Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State highlight the hottest teams on the recruiting trail right now

Following a mostly muted first few months of the year on the recruiting trail, things are kicking into another gear in the month of April. In the first few weeks alone, dozens of Power Five commitments have come off the board as recruits look to lock in their spots with the program of choice.

A small handful of programs have really gotten it going in recent weeks though and have built a heavy dose of momentum as we head into the summer months. Arch rivals Michigan and Ohio State appear to be trading commitments every few days as they battle for Big Ten recruiting supremacy. And down in the Sunshine State, Florida and Florida State are cooking early in the spring.

We teamed up with On3 fan site and national recruiting experts to break down what these programs are doing right and who else could be next to add their names into the 2024 class at each school.

Michigan

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 5
Recent Commits: 4-star QB Jadyn Davis, 4-star OT Andrew Sprague, 4-star OT Blake Frazier

EJ Holland, TheWolverine.com: “Michigan is taking full advantage of its back-to-back Big Ten titles and College Football Playoff appearances. Winning on the field is finally translating to winning on the recruiting trail. With Jim Harbaugh-NFL rumors dying earlier than usual and minimal staff movement, Michigan has everything in place to make a run. So far, so good. The momentum shouldn’t die down any time soon. Top center target Jake Guarnera is set to make a decision soon, while the Wolverines lead for key targets like Top 100 tight end Brady Prieskorn and On300 linebackers Aaron Chiles and Jeremiah Beasley.”

Ohio State

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 2
Recent Commits: 5-star WR Mylan Graham, 4-star QB Air Noland, 4-star RB James Peoples, 4-star LB Payton Pierce

Matt Parker, LettermenRow.com: “Ohio State has found its groove on the recruiting trail this spring. The Buckeyes went from three pledges to 12 in the span of six weeks and they are already a few more pieces away from essentially finishing the offensive class. There are only two defensive prospects committed to the class right now, but expect that momentum swing to shift over toward that side of the ball. Aaron Scott Jr., Bryce West and KJ Bolden all are important names to know heading toward the end of spring.”

Florida

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 3
Recent Commits: 4-star RB Kahnen Daniels, 4-star safety Xavier Filsaime

Corey Bender, GatorsOnline.com: “Having one of the elite quarterbacks (DJ Lagway) committed certainly helps, but the word “culture” is often mentioned when speaking with prospects. Billy Napier has done a nice job of instilling a home-like environment and it’s certainly being noticed by top targets. They have a plethora of on-field and off-the-field staff members as well, so there is no lack of red-carpet treatment for top targets. The recruiting operation is well structured under Billy Napier, with the Gators currently ranked inside the top five for the 2024 cycle.

Among those top targets on the board are elite EDGE talents Colin Simmons and Elijah Rushing, DB Zay Mincey, safety Jordan Pride and linebacker Kris Jones. The Gators are going all in for some prospects committed elsewhere as well, including Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith and Michigan State commit Jamari Howard. The Early Signing Period is still about eight months away, but the Gators are red hot right now.”

Florida State

On3 Industry Team Recruiting Ranking: No. 9
Recent Commits: 4-star WR Lawayne McCoy, 4-star WR BJ Gibson, 3-star LB Jayden Parrish

Chad Simmons, On3 Director of Recruiting: “It is more than pushing the right buttons on the recruiting trail that has FSU trending in the right direction, it is more about the results on the field. Based on feedback I have gotten from recruits and those in their inner circle, the success FSU had on the field last season has been very impactful this cycle. Recruits always liked Norvell, the culture when on campus and coaches on his staff, but they wanted to see player development, wins and improvement on the field. FSU had that last season and the recruits are buying in. That success has carried over to recruiting and that is why the ‘Noles are off to a strong start. In addition to the recent commitments, FSU also got excellent news when top commits Luke Kromenhoek and Kameron Davis both shut down their recruitments.

… They’ve made in-roads with elite prospects like Jonathan Daniels, Landen Thomas and Charles Lester III, and those are just a couple of names they’ll be involved with up until Signing Day in December.”