With the transfer portal officially opening on December 5th, there has been madness in terms of recruiting on that front. However, there have been some notable high school commits since then, with some major commits to follow as well, so let’s dive into what you may have missed due to portal mania. All rankings referenced in the article are credited to 247sports.com.
Names in the News
Safety Jayden Davis, Collins Hill High School, Suwanee, Georgia, (#472 nationally, #45 S)
New head coach Scott Satterfield hits the ground running since getting hired this past week, earning his first commitment. Satterfield flipped the safety from Louisville, as Jayden Davis decommitted from the Cardinals just a few days ago. Though faced with many decommits since Fickell’s departure, the safety out of Georgia currently stands as the 4th highest recruit in this Cincinnati class, serving as a solid start for Satterfield.
Davis had limited time on the field his senior season due to an injury but will be in contention to contribute early on as a Bearcat. He played both sides of the ball but will be primarily used as a safety going forward.
let’s turn up the city‼️ #GoBearcats @CoachSattUC @CoachB_BROWN @CoachDNic @GoBearcatsFB pic.twitter.com/Fo7efVx75k
— Jay Davis (@Jayden1Davis) December 11, 2022
CB Smith Snowden, Skyridge High School, Lehi, Utah, (#565 nationally, #55 CB)
Smith Snowden is set to commit on December 12th, meaning by the time you are reading this his school may already be decided. The Utah native has a top 8 consisting of Oregon State, Northwestern, Stanford, Washington State, Utah State, BYU, and Colorado, but he is essentially down to Utah.
BYU was seen as a favorite early on, as Snowden is a legacy, but lost some of its momentum to the Utes. The Utes were one of three schools to host the cornerback on an official visit (Colorado and Northwestern), solidifying their lead. With that being said, I’d be shocked if Snowden does not end up a Utah Ute.
More Sports News
PLAY OF THE GAME!!!!@skyridgefb trailing 30-10 in the 4th quarter when Smith Snowden takes the kick-off 97 yards for the TD! @skyridgefalcons
scores 21 unanswered to beat Lone Peak 31-30Amazing game to broadcast with guys @AlemaHarrington & @TheHumanDetour pic.twitter.com/SHDOh4hDjP
— Dave Fox (@Davefox2) October 1, 2022
OT Samson Okunlola, Thayer Academy, Brocton, Massachusetts, (#20 nationally, #3 OT)
The 5-star prospect from the Northeast recently narrowed his recruitment down to 9 schools: Penn State, Oregon, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan State, Miami, Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Samson Okunlola is obviously immensely talented on the field but has done a great job in terms of fan engagement, as he nicknamed himself “Pancake Honcho“, which has been a popular nickname with many fanbases.
As for Pancake Honcho’s recruitment, he has taken four official visits consisting of Michigan State, Florida, Miami, and Alabama. The Hurricanes have been sitting comfortably in the lead for the past few months but should take note of the Gators’ late push. Pancake announces his decision on December 15th, which is fresh off of his final official visit to the Swamp. He also recently took an unofficial visit to Gainesville, so I like Florida’s chances, as it would be odd for someone to take an official visit two weeks after visiting, just to not choose that school not even a week after that official.
With that being said, I expect Pancake to be a Gator, but the Hurricanes holding off Florida’s late push is just as likely.
DAY 104
Eating pancakes every day until @SAMSONOKUNLOLA_ commits to MSU ?
4 MORE DAYS pic.twitter.com/iwciHjT2AK
— MilkManMSU (@MilkManMSU) December 11, 2022
CB Javien Toviano, Martin High School, Arlington, Texas, (#56 nationally, #6 CB)
The talented cornerback will also commit on the 15th, with a top 5 of Texas, LSU, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Michigan. The second-highest-ranked uncommitted corner (Desmond Ricks) has only taken official visits to LSU and Michigan, giving a good idea of where we stand. Texas has also pushed hard for the in-state product but has failed to get the 4-star on campus since January.
The Tigers received a few predictions for Javien Toviano roughly a month ago and it seems as if it’s still LSU’s to lose. I expect the Tigers to earn the pledge on Thursday.
My Commitment ceremony is on Thursday, Dec 15th @ 12 pm EST @ Fort James Mac Facility at Arlington Martin. Everyone Welcome. If you cannot attend I will be going Instagram Live! #AGTG pic.twitter.com/YgiyshV2Is
— Javien Toviano (@j_toviano8) December 11, 2022
DL Rueben Bain, Miami Central High School, Miami, Florida, (#73 nationally, #10 DL)
Rueben Bain is a highly coveted recruit out of Florida and although he has explored options elsewhere (Alabama, Auburn, Louisville), the race for the defensive lineman is essentially down to two: Florida State and Miami. The two in-state programs both have December official visits, with Bain fresh off an FSU visit and is slated to visit Miami next weekend (December 17th).
With an announcement coming December 16th, I would find it shocking if Bain were to not choose the school he is slated to visit the next day. However, it seems as if FSU did the best it could this past weekend which may result in a more challenging decision. I believe Miami was nearly a lock for Bain heading into his weekend in Tallahassee, meaning the Seminoles’ late push may not be enough.
26 sacks this year. 3 away To break my record.
— Rueben “Hurricane” Bain Jr. (@ruebenbainjr) November 30, 2022
