Texas, Louisville, Arizona climb in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking

With many top programs hosting recruits on campus this past weekend for their spring games, the second weekend in April delivered plenty of recruiting drama. A new round of commitments and updated rankings sparked some movement in the On3 Team Recruiting Ranking.

The top three schools — USC, Notre Dame and Georgia — held on to the top spots in the rankings. But elsewhere, Texas, Louisville, Rutgers, Cincinnati, Arizona and Indiana climbed slightly.

It’s still early in the 2023 cycle, but here’s how the race for the top class has taken shape:

No. 1 USC

Top-ranked commit: Five-Star Plus+ QB Malachi Nelson
Score: 95.174
Average rating: 96.49
Blue chips: 100%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 1 (+0)
Average NIL: $147K (+$84K)
The Skinny: The USC Trojans have early commitments from the nation’s No. 2 quarterback, No. 1 receiver (Zachariah Branch) and No. 6 receiver (Makai Lemon). It’s a great foundation for what is expected to be a banner crop for new coach Lincoln Riley.

No. 2 Notre Dame

Top-ranked commit: Five-star EDGE Keon Keeley
Score: 93.383
Average rating: 92.04
Blue chips: 89%
Number of commits: 9 (+0)
Ranking last week: 2 (+0)
Average NIL: $19.5K ($+0)
The Skinny: The Notre Dame Fighting Irish already have nine commits on board for the 2023 class, including Keeley, four-star linebacker Drayk Bowen, four-star safety Peyton Bowen, four-star corner Justyn Rhett and others. It’s the type of early start on the recruiting trail that should give Marcus Freeman momentum to close build a potential top-five class. Notre Dame is going to still have to work hard to hold on to Keeley. The good news is that the Irish also still are listed on top for five-star QB Dante Moore.

No. 3 Georgia

Top-ranked commit: Four-star CB Marcus Washington
Score: 91.958
Average rating: 91.27
Blue chips: 71%
Number of commits: 7 (+0)
Ranking last week: 3 (+0)
Average NIL: $20K (+$1K)
The Skinny: Georgia knows most of the elite players on its board will probably go through much of the recruiting process. But the early start with Washington, four-star OT Bo Hughley, four-star TE Pearce Spurlin, four-star WR Raymond Cottrell and others is enough to put the Dawgs in contention for the nation’s No. 1 class later on down the road. Plus, UGA still appears to be right in the thick of things with Arch Manning. UGA’s chances in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine have grown with Manning to 28.6%.

No. 4 Ohio State

Top-ranked commit: Four-star IOL Luke Montgomery
Score: 91.275
Average rating: 91.28
Blue chips: 80%
Number of commits: 6 (+1)
Ranking last week: 4 (+0)
Average NIL: $21K (-$1K)
The Skinny: After the No. 4 class in 2022, Ohio State is primed for another chase toward the top of the recruiting rankings. Like Georgia, we’ll probably have to wait a little while for some of the blue-chippers on the Buckeyes’ list. But getting Montgomery, four-star IOL Josh Padilla, four-star TE Ty Lockwood and four-star safety Cedrick Hawkins is a great start. That great start was boosted this past week with the addition of four-star S Malik Hartford.

No. 5 Penn State

Top-ranked commit: Four-star IOL Alex Birchmeier
Score: 90.869
Average rating: 89.72
Blue chips: 44% (-6%)
Number of commits: 9 (+1)
Ranking last week: 5 (+0)
Average NIL: $18.1K (+$1K)
The Skinny: Like Notre Dame, Penn State is doing a good job laying the foundation for another elite recruiting class. The Nittany Lions already have nine commits for 2023, including talented stars like Jven Williams — who is ranked as a five-star by On3 — and Mathias Barnwell. The class did get a slight boost when three-star Florida QB Marcus Stokes joined the class late last week.

No. 6 Arkansas

Top-ranked commit: Four-star TE Luke Hasz 
Score: 90.246
Average rating: 88.68
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 10 (+0)
Ranking last week: 6 (+0)
Average NIL: $15.9K (+$200)
The Skinny: Arkansas locked up in-state coveted recruit Shamar Easter in August of last year and haven’t stopped with their momentum since. Hasz was previously committed to Oklahoma and is now ranked as a top-six player at his position. Four-star CB Dallas Young was a good early get from Alabama. Now the Hogs are hunting for their quarterback of the class.

