4-star CB Shamari Earls names top 10 schools

Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale four-star cornerback Shamari Earls has trimmed his list of top schools down to 10.

On Friday evening, Earls told On3’s Hayes Fawcett that Alabama, Georgia, Virginia, Texas A&M, Duke, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Maryland and Michigan State are the programs at the top of his recruitment.

NEWS: Four-Star CB Shamari Earls is down to 🔟 Schools, he tells me for @on3recruits

The 6’2 195 CB from Chester, VA is ranked as a Top 65 Recruit (No. 8 CB) in the ‘25 Class, per On3

Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/T3TRd3NKH4 pic.twitter.com/51wn3SEtzN

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 15, 2024

Earls is the No. 127 overall prospect and No. 13 corner in the 2025 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 4 player in Virginia.

On3 ranks Earls higher than other recruiting services. He checks in at No. 62 overall and is the No. 8 CB and No. 3 player in Va. in the updated 2025 On300.

Earls has spring and official visits on deck

Earlier this week, Earls told On3’s Chad Simmons that he has lined up a host of spring and official visits. Trips to Texas A&M (March 30), Tennessee (April 1), Alabama (April 3) and Georgia (April 6) are set to occur in the coming weeks, while official visits to  South Carolina (May 31-June 2), Virginia (June 7-9) and Duke (June 15-17) are also in the cards.

Entering the spring, South Carolina is the team trending for Earls’ pledge, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). He returned to Columbia earlier this year as Shane Beamer and Co. look to land the blue-chipper. SC recruiting insider Wes Mitchell logged a pick in favor of the Gamecocks earlier this month.

“The feedback we heard from a somewhat recent unofficial to Columbia was incredibly positive. An early RPM for the Gamecocks here may be a bit premature but he’s definitely a prospect South Carolina fans should be paying more attention to in terms of potentially being in the class,” Mitchell wrote.

Official visits also suggest that Virginia and Duke are also firmly in the mix for Earls’ pledge. The ACC programs are both close to home and Earls would be a headlining addition for either staff in Charlottesville or Durham.

Earls’ unofficial visit stretch will begin at the end of the month with a trip down to College Station to see former Duke head coach Mike Elko and the new-look Aggies. A&M could become the SEC program to challenge South Carolina for the defensive back, while upcoming visits to Tennessee, Bama and UGA could also make an impact on Earls’ recruitment.