Class of '26 Verbal Commits and Offers/Discussion

[Blue & Gold]

So we've got a verbal from a QB with offers from Syracuse, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, UCONN, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia among others...

 

and a verbal from a WR with offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, USF, Texas A&M, and West Virginia among others...

 

🧐

[Captain Kangaroo]

5 minutes ago, kreed5120 said:

Perhaps just looking for an early opportunity to play that way he can cash in on NIL in 1-2 years.

I have to believe that's the MO for a lot of sub 4- or 5-star HS seniors. P5 programs are loading up on established transfers and stealing seasoned guys from G5's, so 3-star incoming Fr.'s need to go to the minor leagues for a year or two if they want to see the field (rather than redshirt, or see spot duty). Then they can ditch us.

[exit322]

3 minutes ago, Captain Kangaroo said:

I have to believe that's the MO for a lot of sub 4- or 5-star HS seniors. P5 programs are loading up on established transfers and stealing seasoned guys from G5's, so 3-star incoming Fr.'s need to go to the minor leagues for a year or two if they want to see the field (rather than redshirt, or see spot duty). Then they can ditch us.

 

That's the way this game is now.  So we may as well embrace it.

[zippy5]

21 minutes ago, Blue & Gold said:

So we've got a verbal from a QB with offers from Syracuse, Alabama, Boston College, Colorado, Duke, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers, Temple, UCONN, USC, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia among others...

 

and a verbal from a WR with offers from Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Pitt, Purdue, USF, Texas A&M, and West Virginia among others...

 

🧐

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

[MangoZip]

5 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

Agree, he had to have very limited options when he committed to Akron. Those big offers likely came very early in the recruiting process and are non existent today. Many possible reasons - poor camp performance, high school film wasn’t as good as expected, grades, getting in trouble, coaching changes, etc., all possible reasons. Bottom line is that no kid is going to Akron if they had committable offers at Penn State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Miami, Georgia etc etc. It just doesn’t happen. 

[catdaddyp]

57 minutes ago, zippy5 said:

Catdaddy will surely chime in but there's just no way those offers were all committable 

@MangoZip hit on some of the possible reasons. I’m no longer involved in the recruiting scene, but if I had to guess, it’s probably either grades or that most of those offers aren’t actually on the table anymore. He also may have had someone in his ear telling him to go somewhere he can play early and be developed. Honestly, that’s some of the best advice a high school recruit can get in today’s setup if they aren’t already in line to receive a decent NIL package. Regardless, he looks like a playmaker and could see the field with some refinement. I also suspect he’s not really 185 lbs.