B/R CFB Recruiting: Predicting Destinations for 2023’s Top Uncommitted Prospects
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- Credit: 247Sports
We’ve already hit the second half of the college football season, and that means the homestretch for recruiting is upon us.
With the December early-signing period in place, recruiting season has escalated, and there are plenty of hot races for star prospects on the trail.
With last week’s commitment of elite defensive back Cormani McClain to Miami over Florida and others, that leaves 10 remaining 5-star recruits in the 2023 247Sports composite rankings who have yet to commit to a program.
Five edge defenders, one offensive tackle, one defensive tackle, a tight end, a cornerback and an athlete remain on this list, and the competition for all of them is fierce.
Clear favorites are emerging for many of them, and, while there are no slam dunks until the ink dries on the letters of intent, securing commitments from top talent is a big deal. Let’s take a look at whose boat the biggest fish remaining in this cycle might land in.
Nyckoles Harbor, Washington, DC (Archbishop Carroll), Athlete
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Credit: 247Sports
The biggest enigma in recruiting this year may be top-rated athlete Nyckoles Harbor.
Where he winds up playing college football is as big of a question mark as his position.
What’s not debatable is the immense potential bursting from Harbor’s seams. He’s a world-class sprinter who has clocked a 10.38-second 100-meter dash, according to his 247Sports profile, and plans to run track in college.
He’s also a 6’5″, 225-pound force of nature.
Some teams are recruiting him to play edge-rusher, while others see him as a jumbo wide receiver or tight end. With his speed, that’s not out of the question, and coaches everywhere have to be envisioning the matchup nightmare Harbor would bring.
So, where’s the 12th-rated prospect nationally going? It’s anybody’s guess.
He’s visited Michigan and South Carolina. LSU, Maryland and Georgia have strong interest, and it appears the feeling is mutual. The Gamecocks have to feel good about their chances, as they’re the Crystal Ball favorite (with just one prediction).
Maryland is the home school, and Mike Locksley has done a great job keeping top talent in state. But I’m going with a bit of a wild card in the Wolverines. Michigan is a top-tier program that can sell tradition to go with playing time.
Per Fansided’s Chris Peterson, Michigan is looking for a big receiver, and with the coming losses of Ronnie Bell and Cornelius Johnson, it makes sense for him to suit up for the Wolverines.
Prediction: Michigan
Keon Keeley, Tampa, Florida (Berkeley Prep), Edge
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Credit: 247Sports
Keon Keeley, one of Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s biggest building blocks of an early recruiting class that was the talk of college football, did an about-face in August in what was arguably the biggest decommitment of the cycle.
Now, it looks like the Fighting Irish are on the outside looking in for his signature.
So, who are the favorites for the nation’s top-ranked edge-rusher, a 6’6″, 242-pound star prospect with a college-ready body and game who hails from Tampa, Florida?
Alabama has been perceived as the long-time favorite for Keeley, the No. 7 player in this year’s class. He has to see opportunity abounding with star edge-rusher Will Anderson Jr. heading to the NFL after this season.
Ohio State is not going away easily, and according to Eleven Warriors’ Garrick Hodge, the edge-rusher visited the Buckeyes twice in September. He also recently has taken in a Florida game at the Swamp.
The Buckeyes are Nick Saban’s biggest competition, but it feels like the Tide will keep him closer to home in the end and win the biggest battle left on the board.
Prediction: Alabama
Samson Okunlola, Brockton, Massachusetts (Thayer Academy), Offensive Tackle
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Credit: 247Sports
When you’re playing in a place such as Brockton, Massachusetts, with no real college football powerhouses anywhere around, you’re pretty much resigned to leaving home.
That’s the case for elite 5-star offensive tackle Samson Okunlola, whose list of suitors consists of a cornucopia of programs—from Florida and Miami to Michigan State, Oregon, Ohio State and others.
It appears Okunlola’s primary focus is on the Sunshine State, where he has an opportunity to help rebuild a pair of programs (and offensive lines) desperately needing his services.
The 6’5″, 305-pound offensive tackle doesn’t face great competition, and he’ll be a work-in-progress at his next stop. But he possesses terrific size, strength and athleticism, and he has the type of ceiling that could lead to his being an early-round draft pick.
The Miami Hurricanes hold all three 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions for his signature, but recently, Rivals.com reporters Adam Friedman and Jason Higdon noted Billy Napier’s Gators have “real momentum” in the recruitment of the nation’s third-rated tackle and No. 18 overall prospect.
Both programs have been active in the NIL game this year, but while neither one is performing well on the field, the thought of teaming with fellow 5-star Francis Mauigoa in Coral Gables to help fortify the offensive line of the future for coach Mario Cristobal has to be intriguing to Okunlola.
