Tag: football recruiting

One of UNC’s top 2025 football commits has four touchdowns in Friday Night blowout

UNC’s likely quarterback of the future shined under the Friday Night Lights yesterday, leading his team to a massive win with four touchdown passes.

Could Class of 2025, 4-star quarterback commit Bryce Baker be exactly what the North Carolina Tar Heels need to turn their football program around?

If we’re pointing to Baker’s most recent game, the answer is a resounding yes.

Baker, one of UNC’s three in-state commits in the Class of 2025, led the East Forsyth Eagles to a resounding, 49-6 blowout victory over rival Glenn High School on Friday night.

In the win, Baker completed 16-of-21 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns. He helped keep East Forsyth (9-0, 6-0), ranked ninth amongst ALL North Carolina high school football team, undefeated and atop the Central Piedmont 4A conference.

Baker’s talent and efficiency is on full display this season alone, as he’s completed 148-of-190 passes for 2,392 yards and 28 touchdowns, with just two interceptions. Baker averages 265.8 yards per game, 16.4 yards per completion and a near-perfect passer rating of 154.3.

Through not even two full varsity seasons, Baker has 5,474 passing yards and 67 touchdowns.

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Baker is an integral part of what’s currently a 12-man, 2025 recruiting class for North Carolina. He’s one of the Tar Heels’ two 4-star commits, along with Gainesville, Ga.-based offensive tackle Alex Payne, who’ll be protecting Baker in Chapel Hill.

With Jacolby Criswell running out of eligibility after this season, plus no guarantee Max Johnson will be ready to start after the broken leg he suffered in Week 1, UNC could be thin at quarterback in 2025.

That’s where Baker and his proven talent come into the picture. I expect he’ll push Conner Harrell for the starting gig next season. If Johnson returns from his broken leg, North Carolina will have yet another exciting quarterback competition on its hands.

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UNC football commit runs for nearly 200 yards in blowout victory Friday

Demon June will don Carolina Blue next year. The in-state running back enjoyed a big game Friday night.

If there’s one position the North Carolina Tar Heels consistently churn out talent at, it’s running back.

That talent is highlighted this year by Omarion Hampton, undoubtedly UNC’s best player and a future first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. North Carolina also has USC transfer Darwin Barlow and breakout freshman Davion Gause in its running back room.

There’s also going to be additional talent joining the Tar Heels next fall: in-state running back Demon June, who has the Jacksonville High School Cardinals off to a 3-0 start.

College football presents a significantly tougher challenge than high school ball, but if June’s latest outing has a say in who starts for UNC next year, he might have an early leg up.

In Jacksonville’s 53-20 victory on Friday night, June rushed for 196 yards and three touchdowns.

June was one of North Carolina’s more recent commitments, as he chose to play his college ball at Chapel Hill in August. He’s part of a 14-commit class headlined by Bryce Baker, who is widely expected to be the Tar Heels’ future starting quarterback.

As the season progresses for June, expect more big games like this from him. Will June be able to deliver signature performances once he’s playing inside Kenan Stadium?

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Class of 2026 football recruit extremely thankful for UNC offer

Class of 2026 in-state linebacker Caleb Gordon was extremely thankful for UNC offering him. Will Gordon actually come to Chapel Hill?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are extremely busy on the football recruiting trail, as they are still making offers to Class of 2025, 2026 and 2027 recruits.

UNC already has 14 Class of 2025 commitments, led by in-state quarterback Bryce Baker, who will likely compete with Conner Harrell for the starting role next fall. North Carolina has three Class of 2026 commitments, highlighted by top-10 in-state player Zavion Griffin-Haynes, but none in the Class of 2027.

The Tar Heels are hoping for yet another commitment from their recent offer to Caleb Gordon, a Class of 2026 linebacker who plays at Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, NC.

Gordon was extremely thankful that North Carolina offered him. Just check out what he told TarHeelIllustrated’s Lee Wardlaw in a recent interview:

“It was a burden lifted off of my chest because I went to camp there this off-season, and it didn’t go too well,” Gordon saidBut I worked hard during the season to prove myself, and it all worked out, so I’m just giving all of my glory to the man above. The Tar Heels stand strongly in my recruitment.”

Gordon has two more seasons in high school, but if he’s already praising UNC like this, look for UNC head coach Mack Brown to continue pursuing Gordon.

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Hawaii’s top 2025 recruit QB Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele commits to Cal

It’s a big recruiting win for the Golden Bears as the program kicks off its move to the ACC.

Three-star quarterback Jaron Keawe Sagapolutele is headed to Berkeley, California, where he’ll look to continue the strong tradition of Cal Golden Bears QBs throughout the school’s history, from Joe Kapp to Steve Bartkowski to Craig Morton to Aaron Rodgers and Jared Goff.

The top-ranked class of ‘2025 recruit in Hawaii, Sagapolutele chose the Cal over Utah State, Oregon State and Boise State.

He made the official announcement via X.

It’s a significant recruiting win for the Golden Bears and head coach Justin Wilcox, who leads the program into its first season in the new-look ACC. And helps rebound from the decommitment of Hughson (Calif.) three-star quarterback Robert McDaniel last week.

