College Football Recruiting: Predicting Where 2024 Five-Stars Could Sign
The 2024 college football recruiting cycle is already well in progress as schools finalized their 2023 classes and moved on to the next phase of the calendar.
And while there's a long way to go, a full year in fact, before the next National Signing Day, some of the nation's premier recruits are already pledged.
Six of the top 25 prospects in the 247Sports player rankings have made their commitments known, including three in the top 10.
- Jeremiah Smith, No. 1 wide receiver, No. 5 prospect: Committed to Ohio State
- Ellis Robinson IV, No. 1 cornerback, No. 8 prospect: Committed to Georgia
- Jaylen Mbakwe, No. 2 cornerback, No. 9 prospect: Committed to Alabama
Where are the other most highly-touted recruits leaning right now?
It's (very) early in the process, but some trends are becoming apparent already.
College Football Recruiting: Predicting Where 2024 Five-Stars Could Sign
5-star WR Mike Matthews: A consensus top 10 player nationally and a top five wide receiver in the 2024 class, Matthews has kept his intentions private up to now, but Clemson has emerged as the technical leader in the race, according to analysts, with Georgia and Tennessee, both of whom hosted him to campus, also getting serious play. Early Prediction: Clemson 37%, Georgia 24%
5-star DB KJ Bolden: The No. 1 ranked safety in the class out of Buford, Ga., is getting interest from all the major names, including in-state Georgia, which has Will Muschamp leading the recruitment process here. Clemson is a contender to sign Bolden later this year, but it's hard to pull prospects this good out of that state. Early Prediction: Georgia 32%, Clemson 21%
More: College Football Recruiting Player Rankings for 2024
5-star WR Micah Hudson: The No. 2 wide receiver in the nation in 2024 and a product of Temple, Tex., Hudson has seen major interest from the three big in-state schools, but watch for Ohio State in this space; Brian Hartline is arguably the single best receiver recruiter in the country, has been promoted to offensive coordinator, and has a history of attracting WR talent from Texas. Early Prediction: Texas 30%, Ohio State 23%, Texas A&M 14%
5-star DL David Stone: A gifted, physical lineman from Oklahoma City who plays at IMG in Florida, Stone has been trending to the Sooners from the start, but Michigan State has clearly zeroed in on him as its top priority in 2024.
Stone has said his family likes what it sees from the Spartans. This is a litmus test for Brent Venables to see if he can clinch elite, in-state prospects. Right now, that's far from a given. Early Prediction: Oklahoma 43%, Michigan State 39%
More: College Football Recruiting Team Rankings for 2024
5-star WR Joshisa Trader: There was some expectation that Trader would follow Jeremiah Smith to Ohio State, but that theory has cooled down recently. Mario Cristobal has been in contact and if Miami looks a little better on offense, it could easily become the favorite. Early Prediction: Miami 72%, Ohio State 30%
5-star QB Dylan Raiola: The jewel in the crown in this cycle, Raiola notably de-committed from his early pledge to Ohio State and opened things up again, with Georgia and Nebraska emerging as quick contenders.
USC has also hosted him and the other two will in the near future. He has a family connection to Nebraska — his father's number is retired there and his uncle is OL coach — but he's also given high praise to the Bulldogs. Early Prediction: Georgia 36%, Nebraska 31%
More: Dylan Raiola reacts after Georgia coaching change
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