Tag: Kobe Black

5-star defensive back includes Florida in top-11 announcement

Five-star cornerback Kobe black narrowed things down to 11 schools on Thursday, and Florida was fortunate enough to make the cut.

Connally (Waco, Texas) cornerback Kobe Black announced his top 11 schools on Thursday, and the Florida Gators made the cut.

Although Black captioned his announcement with, “My recruitment is 100% open,” he’ll focus on the following programs moving forward in his process: Florida, Alabama, LSU, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M and USC.

Black told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that Florida made the cut because of “great coaches and a bunch of love.”

Florida may have made the cut for Black on Thursday, but there is plenty of work to do if the Gators plan on adding him to the class. In-state Texas and Oklahoma are the hottest programs right now, but LSU and Ohio State are going to push hard for him.

If UF defensive backs coach Corey Raymond can get him on campus over the spring or summer, Florida could make a jump into the top five or six. The Gators only offered him on January 11, and former defensive coordinator Patrick Toney was the coach that got out to him a week later.

Black is a five-star recruit on both the 247Sports composite and On3 Industry rankings. 247Sports has him at No. 16 overall in the class and No. 3 among cornerbacks in the class of 2024. On3 is a little more bullish on him at No. 14 nationally and No. 2 at his position.

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Five-star cornerback Kobe Black lists Ohio State in top 11

It’s still early, but always a good sign to see Ohio State in the trimmed list. #GoBucks

The Ohio State football team has been making a big splash in the recruiting world in the past few weeks. The Buckeyes have shot up the team rankings with recent verbal commitments and OSU fans have reason to be excited.

However, of the current eight commits, only one is on the defensive side of the ball. If Ohio State truly wants to contend for Big Ten and national titles each year, the Bucks must be equally diligent on the defensive side of things as they have been offensive.

The No. 3 cornerback in the nation just dropped his top 11 schools and Ohio State is firmly in the mix. Kobe Black is a five-star cornerback out of Waco, Texas, and is the No. 16 rated player, according to 247Sports composite rankings.

When asked about the Buckeyes, Black seemed to be impressed by the program. “They play and practice at a high level and great competition to make me better every day,” Black said.

The Buckeyes are competing with some of the nation’s best to land Black. Other teams on his list are Alabama, Florida, LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, TCU, Texas, Texas A&M, and USC.

Ohio State also has its eyes on a couple of other highly coveted in-state recruits at the cornerback position, both four-star defensive backs. Bryce West out of Cleveland Glenville and Aaron Scott out of Springfield, Ohio. Both are rated as top-10 corners in the class and both currently have crystal ball picks in favor of the Buckeyes.

If Ryan Day and Jim Knowles can grab all three in this class, it would be quite a haul that OSU hasn’t seen in some time at the cornerback position.

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Texas makes top schools for five-star CB Kobe Black

Kobe Black is one of the top prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. 

Five-star defensive back Kobe Black is one of the top prospects in the 2024 recruiting cycle. Continue reading “Texas makes top schools for five-star CB Kobe Black”

2024 5-Star Cornerback Kobe Black includes Oklahoma in top 11

The Oklahoma Sooners were included in the top 11 for five-star cornerback Kobe Black.

As the spring progresses, the Oklahoma Sooners continue to build positive momentum in the 2024 recruiting cycle. On Thursday, five-star cornerback Kobe Black included the Oklahoma Sooners in his top 11.

The Sooners were joined by some of the heavy hitters in college football. Alabama, LSU, Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, TCU, Nebraska, and USC were also named in the top 11 released via Black’s Twitter account.

Black’s a five-star player in the 247Sports composite rankings and is considered a top-five cornerback across the board. Both 247Sports and On3 consider him to be a top 20 player in the 2024 recruiting class, while Rivals has him at No. 34 and ESPN at No. 41.

“I like them,”  Black told On3’s Chad Simmons in March (On3+). “I like Oklahoma a lot, I like the way they coach. They’re like family, really, there.”

Kobe Black plays in all three phases for his high school squad, displaying good speed and a fluidity that allows him to move well in space. He does a really good job breaking on the football and is a natural playmaker.