No. 7 Michigan

Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Raylen Wilson
Score: 89.750
Average rating: 89.75
Blue chips: 33% (+0%)
Number of commits: 6 (+0)
Ranking last week: 7 (+0)
Average NIL: $23K (+$2K)
The Skinny: The biggest question with Michigan will be whether or not Jim Harbaugh flirting with the Minnesota Vikings will come back to bite him in the butt on the recruiting trail. Initially, it hasn’t, and the Wolverines have six early 2023 commits. Michigan lost out to Penn State on Andrew Rappleyea, but the Wolverines added Georgia running back Benjamin Hall two weeks ago. The Wolverines are also adding to their summer official visit list already, so expect more big things to come.

No. 8 Oklahoma

Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Jackson Arnold
Score: 89.597
Average rating: 90.15
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 4 (+0)
Ranking last week: 8 (+0)
Average NIL: $31K (+$0)
The Skinny: Oklahoma is coming off a strong March and early April with key visitors on campus. The Sooners have a great foundation in place with Arnold, four-star WR Ashton Cozart, and three-star OL Joshua Bates already on board. Plus, insiders are raving about in-state three-star ATH Erik McCarty. There’s little question the Sooners have the building blocks of a top-10 or even top-five class.

No. 9 Texas

Top-ranked commit: Four-star DL Dylan Spencer
Score: 89.415
Average rating: 90.73
Blue chips: 100%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 10 (+1)
Average NIL: $9.2K ($1.3K)
The Skinny: Texas moves up slightly from No. 10 to No. 10 after another source in the rankings industry updated their player rankings. Two weeks ago, Texas was welcomed into the top 10 of the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Ranking after adding coveted four-star linebacker S’Maje Burrell. He was a big-time recruiting W for the Horns. At one point, many believed he was learning toward rival Oklahoma. Even with the good start, UT fans are hoping that the best is yet to come, especially since the Longhorns are one of the favorites to land Arch Manning, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

No. 10 Texas Tech

Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Isaiah Crawford
Score: 89.279
Average rating: 87.66
Blue chips: 21%
Number of commits: 14 (+0)
Ranking last week: 9 (-1)
Average NIL: $13.4K (+$2.2K)
The Skinny: Joey McGuire immediately went to work on 2023 prospects after he got hired. It’s paid off. Texas Tech has 14 commits for the 2023 class, including Crawford, four-star WR Tyrone West, four-star S Brenden Jordan, four-star CB Calvin Simpson-Hunt and coveted quarterback Jake Strong. In-state defensive lineman, Amier Washington, was the latest addition two weeks ago.

No. 11 Florida State

Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Lamont Green Jr.
Score: 89.092
Average rating: 89.09
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 6 (+0)
Ranking last week: 11 (+0)
Average NIL: $17.1K (+$1K)
The Skinny: Florida State made a big move in the rankings in early March after landing four-star defensive lineman Keith Sampson Jr. of New Bern, N.C. Sampson is the No. 163 player in the On3 Consensus. He joins Green to give FSU an outstanding foundation along the defensive line in the 2023 class. Four-star QB Chris Parson is also a good early get. Three-star WR Goldie Lawrence also joined the class recently and it’s a sign of bigger and better things to come.

No. 12 Tennessee

Top-ranked commit: Five-star QB Nico Iamaleava
Score: 88.989
Average rating: 89.12
Blue chips: 40%
Number of commits: 5 (+0)
Ranking last week: 12 (+0)
Average NIL: $109K (+$3K)
The Skinny: Josh Heupel and Tennessee are the newsmakers of the spring with the addition of five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava. Not only is Iamaleava a five-star quarterback, but he’s also a prospect that will attract other top recruits to Knoxville. Iamaleava joins four-star TE Ethan Davis on the commit list as a good foundation for the Vols to surpass their quality No. 16 class in 2022. The Vols are using the lure of playing with Iamaleava as a big recruiting tool, including hosting a top group of visitors this past weekend. That list featured stars like five-star WR Carnell Tate and four-stars Treyaun Webb,  Derrick LeBlanc, Hunter Osborne, Kyler Kasper, Wilkin Formby and many, many others.

