5 programs off to surprising starts with 2023 recruiting class

There are still 296 days to the start of the Early Signing Period. But there’s already a handful of programs that have jumped out to surprising starts in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank. On3 examines five teams that have impressed with their surprising early 2023 recruiting classes.

Texas Tech

On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank: No. 11
Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Isaiah Crawford
The Skinny: Joey McGuire immediately went to work on 2023 prospects after he got hired. It’s paid off.

The Red Raiders have 13 early commits for the 2023 class, including Crawford, four-star WR Tyrone West, four-star CB Calvin Simpson-Hunt and coveted quarterback Jake Strong. The Red Raiders climbed quite a bit in the rankings over the past 10 days, thanks to the addition of four-star safety Brenden Jordan, four-star athlete Jmaury Davis and athlete Marcus Ramon-Edwards.

The start is definitely surprising for some.

But savvy recruiting followers know that McGuire is one of the most dedicated recruiters in the country. Plus, he surrounded himself with an elite group of recruiters. Furthermore, there’s a real sense of early momentum and excitement about what the future holds for the rest of the 2023 recruiting class. By the time Signing Day rolls around, the Red Raiders won’t be in the surprise category.

Iowa

On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank: No. 17
Top-ranked commit: Four-star ATH Alex Mota
The Skinny: The Hawkeyes turned some heads in the 2022 class with another top-30 class that featured blue-chippers like Xavier Nwankpa and T.J. Hall. Now the Hawkeyes have gotten off to a surprising fast start in the 2023 class thanks to five early commitments.

Marco Lainez III is one of the top quarterbacks on the East Coast. Three stars Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and Ben Kueter were good in-state gets to star the class off. And then Mota, a four-star in-state athlete, jumped on board last week, which was another huge early local commitment.

The Hawkeyes have a lot of momentum, which is a good thing because the biggest prize is still there for Iowa — five-star in-state offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor.

Cincinnati

On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank: No. 20
Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Trevor Carter
The Skinny: Luke Fickell rode the momentum from the success on the field in 2021 to success on the recruiting trail with the 2023 class. The Bearcats have gotten off to a surprise start with a class that features Carter, who is an in-state prospect that could have gone anywhere in the B1G or to many top national programs.

Offensive linemen A.J. Salley and Evan Tengesdahl are both local three-star prospects that committed early to the Bearcats and are big part of the surprising start for Cincinnati.

The surprising start should continue, as Fickell has UC involved with many of the Midwest’s best. There also starting to reach out and connect with some top national prospects in places like Florida, Georgia and Texas.

Nebraska

On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank: No. 21
Top-ranked commit: Three-star OT Gunnar Gottula
The Skinny: Scott Frost revamped his staff after the season, and after a somewhat lackluster 2022 recruiting class, the Huskers have gotten off to a surprising start in the 2023 class.

Yes, three of the Huskers’ four commitments are from local players. Nebraska always tends to do well with prospects from their own backyard. However, Gottula and Creighton Prep offensive lineman Sam Sledge had plenty of early offers and were recruited outside of the state. Plus, the Huskers went down to Florida to land three-star cornerback Dwight Bootle II out of Miami.

There seems like there is new energy with Nebraska’s recruiting efforts. The surprising early start is further evidence of that.

Louisville

On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank: No. 13
Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Pierce Clarkson
The Skinny: Scott Satterfield got a major early 2023 commitment in late January from Clarkson, one of the top quarterbacks in the country.

It shouldn’t be surprising that Louisville landed one of the best quarterbacks of the country. But it was a little surprising that Clarkson committed so early in the recruiting process.

What makes it such a big commitment is that Clarkson is from California, and he’s going to help the Cards recruit in the Golden State.

Louisville also has pledges from three quality recruits from Georgia, including three-star safety Jayden Davis.