If you\u2019re a fan of college football recruiting, buckle up. Things are about to get fun.<\/p>\n
Official visit season is here and will pick up in earnest next weekend, when programs across the country roll out all their flashiest bells and whistles.<\/p>\n
Photoshoots. Fancy dinners. Snacks-galore. Meetings with coaches. All are part of the official visit experience, which often leads to a wave of summer commitments as recruits look to make their college decisions before their final seasons of high school football. And of course, in this era of college football, schools are talking money with prospects now, too.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what\u2019s going on as we inch closer to June.<\/p>\n
Note: All rankings are from the 247Sports Composite.<\/p>\n
Watch out for the scare tactic<\/p>\n
Money has been a big part of the recruiting process ever since name, image and likeness entered the mix in 2021, but the financial piece has become even more prominent for prospects over the past year, after the House settlement ruled in June 2025 that schools can directly share revenue with athletes.<\/p>\n
Schools can\u2019t formally present high school prospects with revenue-sharing offers until November, the month before the early signing period. But financial conversations are happening much earlier than that.<\/p>\n
And in some cases, high school prospects are being spooked into committing earlier than they otherwise might have, according to one Power 4 personnel staffer.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been a common theme,\u201d the staffer said. \u201cThere\u2019s one school out there that\u2019s telling kids, \u2018Here\u2019s your number. If you don\u2019t commit within a week and you take an official visit elsewhere, that number that I presented to you is now half.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cI know one particular school that\u2019s been doing a lot of it, but I think it\u2019s becoming a pretty common practice across the P4 realm.\u201d<\/p>\n
The staffer said this type of fear-mongering also comes into play with transfer prospects, but acknowledged it makes some sense with portal players, given how quickly schools have to move during the transfer window.<\/p>\n
If and when one portal prospect turns a school down, the program has to have someone else waiting in the wings. Unlike the high school recruiting process, the portal window lasts about two weeks \u2014 not months (or in some cases, years).<\/p>\n
\u201cA guy will be on an official visit to School X, and the car service will be outside to pick him up to take him to the airport to fly him to his next visit, and they basically say, \u2018Hey, if you get in that car, this offer is no longer on the table.\u2019 Or \u2018It\u2019s shrunk. If you come to us tomorrow, it might be 25 percent less or something,\u2019\u201d the staffer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn portal life, that\u2019s accurate. In high school life, I think it\u2019s more just a scare tactic than anything. But it\u2019s becoming more common. It just is. It\u2019s unfortunate, but it\u2019s just becoming more common.\u201d<\/p>\n
Blue-chip QB carousel<\/p>\n
There are 26 blue-chip quarterback prospects in the 2027 recruiting cycle. Colton Nussmeier, whose older brother Garrett recently finished his career at LSU, is the only one who is not committed. So after Peter Bourque, the No. 82 overall prospect and the No. 7 quarterback, pledged to Virginia Tech last week, it feels as though most of the blue-chip QB dominoes have fallen.<\/p>\n
But there are still some situations to monitor, mainly with Southern California native Brady Edmunds, who has been committed to Ohio State since December 2024. While the Buckeyes have Edmunds in their class, they\u2019re still recruiting other quarterbacks in this cycle. Ohio State has demonstrated some level of interest in three-star prospect Dane Weber, who had a list of finalists that includes Cal, Cincinnati and UCLA.<\/p>\n
The Bruins have also displayed some interest in Edmunds, so that could be a potential landing spot if the Ohio State commitment falls through.<\/p>\n
Edmunds is the only blue-chip quarterback prospect in the state of California, usually one of the more QB-rich states in the country, this cycle. His situation will be worth keeping an eye on over the coming weeks.<\/p>\n
USC\u2019s follow-up<\/p>\n
After signing the No. 1 recruiting class, with 35 prospects, in the 2026 recruiting cycle, the assumption was that USC\u2019s 2027 class would be much smaller.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s played out true to form for the most part, but the Trojans are still doing really well with the 13 commitments they\u2019ve taken so far, with an average player rating of 93.43 that ranks fourth nationally.<\/p>\n
USC\u2019s overall class rank is No. 5, with four-star safety Gavin Williams, the No. 159 player nationally, being the latest blue-chip prospect to join the list of verbal pledges.<\/p>\n
General manager Chad Bowden is sticking to the plan that worked for the Trojans last cycle: Keep the best local prospect at home. Nine of USC\u2019s 13 commits are from California, and six of those nine are blue-chippers from Southern California.<\/p>\n
The Trojans hold commitments from six of the top 20 recruits in the state. That puts them in line with their 2026 class, when they signed seven of the top 20 in-state prospects.<\/p>\n
USC did suffer a setback earlier this week with the decommitment of four-star wideout Eli Woodard, a Southern California prospect. The Trojans still have two top-100 receivers in the class, Quentin Hale and Roye Oliver III, and they signed six receivers last cycle.<\/p>\n
Texas A&M on a tear<\/p>\n
Mike Elko led Texas A&M to the College Football Playoff in just his second year in charge, and the Aggies\u2019 head coach is recruiting like someone who intends to win it all in the near future.<\/p>\n
The Aggies\u2019 class, featuring 14 commits, is ranked No. 2 in the nation, and the average player rating of 95.85 is first. The class includes seven top-50 prospects and four five-stars: offensive tackle Mark Matthews, safety Kamarui Dorsey, offensive tackle Kennedy Brown and cornerback Raylaun Henry.<\/p>\n
Landing Matthews, the No. 5 overall player and the top offensive tackle in the country, was particularly significant for Elko, considering that Matthews is the top player in Florida and plays at St. Thomas Aquinas High in Fort Lauderdale, about 15 miles from Miami\u2019s stadium.<\/p>\n
Miami coach Mario Cristobal, a former offensive lineman, is known for his ability to recruit and develop the position. The Hurricanes signed the nation\u2019s No. 2 prospect and the top offensive tackle in the Class of 2026 in five-star Missouri native Jackson Cantwell.<\/p>\n
But Matthews chose Elko and his staff. And if his commitment ceremony\u2014 arguably the most entertaining of the year \u2014 is any indication, it\u2019s going to be difficult for other schools to change his mind.<\/p>\n
5 Star OL Mark Matthews commits to Texas A&M!<\/p>\n
Alot of energy during this commitment. pic.twitter.com\/vCxRDSuTbc<\/a><\/p>\n