And the 6-foot-3 lefty has plenty of room to grow, which only adds to the overall intrigue by the nod to the Bay Area.

While he’s currently listed as a three-star QB, his arm talent has been turning heads all summer, including at the Elite 11 Finals, and it wouldn’t be a shock if Sagapolutele moves up the ladder as the 2024 season kicks off.

Overall, the progression into 2025 makes the James Campbell (Ewa Beach, Hawaii) slinger one to keep an eye on.

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For 4-star QB Malik Washington, committing to local Maryland was a family matter

Four-star quarterback Malik Washington’s commitment to Maryland allows him to stay close to his siblings.

Malik Washington’s commitment to Maryland on Friday gave the Terrapins one of the top quarterbacks in the 2025 recruiting cycle and in the program’s recent history. For Washington, it provided a way to stay close to family and join a team he sees on an upward trajectory.

The Archbishop Spalding High School (Severn, Md.) incoming senior told 247Sports that being around his siblings was a key part of his decision.

“I have my little brother here running around, and I want to be able to watch him and my little sisters grow up. If I can do it from home, why not do it from home?” he said to the recruiting outlet.

Washington is listed at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. A four-star quarterback, he is ranked on the 247Sports Composite as the No. 8 player in Maryland and No. 23 quarterback in the class, though on the recently updated 247Sports metrics as the No. 3 player in the state and No. 14 quarterback in the class of 2025.

Washington had 22 offers and had made visits to Syracuse, UCF and Virginia Tech, in addition to Maryland.

Over his two years starting, he has thrown for 5,072 yards at a 60.9% clip with 50 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.

Washington is the top-ranked high school quarterback to recruit to the Terrapins since Mike Locksley became head coach in 2019, and likely longer. Over the last 15 years, the closest to Washington’s grade of 91 was 2014 dual-threat commit Will Ulmer, who was graded at 90.

“I feel like Maryland’s program is on the come-up,” Washington said to 247Sports in the interview. “Winning three bowl games back-to-back-to-back, they are moving in the right direction. They just need a couple of key pieces to push them over the edge to reach that national level.”

Going back to 2021, Maryland has records of 7-6, 8-5 and 8-5 with wins in the Pinstripe Bowl, Duke’s Mayo Bowl and Music City Bowl.

With Washington’s decision, Maryland has 16 players committed to the class of 2025. The group is ranked as the No. 34 class in the country.

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High school QB Jayden Wade discusses the value of coaching

We continue our conversation with high school quarterback Jayden Wade.

Jayden Wade is a name to watch in football recruiting circles. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound signal caller competed in seven games as an eighth-grader on a high school varsity roster, completing 14 of 20 passes for 199 yards and one touchdown in two starts.

247Sports reports offers for Wade from Arizona, Arizona State, Florida A&M, Georgia, Michigan, Oregon, San Jose State, UCF, Utah, Washington and Washington State.

He is also being looked at with serious interest by USC, UCLA, Ohio State, Indiana, Ole Miss, Colorado and more to come. Wade has a bright future ahead of him, given the obvious upside he brings to the table and his ability to play at a level beyond his years. We continue our conversation with Wade.

Trojans Wire: How has IMG head coach Billy Miller helped your career so far?

Jayden Wade: Coach Billy is a great guy and coach. He has taught me so much in the little time that I have been at IMG. The toughness and experience he brings is top notch. I look forward to learning more under his program.

Trojans Wire: Would you ever consider re-classifying like previous phenoms Julian Lewis, J.T. Daniels or Quinn Ewers ?

Jayden Wade: I haven’t thought about it that at all yet, it’s still very early in my career.

Trojans Wire: Who are some of the best players who’ve ever played with or against so far in your young career?

Jayden Wade: Last year my team had a lot of top recruits. I’d say David Stone or Ellis Robinson IV — both were five stars — were the best I went against.

Also Zech Fort and Ksani Jiles are super competitive and force me to play at a high level always.

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4-star QB Madden Iamaleava commits to UCLA football

New coach DeShaun Foster has his highest-rated recruit so far.

Four-star quarterback Madden Iamaleava is staying in the Golden State for the next chapter of his football career, with the Warren (Downey, Calif.) senior committing to the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

Iamaleava made the announcement via X (formerly twitter):

The 6-foot-3 QB’s decision to stay in Southern California adds an element of buzz for the first-year Big Ten program and coach, DeShaun Foster, who now has his highest-rated recruit since taking the helm in Westwood.

It also upgrades an already impressive QB Room for coach Eric Bieniemy, who’s earned an ironclad reputation as an offense guru at the NFL level. And now, the Super Bowl-winning offensive coordinator is flexing his recruiting abilities, which, as Madden explained to 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins, factored heavily into the commit.

“UCLA was my childhood favorite school,” Iamaleava said. “I love the new staff and fit the offense really well. Eric Bieniemy recruited me really hard and spent a lot of time with me getting to know me as a person, not just as a QB.”

Madden is the younger brother of former 5-star recruit and current Tennessee Vols talent Nico Iamaleava — who has fans in Knoxville excited for the follow-up act to his impressive performance against Iowa in Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl.

