5 key recruiting battles to watch for Class of 2023

With Signing Day in the rearview mirror for the Class of 2022, the attention now turns to the junior class. It’s a class that features three Five-Star Plus+ prospects. It also includes a handful of potential program-changing quarterbacks. Plus, the 2023 class has arguably the top talent the state of Alabama has ever produced with seven players ranked in the top 50 in the country. It’s still early in the process, but there are already some emerging recruiting battles that will capture the nation’s attention. On3 looks at five of those recruiting battles and where things stand.

QB Arch Manning

On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 1
On3 NIL Valuation: $1.6 million
On3 RPM: Georgia 34.6%, Alabama 26.7%, Texas 18.9%, Ole Miss 11.11%

There is no player that has captured the recruiting world’s attention in the past decade like Five-Star Plus+ quarterback Arch Manning out of New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman.

Manning is the scion of one of America’s top sporting families, and he’s the focus of the biggest recruiting battle there is.

He visited Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Texas and Ole Miss during the fall and there was an early rumor that he might even commit at the end of the season. Then came the coaching carousel, which, like for many prospects, forced some re-evaluation in Manning’s camp.

That has opened the door for other schools, like Florida and even LSU, to try and enter the race. Yet, Manning is taking his time throughout his process and won’t make a decision unless he is 100% committed.

CB Cormani McClain

On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 3
On3 NIL Valuation: $36K
On3 RPM: Florida 49.8%, Miami 25.3%, Florida State 8.8%, Georgia 8.8%

Outside of Manning, no other recruitment has captured the attention of the college football world more than Cormani McClain of Lake Gibson, Fla. He’s the No. 1 player in Florida and a prized recruit for the Big Three schools in the Sunshine State.

Landing McClain would send a powerful message to prospects in the region and throughout the country, which is why Florida coach Billy Napier and Miami’s Mario Cristobal are going all-in on landing him. Florida State is, too, and it’s setting up for an unforgettable battle.

Out-of-state schools — like Alabama, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and USC — will work hard to stay involved, too.

DL David Hicks

On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 4
On3 NIL Valuation: $18.1K
On3 RPM: Oklahoma 79.6%, Texas A&M 14.2%

David Hicks of Allen, Texas, talks a lot about how relationships and family will be important to him in his decision-making process, which is why Oklahoma and Texas A&M have gotten out to the early lead in this recruiting battle.

He was on campus at both schools in late January, and the Sooners have done an outstanding job building a bond with him. They lead early in the On3 RPM, but you can never count out A&M with an in-state target.

Spring visits look like they will be key, and those will allow him to explore some out-of-state schools like Oregon and USC. But this recruiting battle seems to be another one between the Sooners and Aggies.

QB Nico Iamaleava

On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 11
On3 NIL Valuation: $52K
On3 RPM: Tennessee 15.1%, Georgia 15.1%, Alabama 15.1%, UCLA 15.1%, Miami 5.3% Oregon 5.3%

Five-star Nico Iamaleava of Downey (Calif.) Warren is the top uncommitted quarterback not named Arch Manning. His recruitment is also set for one of the top recruiting battles in the country largely because he’s cast a wide net in his recruitment.

Iamaleava is interested in SEC schools, especially Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. But he’s also looking hard at Miami and Oregon, two schools he’s recently visited. Also don’t discount the push from hometown UCLA, which is looking for its quarterback of the future under Chip Kelly.

Most quarterbacks come off the board early in the process, so the spring is going to be key to see what happens in this recruiting battle.

EDGE Nyckoles Harbor

On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 12
On3 NIL Valuation: $24K
On3 RPM: Penn State 25.4%, Maryland 25.4%, Michigan 8.9%, Oklahoma 8.9%, South Carolina 8.9%, North Carolina 8.1%

Nyckoles Harbor of Washington D.C. Archbishop Carroll is probably best described as the “unicorn” of the 2023 class because there’s nobody else like him in the country.

He’s a freak athlete that at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds has been timed as fast as 20.79 seconds in the 200-meter dash. It’s that speed, along with his football ability, that will make both track and football a big part of this top recruiting battle.

That’s especially true since it’s his “dream to run in the Olympics someday.”

With some other top recruiting battles, we can see some of the top teams already developing, but Harbor insists he’s wide open between his double-digit offers.

His sister, Giovanna Harbor, is a Penn State alum. So, the Nittany Lions are definitely expected to be a factor.

But others like Michigan, Oklahoma, Rutgers, South Carolina, Texas A&M and LSU are others expected to be under consideration for official visits.