It's awfully early, but the 2023 recruiting class is shaping up to be something special. Today, the Oklahoma Sooners secured the commitment of Brandon Inniss, who comes from the Florida recruiting pipeline that Lincoln Riley has been trying to establish. Lauderdale has offers from the who's who of college football and chose the Sooners over schools such as Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and many more. We are not breaking any news here but Notre Dame defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman is darn good at his job, whether it's on Saturdays or on the recruiting trail.
He already helped the Irish land Mentor defensive end Brenan Vernon — and that's before he coached a down with the Golden Domers. By the time 2023 is at the forefront of recruiting, Freeman will have one season under his belt in South Bend and an upcoming matchup against the Buckeyes. If Freeman does what many expect him to do, then he should put together a very good first season in South Bend as most see him as the next big coaching star in college football. However, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Freeman takes a head coaching job elsewhere by the time this 2023 group arrives on campus. In the meantime, Freeman is not afraid to fight Ohio State tooth and nail for any Ohio or defensive recruit he wants. As Tom Lemming worked his way through game tapes last summer, the longtime college football recruiting analyst had a hard time believing that the defensive end playing at a five-star level in them was a freshman.
The class is now rated 0.8814, which determines Rutgers' national recruiting rank per 247Sports. Wednesday marks the first day that college football coaches can initiate direct contact with prospects in the 2023 recruiting class. With that in mind, here is a look at the Crimson Tide's top 2023 in-state targets. Inniss, the nation's No. 1 WR in the 2023 class, is an elite athlete with incredible route-running abilities going into just his junior year of high school.
He stands at a frame of 6'0" and 190lbs, and aggressively catches the ball in order to run downhill. He's also a physical player who routinely beats double teams with the capabilities of becoming another gamebreaker— somebody that can simply take over games. Oklahoma has had its fair share of finesse receivers who make business decisions on the field (and I have zero issue with that!), but the opposite can be said for Inniss.
The five-star recruit is probably ready for Power 5 football right now, but Lincoln Riley will have to wait two more years. Rutgers football recruiting is in full swing as the team will host as many as 80 recruits Saturday at SHI Stadium when the Ohio State Buckeyes come to town. Ohio State football recruiting can be a wild ride full of twists and turns as recruits from all over the country maneuver their way to signing day. Lettermen Row is here to help navigate the tumultuous roads by getting to the heart of the matter with the young football players and Ohio State coaches and staff members themselves.
Harris, a rising junior prospect who has become a priority for the Buckeyes quickly. Only one player so far has committed for the 2023 class and that's Miami, Florida, wide receiver Nathaniel Joseph, ranked the No. 173 overall prospect and 23rd-best at his position by the 247Sports Composite. Talking Stuff is the podcast for all things related to Ohio State football recruiting. From the latest news to interviews with prospects, Lettermen Row's Jeremy Birmingham has you covered on the world of college football recruiting. The Minnesota Golden Gophers may have taken the loss in their season opener Thursday night, but P.J.
Fleck and co. are likely celebrating a win today with a verbal pledge from four-star wide receiver Anthony Brown. The Ohio prospect is the first 2023 recruit to commit to the Gophers. All three prospects should be worth keeping an eye on for Penn State fans. Penn State also got back on the board in the Class of 2023 with the commitment of four-star offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier.
The Broad Run (Va.) standout is the No. 1 interior offensive lineman and the No. 42 overall prospect in the Class of 2023 in the 247Sports composite rankings. Four-star tight end Mathias "Mega" Barnwell was originally Penn State's first 2023 commit before he decommitted in January. Still more than a year from National Signing Day 2023, Kirby Smart and the UGA football staff have already received pledges from players that should make up the 2023 recruiting class. Here is a landing page for 2023 football players that have made their verbal commitment to Georgia. #68.) 4-star OG Harris Sewell - The #2 ranked inside offensive lineman in the 2023 class was on campus the very first day of June. He seemed blown away by what he saw and I expect he'll be someone Auburn fans should be tracking next cycle.
As such, I'll be keeping as close an eye on that class as I do the 2022 one. This is actually a pretty crucial ranking as they don't tend to make dramatic changes to their rankings over the cycle so where kids are ranked there now is likely the area they will be come signing day. That release impacts the 247 Composite which is the ranking system I use due to it including the rankings of all 3 of the major sites. Parker, the No. 100 recruit, doesn't have an offer from Alabama, but will be at the game. He is a four-star prospect in the class of 2023 and the No. 19 defensive lineman.
Here are others holding a Clemson offer from the Class of 2023 who are ranked among the top-50 prospects regardless of position by the 247Sports Composite. One other top-50 Clemson offer is Florida wide receiver Brandon Inniss, ranked ninth overall and first at his position who has committed to Oklahoma. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Collins received an offer from Alabama. The Crimson Tide finally pulled the trigger and extended an offer to Collins in April. The 6-f00t-5, 247 pounder is a strong defensive lineman who can 0ver power offensive linemen. Harris is not originally from Alabama, but the Crimson Tide could benefit from him living in the state.
