In this edition of the Three-Point Stance, Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia has thoughts on the upcoming commitment wave, Ohio State‘s success recruiting in the South and a name to watch in the 2025 class.
The spring is often one where big offers and visits can lead to big commitments, and March showed up with plenty from the expected to cross-country surprises, like five-star Justus Terry flipping from in-state Georgia to USC. April could bring more of the same, not only because practice visits turn into spring game trips with the fans thrown into the mix – but also because of the biggest factor changing recruiting.
It’s the transfer portal, of course.
The spring window may not have as much volume as the December run we saw a few months back, but it could have similar star power. Star power means immediate help at premium positions, which takes precedence over high school recruiting.
Think of the top available quarterbacks in the 2025 class. Three are set to come off the board in the coming weeks. Others, like Antwann Hill and Ryan Montgomery don’t have set commitment dates, but have hinted at spring or early summer pledges at the latest. Should they follow through on those plans, then just five quarterbacks rated four stars or better will be uncommitted before any official visits take place.
The dominoes are already in motion and they are falling earlier than in past recruiting cycles. That trend could accelerate even more with each passing year.
The Buckeyes are battling Notre Dame and LSU for the top recruiting class in 2025 while holding hauls ranked in the top five in the class of 2026, too. The rising-senior group, in particular, is laden with elite recruits in the Southeast region from five-star cornerback Na’eem Offord to two of its most recent blue-chip commitments in pass rusher London Merritt and linebacker Tarvos Alford.
That run in SEC country won’t soon cease. Ryan Day’s program, which just brought in Alabama native and well-respected running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, has created buzz throughout the region with top recruits and it would be an upset if it didn’t lead to more pledges. While the defensive run has been head-turning, the program usually wins down South on offense.
In 2024, Day helped sign four from the region, two on offense and another pair on defense, of course led by No. 1 overall recruit Jeremiah Smith. The program had Jayvan Boggs on board at the wide receiver spot before he decommitted just last weekend. It wouldn’t surprise to see another Floridian pass-catcher take that spot in the 2025 class, and many have been in Columbus for a closer look.
If there is a way-too-early pick to make on our end, consider Jaime Ffrench. The former Alabama commitment out of Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin has been high on the Buckeyes, Florida State and Miami since going back on the market and he’s looking at a preseason decision.
Ffrench has been to Columbus twice in that stretch and values himself among the best at the position, also plenty willing to join the fold at a place that has become known for stacking elite wide receiver classes.
The path to college football is different for just about every prospect, but there are two elements working for Trent Sellers that can often accelerate the process: He’s a legacy recruit and he excelled in basketball before making the move to football. It doesn’t hurt that he’s a shade under 6-foot-6, 230 pounds with a verified wingspan better than 7-feet wide.
The 2023 season was Sellers’ first and it surely won’t be his last. Working at defensive end with short-area explosion and that immense length covering up some raw technical skill and pad level, Sellers was able to flash in the backfield on routine en route to 16 stops in the opposing backfield, including five sacks.
Sellers is rock solid on the hardwood, as a double-double threat as a junior this spring, but the 2023 season tape has circulated and offers started to roll in this week. Nebraska, UAB and Jacksonville State are in and heavy-hitters are making calls into South Alabama to learn more of former Alabama and NFL defender Mark Barron’s little brother.
Georgia, Sellers’ dream school, will host him on Thursday for a closer look. LSU gets him on campus April 13 and Nebraska will at some point this spring, among others.
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