Miami makes move in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking
With the dead period over and schools able to host prospects on unofficial visits and junior day events, the second weekend in March delivered plenty of recruiting drama. A new round of commitments sparked some movement in the On3 Team Recruiting Ranking. The top three schools — USC, Notre Dame and Georgia — held on to the top spots in the rankings. But elsewhere, a handful of teams, like Miami, have made moves after recent commitments.
It’s still early in the 2023 cycle, with around 10 months to go until the Early Signing Period. But here’s how the early race for the top class has taken shape:
No. 1 USC
Top-ranked commit: Five-Star Plus+ QB Malachi Nelson
Average rating: 96.38
Blue chips: 100%
Number of commits: 3
Ranking last week: 1 (+0)
Average NIL: $57K
The Skinny: The Trojans have early commitments from the nation’s No. 2 quarterback, No. 1 receiver (Zachariah Branch) and No. 6 receiver (Makai Lemon). It’s a great foundation for what is expected to be a banner crop for new coach Lincoln Riley.
No. 2 Notre Dame
Top-ranked commit: Five-star EDGE Keon Keeley
Average rating: 92.09
Blue chips: 89%
Number of commits: 9
Ranking last week: 2 (+0)
Average NIL: $19.8K
The Skinny: The Fighting Irish already have nine commits on board for the 2023 class, including Keeley, four-star linebacker Drayk Bowen, four-star safety Peyton Bowen, four-star corner Justyn Rhett and others. It’s the type of early start on the recruiting trail that should give Marcus Freeman momentum to close build a potential top-five class. Notre Dame is going to still have to work hard to hold on to Keeley, especially with Florida pushing hard to flip him.
No. 3 Georgia
Top-ranked commit: Four-star CB Marcus Washington
Average rating: 91.30
Blue chips: 71%
Number of commits: 7
Ranking last week: 3 (+0)
Average NIL: $24K
The Skinny: UGA knows most of the elite players on its board will probably go through much of the recruiting process. But the early start with Washington, four-star OT Bo Hughley, four-star TE Pearce Spurlin, four-star WR Raymond Cottrell and others is enough to put the Dawgs in contention for the nation’s No. 1 class later on down the road.
No. 4 Ohio State
Top-ranked commit: Four-star IOL Luke Montgomery
Average rating: 91.39
Blue chips: 80%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: 4 (+0)
Average NIL: $19.3K
The Skinny: After the No. 4 class in 2022, Ohio State is primed for another chase toward the top of the recruiting rankings. Like Georgia, we’ll probably have to wait a little while for some of the blue-chippers on the Buckeyes’ list. But getting Montgomery, four-star IOL Josh Padilla, four-star TE Ty Lockwood and four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins is a great start.
No. 5 Penn State
Top-ranked commit: Four-star IOL Alex Birchmeier
Average rating: 90.01
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 8
Ranking last week: 5 (+0)
Average NIL: $19K
The Skinny: Like Notre Dame, Penn State is doing a good job laying the foundation for another elite recruiting class. The Nittany Lions already have eight commits for 2023, including talented stars like Jven Williams — who is a ranked as a five-star by On3 — tight end Neeo Avery and others.
No. 6 Arkansas
Top-ranked commit: Four-star TE Luke Hasz
Average rating: 89.97
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 10 (+1)
Ranking last week: 6 (+0)
Average NIL: $15K
The Skinny: The Hogs locked up in-state coveted recruit Shamar Easter in August of last year and haven’t stopped with their momentum since. Hasz was previously committed to Oklahoma and is now ranked as a top-six player at his position. Four-star CB Dallas Young was a good early get from Alabama. Now the Hogs are hunting for their quarterback of the class and have their sights set on four-star Avery Johnson and Malachi Singleton. Three-star EDGE Carson Dean was a solid pickup over the last week out of the Lone Star State.
No. 7 Texas A&M
Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Eli Holstein
Average rating: 90.68
Blue chips: 75%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: 7 (+0)
Average NIL: $17.4K
The Skinny: Can the Aggies replicate the success they had in 2023 after signing the best ever class in recruiting history in 2022? It’s going to be tough to match or come close. But there’s no question the Aggies are building the base for another elite class, especially up front with key early commits from four-star defensive linemen Anthony James and Johnny Bowens. A&M looks like it’s going to have to fight to keep Holstein on board with other schools stepping up their pursuit. The Aggies are also trending for some top targets like four-star EDGE Chandavian Bradley.