He is an all-around athlete, who could be a defensive back or slot wide receiver at the next level. Alabama football is currently one of his top choices along with Clemson and Ohio State. Barnwell has been on the staff's radar for a long time, with his offer coming during October of his freshman season of high school football.
He's visited Penn State more than any other school, including being in town last weekend for the Whiteout. While it's unclear whether Payne will play wide receiver or cornerback at the next level, his performance on the offensive side of the ball Friday suggested the latter. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Murphy checks in as the No. 2 player in Virginia, the No. 7 linebacker nationally and the No. 67 overall prospect in the Class of 2022 in the 247Sports composite rankings. Rivals ranks Murphy as a five-star recruit, the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 26 overall prospect in the class.
Inniss is Oklahoma's sixth commitment for the 2023 recruiting class cycle. According to 247Sports Composite Rankings, he is the No. 1 receiver in the country, the No. 3 overall player from the state of Florida, and the No. 9 player overall in 2023. Although this seems like a broken record, it remains clear, the Oklahoma Sooners are loading themselves up with future NFL talent, not just D1 athletes.
Per his twitter account, Shoemaker three-star wide receiver Omari Evans will make his college announcement on Saturday, Oct. 2, the day Rutgers hosts Ohio State. Ohio State rarely offers players from Alabama, but Harris helped make it easier. He's been insistent that living in the heart of SEC country doesn't guarantee that's where he will play college football.
By the time Lockwood gets to campus, his overall measurements are likely to increase for the betterment of his collegiate start, and that only leads to him getting adjusted to the next level quicker. For what he's going to be asked to do from both the pass and run game standpoints, size is huge piece to the puzzle. He's still a work in progress, but with his current frame, you can see why the Buckeyes were set on Lockwood from the get go in the 2023 recruiting class. When Ty Lockwood began his recruiting process, he searched for a brotherhood and a place that was a true family atmosphere. After visiting Columbus twice this summer, he found that feeling he was so desperately craving. Lockwood had made up his mind and wanted to put his commitment to bed early.
He committed to the Buckeyes on Thursday, a day before his first game of his junior season. The defensive lineman is the No. 49 recruit in the class of 2023 and No. 5 player in Alabama. Booker committed to Alabama in June, when the Crimson Tide and coach Nick Saban landed six commits.
The No. 5 offensive tackle in the country and No. 42 prospect overall recruit is originally from New Haven, Connecticut but plays for IMG, a Florida prep school. Daeh went back to playing football in middle school, while his dad coached the Kansas City Chiefs. He was quickly considered one of the top 100 recruits in his class, his list of offers filling up rapidly. It didn't take long for Daeh to make up his mind about where to play in college, either.
His recruitment has been in full swing for several years as his first offer came when he was in the 8th grade. He has visited Alabama several times since receiving an offer from the Tide. Alabama is listed in his loaded top ten along with Clemson, Ohio State, LSU and others. The five-star defensive back is one of the most versatile defensive backs in this class, and he could play safety at the next level. There's some debate on whether he will play tight end or offensive tackle at the next level. His 6'5 frame already holds 270 pounds so it's not unrealistic to think he could grow into an offensive lineman throughout the remainder of his high school career.
Once his mind was made up that he wanted to play college football elsewhere, Cameron Skaff wasted no time in choosing a new school. Ewers was the first to commit – after de-committing from his childhood dream school, Texas, which was likely the middle-school dream of every Pee Wee football player across the Lone Star State, including Klubnik. They grew in burnt orange, saying "Hook 'em, Horns," hearing about legendary running backs Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams . He's listed as a wide receiver on 247Sports, but he made an impact running the football this week.
The Irish are No. 2 in the 2022 team recruiting rankings, behind only Ohio State, with its most recent and 16th commitment coming Saturday from Lawrenceburg (Ind.) offensive lineman Ashton Craig. The Ohio State football team has lost some players in recent weeks, both on the team and in recruiting battles. It's good to see the Buckeyes get a win today though as four-star tight end Ty Lockwood announced his commitment to the Ohio State program. Okay, this one is a bit more interesting than saying Luke Montgomery will be a Buckeye. Nonetheless, after seeing AJ Harris in June and talking to the whole family, it's hard to not like where Ohio State stands with him. Yes, he lives in Alabama and is right on the Georgia border but Harris does not seem like a surefire SEC automatic recruit.
With that in mind, this recruitment likely comes down to Notre Dame, Clemson, and Ohio State. All three have the culture, academics, and staying power at the top of the college football landscape. However, only one of them has Kerry Coombs, who could be the trump card in this recruitment. If the Buckeyes are able to add him to the class early it gives them another big talker with major pull in the southeast.
With the calendar turning to September, Wednesday marked the first day that college football coaches are allowed to contact prospects from the class of 2023. COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Ohio State football team has found the first member of its 2023 recruiting class in Tennessee tight end Ty Lockwood of Independence High School. Which brings us to the 2023 class and Ohio State's lone commitment. Tennessee product Ty Lockwood had a very solid experience with Ohio State over the summer which gave plenty of confidence to make his commitment this past August.
