It was an eventful weekend on the field in college football. It was a different story on the recruiting trail, however. This week’s class of commitments is not very deep at all. There were a lot of non-rated players and very few high-quality players. However, the group is headed up by two of the top college football recruits in the next two recruiting classes. All rankings are courtesy of the 247Sports composite rankings of football recruits.
Top College Football Recruits: 11/12-11/18
10. Errington Truesdell, Linebacker, Vanderbilt
Coming from Woodward Academy in the suburbs of Atlanta, Truesdell is an athletic linebacker that should be able to help the Commodores on defense. He is ranked as the 100th overall inside linebacker. Among the tools that Truesdell holds, his size is one of the greatest. At six-foot-one-inch, the linebacker possesses a lot of length and is able to use that to break plays up. Truesdell also played a lot of running back in high school. When taking those snaps on offense, he was able to truly show off his speed, which is a major asset on the defensive side of the ball. Truesdell should be a solid addition to the Vanderbilt defense.
9. Corey Robinson II, Offensive Tackle, Kansas
Another player coming out of the Peach State, Robinson is currently rated as the 141st overall offensive tackle in the 2021 class. At six-foot-five-inches and 270 pounds, Robinson is a very large man. He uses his size to overpower whoever he is matched up with. He also has a good ability to move laterally with some quickness that is not common at almost 300 pounds. Kansas was the first and only Power Five offer that Robinson has received. The two should be a great match together as Les Miles looks to continue the rebuild with the Jayhawks.
8. Coco Lukrich, Guard, Stanford
The 70th ranked offensive guard in the nation made the decision to join the Stanford Cardinal. Lukrich, like Robinson, possesses a large frame. He stands at six-foot-four-inches and weighs 265 pounds. However, Lukrich has one major advantage over Robinson: his speed. There are plays where the future Cardinal runs as a lead blocker and is able to keep up with his running back to help throw blocks down the field. He has a verified 40 yard dash time of 4.8 seconds. That is compared to an NFL average for guards of roughly 5.4 seconds. Lukrich has the speed of an average NFL linebacker or defensive end, while also possessing the strength to block. The Cardinal got a very good prospect who seemingly flew under the radar with Lukrich.
7. Bryce Bohanon, Wide Receiver, Tulane
The wide receiver recruit is ranked as the 210th overall player at his position in the 2021 class. Bohanon could be ranked as an athlete as well, as he had playing time at receiver, running back, and free safety during his time with the Conway High School Wampus Cats in Arkansas. The receiver is without a doubt an electric player. He has a lot of speed, a lot of agility, and great hands. Defenders have a hard time covering him and once he has the ball in his ends, it is hard to get him down. He is a lightning rod when lined up outside and could provide some big-time contributions for Tulane.
6. Luis Chavarria, Guard, Prairie View A&M
Chavarria is a huge get for the Panthers. Praire View A&M is not known as a mecca of the most talented college football recruits, but getting a player the quality of Chavarria can be the spark a program needs to start changing the tide. The guard is the 63rd ranked player in his position in this upcoming class. He is also the highest-rated offensive recruit and the second-highest rated player in program history. Chavarria stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 310 pounds. He is a big man who has a lot of strength and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Chavarria will be a solid offensive lineman and will be a really good addition for Prairie View.
5. Dontrell Jackson, Quarterback, Coastal Carolina
One of two players from the class of 2022 in this week’s list, Jackson is currently ranked as the 18th best dual-threat quarterback and the 646th overall player next year. The six-foot-tall quarterback has a lot of upsides and could be a real impact player for the Chanticleers. He is fast and has a pretty good arm. The passes he throws are almost always on the money. He is much better at medium to short passes but when needed can throw up passes deep. His biggest flaw is his pocket presence. If his first read is not there, he tends to run the ball. That works in high school because of his pure athleticism, but in college, he will need to go through his progressions a little more. Overall, Jackson will likely be a really good player for Coastal Carolina and could be a star if he can iron out the small kinks in his game.
4. Byron Murphy II, Defensive Tackle, Texas
A six-foot-one-inches the almost 300-pound defensive tackle out of DeSoto, Texas, Murphy is a good pickup for the Longhorns. Murphy was committed to the Baylor Bears earlier this year but switched his commitment this week after the offer from Baylor’s Big 12 rivals. He is a disruptive force at defensive tackle, often drawing double teams, which allow his teammates to have a lane to the quarterback. Even when being doubled, Murphy has a knack for getting through the blocks and putting pressure on the quarterback. Defense is not the specialty in the Big 12 at all, but Murphy will be a solid addition to the Texas defense.
3. Philip Riley, Cornerback, Notre Dame
The only four-star in this week’s commitments, Riley is currently ranked as the 25th best cornerback and the 300th overall player. Riley is certainly not a hard-hitting corner, but he does not need to be. He is a burner of a cornerback. That gives him the ability to close down space between him and any offensive player. However, when in coverage, he is almost always on the receiver’s hip. Even if Riley does not start on defense in his first year, he will be a contributor on special teams. His speed and mobility make him a real threat on returns. Overall, this is a really good get for the Fighting Irish, and it seems that Riley should be in a higher tier of football recruits than he is.
2. Smael Mondon, Linebacker, Georgia
The first of two five-star players this week, Mondon made the decision to stay in his home state and committed to the Bulldogs. He is currently the top-ranked outside linebacker and the 25th ranked player in this year’s recruiting class. Mondon has all the tools you want out of a linebacker. He has an above-average bit of speed. His tackling is solid, and he has the ability to lay a big hit when needed. When needed, he can drop back in coverage and cause disruptions to the passing game across the middle of the field. Overall, Mondon has the talents to be a big-time contributor on an already good Georgia defense.
1. Quinn Ewers, Quarterback, Ohio State
Ewers sits at the top of this week’s top college football recruits list. The former Texas commit decided this week that he would continue his career with the Ohio State Buckeyes instead. Ewers is the top-ranked pro-style quarterback and the second overall prospect in the class of 2022. Those rankings are very well earned, as Ewers should be one of the top college football recruits in the nation. Ewers is a truly exceptional talent. It sounds wild to say it about a junior in high school, but he is a player that will almost certainly be playing on Sundays. There are only two quarterbacks in recent years that when seeing play in high school showed that their ability to play on Sundays was paramount. Both of those quarterbacks are competing for the Heisman this year: Justin Fields and Trevor Lawerence.
Ewers is not quite on the same talent level as those two, but he is one of those players that you can tell is special. He has the prototypical quarterback build, standing 6-foot-3 and weighing just under 200 pounds. Ewers has enough mobility to make something happen if he has no other options. He has a strong arm and is able to launch balls deep and thread the needle when throwing it across the middle. His arm is out of this world for a junior in high school. Similarly, his pocket awareness is incredible. He seemingly always knows where the pressure is coming from and exactly how to react to it. Ohio State got a huge pickup with Ewers, who has the talent to be a huge contributor for the Buckeyes.
