Friday Night Notes: Oklahoma QB commit dazzles, 2 top recruits joined at hip, more

We begin in Denton, Texas.

USA TODAY High School Sports‘ Friday Night Notes is a weekly high school football recruiting recap that looks at the latest news from around the country—from the Class of 2023 to ’24 and beyond.

We begin in Denton, Texas, where one of the top quarterback recruits of the class of 2023 put on a show Thursday night in his season debut. Denton Guyer starting quarterback Jackson Arnold has committed to playing his college ball at Oklahoma, and Sooners fans should be salivating at what he put on tape last night.

Photo: Elite11

In a 47-14 win over Rockwell-Heath (Texas), the five-star recruit posted some Sportscenter-worthy highlight plays.

Arnold threw three touchdown passes, including this 63-yard bomb.

Later on, Arnold also ran for a 64-yard touchdown.

Arnold is ranked No. 14 in the country and he’s the No. 5 quarterback in his class. More performances like this will have him moving up those rankings soon…

5-star edge rusher Qua Russaw names top schools

UGA football is in Qua Russaw’s top six.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for five-star edge rusher Qua Russaw.

Russaw is a member of the class of 2023. He plays high school football for Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. Russaw is high school teammates with another five-star recruit in James Smith, who has an identical top six to Russaw. The duo is expected to play together in college.

It is always tough to convince the best players in Alabama to leave the state. The Alabama Crimson Tide tend to dominate in-state recruiting, but Georgia has landed one commitment from a five-star recruit in Alabama this recruiting cycle.

The five-star outside linebacker is the No. 26 recruit in his class and the third-ranked edge rusher in the class of 2023. Qua Russaw’s the fifth-best recruit in Alabama per 247Sports. Russaw has improved his recruiting ranking significantly since the beginning of the 2021 high school football season.

Qua Russaw considers his tops six schools to be Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Ohio State, Florida, and Alabama State.

Russaw has to be impressed with Georgia’s defensive performance during the 2021 college football season and the Bulldogs’ record showing at the 2022 NFL draft.

The Carver High School star received a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia in Sept. 2021. The Carver star has recently visited Georgia, Auburn, and Florida.

Kirby Smart and Georgia have a top-five ranked recruiting class of 2023. The Dawgs have 18 total commitments in the class.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound edge rusher named his top six schools via Twitter:

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5-star DL was in town for Florida’s Friday Night Lights

The Gators are getting in the mix for one of the top-ranked defensive linemen in the class of 2023. The first meeting went well, per reports.

One of the top defensive linemen in the class of 2023, five-star [autotag]James Smith[/autotag], was in town for Florida’s Friday Night Lights and recruiting cookout over the weekend.

It was Smith’s first trip to the Swamp, but he left with a favorable impression of the program and [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag]’s staff, according to Gators Online.

“It was good. I had fun,” Smith told On3 and others. “We did activities and things, like a scavenger hunt. They had a lot of stuff to tell me. They want it to go back to how it used to be, just getting everything back in line.”

Smith included the Gators in his top 11 on May 8, 10 of which matched those of five-star teammate [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag], who is considering making an official trip to Florida. The two are thought to be a package, but there’s a chance they commit to separate schools.

Smith made official visits to Auburn and Georgia in June and should be giving Alabama one as well. That leaves Florida to fight with Miami and Texas A&M, among others, for Smith’s services. There’s also a chance Smith makes a decision without taking any more officials.

Smith is No. 11 overall on the On3 consensus and No. 2 among defensive linemen in the class of 2023. He’s the top player to come out of the state of Alabama, so there’s no doubt Nick Saban and Co. are the group to beat. On3’s recruiting prediction machine has the Crimson Tide as 51.7% favorites to land Smith with Georgia in second place at 27.7%.

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Gators host 5-star LB on 2-day unofficial visit over FNL weekend

After spending a couple of days at the University of Florida over the weekend, five-star linebacker Jaquavious Russaw is thinking about returning for an official visit.

One of the top names in Gainesville over the weekend was five-star edge rusher [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag]. He made his first-ever trip to the Swamp over the weekend, stopping by for both Friday Night Lights and the recruiting cookout on Saturday.

