Tag: recruting

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands commitment from in-state class of 2025 defensive lineman

Luke Fickell adds another recruit to Wisconsin’s class of 2025:

Wisconsin landed a commitment from class of 2025 defensive lineman Torin Pettaway Thursday afternoon.

Pettaway is a three-star recruit on 247Sports, ranked as the No. 65 defensive lineman in the class and No. 6 recruit from the state of Wisconsin.

The Middleton, Wisconsin native chooses the Badgers over offers from schools including Minnesota, Rutgers, Illinois, Nebraska, USC and Washington.

Luke Fickell’s class of 2025 now includes nine commitments. The group ranks No. 8 in the nation at this early stage in the process.

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The top 2024 Colorado Buffaloes football commits

The “Prime Time Ten” of 2024.

Deion Sanders’ run so far at the helm of the Buffaloes’ football program has been a successful start (win or lose) as the team continues to gain national attention.

With such headlining, it’s not surprising that the recruiting classes have become more of a focal point, complementing the transfer portal into Boulder, Colo., that has become just as much of the scouting fodder as the high school athletes who are on Prime Time’s radar.

From that side of the recruiting tunnel, the Buffs currently have 11 prospects who have given a “hard commit“—which now includes the massive addition of IMG Academy OL Jordan Seaton.

Here’s the latest breakdown of each athlete…

Recruiting profile for 2024 4-Star prospect Aaron Flowers

Updated recruiting profile for 2024 four-star safety Aaron Flowers.

Armed with a top-five class in the 2023 recruiting cycle, the Oklahoma Sooners turn their attention to following that up with another highly-rated class in 2024.

Over the last couple of months, Brent Venables and the coaching staff have been getting some positive buzz on several of their prospects. One of which is four-star safety, Aaron Flowers.

Out of Forney, Texas, Flowers currently has 16 Power Five offers across the country, but the Sooners appear to be leading the pack for his commitment. He’s a versatile defensive back that could help a number of teams at both cornerback and safety. He can play in the box, deep middle, he can play on the outside and on the inside. He’s a defensive coordinator’s dream with his flexibility.

Flowers has the coverage skills to carry wide receivers in man-to-man and the physicality to help in run support. He tackles with an edge in both the run game and the passing game, which helps him to be a tone-setter for his defense.

He’s being projected at safety at the college level, but his coverage skills will give him the opportunity to make a huge impact in all facets of the game.

Aaron Flowers’ Recruiting Profile

Projections

Film

Hudl

Five freshmen most likely to see the field for LSU in 2022

Examining which of LSU’s newcomers will have a chance to make an immediate impact in 2022

With signing day now done, there is some clarity regarding what rosters may look like across college football in 2022.

It’s been a hectic couple of months all over the sport. With coaching changes, a flurry of transfers, and players declaring for the NFL draft. This off-season has provided more roster shakeup than any in recent memory.

That holds true for LSU as well.

Over the last couple of years, the previous coaching staff didn’t demonstrate much competence when it came to managing a roster. On top of that, coaching changes always lead to their own list of personnel shakeups.

There will be more moves to come throughout the spring and summer. It isn’t over yet. But the roster LSU has now should look close to the one it takes the field in the opener against Florida State.

All things considered, LSU will bring in a decent freshmen class. Given the inexperience all over the team, a lot of these guys will have opportunities to see the field right away.

Good teams usually need some contributions from first-year players if they want to have success. That could go even further for LSU, who’s just counting on these recruits to have enough athletes on scholarship.

Let’s look at the five freshmen most likely to see the field in 2022.

Harold Perkins commits to Texas A&M over LSU and Texas

Harold Perkins opts for Texas A&M over LSU, Texas as expected.

Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M added to their five-star laden class on Sunday when linebacker Harold Perkins choose the Aggies over LSU and Texas.

The 247Sports composite rankings have Perkins as the top linebacker in the country as well as the top player in Texas. He’s the sixth five-star to join Texas A&M’s class and the third top 10 recruit.

To an extent, LSU was in this the entire race. But with all the coaching turnover and instability the last two years, it was never that likely Perkins ended up at LSU.

LSU will have an entirely new defensive staff in 2022 and Perkins didn’t even know what that was going to look like until just last week. Blake Baker, who served as LSU’s linebacker coach and Perkins’ primary recruiter, announced a couple of weeks ago that he would not be returning to LSU.

Perkins took an unofficial to LSU on November 27th, the weekend LSU just happened to be facing Texas A&M. He also took an unofficial to Baton Rouge last June.

LSU could have used Perkins’ services after some inconsistency at linebacker the last couple years. Landing Perkins would have been a monumental splash for Brian Kelly and LSU, but the miss is understandable given the circumstances.

DeColdest Crawford follows Mickey Joseph to the Big Ten

DeColdest joins Frost in the Big Ten

DeColdeest Crawford committed to LSU back in October 2019 but decommited and will go to Nebraska. Crawford will join former LSU receiver coach Mickey Joesph with the Cornhuskers.

