3-star '24 EDGE Makai Byerson breaks down finalists ahead of Friday decision

Makai Byerson, a three-star EDGE prospect out of Richmond (VA) Manchester, is just a few days away from making his college decision. The 6-foot-3, 235-pound rising senior is down to a handful of finalists, all of which he officially visited throughout the month of June: West Virginia (June 2-4), Rutgers (June 9-11), Kentucky (June 16-18), and Virginia Tech (June 23-25).

But on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST, Byerson will choose one of those programs as his new home. He intends to live stream his commitment ceremony on his Instagram page (@showtime_m4). Byerson initially planned to announce his decision on July 4 — his birthday — but after taking his visits, he’s now even closer to having his mind made up.

“I’ve pretty much got everything figured out. I’ll have one last big talk with my parents and just see how everybody is feeling,” Byerson told KSR on Monday. “We’re like 80 percent there.”

I will be announcing my commitment June 30th 4pm at Manchester Highschool @lancer_footbal @CBS6SportsSean @BrianDohn247 pic.twitter.com/0JJq2AHUl8

— Makai Byerson (@Showtimekai) June 22, 2023

Byerson, who is considered the No. 736 overall class of 2024 recruit in the country according to the On3 Industry Ranking, broke down all four of his finalists with KSR ahead of his commitment later this week.

West Virginia: “I definitely like the coaches, how I interact with them, and how I can just talk football with Coach (Andrew) Jackson, Coach (Jordan) Lesley. That connection is crazy. On my OV I definitely connected with the team. Most of the recruits were there with me too. They’re definitely cool people.”

Kentucky: “Lexington is something different. I rock with Kentucky something crazy. People in the building, being with Coach (Brad) White, Coach (Mark) Stoops, they have the foundation already and they already have that pedigree of building and having great defenses year after year. The life after school part — at Kentucky they have a great mass communication program, like graphic design, what I want to get into… I definitely like them outside of football.”

Rutgers: “They check all the boxes. I like their defense, the defense is very versatile and everything. They’re really big on family. Coach (Greg) Schiano, that’s his main thing. Family trust chop — they say that all the time. That family aspect, I definitely like that. And them being so close to New York, Jersey, Philly, Baltimore, those are great opportunities for me internship-wise with the mass communications.”

Virginia Tech: “They were very early in my process. I love everybody at Tech, from Coach (Brent) Pry down to a janitor. Everybody is just cool. They’re just helping the student-athlete, they have everything, and it’s a hometown team. So that’s definitely why I rock with them. I sat down with Coach (Chris) Marve, Coach (J.C.) Pryce, Coach (Brent) Pry early in my OV and we really went over my 3-4 year plan and they really have a plan for me and I really appreciate that. So that’s another reason why Tech is very high.”

With just a few days separating Byerson from his commitment, there isn’t a true sense of which way he might be leaning. He previously told KSR after his official visit to Kentucky that the Wildcats were “1A, 1B right now” and he could see himself playing in Lexington, although that was before his trip to Virginia Tech this past weekend.

Byerson said that his visit to Blacksburg pushed the Hokies back near the top of his list, adding that he could see himself attending VT even if he didn’t play football. The proximity factor and having friends currently on the roster could also help Virginia Tech. My gut says they have a slight edge. But Kentucky is firmly in the mix and currently has just one EDGE prospect committed to the ’24 cycle (three-star Antwan Smith) with the other primary target being four-star Brian Robinson. There is a spot for Byerson in Lexington if he chooses to take it.

“It’s the SEC, it’s every kid’s dream growing up if you wanna play college football, you definitely want to be in the SEC if you’ve got the opportunity,” Byerson said. “But Kentucky, they always have a good defense, they always have good outside linebacker, edge players. So Coach White, he really emphasizes the play up front and I definitely want to be with a coach who is all about the playmakers, the trenches, in the box, and just continue that tradition of good defenses at Kentucky.”

During his junior season at Manchester in 2022, Byerson was tabbed First-Team All-State, Region Player of the Year, and First-Team All-Metro. He also split time as a tight end for the Lancers and doubles as a star basketball player on the hardwood.