As the 2023 recruiting cycle comes to an end, there are still a handful of teams that are in contention for some of the most coveted names of this class. Players like Cormani McClain, Nyckoles Harbor, etc. are all still unsigned and available. Several teams are making their final pitches and looking to close out on some of these potential program-changing players. Without further adieu, here are five teams that need a strong finish in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
1. Miami
The Hurricanes currently sit at number four in the 247 Composite rankings. In what was considered one of the biggest recruiting wins of the 2023 cycle, they landed the number two overall player in the country in CB Cormani McClain. However, McClain has yet to sign his NLI with the Canes, and there has been a lot of speculation on whether he will stick to his commitment or leave for greener pastures. Miami needs to pull out all the stops to keep McClain on board.
2. Colorado
Deion Sanders was one of the biggest hires made over the offseason in all of college football. Colorado’s recruiting has taken off since he was announced as the head coach. They now have a chance to pull off what would potentially be the biggest flip of the entire cycle if they can manage to pull Cormani McClain away from Miami. A player like that alongside Travis Hunter could really speed up the rebuilding process for the Buffs. Will Coach Prime flip another highly touted prospect in the eleventh hour?
3. Maryland
Maryland has a chance to make a big splash late in the cycle. They are in the running for five-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor, and some believe that they are in the driver’s seat there. Obviously, for a program like Maryland, Harbor could potentially be a program-changing player. If he does commit to the Terps on February first, he would be one of only seven five-stars to ever commit to Maryland.
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Maryland also sits in a good spot with four-star linebacker Andrew Harris. They only have one other linebacker committed to them in the 2023 class, so this is a guy that they need pretty severely. If the Terps can somehow land both Harbor and Harris, it would skyrocket them into the top 20 in the recruiting rankings.
4. South Carolina
Even though they had a rough start, the Gamecocks really came alive late in the season. After beating two top-ten teams in consecutive weeks, South Carolina has garnered a lot of momentum to go into the offseason. South Carolina is also in the running for Nyckoles Harbor, a guy that could potentially fill the void that Jaheim Bell left after he transferred to Florida State. They currently hold a crystal ball for Harbor, but that recruitment is anybody’s game right now. We’ll see if they can finish strong on the recruiting trail and continue to improve in year three under Shane Beamer.
5. Georgia
It’s no secret that Kirby Smart and Georgia have been killing it lately, both on the field, and on the recruiting trail. Fresh off their second national championship in a row, the Dawgs have a chance to put an exclamation mark on their already elite class.
They are currently the heavy favorites to land five-star tight end Duce Robinson out of Pinnacle high school. Robinson would be yet another massive addition to what is arguably the best tight-end room in college football.
There have also been some rumors swirling around about a potential flip involving Auburn commit Jeremiah Cobb. Cobb has been committed to Auburn since July, however, he has yet to sign his NLI to the Tigers. Can Kirby Smart and co. pull off this coup? Only time will tell, but don’t be shocked if it happens.
