4-star RB Ca'lil Valentine sets commitment date

Chandler (Ariz.) four-star running back Ca’lil Valentine announced his top eight schools on Friday. They are Auburn, Oregon, Utah, Penn State, Michigan State, Oregon State, Illinois and Miami.

These programs will learn Valentine’s college destination in the coming weeks. The 6-foot-0, 175-pound recruit told On3 that he is announcing his commitment on July 8.

“I want to do it before the season,” Valentine said about setting his commitment date.

Valentine has already visited three of his finalists: Utah (April 22), Miami (March 31) and Oregon (Jan. 28). He is returning to the Utes for an official visit from June 16-June 18.

With the season approaching, Valentine wanted to cut his list down. Now that he has, he is excited to choose from these finalists and be pledged to a school heading into his final year of high school football.

“I have a good relationship with every coach,” Valentine said about his top eight schools. “They’re all good coaches and good people. Also, I like the culture at those schools. There’s real good culture and there’s a really good vibe that I’m getting from the coaches and the culture at the schools.”

Valentine is interested in visiting all eight of his finalists before making a decision. However, which programs he sees will depend on how his recruitment is going.

At the moment, Utah is the only program set to host Valentine for an official visit. The four-star shared that he is also planning to see Illinois.

“I am really getting close to getting down to the one and being able to decide where I will be going to and where my home will be for next year,” said Valentine, the No. 265 overall prospect and No. 20 running back in the 2024 On300. “I really feel good about it. I’m going to be in the good position that I am now.”

Valentine breaks down his top eight schools

Auburn: “That’s my only SEC offer. It’s a really good school. It’s a big school to be at.”

Illinois: “These past few weeks, they’ve been coming down to my school to come see me.”

Miami: “Coach (Tim) Harris, he’s a good coach. Coach (Mario) Cristobal, I like what he’s doing out there and what he’s trying to build.”

Michigan State: “I have friends that go there and they tell me about how they play and how it is up there.”

Oregon: “Oregon has always been my dream school to play at since I was a kid… I like coach (Carlos Locklyn).”

Oregon State: “Some of my family members went there. Coach (Keith Bhonapha) is a good coach.”

Penn State: “They have a good coaching staff and I love the fanbase.”

Utah: “Coach (Quinton Ganther) is a good guy. He just stands out and they like to win.”