2023 Recruits - Midseason Check-in
By: Jeffrey Robinson
Recruiting is the lifeblood of any college program. While it’s not unheard of for freshmen to make an impact in college football, it’s still extremely impressive for them to have success early in the season. Each year High School football recruits are ranked via numerous sites. Let’s take a moment to dive into a group of true freshmen who are either living up to the hype, exceeding expectations, or are true hidden gems.
Living up to the Hype:
Dante Moore – UCLA – QB (Composite 5*)
A one-time Oregon commit who reopened his recruitment once Dillingham accepted the head coaching job at ASU. Having an entrenched starter probably hurt Oregon’s chances of signing Moore as well. UCLA and Chip Kelly had a strong enough pitch to convince Moore to flip. While enrolling early, he was able to build a case to be the starter this fall and after the first six weeks. I don’t think there’s any doubt that Moore is the guy going forward. He has poise beyond his years and all the traits you can ask for in a college quarterback. Displays confidence stepping up in the pocket, reads through his progressions well, and makes accurate passes. Moore’s passed for over 1100 yards and 9 touchdowns so far this year. UCLA has a strong foundation to build on as they move to the Big Ten next year.
Zachariah Branch – USC – WR (Composite 5*)
Branch was the crown jewel of USC’s 2023 recruiting class. An elite athlete at the inside receiver position, he is a great outlet for Caleb Williams. Branch has 13 receptions on the year and 2 touchdowns. He’s also a special teams ace, already logging a punt return and kickoff return touchdowns. His elite speed, acceleration, and vision will make him a household name in college football for the next few years.
Caleb Downs – Alabama – S (Composite 5*)
Downs comes from a perennial power in Mill Creek High School in Georgia. He is a physically impressive athlete with good size and speed. He’s very active in run support and a solid tackler. He has fluid hips which allow him to react and recover quickly when he’s back deep at safety. He takes great angles when pursuing the ball carrier. Being able to gain the trust of Nick Saban and be thrust into the starting lineup is a great feat within itself. Downs has capitalized on the opportunity, tallying 47 tackles, 2 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
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Exceeding Expectations:
Darius Taylor – Minnesota – RB (On3 4*, Rivals 4*, 247 3*)
Taylor committed to Minnesota in the spring of his junior year before rushing for over 2,400 yards and 37 touchdowns as a senior. He decided to stick with the Gophers even after bigger names came calling. After recording just one single carry in their opener, he has since rushed 86 times for 529 yards. Displays solid size and speed. He runs with good contact balance, consistently breaking arm tackles while leaning forward for extra yards. He’s a patient runner who allows his blocks to develop, finds the hole, and accelerates through it. Taylor already has multiple 30+ carry games, not many backs in the country regardless of class can carry a load like that.
Jalon Kilgore – South Carolina – S (On3 4*, Rivals 3*, 247 4*)
Kilgore was a highly-rated recruit and an early enrollee at South Carolina. Kilgore has very good size at 6’1'' and 200 lbs. He took advantage of his opportunity with 12 tackles in their opener against UNC. Kilgore has been a consistent tackler notching 15 tackles against Tennessee. He’s also shown great coverage instincts while intercepting a Joe Milton pass in man coverage. While in a trail position, he stayed composed and turned his head as the ball arrived and completed the play. Kilgore looks to be a multiple-year starter and soon-to-be NFL draft pick.
Eric Singelton Jr. – Georgia Tech – WR (On3 3*, Rivals 2*, 247 3*)
Singleton flipped from Western Kentucky to Georgia Tech on early national signing day and arrived in Atlanta over the summer. He was an underrated prospect who has now found the endzone in 5 of his 6 games played. Displays solid size for an inside receiver with very good quickness and acceleration. He has elite body control. He makes it look easy when adjusting his body while airborne and catching the ball at its highest point. Singleton’s play has earned him the starting Z receiver role. His role will continue to increase as the season progresses and this is proving to be a great identification by the Georgia tech staff.
Hidden Gems:
Jaylen Raynor – Arkansas State – QB (On3 3*, Rivals 2*, 247 unranked)
Raynor was an extremely modest recruit in terms of ranking. After only being on campus for about four months he’s already started three games. He’s thrown for an impressive 10 touchdowns. His coming out party came against UMass where he completed 20 of 25 passes for 383 yards and 6 touchdowns. Raynor has also showcased his legs by running for almost 100 yards and 2 touchdowns against Southern Miss. A major factor for coaches when deciding who their starting quarterback will be is ball security. His most impressive statistic may be that he’s only thrown one interception so far this year. I’m very excited to watch his trajectory as the season goes on.
Dillon Thieneman – Purdue – S (On3 3*, Rivals 3*, 247 3*)
Thieneman is a homegrown Indiana kid who only had three Power 5 scholarship offers out of high school. Possesses good size and very good speed for a safety. He’s come in and taken hold of the deep free safety position, almost center fielder-like, in Ryan Walter’s defense. He flies from sideline to sideline and is always around the ball. He has already accumulated 53 tackles on the year along with three interceptions. Thieneman has already outplayed his ranking in my opinion, and he will be a headache for Big Ten offensive coordinators for years to come.
Jai’den Thomas – UNLV – RB – (Unranked)
Thomas is the definition of a hidden gem in recruiting. Jai'den committed and signed with UNLV on late National Signing Day. His only other reported offer was Morehouse, a local school to the Georgia native. Southern group of five schools must be kicking themselves for missing on him. He displays great vision paired with good quickness and speed by making quick cuts inside the hole. Thomas is a smaller back at 5’9” and 180 lbs. His size does not prevent him from effectively finding yards between the tackles. Thomas is currently maintaining a 5.4 yards per carry average and has scored 7 times in just 5 games. His role should continue to expand. I tip my cap to the UNLV staff for pulling the trigger on this kid without validation from other schools.