Both should make for must-see moments in the years ahead, with many in the SoCal area first anticipating Madden’s senior high school season after a junior campaign ended with 3,626 yards passing and 43 touchdowns.

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5-star QB Julian Lewis sets official visit to Colorado Buffaloes

A de-commitment from the Trojans in the works?

Julian Lewis, one of the top quarterbacks in the class of 2025—who reclassified from the 2026 group—is headed to Boulder, Colorado, for an official visit with head coach Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes program.

He made the announcement via X:

The Carrollton (Ga.) play-caller made a hard commitment to USC in August 2023 but has since considered other possible NCAA options, which includes official stops at Indiana, Auburn, and another trip to Los Angeles to meet with the Trojans.

Lewis has turned heads in a tough Georgia high school football landscape as a sophomore, mixing crafty escapability with decent arm talent — a combo that has college scouts not showing much concern for the 6-foot-1 talent’s frame.

The numbers speak volumes, too, with a 2023 stat line of 186-of-280 passes completed for 3,094 yards, 48 TDs and 2 INTs. And at the next level, the overall package Lewis brings with him is a solid fit for any offensive coordinator looking to build on a spread attack.

Will he de-commit from the Trojans and Lincoln Riley and provide the top-tier follow-up act to Shedeur Sanders?

The buzz has undoubtedly grown from rumors to what should be heavy speculation as the Gatorade National Player of the Year finalist meets with the newly minted Big 12 team on June 21.

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A 5-star quarterback just named an official visit to…Indiana?

Julian Lewis is set for an official visit to Indiana.

When a five-star athlete visits Indiana, the presumption is that it is a basketball player. But instead, five-star quarterback Julian Lewis is set to take a late May official visit to Indiana.

And just to be clear, it is for football. Lewis, from Carrollton High School (Carrollton, Georgia) is the No. 1 ranked recruit in the ESPN 300.

He holds offers from Alabama, Georgia and Miami among others.

The official visit to Indiana, first reported by 247Sports, is a seismic moment for the Hoosiers program. Indiana is making waves in recruiting under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti, even landing coveted defensive tackle C.J. West in the transfer portal this week.

Cignetti, armed with a strong resume from his time at JMU and strong Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) support from Indiana’s collectives, has maximized the Big Ten program during this recruiting cycle. Getting Lewis in for an official visit is certainly a significant note in this recruiting cycle.

 

Lewis is currently committed to USC.

All kidding aside about Indiana recruiting a five-star and the shock over it not being a basketball player, this is a really big piece of momentum for the football program. Getting a player of this caliber onto campus is a testament to the program’s growth under Cignetti in just a few short months.

The Hoosiers currently have the No. 32 recruiting class in the nation.

What is cooking in the recruitment of Wilnerson Telemaque? Florida three-star talks Colorado, LSU

Wilnerson Telemaque has several official visits planned.

Wilnerson Telemaque is seeing his recruitment continue to heat up, this following an impressive weekend at the Rivals Camp in Miami.

A three-star defensive lineman from Monsignor Pace (Opa Locka, Florida), Telemaque had 16 total tackles and three sacks in eight games last year.

He recently announced a top six of Colorado, Florida, LSU, Minnesota, Missouri and West Virginia

Telemaque will definitely be taking official visits to LSU, Minnesota and West Virginia. He said he is looking “for a school to develop me for the next level.”

Colorado is one of the programs that is trending well, Telemaque says, and he cites the impact of head coach Deion Sanders in his recruitment.

“Being able to be coached by an NFL Hall of Famer is always going to be something special,” Telemaque told USA TODAY High School Sports.

“Also knowing that it is a program that is rebuilding. If Coach Prime stays there, I feel like they will be a contender for a national championship and they’ll get guys ready for the NFL.”

LSU is trending well in Telemaque’s recruitment. Brian Kelly, now in his third year as head coach at LSU, has made Telemaque feel like a priority.

The entire staff at LSU has left this impression on Telemaque, who also says that the incoming 2025 recruiting class has caught his attention as well.

“I feel like our relationship has always been good since they’ve known me since earlier when they were at their other schools,” Telemaque said.

“It is one of the top schools in the country. They have the No. 1 recruiting class in the country I think. Bryce Underwood and Dakorien Moore are top guys to play with.”

One school that may be a surprise to see in Telemaque’s recruitment is Minnesota. The Big Ten program historically recruits Florida hard and that includes their efforts in trying to land Telemaque.

Head coach P.J. Fleck has left an impression on Telemaque so far.

“I feel like Minnesota, that staff connection with P.J. Fleck is strong,” Telemaque said.

“It is a program that a lot of people aren’t talking about them as much but I feel like they have one of the top defensive line staffs in the country.”

But as good of a football player as Telemque is, he says he has a hidden talent that not many people outside his inner circle known about.

“I’m really a better cook than a football player,” Telemaque said.

“Specialty – I’m good with ribs, I’m good with anything with chicken, mac and cheese and stuff like that. Now we have a smoker at the house.”

He said the smoker might make its way to his next college destination.