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Craig HaubertApr 17, 2026, 07:00 AM ET<\/p>\n
Close<\/a> National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU Multiple Authors<\/p>\n The race for the top class for the 2027 football recruiting cycle is in full gear, with several programs setting a strong early pace.<\/p>\n The process is long with much still to be decided as more than 60% of the players in the SC Next 300<\/a> remain uncommitted. The summer months will be pivotal in shaping the rankings as a deluge of commitments is expected during that period.<\/p>\n At this stage, eight teams that finished with a top-10 class for the 2026 cycle<\/a> have picked up where they left off with classes again near the top nationally.<\/p>\n Here are the classes setting the early pace for the 2027 race.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 11 After a disappointing 2024, Brent Venables was able to steer the Sooners into the College Football Playoff in part thanks to the top defensive unit in the SEC. Working to build off last season’s success, they continue to add talent that can help keep that unit a strength, especially in the front seven.<\/p>\n Krew Jones<\/a> is one of the haul’s headliners as a quick edge rusher with a good first step and wiry strength. He consistently dominated camp settings, uses his hands well to separate and accentuates it all with a high motor. Though his father, Jason, made a name for himself in the NFL at tight end, Cooper Witten excels on the defensive side of the ball. A big high school safety, he projects at linebacker, where he can be a physical presence with big-play range with a 4.56 40 and 4.1 shuttle. Taven Epps<\/a> can be an aggressive downhill player but is also very effective and confident in coverage and can be a three-down presence.<\/p>\n The Sooners have taken advantage of some of the in-state talent at offensive line, landing the top two big men in Oklahoma. Kaeden Penny<\/a>, who comes out of one of the top programs in the state (Bixby), offers positional versatility at guard or tackle. At 6-foot-4, 290 pounds, he’s a physical, aggressive blocker with good pad level and movement skills. The top player in the state, Cooper Hackett brings the prototype frame and temperament. He’s an athletic, aggressive, physical tackle with elite length who bends well, shows good initial quickness and balance, and can climb to the second level. His pass-pro posture, hand placement and foot quickness give him left tackle upside as he adds bulk and power. On the perimeter, burner Demare Dezeurn<\/a> (10.3 in the 100 meters, 21.04 in the 200) provides a true field-stretching wideout and impact return man whose speed can stress defenses immediately as his route running continues to develop.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 10 Mike Elko is tapping into his defensive roots with the Aggies’ 2027 class. Looking to reload a unit that was among the best at getting to the quarterback in 2025, five-star edge Zyron Forstall, out of IMG Academy, is not a hulking physical presence, but he has an explosive first step and plays with excellent pad level and strength at the point of attack.<\/p>\n Kaden McCarty<\/a> is a defender with a bit of ‘tweener build, but he can add speed and range off the edge. The secondary is set to get a major infusion of talent with length and physicality. At 6-3 with 4.52 speed, Kamarui Dorsey<\/a> is a versatile safety who can support the run, play man coverage, anticipate in zone and create turnovers, all while serving as a vocal on-field leader. Corner Raylaun Henry<\/a> brings a great frame, smooth pedal and fluid hips with natural ball skills, while fellow DB JayQuan Snell<\/a> is a long-striding defender with range, hands and a tackler’s mindset.<\/p>\n Offensively, Kaeden Scott<\/a> (6-7, 285) and DeMarrion Johnson<\/a> (6-5, 295) are four-star additions on the line, and the Aggies have landed QB Jayce Johnson<\/a>, a tall, strong-armed passer with Cardale Jones-type stature who moves well and has responded well to demanding coaching. Athlete Hakim Frampton<\/a> is a flexible player who can help on offense, defense or special teams, though he projects to the secondary in College Station.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 6 Joey McGuire continues to prove he can elevate the Texas Tech program as he is building a 2027 class that fits its new identity: explosive on offense and big, versatile and aggressive in the front seven.<\/p>\n Editor’s Picks 1 Related<\/p>\n The coach tapped into his high school roots, pulling No. 1 overall prospect Jalen Brewster out of Cedar Hill, where McGuire was successful. The five-star is truly a “jumbo athlete” and can be a disruptive interior force. At around 6-3, 300-plus, he’s quick, explosive and agile, with the versatility to play DT, DE, even RB and Wildcat QB in high school. He carries his weight like a smaller player and wins one-on-ones with leverage, active hands and sudden get-off. He can wreak havoc against the run and pass game alike. K’Adrian Redmond<\/a> adds another 6-3, 305-pound interior presence, giving the Red Raiders real size inside. DE Anthony Sweeney<\/a> is another five-star pickup. He possesses elite length and good bend, displaying savvy for a young pass rusher. They also pulled Brody Pfannenstiel<\/a> out of Kansas, and though he might not get much recognition among this group, he is a quick, tough player who could develop into a nice addition to the defense.<\/p>\n Offensively, Kavian Bryant is the future at quarterback. The 6-2 dual threat fits the shift toward more athletic passers in Lubbock. He’s a dynamic playmaker who will extend plays, escape trouble and function as a designed runner, with his passing touch and accuracy continuing to trend up. On the perimeter, Benny Easter Jr<\/a>. (6-0, 200) gives the Red Raiders a strong, athletic target who can work outside or in the slot.