After getting his first taste of the University of Florida, Russaw wants to come back and he’s thinking it’s worth using up one of his five official visits, according to 247Sports.

“I’m probably actually going to take an official visit,” Russaw said. “I don’t know when yet.”

Russaw named the Gators to his top 11 on May 8, and it’s clear that Florida is one of the teams most likely to make the next cut. He sees himself taking over the starting JACK linebacker spot from [autotag]Brenton Cox Jr[/autotag]. if he does end up at UF.

Outside linebacker coach [autotag]Mike Peterson[/autotag] has played a large role in Russaw’s recruitment and has harped on the fact that there is an open spot for him at Florida. Adding a five-star to the class is what’s needed for UF to crack the top 10, and Russaw fills a hole in the depth chart. Cornerback Cormani McClain is considered the Gators’ top priority, but Russaw could be a 1B if things are heating up with him.

Russaw is ranked No. 26 overall on the 247Sports composite and No. 3 among edge rushers in the class of 2023. The Gators have just one other EDGE committed to the class, four-star Isaiah Nixon, who flipped from UCF.

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Gators to get visits from these two 5-star defensive linemen in July

Things will be cooking in Gainesville for Friday Night Lights weekend at the end of July.

Now that the calendar has turned over after a busy month of June for Florida football’s recruiting staff the next big date on the horizon is the Gators’ Friday Night Lights weekend, which will be held on the final weekend of July. Among the many planning on attending the festivities are a pair of five-star defensive linemen in the 2023 class who could make huge waves in Gainesville.

[autotag]James Smith[/autotag] and [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag], both teammates at Montgomery (Alabama) Carver, are slated to join the crowd that weekend according to Swamp247. It will be the first visit, as well as one of the unofficial variety, for the two standouts to the Swamp but that has not prevented the Orange and Blue from climbing the leaderboards for the two blue-chip prospects.

The pair have already unofficially ventured to the campuses of the Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers, Texas A&M Aggies and Miami Hurricanes during the spring and early summer, while spending their lone official visit to Athens to check out the Georgia Bulldogs on June 17.

Smith, a 6-foot-4-inch, 310-pound who is among the very best at his position, currently ranks No. 13 overall and No. 2 at defensive lineman nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 6 and 1, respectively. The Tide currently holds a narrow lead over UGA on On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine at 47.2% and 40.3%, respectively.

Russaw, a 6-foot-2-inch, 230-pound EDGE rusher, is currently ranked No. 27 overall and No. 4 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite, while the On3 consensus has him at Nos. 23 and 3, respectively. Similar to Smith, both the ‘Dawgs and ‘Bama are in the hunt for the young man’s talents, but the former holds the lead in this chase with a 49.8% chance of signing him while the latter sits a bit back at 32.9%.

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Florida defensive coordinator visits two 5-star recruits

Both of Florida’s defensive coordinators have now paid these two recruits a visit. Will the Gators be able to get them on campus?

Florida’s coaching staff has remained busy evaluating talent over the last couple of weeks, and co-defensive coordinator/defensive line coach [autotag]Sean Spencer[/autotag] is no exception. Coach Chaos was in Alabama on Tuesday to visit a pair of Carver High (Montgomery, Alabama) recruits, according to 247Sports.

He stopped by Madhouse Fit to see five-star defensive lineman [autotag]James Smith[/autotag] and four-star edge [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag] in action. Neither has made it to Gainesville yet, but sending out the co-defensive coordinator is a pretty strong indicator that Florida is pushing to get them in town for a visit. UF’s other co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach [autotag]Patrick Toney[/autotag] also paid them a visit a week ago.

There’s no timeline for a decision just yet, but Florida won’t be considered a serious contender until they get the defensive duo on campus. Other Southeastern Conference programs such as Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Texas A&M are better positioned to land the pair of elite recruits.

Another team to watch out for in the hunt for these two is Miami. The Hurricanes hosted them on March 21 and 22 after getting into the race late with a January offer. The Gators are still waiting on extending an offer, but that’s likely just a timing thing and will come once they get on campus for a visit.