Crawford is ranked the No. 20 overall prospect in Lousiana’s class and ranks No. 418 overall. According to the 247Sports composite, Crawford is the No. 66 ranked receiver in the country.

Crawford caught 50 passes for 813 yards six touchdowns as a junior in the 2020 season for Green Oaks High School. In 2021 Crawford had 30 catches for about 200 yards; his numbers dipped due to a freshman quarterback. He also made the District-1 3A All-District first-team as a defensive back. Crawford intercepted two passes on the season. The receiver is versatile, and he earned second-team as a returner.

Crawford had a relationship with Joesph, which is why he decided to join Nebraska. He has known Joseph for a few years and liked the receivers he helped get to the NFL.

“We’ve been knowing each other three or four years,” Crawford said. “He came and got me my sophomore year and we built a relationship. He’s taken a lot of receivers to the NFL, Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, so I feel like I can do the same thing with him.”

Losing Crawford is a tough loss for LSU, he is very talented and could have helped the Tigers. LSU must move forward and go with who they have, despite losing three wide receivers in the transfer portal and adding only one in recruiting.

WATCH: Ohio State Buckeyes commit C.J. ‘King’ Hicks breaks down epic 100-yard pick-six

Now this should make get the Buckeyes’ fan base excited.

Ohio State Buckeye commit C.J. “King” Hicks—a five-star recruit from the Class of 2022—sat down with USA TODAY High Sports Awards‘ Randy Buffington during an episode of “Rapid Fire.”

And while the talented athlete had plenty to offer during the chat—from his first time putting on the pads (and making a kid cry) to his admiration for the way Deion Sanders played the game—it was this breakdown of a 100-yard pick-six that caught our attention.

Check it out!

To. The. House!

There’s little wonder why the Buckeyes and so many other schools like Alabama, Oregon and Clemson went after the Archbishop Alter (Dayton, Ohio) star. 

And now… just imagine seeing the in-state talent wowing the crowds (and tormenting opposing offenses) at “The Horseshoe” for the next few years.

C.J. Hicks, a recruit from Archbishop Alter in Dayton, Ohio, wears a gold lion pendant before the game between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Maryland Terrapins. (USA TODAY Network)

Want to nominate an athlete for the 2022 High School Sports Awards? Make sure to follow along on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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Top California high school football recruits in the USA TODAY rankings

The best of California high school football recruiting for 2022

California high school football has neared an end to the 2021 season, with the playoff matchups narrowing to semifinals and finals across the state. 

As usual, the Golden State is loaded with top talent that will be part of big-time NCAA programs for the 2022 season, from perennial USA TODAY Super 25 schools like Mater Dei, St. John Bosco, Servite, and more. And once the championship games have been completed, all eyes will shift to the senior class’s coveted athletes and where each has decided to commit.

With that in mind, here are the current top recruits (and where they are headed in 2022 if a verbal has been made), according to the USA TODAY High School Sports Recruiting Rankings, which averages the grades from the three biggest recruiting services: 247Sports, ESPN and Rivals. 

(Note: the recruit’s measurements and position are courtesy of 247Sports.)

Report: Wisconsin adds a key new staffer to its personnel department

Report: Wisconsin adds a key new staffer to its personnel department

Wisconsin director of player personnel Saeed Khalif left the program on June 1 for a similar position at Michigan State, sending a shockwave through Wisconsin’s personnel department that also saw Jensen Gebhart take a position in East Lansing.

The move came on the first day after the end of the NCAA recruiting dead period. While Wisconsin still had success throughout the month in landing commitments, the timing of the news was not ideal.

Well, the Wisconsin football program has now bolstered its personnel department. They added Steven Schrum, a guy with both NFL and Power 5 experience.

Schrum has interned with the Baltimore Ravens and worked at the likes of Florida, Maryland and Syracuse. He most recently was the director of player personnel at Kent State, helping the Golden Flashes to a 7-6 2019 campaign and 3-1 2020 record.

One of the first moves since this reported hire? A second take at a Wisconsin football recruiting Twitter account.

Time will now tell whether Schrum and his staff will continue Wisconsin’s momentum on the recruiting trail.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.

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2021 3-star DB Gabe “Spida” Nealy commits to Michigan State Football

Michigan State has landed their third recruit of the 2021 class in Gulliver Prep’s Gabe Nealy.

Michigan State Football now has its third official commitment in the Mel Tucker era, as 2021 3-star defensive back Gabe “Spida” Nealy announced his decision on Twitter on Saturday. Nealy comes out of Miami, Florida and Gulliver Prep.

Nealy is listed as a 6’4″, 175-pound safety on 247sports, which is quite tall for a defensive back. 247sports has him as the No. 67 safety in the 2021 class and the No. 133 in the state of Florida.

Here is Nealy’s announcement, posted on Saturday afternoon:

As we mentioned, this is the third commitment of the 2021 MSU recruiting class. All three players are well-regarded three-star prospects.

Here is the full 2021 class:

With Tucker coming in at an awkward time of the recruiting process, it took a few weeks for his staff to pick up momentum on the recruiting front, but after sending out a bevy of offers it looks like some of those efforts are starting to pay off.

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