No. 8 Michigan
Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Raylen Wilson
Average rating: 90.21
Blue chips: 60%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: 8 (+0)
Average NIL: $21K
The Skinny: The biggest question with the Wolverines will be whether or not Jim Harbaugh flirting with the Minnesota Vikings will come back to bite him in the butt on the recruiting trail. Initially, it hasn’t, and the Wolverines have five early 2023 commits. Michigan’s visit list in two weekends looks quite impressive with four-star ATH Samuel M’Pemba set to visit Ann Arbor. Coveted four-star OT Cayden Green also had rave reviews from his visit to Michigan this past weekend.
No. 9 Oklahoma
Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Jackson Arnold
Average rating: 90.09
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: 11 (+2)
Average NIL: $30K
The Skinny: The Sooners are coming off back-to-back visit weekends with some top targets in town. The Sooners have a great foundation in place with Arnold, four-star WR Ashton Cozart, and three-star OL Joshua Bates already on board. Plus, insiders are raving about in-state three-star ATH Erik McCarty. There’s little question the Sooners have the building blocks of a top-10 or even top-five class.
No. 10 Texas Tech
Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Isaiah Crawford
Average rating: 88.12
Blue chips: 31%
Number of commits: 13
Ranking last week: 9 (-1)
Average NIL: $10.7K
The Skinny: Joey McGuire immediately went to work on 2023 prospects after he got hired. It’s paid off. The Red Raiders have 13 commits for the 2023 class, including Crawford, four-star WR Tyrone West, four-star S Brenden Jordan, four-star CB Calvin Simpson-Hunt and coveted quarterback Jake Strong.
No. 11 Florida State
Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Lamont Green Jr.
Average rating: 89.56
Blue chips: 60%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: 11 (+0)
Average NIL: $23K
The Skinny: The Seminoles made a big move in the rankings two weeks ago after landing four-star defensive lineman Keith Sampson Jr. of New Bern, N.C. Sampson is the No. 167 player in the On3 Consensus. He joins Green to give FSU an outstanding foundation along the defensive line in the 2023 class. Four-star QB Chris Parson is also a good early get.
No. 12 Tennessee
Top-ranked commit: Four-star TE Ethan Davis
Average rating: 89.83
Blue chips: 33%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: 12 (+0)
Average NIL: $16.9K
The Skinny: Josh Heupel led the Vols to the No. 16 class in 2022, but he’s got his sights set on an even higher ranking in 2023. Davis is one of the top-10 players in Georgia, so that’s a good start. Plus, in-state OT Ayden Bussell has already committed. But the best might be to come for the Vols. Tennessee has shot up the list with coveted five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava after an impressive unofficial visit. The Vols are clearly the team to beat now, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.
No. 13 Michigan State
Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Andrew Depaepe
Average rating: 88.92
Blue chips: 40%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: 13 (+0)
Average NIL: $17.1K
The Skinny: The Spartans went into Iowa to land Andrew Depaepe, which is a big head-to-head win over B1G recruiting rivals. Sparty has also landed its quarterback in the 2023 class — three-star Bo Edmundson, who some insiders believe will be ranked in the four-star range soon.
No. 14 Louisville
Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Pierce Clarkson
Average rating: 88.40
Blue chips: 17%
Number of commits: 6
Ranking last week: 14 (+0)
Average NIL: $25K
The Skinny: Scott Satterfield got a major early 2023 commitment in late January from Clarkson, one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He’s also from California and is going to help the Cards recruit in the Golden State. Louisville also has pledges from three solid recruits from Georgia, including three-star safety Jayden Davis. Florida cornerback Rayquan Adkins committed to the Cards two weekends ago.
No. 15 Baylor
Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Christian Brathwaite
Average rating: 87.89
Blue chips: 29%
Number of commits: 7 (-1)
Ranking last week: 15 (+0)
Average NIL: $10K
The Skinny: Dave Aranda is building a quality 2023 class with eight commits already. The key, as we saw with last year’s crop, is keeping the early commits on board to Signing Day next February. A good example of that came four days ago when San Antonio (Texas) Brennan safety Tyler Turner backed away from his commitment to the Bears. Turner committed to the Bears in early January over offers from UTSA, Rice, Texas Tech and SMU. Since then, a number of other schools, including Texas, Oklahoma, TCU and Arkansas extended offers. Even with the loss of Turner, there’s a lot to like about what the Bears have done so far. Keep an eye on QB Austin Novosad. A lot of insiders really like him and think he could compete for four-star status.
No. 16 Iowa
Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Marco Lainez III
Average rating: 87.87
Blue chips: 17%
Number of commits: 6
Ranking last week: 17 (+1)
Average NIL: $16.3K
The Skinny: Iowa has six quality 2023 commits on board already. Lainez is one of the top quarterbacks on the East Coast. Three stars Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and Ben Kueter were good in-state gets to start the class off. The Hawkeyes also received a lot of positive reviews from their monster junior day that was held this two weekends ago. In-state three-star ATH Alex Mota is also a big-time steal.