Could a more successful program swoop in? Sure, but the prediction is he heads to South Florida.
Prediction: Miami
Samuel M’Pemba, Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy), Edge
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Credit: 247Sports
For the longest time, elite 5-star edge-rusher Samuel M’Pemba has seemed to be trending in the direction of Athens, Georgia.
The 6’3.5″, 240-pound defender who is originally from the St. Louis area is playing his high school days at prestigious football factory IMG Academy in Florida, so he’s getting competition against (and alongside) the best prospects in the nation.
That can’t do anything but help him.
The question is: Can anybody sway him away from the Bulldogs? The nation’s No. 29 prospect and fourth-rated edge-rusher is a heavy Crystal Ball prediction to Georgia, and it seems to be a stretch to think anybody can change his mind.
Recently, M’Pemba took an official visit to Knoxville and was on hand for Tennessee’s massive upset of Alabama on Rocky Top. If that can’t turn his attention toward playing for the Vols, nothing will. But there was no movement in the predictions, and no analysts seem to be budging on their prediction.
Also, with the way Miami has come out of nowhere to close the recruitments of Francis Mauigoa and Cormani McClain in a stunner, you can’t rule out the Hurricanes, who could earn his commitment too.
Still, it’s hard to see M’Pemba playing for anybody other than the red and black.
Prediction: Georgia
Desmond Ricks, Bradenton, Florida (IMG Academy), Cornerback
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Credit: 247Sports
When top-rated 2024 cornerback Desmond Ricks announced a couple of weeks ago that he was graduating early and reclassifying to ’23, the floodgates opened even wider in his recruitment.
Everybody wants some skin in this game.
The 247Sports composite rankings settled on making him the No. 15 overall prospect in this class and the second-rated cornerback behind Miami pledge Cormani McClain.
Ricks seems to just be hammering out what a path to a pledge looks like, but he has a Florida visit lined up and has teams such as Alabama, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia and Florida State on his radar.
When you’re a 6’1″, 170-pound defensive back who is fast, explosive, lanky and possesses top-tier athleticism, fluid hips and strong technique, you’ve got the complete package.
This is exactly the type of prospect that surprises tend to happen with, but it feels like it’s trending toward an Alabama-LSU battle for the Virginia native. The way 7-1 North Carolina is playing and has recruited in Ricks’ home state, you may not want to count out the Tar Heels, either.
But Ricks’ father, Vernon, told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports on Tuesday: “Everything feels right about LSU. We just like the culture there. Everyone is about LSU. Every time we go there it feels like home.”
The guess is Brian Kelly pulls one of the biggest prospects of the late cycle.
Prediction: LSU
Duce Robinson, Phoenix (Pinnacle), Tight End
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Credit: 247Sports
There aren’t many big-time weapons with the skill set and athleticism of 5-star tight end Duce Robinson.
The Pinnacle High School prospect out of Phoenix is a two-sport dynamo who has high-level baseball offers and could be selected in the MLB draft but will probably play both sports in college.
That’s a big deal for whatever football program the 6’6″, 225-pound pass-catcher chooses.
Robinson can be a big receiver because he’s athletic enough to be, but 247Sports lists him as a tight end, and he could be a matchup weapon at that position.
While Alabama, Oregon and Texas are in the mix for Robinson’s signature and could become more prominent contenders for his commitment, this feels like a USC-Georgia battle, and that’s where most recruiting analysts are leaning.
Trevor Booth of 247Sports noted recently Robinson is high on the Trojans offense under first-year head coach Lincoln Riley, and colleague Rusty Mansell said this past week that UGA has made Robinson’s recruitment “interesting.”
With the Dawgs already having pledges from Lawson Luckie and Pearce Spurlin, Robinson would give them three terrific tight ends to develop. While the other two are great prospects, you always make room for a player of Robinson’s ilk, especially the way they love to use Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington in their offense.
Still, it’s hard to see Robinson turning down the opportunity to play closer to home, stay out West and be inserted into a USC offense that has explosive capability and doesn’t have a player like him.
Prediction: USC
Qua Russaw, Montgomery, Alabama (Carver), Edge
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Credit: 247Sports
Qua Russaw, the nation’s 30th-rated overall prospect and fifth-ranked edge-rusher, is a potential terror whose versatility will flash.
At 6’2″, 230 pounds, he could add 25-30 pounds of muscle and still be a defensive force. A bonus is the Carver High School product out of Montgomery, Alabama, has a fellow 5-star teammate also on this list in James Smith, who is likely to play with him on the next level.
That’s massive news for one of the schools on his list of finalists, which include Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Alabama State, Ohio State and Georgia.
While neither Russaw nor Smith do a lot of talking with reporters, it’s hard to envision a scenario where two guys of this caliber leave the state when a powerhouse such as Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide have prioritized them.
