5 important commits from college football recruiting weekend

jeremycrabtree

The final weekend of the 2022 recruiting cycle has ended and the dead period is hours away from starting. Even though a majority of the top senior recruits have already signed, it doesn’t mean there weren’t major commitments over the weekend. That’s especially true with schools across the country hosting events for underclassmen. On3 looks at five impact commits from the weekend.

Oregon boosts 2022 class with 4-star CB

Killeen (Texas) Shoemaker cornerback Khamari Terrell kicked the weekend off in a big way with his commitment to the Oregon Ducks.

Terrell is the No. 218 prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 24 cornerback and the No. 38 senior prospect in the state of Texas.

On3’s own rankings are quite a bit higher on Terrell, pegging him as the nation’s No. 109 prospect, No. 13 cornerback and No. 25 prospect in Texas.

Terrell led a largely quiet recruitment, picking up offers from Baylor, Mississippi State, LSU and Missouri between June and November. But as the calendar turned to December, things heated up. Terrell took official visits to Baylor and Mississippi State. And USC, Florida, Clemson and Oregon jumped in the mix with offers over the next month.

The Gators pushed hard to get an official visit, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons. But after his visit to Oregon, he opted to cancel that trip.

For the Ducks and new coach Dan Lanning, it was a big victory. That’s especially true because it’s a win in the recruiting hotbed of the Lone Star State. On3’s Scoop Duck reports Terrell fits the mold of what Lanning wants in a defensive back.

“Terrell fits the body type that Lanning had ample success with at Georgia, that of the longer, more fluid corner,” Justin Hopkins with Scoop Duck wrote.

Aaron Butler commits to USC

Yes, he’s only a sophomore. But make no mistake landing a commit Calabasas (Calif.) High defensive back Aaron Butler was big for USC coach Lincoln Riley.

Butler is the No. 56 prospect in the 2024 class, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He ranks as the nation’s No. 8 cornerback and the No. 9 sophomore prospect in California.

The 6-foot, 170-pounder also held offers from Penn State, Utah, Arizona, Boston College and Pittsburgh. He is the Trojans’ second commitment in the 2024 class and the fourth overall commitment for Riley in the 2023 and 2024 classes.

With five-star quarterback Malachi Nelson and four-star receiver Makai Lemon already committed in the 2023 class and the addition of Butler, the Trojans are sending an early message that they’re going to be a major force with top local talent.

Jahiem Lawson becomes Clemson’s only DL commit

While he’s only a three-star recruit, pass rusher target Jahiem Lawson of Central (S.C.) D.W. Daniel was an important commit for the Clemson Tigers. Lawson, the No. 91 EDGE prospect in the country, is the only defensive lineman pledge in Clemson’s current 2022 class.

That lack of depth with defensive linemen in the class was something the Tigers were desperate to fix. It’s why Lawson and four-star DL Caden Story are priority recruits for the Tigers. Clemson just entered the picture five weeks ago for Lawson. He told On3’s Clemson Sports it was a whirlwind courtship.

“One of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Lawson said on Friday. “But when I went on my official visit to Clemson, they really welcomed me in. I felt really welcomed. I felt at home. That was kind of my choice – to stay home.”

Louisville adds 3 commits on Sunday

We’re going to bend the rules a little bit and go with not just one, but three commits for the Cardinals.

Louisville made the most of a monster recruiting weekend that featured nearly 50 underclass recruits visiting campus for a junior day and senior targets also making official visits.

Two days after landing a four-star commit from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco quarterback Pierce Clarkson, the Cards landed Bellville (Mich.) three-star athlete Jeremiah Caldwell, Louisville Male three-star cornerback Jeremiah Collins and Columbus (Ga.) Carver three-star safety Antonio Watts.

Caldwell and Watts are 2022 recruits, while Collins is a member of the 2023 class. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Watts also had offers from Akron, East Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Kent State and others. Caldwell was a hot target early on with recruiters. But Louisville moved to the top of his list with persistent pursuit.

Collins is a solid local recruiting win for the Cards. The three-star from Male High had offers from Miami of Ohio, Kentucky, Purdue, and Illinois.

Iowa lands another gem in 3-star Deshaun Lee

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has made a living out of taking three-star defensive backs and turning them into outstanding college players. The Hawkeyes are hoping for a repeat performance after landing a commit from Belleville (Mich.) High three-star cornerback Deshaun Lee.

Lee visited this weekend and was offered while on campus. It was an offer he didn’t think too long about accepting. That’s especially true with Iowa’s track record of finding diamonds in the rough and turning them into impact players.

Jermain Crowell, Lee’s coach, said the 5-foot-11, 175-pounder had a tremendous senior season on both sides of the ball. He was a key reason why Belleville won the Michigan Division I state championship.