Fall Wrap-Up: 2023s Update

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It's been a while since I've been here, as the last few months have been a whirlwind for me personally. While I won't be contributing as much to the rankings this time around, I wanted to give some thoughts on each of the classes as we wrap up the 2022 season. I'm looking at some of the top uncommitted prospects and some trends surrounding the class of 2023</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>First up, the class of 2023. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>A Solid Top 10</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In the grand scheme of things, the class of 2023 is not the deepest class in terms of elite Power Five talent. That being said, the talent at the top is impressive. We've had <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='126936' first='Noah' last='Rogers']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='44971' first='KJ' last='Sampson']</strong>, and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='44968' first='Rico' last='Walker']</strong> at or near the top for nearly three years, and prior to this season, they were joined by guys like <strong>Daevon Hobbs</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='154602' first='Nathan' last='Leacock']</strong> before the season. Add in two solid corners in <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='293255' first='Tamarcus' last='Cooley']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='104090' first='Chris' last='Peal']</strong> and some talented offensive linemen (<strong>[player_tooltip player_id='144930' first='Sullivan' last='Absher']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='44985' first='Connor' last='Drake']</strong>) to get a strong group. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288642' first='Jamaal' last='Jarrett']</strong> is another guy we've ranked higher than other outlets that we've liked for a while and settled in nicely on the defensive side of the ball.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There are others, but it's really hard to say that any of these guys have had anything other than strong years as seniors. I'll have some thoughts on a few of the guys chasing them in a minute.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Some Impressive Uncommitted Prospects</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Since we rank differently than other outlets (We scout more than we cover recruiting) our rankings often look much different than what you'll see elsewhere on the internet, there are always a few guys we like that have slipped through the cracks.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Northern Guilford's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='288313' first='Jack' last='Mercer']</strong> is a strong-armed quarterback we've seen a few times in person. Every time, we've come away impressed with his arm talent and his footwork. His film and numbers both pop and I just think he's slipped under the radar a bit. He's one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state and should find some success at the FCS level, even if the offers haven't come yet.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Providence's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='50901' first='Luke' last='Bailey']</strong> switched positions and it took him all of about six quarters to acclimate to running back. He's a natural runner with great pad level and vision—good at the types of things that typically take a long time to learn. He's a guy that should land on his feet at a Division 1 school next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Similarly, while he's getting more interest now, Independence's <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='132327' first='Josh' last='Iseah']</strong> is one of my favorite edge rushers in the state, but still sits uncommitted.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:heading --> <h2>Trends I'm Tracking</h2> <!-- /wp:heading --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The transfer portal has changed recruiting completely. I'm going to track this class through college to see which players start Power Five and eventually transfer down and which players go the opposite way. With a dead period starting, we should see an influx of transfer commitments. Teams that have been banking on finalizing their rosters through the portal should turn back to the class of 2023 to fill the holes.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'd expect an uptick in offers for a lot of the fringe players in our rankings. Teams that have been stringing high school players along may come back to the class of 2023 to finish up their classes (Where it's been the opposite in past years). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I'm expecting to see more smaller schools offer high schoolers late in the process. Conversely, I'm wondering if bigger schools hold off on offering high school prospects, thinking that they can just reel them in through the portal in a later class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>I have no idea how this will affect our 2023 class, but I'm going to be watching closely. There's a lot of uncommitted talent out there.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->