No. 13 Louisville

Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Pierce Clarkson
Score: 88.833
Average rating: 88.43
Blue chips: 38% (+24%)
Number of commits: 8 (+1)
Ranking last week: 15 (+2)
Average NIL: $18.7K (+$3.7K)
The Skinny: Scott Satterfield got a major early 2023 commitment in late January from Clarkson, one of the top quarterbacks in the country. He’s also from California and is going to help Louisville recruit in the Golden State. A great example of that came when Clarkson’s teammate Jahlil McClain, a three-star ATH at Bosco, also committed to the Cardinals. The Cards also received a slight bump in the rankings this week after Jamari Johnson joined the commit list last Tuesday.

No. 14 Michigan State

Top-ranked commit: Four-star EDGE Andrew Depaepe
Score: 88.804
Average rating: 88.94
Blue chips: 40%
Number of commits: 5 (+0)
Ranking last week: 13 (-1)
Average NIL: $18.9K (+$0)
The Skinny: Michigan State went into Iowa to land Andrew Depaepe, which is a big head-to-head win over B1G recruiting rivals. Sparty has also landed its quarterback in the 2023 class — three-star Bo Edmundson, who some insiders believe will be ranked in the four-star range soon. Plus, Brennan Parachek is a local four-star TE commit.

No. 15 Texas A&M

Top-ranked commit: Four-star DL Anthony James 
Score: 88.674
Average rating: 89.99
Blue chips: 67%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 14 (-1)
Average NIL: $13.6K (+$0)
The Skinny: With Texas A&M it feels like the best is yet to come. Yes, the Aggies already have some good pieces early on in the 2023 class with James and four-star DL Johnny Bowens. But after a monster list of visitors for the Aggies’ spring game, it’s time for Jimbo Fisher and Co. to gain some momentum with top prospects like five-stars Anthony Hill, Tony Mitchell, and Rueben Owens and the long, long list of four-stars that were in Aggieland this past weekend.

No. 16 Baylor

Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Christian Brathwaite
Score: 88.042
Average rating: 87.45
Blue chips: 13% (-16%)
Number of commits: 8 (+1)
Ranking last week: 16 (+0)
Average NIL: $11.8 (+$0)
The Skinny: Baylor’s Dave Aranda is building a quality 2023 class with eight commits already. The key, as we saw with last year’s crop, is keeping the early commits on board to Signing Day next February. Nonetheless, there’s a lot to like about what the Bears have done so far. Keep an eye on QB Austin Novosad. A lot of insiders really like him and think he could compete for four-star status. Four-star defensive back Javeon Wilcox is also another solid get. Three-star TE Matthew Klopfenstein was the latest addition to the class out of Arizona.

No. 17 Miami

Top-ranked commit: Four-star WR Robby Washington
Score: 87.818
Average rating: 88.37
Blue chips: 50%
Number of commits: 4 (+0)
Ranking last week: 17 (+0)
Average NIL: $10.3K ($1.2K)
The Skinny: Miami moved back into the top 25 two weeks ago after dropping out a few weeks earlier. The Canes are back after adding four-star receiver Robby Washington and four-star linebacker Bobby Washington. The combo gives the Hurricanes another big boost locally and helps set the foundation for a run higher up the rankings in the coming months. Four-star IOL Antonio Tripp is another impressive early get. The Canes hosted a big group of visitors this past weekend, including five-star OL Francis Mauigoa. Now the question will be can Mario Cristobal and Co. make a move with those visitors?

No. 18 Rutgers

Top-ranked commit: Three-star ATH Christopher Johnson
Score: 87.624
Average rating: 88.17
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 4 (+0)
Ranking last week: 19 (+1)
Average NIL: $10.2K (+$0)
The Skinny: Rutgers climbed a spot in the rankings after adding three-star local offensive lineman JaSire Peterson, who saw a slight rankings bump in the industry. He joins fellow in-state three-star OL John Stone as the foundation of the 2023 class. Johnson, out of Florida, also saw a rankings bump, which helped move the class up some.

