The college football season is in full swing, and recruiting is heating up with some prominent players set to announce their decision and many other uncommitted prospects taking official visits.
Here’s what I’m hearing from around the recruiting landscape:
North Carolina’s NIL rules could be changing
Faizon Brandon, a five-star quarterback in the Class of 2026, made national headlines last month when his family sued the North Carolina State Board of Education over the state’s name, image and likeness rules.
Those rules could soon be changing.
“Good chance it’s coming,” said Darryl Brown, Brandon’s coach at Greensboro’s Grimsley High School, in a text message this week. “We are hopeful.”
Under the current rules, athletes at public schools — as members of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association — are not allowed to profit off their name, image and likeness. Private school athletes who are not part of the NCHSAA can sign NIL deals.
Last week, the North Carolina State Board of Education — which oversees the NCHSAA — took initial steps toward changing the rule. If passed, it will go into effect July 1, 2025.
“I think by keeping public school athletes from benefiting off their name, image and likeness, really what the state’s doing is driving those kids to private schools and even to other states,” Brown said in an interview last month.
“We definitely don’t want to lose our kids or any athletes, but really, what the state’s doing is, you’re gonna lose athletes — which in turn is not only going to hurt public school athletics but then it’s also going to hurt public school education as a whole. When you start taking certain students out of the schools and now maybe you lose support in other areas and backing from booster clubs and different stuff, eventually the trickle-down effect is going to hurt the entire public school education system.”
According to data from Opendorse, North Carolina is the only state that permits NIL benefits for private school athletes but not for those from public schools.
Brandon’s mother, Rolanda, filed the suit in August after she said her son was approached in April “by a prominent national trading card company” about an agreement that would pay him “a substantial sum of money” and offer him and his family “financial security for years to come.”
The Board of Education’s rules prohibit Brandon, who committed to Tennessee in August, from striking a deal.
Brown said the NCHSAA has had a plan to implement NIL for over a year but that in 2023 North Carolina’s Board of Education essentially took over high school athletics.
“And so our governing body, the high school athletic association, no longer has control and they kind of answer to the state,” Brown said. “(Brandon’s) family, as much as anything, just were trying to make a statement for not only Faizon but for other kids in the state of North Carolina.”
Andy Capone, the coach at Weddington High School just outside of Charlotte, has coached several power-conference players over the years, including former five-star Clemson running back Will Shipley. The current rules, he said, put public schools at a disadvantage.
“We obviously have a lot of talented kids and you kind of worry about, ‘Can you keep them?’ Because as much as they might love the school, love the program, love playing for your team, you get money sent out there and it’s hard to say no to that type of money right now. I don’t think kids necessarily want to leave their schools or home schools or the community they grew up in. But you’re also asking a 17-year-old to make a huge decision.”
Capone is hopeful a new rule would also curb athletes from reclassifying and transferring to private schools to make more money before enrolling in college.
“I’m glad they did,” Capone said of the Brandon family filing its suit.
“There shouldn’t be a disparity,” Brown said.
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng releases top six
Four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng, the younger brother of former Notre Dame star Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, is down to six schools as he eyes a late-November decision.
Owusu-Boateng has already taken official visits to USC, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Michigan. He has since locked in an Oct. 19 trip to Texas and is considering an official visit to Florida as well.
“So far I’m just playing everything out slowly,” he said. “I’m thinking November, late November. If not, the early signing day.”
Owusu-Boateng, who plays at IMG (Fla.) Academy and is ranked No. 75 nationally, said he is looking for three things in particular in a school.
The first is his network and social circles off the field.
“Knowing that one day I would like to get into politics and business, as well, (it’s) just making sure I have the right people surrounding me so that my path there can be smooth,” he said.
Academics will be critical, too.
“My brother went to Notre Dame, he graduated with his bachelor’s there,” he said. “My older brother, he graduated from William & Mary with his degree, as well. I want to go to a school that has a name, so when you say it, it’s like, ‘OK, you graduated from Notre Dame, you graduated from Michigan, you graduated from Florida.’”
Lastly, Owusu-Boateng wants to be developed.
“Just knowing that holistically, I’m going to get better mentally, socially, spiritually,” he said. “As I know, on the field, that’ll be up to me and my coaches to push me to where I want to be.”
Owusu-Boateng is familiar with Notre Dame and likes that head coach Marcus Freeman and linebackers coach Max Bullough played the linebacker position. Owusu-Koramoah played under Brian Kelly’s previous staff and was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Texas and Florida are also interesting to watch because they, potentially, will be getting Owusu-Boateng’s final visits. The Virginia native raved about the Texas program and the experience his former teammates have had there. He would re-evaluate the Gators depending on what happens with coach Billy Napier’s assistants should Napier lose his job.