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 6 The talent Ohio State has amassed — and lost — can be illustrated by the NFL draft, but the Buckeyes continue to work to add more impact prosects, including explosive perimeter players and long, athletic defenders, while also quietly stockpiling developmental tackles up front.<\/p>\n A key in-state add on offense is burner Jamier Brown, the next big name in the Buckeyes’ receiver pipeline. A dynamic wideout and return man, he owns elite track marks (10.3 in the 100, 20.7 in the 200) and shows outstanding quickness, acceleration, burst and change of direction to go with his top-end speed. At quarterback, as with Julian Sayin, they have mined the state of California again, this time with Brady Edmunds<\/a>, who brings a 6-6, 220-pound frame with classic pocket-passer traits, giving Ohio State another big, vertical-minded trigger man. They’re also investing heavily along the O-line with Kellen Wymer<\/a> and Mason Wilt<\/a> from in-state, and Brody McNeel<\/a> out of Virginia, all of whom have frames to add mass and can grow into multiyear contributors.<\/p>\n Defensively, five-star D.J. Jacobs fits the Buckeyes’ recent mold of long, explosive edge defenders such as former standout Chase Young<\/a>. At 6-5, Jacobs has a good first step, range and bend, plays with pad level and can be explosive as a finisher. Coaches rave about his motor, humility and desire to refine his craft, giving him impact potential. On the back end, Eli Johnson<\/a> and Angelo Smith<\/a> add different safety body types — Johnson as a long, 6-3 enforcer with range, and Smith, the younger brother of standout WR Jeremiah Smith<\/a>, as a smaller, quick DB. Quinton Cypher<\/a> (6-2, 220) projects as a physical inside linebacker who can anchor the middle of the defense.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 6 Striving to return to national prominence, USC is looking to stack more talent on top of its top-rated 2026 class. The previous class was anchored by talent in the trenches, but this group is led more by a perimeter-heavy haul.<\/p>\n Headlining the class is in-state safety Honor Fa’alave-Johnson, a 10.6 100-meter burner with good length and a wiry frame. He’s a versatile player who has been utilized on both sides of the ball and brings excellent range, good ball skills and a physical presence. Also in the secondary, the Trojans have doubled down on length and movement skills with SC Next 300 corners Aaryn Washington<\/a> (IMG Academy) and Danny Lang<\/a> (Mater Dei), both 6-foot cover men with fluidity and growth potential.<\/p>\n At receiver, Quentin Hale (6-3, 4.2 shuttle) is a tall, smooth, agile vertical threat who can quickly reach top speed and high-point the ball, and he has clear upside as a route runner. Fellow wideouts Eli Woodard<\/a> and Javon Vital<\/a> add more reliable targets and run-after-catch ability. Tight end Jace Cannon<\/a> (6-5) gives USC a long, flexible H-back type to grow into a versatile weapon.<\/p>\n Along the defensive line, Isaia Vandermade<\/a> (6-2, 280) is an active presence with leverage and motor. He does a good job of getting his hands up when he can’t get to the QB and should add quality, needed depth to the unit.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 6 Notre Dame’s 2027 class leans into the program’s identity: smart, physical defenders on the back end and true developmental size up front, with speed emerging at running back. The Irish continue to work their national footprint, pulling key players from the Carolinas, Texas, Florida and New England.<\/p>\n In the secondary, Xavier Hasan looks like an ideal fit. At 5-11, 195 pounds, he pairs great track speed with strength and a powerful initial jam. Coaches rave about how “the game slows down” for him — he’s rarely out of position, plays under control and is a technician with his craft. Fellow corner Ace Alston<\/a> and safety Khalil Terry<\/a> give the Irish two more instinctive, versatile DBs. Amarri Irvin<\/a> lacks ideal height and length, but he is a physical inside linebacker with a relentless motor and great pursuit speed.<\/p>\n Offensively, Notre Dame is adding both size and burst. James Halter<\/a> (6-6, 270) and guard Richie Flanigan<\/a> (6-3, 265) bring traditional Irish trench size with room to add strength. At running back, Isaiah Rogers and Lathan Whisenton<\/a> give the Irish a promising duo, with Rogers offering verified 10.5 100-meter speed and quickness that should translate as an explosive play threat in South Bend.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 5 Miami finally broke through again last season, appearing in the national championship game. Now comes the work for the Canes to maintain themselves as a key player in the title hunt and add to their rich championship history. The staff has locked down the local footprint, with the bulk of this group coming from the Miami-Fort Lauderdale corridor and some select national targets added.<\/p>\n All of ESPN. All in one place.<\/p>\n Watch your favorite events in the newly enhanced ESPN App. Learn more about what plan is right for you. Sign Up Now<\/a><\/p>\n Headlining the offense is local prospect Nick Lennear, the No. 5 receiver in the class. At 6 feet, 170 pounds, he’s a true yards-after-catch threat who accelerates quickly and reaches top speed in a hurry, turning short throws into explosive plays. Fellow South Florida wideout Ah’Mari Stevens<\/a> adds another quick, dynamic target, while Chicago-area QB Israel Abrams<\/a> gives Miami a dual threat reminiscent of SMU’s Kevin Jennings<\/a>: good height and frame, a strong, tight ball, above-average arm talent and the mobility to extend plays, all while showing natural competitiveness and coachability.<\/p>\n Up front, the Canes have loaded up with size in Sean Tatum<\/a>, Tyler Ford<\/a> and Zaquan Linton<\/a>, a physical tackle group headlined by Tatum, who bends well, climbs to the second level and has the tools of a near-elite prospect. Safety Jaylyn Jones gives Miami a local enforcer type on the back end of the defense.