The closer we get to the summer, the faster commitments are rolling in. Some national powers on the recruiting trail have yet to really make their move with top targets but other programs have begun to reel in some important additions for their 2025 recruiting class.
Here are five programs in the East that are off to a surprisingly strong start to the 2025 recruiting cycle.
DUKE
Manny Diaz and his new staff at Duke are picking up right where Mike Elko’s crew left off. The Blue Devils currently hold seven commitments with an average star rating of three. For some perspective, Duke has finished with an average star rating that high only twice since the 2018 recruiting class.
Five different states are represented in this recruiting class and the newest commit, in-state quarterback Dan Mahan, is set to see his rating rise after an impressive performance at the Rivals Camp Series in Charlotte on Sunday.
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SYRACUSE
The Fran Brown effect isn’t slowing down at Syracuse. The Orange hold 12 commitments in the 2025 class and sit at No. 10 in the team rankings. While nobody really believes Syracuse will finish at No. 10 in the final team rankings, it’s the average stars per commit rating of more than three that sticks out. How rare is it for Syracuse to have such a high average? Well, it’s never happened before. Ever.
Syracuse is recruiting at an all-time high for the program and it’s all thanks to Brown and the staff he’s assembled.
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VIRGINIA
Tony Elliott and his staff at Virginia are getting better results on the recruiting trail now than at any point since he arrived in Charlottesville. With six commitments already locked in for the 2025 class, Virginia is well on its way to a solid haul this year.
The 3.33 average star rating per commit is the best the Cavs have had in years. If they can continue to recruit at this rate, they could finish in the top 50 of the team recruiting rankings for the first time since the 2021 class.
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VIRGINIA TECH
A Virginia Tech recruiting class that ranks inside the top 35 isn’t all that surprising. That’s an expectation for the Hokies even though they haven’t finished in the top 35 of the team recruiting rankings since the 2019 class.
That being said, Brent Pry and his staff deserve recognition for their efforts in the 2025 cycle thus far. Of their five total commitments, four of them are from in-state prospects and two of them are from the the all-important Tidewater region of the state.
If they continue to recruit at this rate, their 3.2 average stars per commit would be their second-highest since the 2019 recruiting class. The Hokies are also in great position with top targets such as Rivals250 quarterback Malik Washington and four-star receiver Jeff Exinor.
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WAKE FOREST
With 14 commitments already, the Demon Deacons have the second-most commitments of any team in the top 100 of the team recruiting rankings. Dave Clawson and his staff have a top-15 recruiting class at the moment thanks to the addition of five commitments this month, including quarterback Cutter Woods from South Carolina.
Wake Forest has a good mix of talent on both sides of the ball with this group of commitments and there will surely be more additions as summer official visits get closer. The Demon Deacons likely won’t be able to maintain such a lofty team ranking but they’ve built a solid foundation thus far.
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Adam Friedman, National Recruiting Analyst
