by Mike Lilly
March saw some impactful visit weekends across the country that turned into a good number of early cycle commitments. Let’s take a look at some of the top pledges in March on the recruiting trail:
Akylin Dear (Ole Miss)
Quitman, MS (Quitman)
#32 NAT, #2 RB, #2 MS
There’s no superlative that can describe this win for coach Lane Kiffin and his staff, and how important it is for the 2025 cycle. Many would argue that Dear is the top running back in the class and the Rebels secured a top player in their home state over the likes of Alabama and Mississippi State.
Justus Terry (USC)
Manchester, GA (Manchester)
#8 NAT, #2 DL, #2 GA
There’s plenty to like about what the Trojans are doing early in this cycle, especially on the defensive line and Terry is a big piece of that. The 6’5″, 275-pound linemen committed during a big recruiting weekend for coach Lincoln Riley and USC.
While a solid early commit, I don’t think Georgia coach Kirby Smart will let go of Terry easily (who was a flip from the Bulldogs). This is a recruitment that will have USC sweating until early signing day, although I think Terry will stick with the Trojans.
https://twitter.com/FightOnRusty/status/1772731928438841472
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Tarvos Alford (Ohio State)
Vero Beach, FL (Vero Beach)
#63 NAT, #8 LB, #8 FL
Similar to the 2024 cycle, coach Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are competing with Miami for a number of players, and the commitment of Alford is an early prize won by Ohio State. You have to dig pretty deep to find a time Ohio State landed a top linebacker that wasn’t from the state of Ohio, so this one’s pretty significant.
I think this is another example of teams needing to worry about coach Mario Cristobal and the Canes closing late in the cycle. Alford seems to have a close relationship with recently promoted linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, but nobody is safe from a late-cycle flip until pen meets paper when Miami is involved.
This is a piece @TarvosAlford_II named, “The Journey” and man it was nothing short of that. The destination was always appreciated but I’m grateful to collab, befriend, and work with one who enjoys the moments along the way.
Here’s to more memories to be made.#GoBucks 🌰 pic.twitter.com/DjQ2iTGS54
— Michael Fabian (@Mike_Fabian13) April 1, 2024
Isaiah Gibson (USC)
Warner Robins, GA (Warner Robins)
#76 NAT, #8 EDGE, #12 GA
Another product of the aforementioned big recruiting weekend, Gibson’s commitment is another sign that USC has the right pieces on staff to ramp up defensive recruiting. Winning two top defensive linemen over Georgia in their home state isn’t an easy feat, making this commitment one the Trojans need to keep an eye on.
2025 4 ⭐️ DE Isaiah Gibson @isaiahgibson99 – Warner Robins HS #BallSoHardFam @RecruitGeorgia @deucerecruiting @robinsfootball1 pic.twitter.com/XAMjyxXFlO
— BallSoHardFam (@BallSoHardFam1) October 13, 2023