“Honestly, (it’s) just knowing that they’re going through ups and downs right now but just understanding that it’s gonna be a process,” he said. “I’ve had a relationship with them for two years. If the coaching change does happen, that possibly can change the way that I see Florida.”
Owusu-Boateng said a commitment date would be “coming soon.”
“Thinking back to my freshman year to now,” he said, “I’m just grateful for every opportunity and every blessing.”
Elijah Griffin down to three but not close to a decision
Five-star defensive lineman Elijah Griffin is the highest-ranked uncommitted prospect in the 2025 class, but don’t expect the Georgia native to announce his plans any time soon.
“He is going to pick the team and sign with the team all in the same day,” said Baker Woodward, Griffin’s coach at Savannah Christian Preparatory School. “That will be the early signing period in December. He’s gonna get it all done right there on that day.”
Griffin announced in July that he is down to Georgia, Miami and USC. He took official visits to Miami and USC in June and is expected to take an official visit to Georgia for the Mississippi State game on Oct. 12 — his birthday.
Georgia was the first school to offer Griffin — when he was in the eighth grade — and is hoping he will be another splash in an already elite class that currently ranks No. 5 in the nation. Griffin is the No. 4 overall player in the class and the top defensive lineman.
“I think it would mean the world to Kirby Smart and his staff,” Woodward said. “If he ends up going there, (defensive line coach) Tray Scott’s gonna be so excited. This is one of the biggest recruits in the nation and right now he goes down as one of the best players I’ve ever coached. The kid’s unbelievable.”
GO DEEPER
Thomas Hammock and Northern Illinois believed — and that was enough to shock Notre Dame
Northern Illinois shocked the college football world with its Week 2 win at Notre Dame.
Turns out coach Thomas Hammock might have seen it coming. Moments after NIU’s season-opening win over Western Illinois, Hammock delivered a passionate speech to his team in the postgame locker room.
“He was like, ‘You know who we play this week. … We don’t need luck. It’s all on us,’” said Class of 2026 offensive tackle recruit Cayden Dudley, who was on hand for an unofficial visit. “So obviously that gets everybody a little amped up. It gave me chills.”
Dudley, who visited Iowa in Week 2, raved about Hammock and the Huskies staff, who became national sensations overnight.
Hammock has used the win over Notre Dame to publicly recruit — leaning into the Huskies’ moment in the spotlight.
We still looking for a few pieces to finish this class.
OL
DL
Corner
Specialists (snapper, punter, kicker)
Send your film pic.twitter.com/l0VO3Vordp
— Thomas Hammock (@NIUCoachHammock) September 9, 2024
Let’s continue to build. Send that film pic.twitter.com/pJyGJIgJju
— Thomas Hammock (@NIUCoachHammock) September 9, 2024
The Huskies class ranks No. 108 in the 247Sports Composite, and they haven’t picked up a commitment since the Notre Dame win. But this week against Buffalo will provide the program another opportunity to impress recruits.
And as Dudley confirmed, prospects are paying attention.
“Their defense holding a team like (Notre Dame), it’s no pushover,” he said. (Getting an offer), it’d mean everything.”
Notes
• Be on the lookout for a couple of big-time commitments this week. Four-star wide receiver Jerome Myles, out of Draper, Utah, is announcing his decision Wednesday. The nation’s No. 36 prospect will choose among Texas A&M, Utah and USC. Four-star safety Ladarian Clardy is committing Saturday. He previously shared he would be choosing among UCF, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt, Washington and Florida State. But Sunday, LSU, his “dream school,” offered. Also Saturday, four-star running back Byron Louis is picking among Miami, FSU, Georgia and Wisconsin.
• Four-star Missouri quarterback commit Matt Zollers received some difficult news after suffering a harrowing injury Friday night. Chad Brubaker, Zollers’ coach at Spring-Ford Area High School in Pennsylvania, confirmed this week that his quarterback broke his left ankle and is out for the season. Zollers is the second national top-10 quarterback to suffer a season-ending injury. Georgia commit Ryan Montgomery, an Ohio native, tore his ACL in his season opener.
• After Wednesday, when Myles makes his decision public, only eight of the top 100 prospects in the 247Sports Composite will be uncommitted. All but one of the top 50 quarterbacks — three-star Jamar Malone of Daphne (Ala.) High School — are committed.
(Photo of Ashbrook High School vs. East Gaston High School: Joe L. Hughes II / USA Today)
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Publish date : 2024-09-17 22:00:00
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