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 4 The Bulldogs pulled the No. 1-ranked RB out of Pennsylvania in Kemon Spell, who has the tools to be a big-play, every-down contributor in their ground attack. He has a compact, thick build with the vision, agility and power to be a productive inside runner and the speed to be a home-run hitter on the perimeter, having been recorded at 22 mph in game play. To help power the run game, the Dawgs have added several OLs, including SC Next 300 OT Kelsey Adams<\/a>.<\/p>\n They reached further west to land top-10 CBs Donte Wright and Jerry Outhouse Jr<\/a>. Wright has good length and can be physical in press and closes well in coverage. Outhouse can be a versatile player in the secondary with his blend of agility, physicality and a positive, competitive demeanor.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 4 The Ducks are anchoring their 2027 class with defensive talent, including several four-star front-seven players. Zane Rowe<\/a> has a big frame and could play end or inside, depending on how he develops. Rashad Streets is a little rawer than Rowe but possesses a high ceiling as he is a rangy edge defender with a good get-off and range.<\/p>\n They also are stacking talent in their secondary. CB Josiah Molden<\/a> is the No. 1-ranked prospect within the state and Ai’King Hall<\/a> is among the top CBs nationally. Hall is a fluid corner with good awareness, physicality and the ball skills to generate turnovers.<\/p>\n SC Next 300 commits: 1 The Huskies are hitting their home state and California hard while working to build a class that fits the Big Ten’s identity. At quarterback, they added a player who is not in the mold of current playmaker Demond Williams Jr<\/a>., but Blake Roskopf has the tools to be the future of the offense. At 6-5, 230 pounds, he’s a physically impressive passer and a sneaky good athlete: He’s mobile with some quickness, can escape trouble and has a strong arm — the ball jumps off his hand. In-state target Braylon Pope<\/a> (6-3, 190) and Arizona product Zerek Sidney<\/a> give Roskopf a pair of long receivers, while Jeremy Adeyanju<\/a> (6-0, 210) brings a sturdy, every-down frame to the backfield.<\/p>\n Defensively, Washington is loading up on size and range. Jon Ioane (6-3, 290) and Matamatagi Uiagalelei<\/a> (6-3, 245) add punch to the defensive front. Ioane is big, physical and has deceptive quickness and redirection to disrupt the interior. The Huskies are building a strong linebacker core around St. John Bosco twins Justin<\/a> (ILB) and Ethan Coach<\/a> (OLB), plus Isaiah Leilua<\/a> (Servite) and edge Titus Osterman<\/a> (6-4, 230).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Craig HaubertApr 17, 2026, 07:00 AM ET Close National recruiting analyst and analyst for ESPNU More than a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":589751,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-589750","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589750","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=589750"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/589750\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/589751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=589750"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=589750"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=589750"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n More than a decade of college and pro coaching experience.
\n Graduated from Indiana and Nebraska-Omaha<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756395437_46__end_rule.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/201.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: OT Cooper Hackett<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: LB Cooper Witten<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/245.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: WR Jaden Upshaw<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: DE Zyron Forstall<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2641.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: QB Kavian Bryant<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: DT Jalen Brewster<\/a><\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/r1643685_921x921_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
<\/a>![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/r1606917_2_1296x1296_1-1.jpg&w=130&h=130&scale=crop&location=center.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/194.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: WR Jamier Brown<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: DE D.J. Jacobs<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/30.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: WR Quentin Hale<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: S Honor Fa’alave-Johnson<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/87.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: RB Isaiah Rogers<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: CB Xavier Hasan<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2390.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: WR Nick Lennear<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: S Jaylyn Jones<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/r1531432_1296x729_16-9.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/61.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: RB Kemon Spell<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: CB Donte Wright<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2483.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
<\/p>\n
Top offensive prospect: RB CaDarius McMiller<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: DE Rashad Streets<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/264.png&h=60&w=60.png\")
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Top offensive prospect: QB Blake Roskopf<\/a>
Top defensive prospect: DT Jon Ioane<\/a><\/p>\n