No. 19 Iowa

Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Marco Lainez III
Score: 87.494
Average rating: 87.49
Blue chips: 14% (-3%)
Number of commits: 7 (+1)
Ranking last week: 18 (-1)
Average NIL: $12.7K (-$1.3K)
The Skinny: Iowa has seven quality 2023 commits on board already. Lainez is one of the top quarterbacks on the East Coast. Three stars Maddux Borcherding-Johnson and Ben Kueter were good in-state gets to start the class off. In-state three-star ATH Alex Mota is also a big-time steal. Unranked cornerback John Nestor out of Chicago was the latest Hawkeye commit.

No. 20 Cincinnati

Top-ranked commit: Four-star LB Trevor Carter
Score: 87.328
Average rating: 87.46
Blue chips: 20%
Number of commits: 5 (+0)
Ranking last week: 21 (+1)
Average NIL: $9.5K ($+400)
The Skinny: Carter is one of the top-ranked in-state recruits that Luke Fickell has ever landed at Cincinnati. Carter is the seventh-best recruit in Ohio’s 2023 class. Three of the Bearcats’ five commits are from in-state players, including three-star OL Evan Tengesdahl. Maryland athlete Rohan Davy is the newest commitment on the list.

No. 21 Stanford

Top-ranked commit: Four-star TE Jaden Platt
Score: 87.249
Average rating: 88.57
Blue chips: 67%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 20 (-1)
Average NIL: $13K (+$0)
The Skinny: Stanford has built one of the more under-appreciated early 2023 classes, especially after four-star receiver Ahmari Borden out of Georgia committed recently. Borden and Platt, the No. 20 TE in the country, give the Stanford offense a good foundation to build the rest of their class on. Also, don’t sleep on three-star WR Tiger Bachmeier.

No. 22 Arizona

Top-ranked commit: Four-star QB Brayden Dorman
Score: 87.019
Average rating: 88.34
Blue chips: 67%
Number of commits: 3 (+1)
Ranking last week: NR
Average NIL: $25
The Skinny: Welcome to the top 25 Jedd Fisch’s Arizona Wildcats. UofA enters the rankings after adding their third commitment last week from California safety Justin Johnson. There’s no question the foundation of this class is going to be coveted quarterback Brayden Dorman out of Colorado. That was a big early recruiting W for the Wildcats. Three-star CB Canyon Moses out of Midland (Texas) Lee is also a good get.

No. 23 NC State

Top-ranked commit: Four-star TE Javonte Vereen
Score: 86.840
Average rating: 88.16
Blue chips: 33%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 22 (-1)
Average NIL: $10.6K (-$2.3K)
The Skinny: Javonte Vereen was a massive get last week for the Wolfpack. Not only is he a top 13 tight end in the country, but he’s also one of the top seven players in North Carolina. Landing him was a really solid recruiting victory for NC State coach Dave Doeren over Maryland and Louisville. Early QB three-star commit Lex Thomas is another big piece of the 2023 class.

No. 24 Indiana

Top-ranked commit: Four-star S Daeh McCullough
Score: 86.326
Average rating: 87.64
Blue chips: 33%
Number of commits: 3 (+0)
Ranking last week: 25 (+1)
Average NIL: $38K (+$0)
The Skinny: Tom Allen has Indiana off to an impressive early start in the 2023 class. Obviously, Daeh McCullough is the headliner. He’s ranked as the No. 205 player in the country and one of the best in-state targets. But three-star TE Sam West and three-star IOL William Larkins are also quality early commitments.

No. 25 Nebraska

Top-ranked commit: Three-star OT Gunnar Gottula
Score: 86.254
Average rating: 86.39
Blue chips: 0%
Number of commits: 5 (+0)
Ranking last week: 24 (-1)
Average NIL: $12.6K (+$0)
The Skinny: Nebraska fans have to like what they’re seeing so far from Scott Frost’s revamped staff. The Big Red have five early commitments, have their QB of the class in three-star William Watson III, and the Huskers hosted a massive list of top prospects on campus this past weekend for the spring game. There’s still plenty of work to be done. But if the product on the field is better this season, the Big Red can expect better returns on the recruiting trail.

Dropped out of the top 25: Mississippi State