Smith is the No. 15 recruit overall in the class of 2023, according to the 247Sports composite, and is the No. 2 defensive lineman as well. Carver is No.37 overall and No. 5 among edge defenders.

While it’s not guaranteed, these two seem likely to follow one another throughout the recruiting process. Both are among the most-coveted recruits in the country, so expect Florida to keep pushing over the summer.

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Georgia football in top schools for fifth-ranked edge rusher

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for elite four-star edge rusher Jaquavious Russaw

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for elite four-star edge rusher Jaquavious Russaw, who is not far away from being ranked as a five-star prospect.

Russaw is a member of the class of 2023. He plays high school football for Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. It is always tough to convince the best players in Alabama to leave the state. The Alabama Crimson Tide tend to dominate in-state recruiting.

The four-star outside linebacker is the No. 37 recruit in his class and the No. 5 edge rusher in the class of 2023. He’s the sixth-best recruit in Alabama. Russaw has improved his recruiting ranking significantly since the beginning of the 2021 high school football season.

Jaquavious Russaw considers his top 11 schools to be Alabama, Miami, Georgia, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Auburn, USC, Florida, Ohio State, Texas, and Alabama State.

Russaw has to be impressed with Georgia’s defensive performance in the 2021 college football season and the Bulldogs’ showing at the 2022 NFL draft.

He has scholarship offers from Colorado, Nebraska, Kentucky, Texas, Texas A&M and more. The Carver High School star received a scholarship offer from the University of Georgia in Sept. 2021.

Kirby Smart and Georgia have a top-five ranked recruiting class of 2023. The Dawgs have seven commitments from four-star prospects in the class.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound edge rusher named his top schools via Twitter:

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Auburn makes top 11 for four-star edge Jaquavious Russaw

Auburn is in a good spot for one of the best players in Alabama.

Auburn is looking to take advantage of a historically strong crop of in-state players in the 2023 recruiting class. One of the best is four-star edge [autotag]Jaquavious Russaw[/autotag].

Russaw, who is from Montgomery, Alabama, announced his top 11 schools Sunday afternoon and Auburn made the cut. The Tigers will be battling Alabama, USC, Miami, Alabama State, Florida, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma for the talented pass-rusher.

Russaw is ranked as the No. 37 overall player and No. 5 edge player in the 247Sports composite recruiting ranking. He is also the No. 6 player in Alabama.

He has a solid frame at 6-foot-2 and 230-pounds that has room to be filled out. He uses his quickness, strength, and motor to consistently generate pressure and is a hard-hitter. This has made him an incredibly productive player for Carver High School, he made 130 tackles, 16.0 sacks, and 27.5 tackles for loss as a junior.

Edge is one of Auburn’s top needs in the 2023 recruiting cycle and landing Russaw would be a major step in addressing the need.

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Every EDGE defender Alabama has offered in the 2023 recruiting class

Every EDGE defender Alabama has offered in the 2023 recruiting class

Nick Saban and Alabama have dominated the competition both on the field and on the recruiting trail for more than a decade. After all, recruiting is the lifeblood of college football and nobody has done it better than Saban. The on-the-field success is a product of Saban’s ability to draw in some of the nation’s top talent.

Now that the 2022 class is wrapped up, Saban and his staff have shifted their focus to the class of 2023. Here at Roll Tide Wire, we are in the middle of a series of stories listing who Alabama has offered at each position for the class of 2023. Already completed are the quarterbacks, running backs, tight ends, cornerbacks, safeties, and wide receivers that Alabama has offered in the class of 2023.

Today, we are going to take a look at the EDGE defenders.

A comprehensive look at some of Oklahoma Football’s recent offers

Oklahoma has been busy on the recruiting trail. Here’s a look at some of the recent offers OU has sent out to 2023 and 2024 prospects.

National Signing Day is swiftly approaching on Feb. 2 and that means the 2022 class is just about finished.

With that date within shouting distance, it’s time for Oklahoma to turn its collective attention to the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes.

OU has been busy sending out offers and looking to establish momentum in both of their upcoming classes. Here’s a look at some of the names the Sooners have offered recently.