This is a huge year for prospects in the Yellowhammer State, and it was a bit of a surprise when elite defensive tackle Peter Woods chose Clemson over the Tide, so there’s even more of a focus on getting the Carver duo to pledge.
Russaw has elite upside, and if Alabama could pair him with Keon Keeley on the edge, that would be the type of one-two punch down the recruiting stretch that would help them secure the top-ranked class.
Other programs could emerge as top contenders, but this feels like a stay-at-home type of deal. Auburn is a mess but could get things fixed with the right hire after Bryan Harsin’s departure. Still, I lean Crimson.
Prediction: Alabama
James Smith, Montgomery, Alabama (Carver), Defensive Tackle
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Credit: 247Sports
If you are sick of seeing Alabama on this list of top talent, well, you can stop reading at any time. But the Crimson Tide aren’t going away, and Nick Saban looks like he could lay waste to the competition on the recruiting trail again.
The biggest target, arguably, remaining on Bama’s board is the state’s top-rated player, massive defensive tackle James Smith of Carver High School in Montgomery.
While his size, athleticism and motor are major assets, one of the biggest benefits of securing a commitment from Smith would be the fact that he’s reportedly a package deal with high school teammate Qua Russaw.
Smith is a 6’3″, 310-pound prototypical space-eater on the inside who would be a great nose guard in defensive coordinator Pete Golding’s 3-4 scheme. He’s the No. 16 overall player in the composite rankings and the No. 2 defensive lineman.
You won’t find many quieter prospects in the class than Smith, who also included Auburn, Alabama State, Georgia, Florida and Ohio State in his final six. He’s on the visit road throughout the last part of the season, and while he’s keeping things close to the vest, it’s hard to envision him passing up playing for a powerhouse in his backyard.
As mentioned regarding Russaw, Montgomery is Auburn country for the most part, and if the Tigers make a splash hire, maybe they could bend Smith’s ear. But this feels like Alabama has prioritized him and will ultimately win Smith’s signature.
Prediction: Alabama
Matayo Uiagalelei, Bellflower, California (St. Bosco Prep), Edge
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Credit: 247Sports
For the past couple of years, Matayo Uiagalelei has been known as “DJ’s little brother.” That, of course, is in reference to Clemson starting signal-caller and former elite prospect DJ Uiagalelei.
But the fact is the younger Uiagalelei is a top-shelf prospect deserving of his 5-star status and whatever accolades come his way.
His list of suitors includes teams such as Ohio State, Oregon, USC, Clemson, Alabama and others. At 6’5″, 265 pounds, he is physical and is a jumbo defensive lineman who is versatile enough to play several spots.
Uiagalelei reminds me of Buckeyes star JT Tuimoloau, who dominated Penn State this past weekend with a masterful performance. Joining Tuimoloau has to be an intriguing possibility, and Ohio State defensive coordinator Jim Knowles has the blueprint of how he would use Uiagalelei in his defense.
The No. 33 overall player and sixth-rated edge-rusher will probably take his time, and while Ohio State has to be considered the favorite, plenty of factors could come into play.
Oregon is playing much better, and Ducks head coach Dan Lanning is a rising star recruiter. USC is winning in a big way, and Lincoln Riley wants to put an emphasis on keeping California kids home.
The recruiting reach of Ohio State is far and wide, but something about this feels like the Trojans will pull off a massive upset and keep Uiagalelei at home.
Prediction: USC
Damon Wilson, Venice Florida (Venice), Edge
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Credit: 247Sports
Damon Wilson‘s list of suitors is a who’s who of college football’s recruiting elite these past few years.
There’s a spot on anybody’s roster for a top-tier edge defender who comes in at 6’4″, 230 pounds. The Venice, Florida native is big, strong and explosive, and he could add 35-40 pounds and lose little burst.
The thought of a player his height at 265 pounds coming off the edge is enticing to everybody, and this is shaping up to be a North vs. South battle between two current unbeaten programs.
Closer to home, the Georgia Bulldogs would love to keep Wilson in the Southeast and put him on the havoc-wreaking defense of Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp as the defending national champion Dawgs reload on that side of the ball.
A team that has taken leaps and bounds on defense to complement a top-tier offense, though, is Ohio State. With Jim Knowles leading the unit, the Buckeyes are much better and in a more solid position to compete for the College Football Playoff.
Wilson would help considerably. Other favorites could emerge, but this is a Georgia and Ohio State battle for the nation’s second-ranked edge-rusher and No. 19 player. While the Bulldogs are making things interesting, Wilson doesn’t seem to mind the trip to Columbus for his college days.
He could be a major recruiting victory for coach Ryan Day in the Sunshine State.
Prediction: Ohio State
