player, the more those guys Rutgers can get home and prevent leaving, the better chance they have of competing and being relevant on the field. So my take is Greg Schiano knows that, he knows that as well as anybody else. He knows it isn’t the Big East anymore.”

Luginbill will be on the call for the Under Armour All-America Game on Wednesday, January 3 at 4:00 pm EST (ESPN). The annual all-star game features another very strong roster.

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One player, four-star wide receiver Braylon Burnside, is set to commit during the game. Burnside is down to Mississippi State and Ole Miss.

Sooners land commitment from versatile LB Michael Boganowski

Oklahoma is the choice for four-star linebacker Michael Boganowski, who picked the Sooners over Kansas, Kansas State, and Florida State.

Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting journey may be winding down, but there’s still room for a few more arrivals. On Thursday evening, the Oklahoma Sooners picked up another commitment, this time from four-star linebacker Michael Boganowski. Boganowski picked Oklahoma over Kansas State, Florida State, and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Boganowski’s path to his recruitment wasn’t direct path to the Sooners. They had to fend off the overtures from Kansas State and Florida State and to a lesser extent Florida State. It always felt like it was going to come down to Oklahoma and Kansas State.

The Wildcats boasted several advantages, from proximity to personal relationships with people on the Wildcats staff.

Boganowski visited for the [autotag]Party at the Palace[/autotag] event over the summer. Then, after seeing Norman for a game day, things started tilting back in favor of Oklahoma.

In Boganowski, the Sooners get a talented and athletic linebacker. He looks like a player who projects best as a cheetah in Brent Venables’ defense.

The versatile athlete is everything to his Junction City High School team, where he finished the 2022 season with 123 total tackles (67 solo, three for loss), four interceptions, one forced fumble. He also threw a touchdown and rushed for a score last season.

ESPN and Rivals have Boganowski as the number one prospect out of Kansas. With his commitment, the Sooners inch closer to eclipsing Florida State for No. 6 in 247Sports’ team recruiting rankings. His pledge also brings Oklahoma’s 2024 recruiting class to 26 commitments.

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Oklahoma offers four-star WR and Texas Tech commit Ivan Carreon

Oklahoma offered Ivan Carreon, a four-star receiver from Odessa, Texas. Carreon was previously recruited by Emmett Jones at Texas Tech.

Oklahoma has already secured commitments from two 2024 wide receivers, four-star [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] and three-star [autotag]K.J. Daniels[/autotag]. Both players are talented and have tantalizing traits that the Sooners should be excited about.

Oklahoma remains in an intense battle for five-star receiver [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag], and while the Sooners have done a lot of heavy lifting, the battle is far from over.

While that recruitment rages on, Oklahoma will continue to recruit other receivers.

Their latest offer goes to another 2024 receiver, Ivan Carreon, a 6-foot-6 playmaker from Odessa High School. Carreon is currently a Texas Tech commit and was recruited at Texas Tech by none other than current Oklahoma wide receivers coach Emmett Jones. There’s quite a relationship between the two, and after coming to compete at an Oklahoma last week, Carreon received an offer.

It remains to be seen how Jones’ new location may affect his relationship with Carreon. Still, if anything, the familiarity between the two is noteworthy and could play a significant part if this is to move just past the offer phase.

Carreon finished his junior season with 51 catches for 1,168 yards and 14 receiving touchdowns on a 22.9-yard average per catch. He plays basketball and runs track, in which he was a Texas 5A regional qualifier as a sophomore in the 110-meter hurdles.

Ivan Carreon’s Recruiting Profile

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ESPN’s early Junior 300 rankings includes two Oklahoma commits

While they continue to build their 2024 class, Oklahoma is off to a promising start to 2025 with two commits in ESPN’s Junior 300.

The class of 2024 is the recruiting class at the forefront of the college football world. Those student-athletes are preparing for their final years of high school football and looking to decide where their next destinations will be. Oklahoma already has a top 30 class, and you can be sure they will continue to ascend as the months wear on.

The 2025 class is starting to see their recruitments pick up. The contact between players and coaching staff transitions from preliminary introductions to building bonds and trust. Plenty of players have committed to schools despite being unable to take any official visits yet. Oklahoma has put in work for the class of 2025 and is one of schools with multiple commitments so far. ESPN published its first iteration of the ESPN Junior 300, and a pair of Oklahoma commitments are represented.

Oklahoma’s chosen QB for the class of 2025 and its first commit, [autotag]Kevin Sperry[/autotag], checks in at No. 131. [autotag]Gracen Harris[/autotag], one of Texas high school football’s best slot receivers, checks in at No. 101. Both prospects are rated four-star recruits by ESPN.

