By Mark Pszonak
High school recruiting has recently undergone quite a transformation. A few years ago, having only a couple of commitments in late June wouldn’t be a complete cause for panic, but nowadays that isn’t the case. With upwards of 30 FBS programs already grabbing at least 20 commitments, having less than 10 is an eye opener. Here are five programs that need a strong recruiting finish to save their class.
Nebraska (9 commitments)
The skinny: After making their first bowl since 2016 and signing a successful group of Class of 2025 recruits, it was assumed by most that the Huskers would continue their positive trend through the offseason. And while there is positive buzz regarding the upcoming season, that has not exactly translated to recruiting success. There is some star power in the group of nine commitments, most notably cornerback Danny Odem (Orlando, FL) and wide receiver Nalin Scott (Powder Springs, GA), who flipped from Arizona State on Friday. And that flip was a nice answer to the flip that the Huskers had to recently endure when top cornerback CJ Bronaugh (Winter Garden, FL) committed to Florida. This won’t be a huge class, but the Huskers need to hit a few more recruiting homeruns in the coming months in order to be happy on National Signing Day.
Auburn (7 commitments)
The skinny: With only seven commitments, four of which have come in the last 10 months, head coach Hugh Freeze needed to have a better recruiting start with his seat getting warmer. That wasn’t helped when two of the Tigers’ top commitments recently flipped. First it was linebacker Shadarius Toodle (Mobile, AL) to Georgia, and then the next day, wide receiver Devin Carter (Douglassville, GA) flipped to Florida State. If you’re looking for good news, the Tigers were able to add an intriguing quarterback on Thursday, flipping Peyton Falzone (Nazareth, PA) from Penn State.
Colorado (4 commitments)
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The skinny: It has been well publicized that head coach Deion Sanders was never going to make high school recruiting a priority. And he has stayed true to that. But having only four commitments in late June is troubling. Luckily for the Buffaloes, two of those four happened in the last week, with cornerback Preston Ashley (Brandon, MS) and cornerback Maurice Williams Jr. (New Orleans, LA) both committing. Colorado is involved with a good number of high-end talent, but they need to start winning more of these recruiting battles.
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Virginia Tech (6 commitments)
The skinny: Despite a disappointing 2025 season, the Hokies signed a quality group of recruits. That has not transferred over to the Class of 2026 to this point. Five of the six commitments have happened since June 13th, including a nice flip of offensive tackle Tyrell Simpson (Leland, NC) from Rutgers, but overall, the current group lacks fire power and star power. Considering head coach Brent Pry is firmly on the hotseat, this may be a disastrous class if the Hokies don’t pull a few surprises, both on the field and with recruiting, during the 2025 season.
Missouri (7 commitments)
The skinny: After going 21-5 over the last two seasons, the Tigers have signed consecutive top-level recruiting classes. Surprisingly, that has yet to continue this year. There are bright spots with the group of seven commitments, such as linebacker Keenan Harris (St. Louis, MO), quarterback Gavin Sidwar (Wyndmoor, PA) and offensive guard Khalief Canty Jr. (Detroit, MI), but the Tigers will need a strong finish if they hope to continue the overall recruiting success that they have begun to get accustomed to.
