4-star WR James Madison II down to five schools

Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star wide receiver James Madison II is down to five schools in his recruitment, he announced on Friday.

Among the remaining contenders are Florida State, Louisville, Michigan, Missouri and Oregon.

Madison II is the No. 265 overall prospect and No. 41 wide receiver in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies. He is also the No. 37 player in Florida.

thank you God! Top 5! #mrprez pic.twitter.com/H283ra2Yea

— James Madison ii (@JamesJTMadison2) April 14, 2023

The 6-foot-3, 190-pound wideout announced his top 10 schools on Jan. 8, which included Auburn, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Missouri, Oregon, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, and South Carolina.

According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, Florida State is currently leading for his commitment at 26.0%.

Madison II recently visited Michigan for the first time

While they didn’t make his top 10 earlier this winter, Michigan has made a major impression in recent months — enough that they made his top five.

Wide receivers coach Ron Bellamy offered Madison in January, and the two have been developing a strong relationship.

“Coach Bellamy is a technician,” Madison told TheWolverine.com last month. “That’s really important for a receiver. It’s a technical position, and Coach Bellamy pays attention to detail. He likes that I can take you deep or turn a slant into a touchdown. I can be that versatile guy on the outside. That’s what he sees me being in the offense.”

… He’s a really genuine dude. He means what he says. You’re going to get what he really feels. Every time I talk to him, it’s been the same message. He’s been the same person. I really appreciate that.”

The four-star wideout also recently visited Oregon and Louisville earlier this month and is set to see Florida State this weekend. The Seminoles have had a lot of recent success in recruiting at St. Thomas Aquinas, including signing four-star safety Conrad Hussey in 2023 and four-star offensive tackle Julian Armella in 2022.

A decision is expected to come this summer for Madison.

Madison currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $55K. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.