Border Battles: 5 key 2023 recruiting clashes in ACC territory

Even though we are still early in the recruitment process for the Class of 2023, some early storylines and key border battles have already emerged. For example, we’re already seeing some schools, like USC and Notre Dame, climb the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings with early commitments in the junior class. We’re also seeing some important border skirmishes emerging, and On3 examines the five key border battles from within ACC territory.

Earlier, On3 reviewed some key battles in the Big 12, the Pac 12, the B1G and the SEC. Since there’s so much overlap in the SEC and the ACC, we’re going to primarily focus on players in the Carolinas for this ACC border battle feature.

WR Noah Rogers

Rolesville (N.C.) High
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus: No. 53
On3 NIL Valuation: $19.7K
Teams battling: NC State, North Carolina, Clemson, Tennessee, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Penn State and Ohio State 
The Skinny: Hometown team NC State has hosted Noah Rogers on campus a number of times. Plus, he has several close ties with the program. For example, NC State’s 2023 quarterback commit is Lex Thomas, and the two are close friends.

All of that makes the Wolfpack the team to beat at this point in this ACC recruiting battle. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine lists NC State as the clear-cut leader at 69.1%.

But the competition will be stiff. His brother is a walk-on at UNC. National programs like Penn State, Clemson, Ohio State and others are going to pursue throughout the spring.

OT Monroe Freeling

Mount Pleasant (S.C.) Oceanside Collegiate Academy
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus: No. 71
On3 NIL Valuation: $9.7K
Teams battling: Notre Dame, Clemson, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Miami, Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford and USC
The Skinny: Four-star offensive tackle Monroe Freeling says he is taking a laid-back approach in his recruiting process.

Freeling says he doesn’t have any leaders and isn’t going to produce a list of top teams. As he told On3’s Joseph Hastings, it’s all about evaluating his options and taking it day by day. He said he eventually plans to cut his list of 24 offers down to a manageable list.

Freeling said Miami, Clemson will for sure get spring visits. He also hopes to visit Florida, Michigan, Oregon, Penn State, Stanford and USC. Plus, the local schools are definitely in this, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. Notre Dame, Clemson and South Carolina are listed at 23.9% per the On3 RPM.

But for local ACC teams, this is an important recruiting battle to win.

IOL Markee Anderson

Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus: No. 137
On3 NIL Valuation: $8.4K
Teams battling: Clemson, South Carolina, LSU, Georgia, West Virginia, North Carolina, Washington, Virginia Tech, Auburn, Florida State and others
The Skinny: Markee Anderson’s recruitment appears to be about as open as anybody’s in the region.

Yes, the local schools like Clemson, South Carolina and UNC have done a good job of targeting him early on. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine reflects that. Clemson and South Carolina are listed at 29.9% and UNC at 28.4%.

But national programs are going to try and make this ACC recruiting battle interesting.

EDGE Rico Walker

Hickory (N.C.) High
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus: No. 191
On3 NIL Valuation: $15.1K
Teams battling: North Carolina, Tennessee, NC State, Georgia, Florida, Clemson and other national programs
The Skinny: Rico Walker has been a priority for local ACC programs from day one. That focus has paid off, especially for UNC, which is considered to be the early leader in his recruitment.

The Tar Heels are listed with a 25.4% chance of landing Walker, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. NC State is next at 12.9%, and Tennessee is listed at 12.9%, too. Clemson, Florida, and UGA are at 4.5%.

Walker continues to hear from a lot of national programs — places like Alabama and Ole Miss — and it feels like his recruitment is about to explode when the dead period lifts in March.

Walker recently told On3’s Jeremy Johnson he wants to get to Miami, Georgia, Florida, back to North Carolina and Clemson at the bare minimum, though nothing is finalized in this ACC area recruiting battle.

TE Javonte Vereen

Havelock (N.C.) High
Star ranking: 4 stars
On3 Consensus: No. 197
On3 NIL Valuation: $12.8K
Teams battling: NC State, North Carolina, Duke, Georgia, Maryland, Miami, Louisville, Florida, Florida State and other national programs
The Skinny: Javonte Vereen is one of those rare athletes who seems to excel at everything. Not only does he star in football, he’s a double-digit scorer in basketball, and he also batted .421 as an outfielder on the baseball team.

But schools definitely covet him on the gridiron.

Despite being busy with basketball over the last few months, Vereen visited Duke, Maryland and NC State in late January. He’s also been on a game-day visit to Georgia in November. He hopes to return to NC State for spring practice.

Other schools like Florida, Florida State, Miami, Louisville, UNC and Duke are also schools he’d like to visit in the spring, according to a report from Sammy Batten of On3’s The Wolfpacker.