Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman has thoughts on the upcoming NFL Combine, where 2025 standouts will commit and some transfers he’s excited to watch this spring.
FORMER EAST STANDOUTS AT THE NFL COMBINE
The best NFL prospects in college football will head to Indianapolis on Monday for the NFL Combine and 63 of those invited hail from the East region. Take a look at how some of the headliners ranked as high school prospects.
Before Corum went on to set the Michigan record for rushing touchdowns, total touchdowns and points scored, the running back was a standout at Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances Academy.
His recruitment was relatively free of drama and the Wolverines landed his commitment well before National Signing Day. Corum’s ranking could have been slightly higher but where he finished certainly wasn’t a miss and he was still ranked higher on Rivals than anywhere else in the industry.
Harrison, the son of the Hall of Fame receiver by the same name, ended up ranked in the top-100 of the Rivals250 but obviously should have been ranked higher by the end of the rankings cycle.
The COVID-19 pandemic hindered some of those scouting opportunities but we still had a number of chances to get a close look at the future Biletnikoff Award winner and two-time All-American. Ohio State was the favorite in Harrison’s recruitment almost from day one but when his former high school teammate Kyle McCord committed to the Buckeyes it seemed like only a matter of time before Harrison did the same.
The Rivals250 quarterback out of Southern New Jersey began his career at NC State. Leary had a really solid career there, bouncing back nicely from a broken leg during his second season. In total, he threw for 6,807 yards and 62 touchdowns while playing for the Wolfpack.
Leary transferred to Kentucky prior to the 2023 season and had an up and down year for the Wildcats. He ended the season with 2,440 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.
Maye’s recruitment process was marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. He still finished ranked fairly highly in the Rivals250 but could have been higher had he participated in his senior season. A former Alabama commit, Maye flipped to the North Carolina Tar Heels where his family has a long tradition of success on the football field and basketball court. He went on to have an outstanding career for the Tar Heels.
During his time under center in Chapel Hill he threw for 7,812 yards along with 60 touchdown passes. Heading into his final season at North Carolina Maye was a Heisman favorite and is expected to be one of the first players selected in the upcoming NFL Draft.
Williams may have been a polarizing player throughout his college career but as a high school prospect he was a no-brainer five-star and we had him ranked higher than the industry for a long stretch of the rankings cycle. At the end of the 2021 cycle Quinn Ewers supplanted Williams as the No. 1 ranked quarterback in the class when he announced his reclassification.
Ranking adjustments aside, Williams certainly lived up to the hype during his college career and the Heisman Trophy winner should be one of the first players taken in the NFL Draft.
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2. FIVE FUTURECASTS IN THE EAST
FutureCast: Penn State
Cyrus, the reigning 100m state champion, appears to be getting closer to the end of his recruitment. Penn State has long been the program with the edge for Cyrus and, now that they’ve already taken one commitment from a receiver, it seems like Cyrus’s commitment timeline is speeding up. The Nittany Lions have been the favorite and it looks like they will get his commitment when the time comes.
FutureCast: Ohio State
He’s not ready to end his recruitment just yet but it seems like Delane continues to trend towards Ohio State. Oregon, Virginia Tech and Maryland are the biggest threats to the Buckeyes right now but it just seems like a matter of time at this point. Each team will get visits before he announces a commitment but Ohio State seems like they’re going to end up with Delane at some point before the end of the summer.
FutureCast: Penn State
It feels like Penn State has been trending for Exinor since the Nittany Lions offered. At this point it would be surprising if he ended up anywhere else. Exinor has an official visit scheduled to Penn State for June 14 but he’ll also take official visits to Syracuse, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
FutureCast: Kentucky
Kentucky, Michigan, Rutgers, Syracuse and Wisconsin have been in the mix for Miller for months. Just a few weeks ago these teams made Miller’s top five but it seems like his recruitment is coming down to Kentucky and Wisconsin. The Badgers and Wildcats are set to host Miller for spring practices later in March but unless Wisconsin makes a big move for Miller he will likely end up committing to Kentucky.
FutureCast: Clemson
A commitment may not be right around the corner for Young but it seems like the Tigers are going to be really difficult to beat. Florida State and Alabama hosted Young at the end of January and both visits seem to have gone fairly well. Expect both teams to host him again during the Spring and he’ll try to get back to see Clemson, North Carolina, NC State, Penn State and possibly Tennessee. Unless something changes, Clemson should end up with his commitment.
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3. FIVE INTRIGUING TRANSFERS TO WATCH THIS SPRING
Spring practices are about to get underway across the country and playoff contenders in every conference picked up important transfers during the first transfer portal window. Here are five intriguing transfers I’m watching as teams hit the field for spring practice.
The Longhorns may have lost their five leading receivers from this past season but they’re getting plenty of help in the transfer portal this year. Former Alabama standout Isaiah Bond is headed to Austin and should be an immediate difference maker for Texas and quarterback Quinn Ewers. Bond had plenty of highlights this past season for the Crimson Tide and Steve Sarkisian is hoping that he can bring some of that magic to his team in 2024.
Jones had a decent start to his career at Georgia but the Bulldogs weren’t able to get him on the field in a consistent fashion. He ended up transferring to Florida State, where his dad was a star for the Seminoles, during the first transfer window. This works out perfectly for Mike Norvell’s squad as they lost elite defensive end Jared Verse to the NFL Draft and now have an outstanding replacement ready to go.
McCord drew the ire of Ohio State fans this past season and, while he wasn’t the elite quarterback they were hoping he would be, he’s still an excellent quarterback prospect and should do wonders for Syracuse this coming season. New head coach Fran Brown has fans more excited about the Orange than at any point in recent memory. Having McCord under center should be a huge lift for Syracuse this coming season.
Holy cow should Oregon’s offense be explosive this coming season. Stewart brings an elite outside presence to the Ducks’s offense and incoming quarterback Dillon Gabriel should be really excited about his new No. 1 target. Stewart is the type of player who could score anytime he touches the ball and the Ducks know how to make use of elite skill talent like him.
Is Ward the quarterback that will finally get Miami into the College Football Playoff conversation? He certainly has the talent to do so and the Hurricanes have plenty of playmakers on the roster. Ward showed the ability to create last season at Washington State, he has a big-time arm, and can be prolific when he is clicking with his playmakers. If he’s able to gel with his new teammates in Coral Gables, Miami could be set up to make noise in the ACC this coming season.
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Adam Friedman, National Recruiting Analyst