In 2021, he was the District 9-4A D-II Defensive Newcomer of the Year and in 2022, he was an 11-4A D-II all-district selection at wide receiver and cornerback.

Kobe Black’s Recruiting Profile

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5-star CB Kobe Black puts Oregon Ducks among top schools

5-star CB Kobe Black, the No. 15 player in 2024, has Oregon among his top schools.

The Oregon Ducks continue to put themselves in a great spot when it comes to the recruitment of some of the top players in the nation, particularly in the defensive backfield.

On Thursday afternoon, 5-star cornerback Kobe Black announced his top 11 schools, including the Ducks alongside schools like Ohio State, Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, and others.

Black is among the top players in the 2024 class, rated by 247Sports as the No. 15 overall player in the class, and the No. 2 CB in the nation.

Black has yet to take a visit to Oregon, but we will likely see him make his way out to Eugene in the coming months as he continues to narrow down his recruitment and ultimately make a decision.

We’ve seen Oregon’s recruiting of cornerbacks and defensive backs soar under the tutelage of coach Demetrice Martin, and Black could be another player to add to the group.

Kobe Black’s Recruiting Profile

Six priority recruiting targets for Texas football in the 2024 class

Texas appears to be trending in the right direction for at least two of these prospects.

Texas hosted several top 2024 prospects for Junior Day last weekend. Continue reading “Six priority recruiting targets for Texas football in the 2024 class”

Latest 247Sports rankings highlights prospects Oklahoma is pushing for

A number of 2024 targets of the Oklahoma Sooners were featured in the latest Top247 update from 247Sports.

For the first time since the end of November, 247Sports updated its 2024 rankings ahead of a busy spring and summer for the next crop of prospects.

Oklahoma is looking to assemble another top-five recruiting class to follow up on their 2023 one that finished as a fourth-ranked class in the 247Sports composite. In looking at these new 247Sports Top247 rankings, there are quite a few targets of the Sooners featured throughout the top 247 prospects in the country.

Among the 32 prospects 247Sports has given five-star rankings, names like [autotag]Williams Nwaneri[/autotag], [autotag]David Stone[/autotag], [autotag]Bryant Wesco[/autotag], [autotag]Sammy Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag], and [autotag]Eddrick Houston[/autotag] have visited or have been linked to the Oklahoma Sooners.

Nwaneri and Stone are priority prospects for Oklahoma, and if the Sooners landed just one, let alone both, you could already pencil them in as the jewels of the class. Nwaneri is third best prospect in the Top247, while Stone comes in at No. 7 in the update. Bryant Wesco, Oklahoma’s top wide receiver target, moved up to No. 9.

Black and Houston have visited Oklahoma since the start of 2023 and came out of the visits with good things to say about the Sooners’ coaching staff. Sammy Brown, an elite linebacker from the state of Georgia, has Oklahoma on his radar for a visit. He’ll likely be in Norman in April. A good impression there could give Oklahoma their window to sneak in and grab an official visit from Bown.

Plenty of Sooner targets showed up elsewhere in the rankings. Wide receiver [autotag]Zion Kearney[/autotag] slotted in at No. 89, and offensive tackle [autotag]Bennett Warren[/autotag] is ranked No. 82. Safety prospect [autotag]Aaron Flowers[/autotag] is at No. 109, while DL [autotag]Nigel Smith[/autotag] is right behind him at 110. Oklahoma leads in the race for Flowers and Smith.

One shocking drop is Sooners’ priority quarterback prospect Michael Hawkins is no longer rated a four-star by 247Sports. He’s now a three-star and sits as the No. 26 QB in the nation. Hawkins transferred to Frisco Emerson high school in December but has been showing out in the 7-on-7 circuit this spring.

Two prospects that Oklahoma currently leads for, RB [autotag]Caden Durham[/autotag] and LB [autotag]Payton Pierce[/autotag], remain the No. 160 and 164 prospects, respectively.

This spring and summer will allow these prospects to improve their rankings by participating in camps, 7 v 7 tournaments, and other recruiting events. For Oklahoma, the race to earn commitments from these talented young players is a long one. Where they are now in these rankings doesn’t reflect where they will end up when their high school careers conclude in December.

