2024 Top-100 recruit Dylan Stephenson trims his list to 10 schools

Miami Christopher Columbus four-star EDGE Dylan Stephenson is ready to make his first cut. The No. 91 prospect in the 2024 On3 Consensus has around two dozen offers and he is ready to narrow his list down to 10 schools.

Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Penn State and Tennessee are Stephenson’s top schools.

“Those 10 schools have shown a lot of interest in me and I have great relationships with all the coaching staffs,” Stephenson told On3. “That makes each of those schools stand out to me. Each of those schools has great coaches, they each like me a lot and all 10 have something special to offer.”

The time each staff puts into Stephenson means a lot to him. The connection he establishes with the coaches will weigh heavily into his decisions moving forward.

“The way I look at it, I am going to be leaving my home and my parents after living with them for 17 years and the coaches I go play will be may new family for the next 3-4 years. That is very important to me. I want to be with people that I trust, people that care for me and people that make me feel like family.”

Player development, the defensive scheme and the opportunity to play are other things Stephenson will look at as he continues to evaluate his options.

Stephenson is set to visit Michigan State on Jan. 14. Out of the 10 schools on his list, he has already visited Florida State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami and Michigan.

He is eyeing an early decision.

“There is a chance that I narrow my list down to around three schools, take official visits to those schools in the summer, then make a decision before my senior year,” Stephenson said. “That is something I am thinking about. I want to take it slow, make sure I make the right decision, but I could commit early.”

Stephenson breaks down his top 10

AUBURN: “The is a new coaching staff at Auburn, so I want to see want they do with the culture. It is a great school, they recruit south Florida a lot and it is a school I want to learn more about with the new coaches there.”

FLORIDA STATE: “Florida State was first to offer, so that is big. I have been in contact with the coaches for a long time and I have visited four times. The coaches are great and I feel if I went there, they would really help me grow as a player.”

GEORGIA: “There is not much to say about Georgia. They are national champions. They might win another one soon. Georgia has great players and great coaches. They are full of dogs up there.”

LOUISVILLE: “I have visited Louisville twice already and I like it up there. Louisville has shown me I can play early and I like what I know about the new coaching staff so far. They have a plan and seem to know what they are doing.”

MIAMI: “I grew up in the south Florida area, so they’ve always been a team to watch and root for. My older brother Darren Stephenson walked on there in 2019, so that is something that makes my Miami stand out. It is close to home and they want to win.”

MICHIGAN: “I have visited Michigan before and the coaches made me feel at home up there. I like the atmosphere, the way their defense plays and it is school I want to visit again.”

MICHIGAN STATE: “Michigan State might be the school I have talked to the most recently. They really show me a lot of love and that they care. I want to get up there and see what it is like. Their defensive scheme for me looks nice too.”

NEBRASKA: “I am excited to see what the new coaching staff brings to the table. A couple of the new coaches at Nebraska have already reached out to me, so they are showing love right away. It is a school and staff I want to see more and learn more about.”

PENN STATE: “When I watched Penn State play this season, I see freshmen playing on offense and defense. That shows me there is an opportunity for me to make an early impact if I went to Penn State. I like how they play guys early and I like their defense too.”

TENNESSEE: “I like how Tennessee uses their EDGE guys. They use them to rush the quarterback, but also to drop back into coverage. It shows versatility. I like that and how they played this season.”