The Group of 6 always has to fight for its keep on the high school recruiting trail. The 2027 cycle has moved lightning-quick, and as most high-profile programs have filled out nearly their entire class, some teams elsewhere have been able to swipe a notable pledge or two.
USF has the top G6 recruiting class, sitting at No. 66 nationally in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. UConn, Boise State, Washington State and San Diego State are right behind the Bulls.
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Rivals takes a look at the highest-rated G6 commit at each position, as of July 24:
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 535 NATL. (No. 32 QB)
School: Merritt Island (Fla.)
Committed Since: June 10
Scouting Summary: “Kevin Verpaele put together the best day from start to finish among the quarterbacks at Rivals Camp Miami. The Merritt Island (Fla.) High passer showed a live arm and the ability to drive the football downfield with noticeable zip. The football jumped out of his hand and he delivered tight spirals for much of the afternoon. Verpaele looks to have quality mechanics and showed the ability to replicate his throwing motion with little variance in drills. He looks to be a nice get for Pittsburgh early on in the 2027 cycle.”
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 428 NATL. (No. 32 RB)
School: Wylie (Texas)
Committed Since: June 9
About: The 5-foot-9, 195-pounder sits atop Texas State’s 2027 class and is the lone top-1000 recruit in the mix in San Marcos. Over the last two seasons for Wylie, Gordon rushed for over 1,800 yards and 26 touchdowns. He also flexed his receiver muscle as a junior, catching 39 passes, turning them into 558 yards and four scores. He enters this season as the No. 53 player in the Lone Star State.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 526 NATL. (No. 73 WR)
School: Southwest DeKalb (Ga.)
Committed Since: June 18
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About: Christie was originally committed to Georgia Tech, but re-opened his process in the spring and eventually landed with Liberty this summer. He’s the No. 59 player in Georgia ahead of his senior season. Playing both sides of the ball at the high school level, Christie headlines the Southwest DeKalb roster. Liberty has the top-ranked 2027 class in the C-USA.
TE: Drew Kessel — North Dakota State
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 1,219 NATL. (No. 64 TE)
School: Fargo South (N.D.)
Committed Since: June 5
About: The No. 4 player in North Dakota this cycle is set to stay in his home state next year. Kessel landed myriad Power Four offers and visited the likes of Michigan and Iowa State throughout his recruitment, but the 6-foot-6, 205-pounder is now the top in-state pledge for the Bison this cycle. NDSU has the No. 82 class nationally.
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 353 NATL. (No. 30 OT)
School: Curtis Senior (Wash.)
Committed Since: June 23
About: The second-highest-ranked G6 commit in the nation this cycle, Lavata’i stunned many with his commitment to Washington State last month. The Cougars beat out Washington and Utah for the four-star. “The relationships, since day one, they’ve been connected with me and checking in on me,” Lavata’i told Rivals’ Brandon Huffman. “They knew about the academics and had a plan.”
IOL: Bryce Vigness — North Dakota State
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 828 NATL. (No. 72 IOL)
School: Papillion-La Vista (Neb.)
Committed Since: April 28
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About: Another huge win for head coach Tim Polasek and the NDSU staff, Vigness made his commitment in April despite being pursued by the likes of Kansas State, Nebraska and Iowa State. Checking in at 6-foot-4 and 285 pounds, Vigness is the No. 8 prospect in the Cornhusker State this cycle and plays for a top-25 high school program in Papillion-La Vista.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 808 NATL. (No. 89 DL)
School: Sachse (Texas)
Committed Since: June 19
About: Sachse has churned out top talent over the years and Haley enters this season as the lone ranked senior recruit on the 2026 roster. The 6-foot-4, 300-pounder has 96 tackles to his name over the last two years. He’s the second-highest-ranked commit in the North Texas class, which ranks 86th nationally in the team recruiting rankings.
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 498 NATL. (No. 47 EDGE)
School: Grimsley (N.C.)
Committed Since: June 20
About: Rogers was initially committed to Virginia Tech under the previous regime in Blacksburg. He toyed with re-opening his recruitment and reclassification back in the fall and through the spring. After weighing his options once more this summer, ECU emerged as an option and he pledged to the AAC program. Rogers plays for one of the top high school programs in North Carolina as Grimsley enters this season as the No. 3 team in the state, per the Rivals Composite Rankings.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 651 NATL. (No. 54 LB)
School: Pacifica (Calif.)
Committed Since: May 18
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About: Phelps was a massive recruiting victory for SDSU head coach Sean Lewis and Co. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder was also being courted by Arizona State, USC and UCLA, among others. He’s a dominant two-way playmaker for Pacifica. Last season, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards and 11 touchdowns while racking up more than 200 total tackles. He’s got 500 tackles to his name across his first three years at the prep level. Phelps is currently the No. 49 player in the Golden State.
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 842 NATL. (No. 93 CB)
School: Grayson (Ga.)
Committed Since: June 10
About: The UConn staff went down to the Peach State last month to swipe a commitment from Glasco, the No. 100 prospect in Georgia this cycle. He took an official visit to Storrs and remains in the mix despite recently adding an offer from the Georgia Bulldogs. Playing for an elite high school program, Glasco is a versatile playmaker who’s near the top of a class that ranks 67th nationally, as of July 24.
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Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 689 NATL. (No. 66 S)
School: Miami Carol City (Fla.)
Committed Since: June 6
Scouting Summary: “Alan Blackshere showed why he is one of the hottest prospects in South Florida at Rivals Camp Miami. The rangy defender looked to be among the tallest defensive backs on hand and more than held his own in man coverage against shifty wide receiver prospects – something we don’t always see from safety prospects. Blackshere broke on a comeback route during 1-on-1’s for an interception and showed impressive downfield cover ability running stride-for-stride with a receiver on a vertical route.”
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 286 NATL. (No. 8 ATH)
School: North Clayton (Ga.)
Committed Since: June 25
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About: Murphy is set on playing quarterback in college and that’s led him to Georgia State. Back in the spring, Vanderbilt was the program in the lead. West Virginia has kicked the tires this summer. For now, though, he’s set to stay in the Peach State next year. A true dual-threat standout, Murphy threw and rushed for over 1,00 yards as a junior last fall. He’s the No. 29 player in Georgia and is also the top-ranked G6 commit in the 2027 cycle.