No. 17 Miami
Top-ranked commit: Four-star WR Andy Jean
Average rating: 87.92
Blue chips: 67%
Number of commits: 3
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $12.6K
The Skinny: Welcome to the top-25 Mario Cristobal and Co. The Hurricanes jumped into the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings this past week with a commitment from IOL Antonio Tripp. His pledge was a solid recruiting victory over Penn State, West Virginia, South Carolina and others. When combined with commitments from coveted WRs — Jean of Miami Northwestern and three-star Lamar Seymore of Miami Central — it’s a solid start for the Canes. However, Miami’s recruiting stock under Cristobal has been on the rise. So, expect the Canes to continue to climb in the coming months.
No. 18 Cincinnati
Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Trevor Carter
Average rating: 87.08
Blue chips: 25%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: 18 (+0)
Average NIL: $14.4K
The Skinny: Carter is one of the top-ranked in-state recruits that Luke Fickell has ever landed. Carter is the sixth-best recruit in Ohio’s 2023 class. Three of the Bearcats’ four commits are from in-state players, including three-star OL Evan Tengesdahl.
No. 19 Nebraska
Top-ranked commit: Three-star OT Gunnar Gottula
Average rating: 87.08
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $11.3K
The Skinny: Nebraska climbs into the top-20 of the rankings thanks to some movement with a few other teams. However, Husker fans have to like what they’re seeing so far from Scott Frost’s revamped staff. The Big Red have five early commitments, have their QB of the class in three-star William Watson III, and have some good momentum after an early March junior day event. There’s still plenty of work to be done. But if the product on the field is better this season, the Big Red can expect better returns on the recruiting trail.
No. 20 Kentucky
Top-ranked commit: Four-star WR Shamar Porter
Average rating: 86.48
Blue chips: 25%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: 20 (+0)
Average NIL: $11.7K
The Skinny: Porter picked the Wildcats over offers from Ole Miss, Georgia, Penn State, Cincinnati, Tennessee and a number of others. For the second straight cycle, Kentucky landed a commitment from the top receiver in the state of Tennessee. First, it was Barion Brown in the 2022 class. Then Porter jumped on board, giving the Wildcats their third commitment in the 2023 cycle. Other schools have not stopped recruiting Porter, so this one might be a storyline to follow this spring. The good news is that with or without Porter, Mark Stoops has built a good foundation for another quality class after finishing No. 14 in 2022.
No. 21 West Virginia
Top-ranked commit: Three-star QB Raheim Jeter
Average rating: 85.88
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $12.3K
The Skinny: Neal Brown already has his quarterback of the class in Jeter, who committed to West Virginia on Dec. 20, 2021, after earning offers from Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky and others. Three-star RB Jahiem White out of New York was also a solid early get for WVU.
No. 22 Northwestern
Top-ranked commit: Four-star IOL Dylan Senda
Average rating: 85.42
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 5
Ranking last week: 19 (-3)
Average NIL: $8.7K
The Skinny: Pat Fitzgerald landed a big one early on with Senda. But there’s also a talented local quarterback in the class with Aidan Gray out of Naperville, Ill. Joliet (Ill.) Catholic Academy. Three-star OL Anthony Birsa is a recent addition to the commitment list, and safety Jacob Lewis out of California committed three days ago.
No. 23 Oklahoma State
Top-ranked commit: Three-star DL Jaedon Foreman
Average rating: 85.42
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 4
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $7.5K
The Skinny: Mike Gundy already has two solid in-state commits on board with Foreman and three-star IOL JaKobe Sanders from right down the street in Stillwater. The Cowboys also have good early gets from three-star ATH Kam Franklin out of Louisiana and Jack Endean in Arizona. But the best is still to come for OSU, as the Cowboys are right in the thick of things for some top Oklahoma, Louisiana and Texas talent.
No. 24 Boston College
Top-ranked commit: Three-star RB Datrell Jones
Average rating: 85.74
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 3
Ranking last week: 16 (-8)
Average NIL: $5.8K
The Skinny: The Eagles are the biggest droppers this week after local four-star DL Boubacar Traore backed off his commitment to Boston College. “First off, I would like to thank the whole Boston College football recruiting staff for recruiting me and giving me the opportunity to play at the next level. This has been a tough decision and not an easy one to make. But after talking it over with me family, I have decided to (decommit) from Boston College,” Traore said when he decommitted.
No. 25 Colorado
Top-ranked commit: Three-star WR Edward Schultz
Average rating: 82.50
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 3
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $5.2K
The Skinny: The Buffs are in the top-25 thanks to the addition of Schultz, who picked CU over Arizona, Arizona State, Florida State, Minnesota, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The Buffs also have their quarterback of the class onboard in three-star Ryan Staub from California.