In this regard though, Lockwood is exactly who the Buckeyes wanted to have as a tight end in this cycle because of the tools that he brings to the field. Simply put, while finding another player of Ruckert's that caliber is difficult, the staff raves about what they have in Lockwood for many of the same reasons why Ruckert has been an integral piece to the current offense's success. Ohio State added a preferred walk-on commitment from linebacker Elias Myers of Big Walnut on Friday afternoon. The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder was originally a prospect in the the 2019 recruiting class and previously attended Pittsburgh before deciding on transferring closer to home. This list only encapsulates known Auburn targets ranked in the top 247 on 247 Composite.
It's still early in the cycle and many new names will emerge while names on this list will likely fall away but I wanted to give a big picture of the work being done early by this staff in 2023. While the visitor lists weren't always that flashy in June for 2022, Auburn did a really good job getting elite 2023 prospects on campus and beginning to build those relationships. #67.) 4-star OT Bo Hughley - Hughley raved about his visit to the Plains earlier this summer and a return trip this fall is very likely. Obviously given the fact he's a blue chip offensive tackle from Georgia, he's one of the Tigers early top targets in next year's class. The early signing period has pushed the recruiting cycle earlier meaning Harsin was behind for the 2022 class when he was hired.
Lack of in person visits and evaluations due to COVID restrictions hampered his ability to make an early impact even further. Add in the fact that the transfer portal now exists and a staff can easily find 5-6 impact players from there each cycle, it's easy to see why Auburn fans should keep their expectations tempered for 2022. The 2023 in-state quarterback has seen his recruitment balloon this fall, picking up offers from Vanderbilt, Arizona, Penn State and Florida. The Ole Miss game is Vizzina's second visit to Alabama this fall after he was in town for the Mercer game.
Woods is in the running to be the top overall defensive end in the 2023 recruiting class. The Crimson Tide are expected to make the 6-4, 260 pounder a priority. Forest Park High School senior defensive lineman Gilbert Tongrongou announced on Twitter Sunday his commitment to Boston College for football. Freedom High School senior wide receiver Umari Hatcher announced Friday his commitment to Syracuse University. Now the Woodbridge High School senior offensive lineman is up to 11. During that visit, Lockwood and his parents toured the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and spent time with head coach Ryan Day, offensive coordinator/tight end coach Kevin Wilson and running backs coach/area recruiter Tony Alford.
That visit went so well that they then returned to Columbus for the program's Buckeye Bash and BBQ in late July. The 6-5, 220-pound McCullough, who attends Bloomington South High School, is the 50th overall prospect in the 247sports.com's composite rankings. Nelson is the highest-ranked 2023 recruit to commit to a school so far early in the cycle.
He is also the second top-flight 2023 prospect to commit to Oklahoma this weekend, as top 50 Florida running back Treyaun Webb pledged to the Sooners on Saturday. Oklahoma wrapped up the weekend by securing the foundation of its 2023 recruiting class, as elite quarterback prospect Malachi Nelson committed to the Sooners on Sunday. But it sure seems like college football in 2022 and more so in 2023 will focus on Klubnik at Clemson, Simpson at Alabama and Ewers at Ohio State. The same teams with new names and new levels of excitement – and rivalry. Chandler coach Rick Garretson is not surprised that Grayes stood out among the best high school football players in the country.
He's proven to be the best in the state at his position the last two years. Allen Trieu wrote in his 247Sports analysis that he was impressed by both Grayes and Phoenix Pinnacle 2023 receiver Duce Robinson, a beast at 6-foot-6, 225 pounds. Robinson is The Republic's No. 2-rated wide receiver for the 2021 high school season. Chandler senior wide receiver Kyion Grayes II make a huge splash against some of the nation's top defensive backs with his performance at The Opening. Reynoldsburg senior quarterback Dijon Jennings, a three-star recruit with eight FBS offers, was 81-for-124 passing for 918 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions and rushed for 267 yards and five scores through five games.
Harvest Prep senior running back Jaylen Jennings, a Bowling Green commit, missed his team's 25-7 win over Ready on Sept. 24 with an injury but had 508 yards rushing and seven touchdowns through his first three games. Parachek also held offers from Kentucky, Pittsburgh, Kansas, Purdue, Arizona State and a host of other Group of Five schools. The 6-foot-6 high school junior checks in as the No. 324-ranked recruit nationally and the No. 7 rated Michigan prospect, per the 247Sports Composite. Three-star tight end Brennan Parachek out of Dexter High School pledged his commitment to Mel Tucker and the Spartans on Twitter, becoming the first recruit to verbally commit to the 2023 class. The announcement comes after he visited East Lansing earlier this summer. With his commitment behind him, Vernon is reportedly focused on staying healthy through his upcoming junior season at Mentor.