Oklahoma joins Georgia, Alabama, and Penn State as schools with multiple commits from ESPN’s Junior 300. Georgia leads the way as the reigning national champions already have seven commitments from the ESPN 300  for 2025.

Outside of the two commits the Sooners already have, there are some notable names in the rankings that the Sooners actively recruiting.

[autotag]Davon Mitchell[/autotag], a five-star tight end in the rankings, is among the most notable of the uncommitted. Mitchell is the best friend and former teammate of Oklahoma’s four-star 2024 QB commit [autotag]Michael Hawkins[/autotag]. Mitchell has been projected to land with the Oklahoma Sooners for some time. That would be a significant commitment marking Jeff Lebby’s second five-star commit as offensive coordinator.

Five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore from Duncanville High School has a well-known connection with Sooners wide receivers coach Emmett Jones. Oklahoma figures to be prominent in recruiting the Texas powerhouse due to Jones’ ties with the school and the North Texas area.

Oklahoma has also offered four-star receivers [autotag]Andrew Marsh[/autotag] and [autotag]Isaiah Mozee[/autotag]. The early commitments from Kevin Sperry and Gracen Harris will help them, especially amongst prospects from the state of Texas.

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Where did Oklahoma signees from the 2023 recruiting class land in the final ESPN 300?

Which Oklahoma Sooners were ranked in the final ESPN 300 for the 2023 recruiting class?

The Oklahoma Sooners had a field day in the 2023 recruiting cycle, closing with a recruiting class that ranked in the top five according to 247Sports and ESPN and were seventh nationally according to On3 and Rivals.

With the early signing period, much of the 2023 cycle is finished, which has led several publications to release their final player rankings for the class. Over at ESPN, 13 of Oklahoma’s signees for the recruiting class were ranked inside their top 300. By comparison, Alabama had 23 players and Georgia had 21 of the top 300. The Sooners still have a ways to go to get the number of top recruits like the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs. Another team relevant to the Sooners, the USC Trojans, only earned signatures from five players in the ESPN 300.

Led by Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma had seven players in the top 100, including four on the defensive side of the football. And that’s the biggest difference in this recruiting class compared to those from the past. The Sooners added a ton of defensive talent, 10 blue-chip prospects on defense, according to 247Sports.

Here’s a look at where each player ranked in the ESPN 300 and where they ranked at their position.

Where does Oklahoma land in ESPN’s 2023 recruiting rankings?

Where do the Oklahoma Sooners land in ESPN’s 2023 team recruiting rankings ahead of the early signing period?

The Oklahoma Sooners are in the final stretch of the 2023 recruiting cycle with the early signing period just a few weeks away and national signing day two months away.

Brent Venables and his crew are sitting in a great spot led by five-star commitments from Jackson Arnold and Adepoju Adebawore. Oklahoma has 22 commitments in the 2023 cycle at this point and a strong chance to add several more as they look to close out their first full recruiting cycle.

In recent weeks, the Sooners began to trend in a positive direction with five-star safety and Notre Dame commit Peyton Bowen. Though five-star defensive tackle David Hicks is still committed to Texas A&M, the number of decommitments and transfer portal entries potentially puts that pledge on shaky ground.

After finishing with the No. 8 recruiting class in the 2022 cycle, per 247Sports, the Sooners have a chance to do something special if they can earn flips from the highly-coveted five-star players on their radar.

With the regular season out of the way, recruiting jumps to the forefront as Brent Venables and company try to improve the foundation of Oklahoma Sooners football.

The Oklahoma Sooners currently have 12 commitments inside the ESPN 300, which is the seventh-most in the nation. That’s headlined by Arnold on the offensive side of the ball, and ESPN currently ranks Jacobe Johnson as their highest-rated defensive player.

Here’s where the Sooners rank in ESPN’s team recruiting rankings ahead of the early signing period.

Rutgers football lands five of the top 100 players in the East according to ESPN.com

Rutgers football has done a solid job in recruiting the East this year according to ESPN.

Rutgers football currently has a solid 2023 recruiting class, boosted by several in-state commitments. There is an emphasis on speed and athleticism in this class along with once again beefing up the offensive line.

According to ESPN.com, Rutgers is doing among the best in the country with five commitments in the top 100 in the East region.

Last season, Rutgers had the No. 33 recruiting class in the nation per 247Sports. This year, they are No. 38 with 15 commitments.

Here are the five Rutgers football verbals who are top 100 in the East according to ESPN.com:

Among the uncommitted players that Rutgers is in the mix for who remains uncommitted but are ranked by ESPN includes sixth-ranked in the region Chase Bisontis. A Don Bosco Prep offensive lineman, Bisontis has Rutgers in his top five and recently took an official visit to the program this summer.

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Another player who cracked the list who took a recent official visit to Rutgers is No. 14 Dylan Gooden.

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