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2024 five-star CB Kobe Black speaks on Texas

Kobe Black is the top-rated prospect in the state of Texas.

Waco Connally cornerback Kobe Black is the top-rated prospect in the state of Texas for the 2024 recruiting cycle.

College coaches all over the country are working hard to land the talented defensive back. Black has offers from the likes of Alabama, Ohio State, USC, Texas A&M and other premier programs.

Black is a top priority for Steve Sarkisian and Texas’ coaching staff this cycle. After landing four five-stars in the 2023 class, Texas hopes Black can be a catalyst for this cycle.

On3 Sports sat down with Black to discuss teams standing out in his recruitment. Black stated he liked the atmosphere Texas is building on campus following his January visit.

“Everybody there, I’d say they don’t sugarcoat anything. They always tell the truth. There are good vibes there. Everything’s cool there.”

Black has no rush to commit to a school anytime school. He is planning to be patient with the recruiting process and take his official visits in the spring.

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Florida coach visits two 5-star 2024 prospects while in Texas

A pair of five-star commits from Texas got a visit from Florida’s coach recently.

Florida Gators defensive coordinator and safeties coach Patrick Toney was in Texas earlier this week to recruit during January’s “contact period”. Among the prospects that received a visit from Toney were a pair of five-star 2024 commits in quarterback [autotag]DJ Lagway[/autotag] and cornerback [autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag].

Lagway, the No. 24 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, is the crown jewel of the Gators’ 2024 class. The quarterback is the No. 6 at his position in the class and the No. 4 overall prospect in Texas. Since committing to the Orange and Blue in December, Lagway has been active in his support and recruiting for the Gators. Lagway, a 2024 All-American bowl commit is expected to be back in Gainesville for a visit on Jan. 28, according to 247Sports.

This is a stark difference from 2023 quarterback [autotag]Jaden Rashada[/autotag], who signed with the Gators in December but has since submitted paperwork to be released from his letter of intent. The 2023 All-American bowl player was supposed to enroll in classes earlier this month.

One of the players that Lagway could help recruit is the No. 1 overall player in the state of Texas, [autotag]Kobe Black[/autotag]. The blue-chip cornerback was also visited by Toney this week, with Toney attending Black’s basketball game as well. Black received an offer from the Gators last week and recently pushed back the release of his top 12 list.

The quality of recruit, with both players considered to be top-25 players in the 2024 class, seems to fit with what [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] has been aiming toward when revamping Florida’s recruiting. By attracting a higher quality player, Napier is laying the foundation for the Gators’ program to be competitive in recruiting and on the field for years to come.

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Nebraska makes offers to three blue-chip 2024 recruits

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have made offers to three of the top players in the recruiting class of 2024.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers have made offers to three of the top players in the recruiting class of 2024.

On Wednesday, they extended an offer to Connally (Texas) five-star cornerback Kobe Black. He announced the news himself on Twitter.

Black (6-foot-0, 190 pounds) is ranked No. 2 among cornerbacks, No. 3 in the state of Texas and No. 20 overall in his class. He has 24 offers all together and Oklahoma State is the current favorite according to On3’s prediction model. Texas is the next-hottest candidate.

Nebraska also made an offer to Lake Belton (Texas) four-star cornerback Selman Bridges.

Bridges (6-foot-4, 170 pounds) has 10 offers to choose from and Arizona State is currently On3’s favorite. He is ranked No. 6 at his position, No. 11 in the state and No. 73 overall.

Husking corn is famously-hard work and they weren’t done yet.

Nebraska also extended an offer to Selman’s teammate, five-star wide receiver Micah Hudson.

Hudson (6-foot-0, 186 pounds) is ranked second among 2024 wide receivers and sixth overall in his class. He has 29 offers, including one from Alabama.

Nebraska has not yet gotten any commitments for this class under new head coach Matt Rhule, who comes to Lincoln by way of the Carolina Panthers – where he went 11-27 in three seasons before getting fired on October 10. Rhule has had much more success at the college level though, having built up previously bad programs at Temple and Baylor in just a few years.

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