Five impact commits
Dylan Raiola, QB
Georgia | 2024 ESPN 300 rank: 2
Raiola is the No. 1 quarterback and was one of the most highly sought recruits in the 2024 class. At 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, he has the size, arm strength and accuracy to push for playing time early at Georgia. He can make any throw and has the ability to drop balls into a bucket if he needs to.
The Dawgs have options at quarterback for the future with
Carson Beck,
Gunner Stockton and
Brock Vandagriff, but none have jumped off the page and taken over as the clear-cut starter. Adding Raiola to the mix will keep the offense at a championship level for the next few years and give Georgia every shot at competing for more conference and national championships.
Julian Sayin, QB
Alabama | 2024 ESPN 300 rank: 3
It's unusual to see Alabama in a situation in which the coaches aren't 100 percent sure who start at quarterback. With
Bryce Young gone to the NFL, the Crimson Tide are looking for a new signal-caller with
Jalen Milroe on the roster, as well as incoming transfer
Tyler Buchner, who followed new offensive coordinator Tommy Rees from
Notre Dame.
It's not certain, though, that either of those two will be the quarterback of the future, so it was crucial for the staff to land a sure thing at quarterback in this class. Enter Sayin, who won this year's Elite 11 quarterback competition with every top quarterback recruit in attendance. He has thrown for over 2,700 years each of the past two seasons at Carlsbad High School (California) and has 61 touchdowns and nine interceptions during that time. He can play early at Alabama, and Nick Saban has shown in the past he is not afraid of playing the best quarterback in the moment.
D.J. Lagway, QB
Florida | 2024 ESPN 300 rank: 18
The Gators had a very public loss at quarterback in the 2023 class with
Jaden Rashada, who was
released from his national letter of intent after the early signing period.
A $13 million contract that was promised through name, image and likeness didn't come through, and the two sides split, leaving Florida looking for options at quarterback for the future. The coaches did not sign another high school quarterback in 2023 but brought in
Wisconsin transfer
Graham Mertz.
That scenario made Lagway's commitment that much more impactful, given that he is the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the class and will give Billy Napier and his staff a quality option going forward once he hits campus. Lagway threw for 2,081 yards, 24 touchdowns and five interceptions this past season while also rushing for 517 yards and seven touchdowns.
Justin Scott, DT
Ohio State | 2024 ESPN 300 rank: 34
Scott is one of the top defensive line recruits in the country and listed as the No. 4 defensive tackle. The Buckeyes didn't have a stout tackle in this class, so adding Scott fills a need on the field, but the ramifications off the field might be what is more important.
Scott was seriously considering Michigan, and it looked as though he might pick the Wolverines at one point. It's always important for Ohio State to win battles on the recruiting trail against its rival, and it is especially important lately -- with the Wolverines winning on the field the past two years. Flexing their recruiting muscle and getting a top defensive lineman to add to defensive line coach Larry Johnson's room is a big deal, but beating Michigan is an added bonus.
Jadyn Davis, QB
Michigan | 2024 ESPN 300 rank: 114
Michigan has won the Big Ten championship the past two seasons with College Football Playoff appearances as well. The expectations continue to rise in Ann Arbor, and the key for the Wolverines is finding a way to keep consistency through recruiting and the transfer portal while finding their specific type of recruit to fit the culture they've built.
Michigan hadn't signed an ESPN 300 quarterback since
J.J. McCarthy in the 2021 class, and because the quarterback position is so important to consistency on the field, it was imperative that the staff got a signal-caller who fits their system and can eventually take over for McCarthy. The staff believes that Davis can be that guy and give them a chance to stay in the championship conversations.
Davis is one of the top quarterbacks in the class, but he has also had a Pied Piper effect on the recruiting trail, helping recruit other top recruits to the class like his wide receiver teammate,
Channing Goodwin as well as receiver
I'Marion Stewart. It was a win-win for Michigan, which is hoping he is someone who makes an impact early on in his career.
