With dozens of college football programs set to play their spring games this weekend, the attention of those coaching staffs will soon turn fully onto recruiting.
Official visits are already taking place at some schools. And the commitments are rolling in rapid succession as players look to lock up their spots early before the rush of summer announcements we see annually. This week alone, more than a dozen blue-chip prospects committed — including a handful on the Rivals YouTube channel.
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Among those decisions were two of the country’s best pass-rushers and a pair of coveted uncommitted quarterbacks who are now off the board. Rivals breaks down the biggest announcements of the week below:
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 21
School: St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)
On his commitment: “It happened a lot faster than I expected,” Sweeney told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “I went into that visit expecting to come out, continue to take visits, get to some official visits, then make a tough decision in the summer. That visit really changed everything for me. The people were real. The environment was different. After being there, I just knew they came up for me. The people, how real they are, and the feeling I had around them changed how I felt about Texas Tech. It showed me a lot.“
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 50
School: Greenwich Country Day (Greenwich, CT)
On his commitment: “That second visit really changed things for me,” Brown told Simmons. “I got to see more of USC and more of L.A., and it just felt different. After that visit, USC moved to the top of my list. I kept taking visits, but I didn’t get that feeling. Some schools made moves for me on visits. But none were like USC. When I left USC in March, I told my mom it would be hard not to commit right then. I stayed with my plan, took more visits and compared everything — but I kept coming back to USC.”
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 60
School: Hersey (Prospect Heights, IL)
On his commitment: “I didn’t know where I wanted to go, but at the end of the day, it just felt right and felt like home,” Nawrot told KSR+. “I had it in my heart to make it to this place. Over the phone with Coach Sloan, I randomly had it in my gut to say I’m coming. Just like that, it was official. Now, it’s going everywhere.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 61
School: Lee County (Leesburg, GA)
On his commitment: “I already knew it was probably going to be them,” Upshaw told AggieYell. “I just wanted to get back down here and see the love again. Ever since my Florida visit, they’ve been showing me nothing but love every single day until the day I got here. I felt connected to the coaches. I know the players. Talked with a couple of people about A&M in general, and they had nothing but good things to say.”
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 130
School: West (West Valley City, UT)
On his commitment: “I have great relationships with the entire Michigan staff and that was big for me,” Lopati told Rivals’ Greg Biggins. “All of those coaches were recruiting me when they were at Utah and picked things right back up when they got to Michigan. Coach Detmer and coach Beck are great guys and great coaches and I really think Coach Whitt (Kyle Whittingham) will be able to have a lot of success right away at Michigan. He’s a great coach and I’m excited to play for him.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 148
School: Northside (Warner Robins, GA)
On his commitment: “This has been building,” Fountain told Simmons. “That feeling at Florida is real. From the start, it just felt right. You can feel the greatness there. It’s in the air. I don’t know how else to explain it. You can’t make that up. I felt it the first time. It was different. I only went on that first visit because I told Coach Harris I would. It was me honoring my word and they took advantage of it. After that first visit, I kept going back. Every time, it felt stronger.”
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 174
School: Antioch (Nashville, TN)
On his commitment: “Since last summer, Colorado has been a contender for me,” Adams told Simmons. “I just hadn’t been out there yet. They were one of my first offers, and they stayed consistent with me the whole time. Things really picked up with them late in the season and carried into the new year. They made me feel like a top guy. That visit was huge for me. One of the most important parts of my decision was taking that trip.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 212
School: T.F. Riggs (Pierre, SD)
On his commitment: “Mouser and Campbell have both been recruiting me for almost three years, once we get to the spring,” Terwilliger told BWI. “Mouser has been to Pierre multiple times and I’ve visited them at Iowa State multiple times. Coach Campbell was also out at my high school game this fall, so there’s definitely a good relationship with them that goes back some time now. I’ve been close with them. They’re definitely among just a few coaches that I’ve had a relationship with for that amount of time now.”
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 217
School: McDonogh School (Baltimore, MD)
On his commitment: “This visit flipped things for me,” Buchanan told Simmons. “I didn’t go into the visit thinking I was going to commit this soon. I was planning to take my official visits before deciding, but this visit changed that. But my mom always told me that when a place is home, I would know — and I definitely felt that on the visit.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 234
School: Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)
On his commitment: “I’m very excited to be a Bruin,” Moala told Biggins. “I love the new direction the program is going in and I’m excited to be a part of what coach Chesney and the staff is building. It’s funny when I re-classified, UCLA wasn’t really one of my top 2-3 schools. They were in the top five but every time I visited, I felt more comfortable and I’m very confident in my decision.”
