There are 47 ESPN Junior 300 prospects in the 2023 class that have already made a commitment. Now that the majority of the 2022 recruits have signed in December, it's time to start focusing on the next class and the next group of elite prospects who could make an impact on college football.
Since recruiting is an arms race and a sprint to get ahead of the competition, quite a few programs have already gotten a jump start on this next class.
There are a few surprise teams and some familiar faces at the top of the list at this point, but two schools in particular have gotten out ahead of the rest. Here is a look at the teams that are off to a fast start in the 2023 recruiting cycle.
Notre Dame
The Irish went through a coaching change late in the calendar year, with Brian Kelly leaving for LSU and defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman getting promoted to head coach. Despite that coaching change, Notre Dame lost only three commitments in 2022 and haven't lost any in the 2023 class since Kelly left.
Freeman and his staff have seven ESPN Jr. 300 commitments, the most of any program. The class has four recruits ranked No. 63 or better and five of the seven are on the defensive side. Defensive end Keon Keeley is the highest-ranked member of the class at No. 34 overall. He's a 6-foot-5, 220-pound recruit from Berkeley Prep in Tampa, Florida. Keeley is the No. 2 defensive end in the class and had 16.5 sacks and 34 tackles for loss during his junior season.
Outside linebacker Drayk Bowen and defensive end Brenan Vernon are the next highest-ranked players in the class at No. 43 and No. 59, respectively. Bowen recorded 105 tackles, 3 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and 3 interceptions this season. He also had 965 yards rushing and 18 touchdowns on offense.
Freeman and his defense are getting some prolific pass-rushers, tacklers and playmakers who could make an immediate impact once they get to campus.
The offensive players in the class include running back Sedrick Irvin Jr., whose father played for Michigan State and was selected in the 1999 NFL draft before going on to coach at Alabama, Memphis and now as a high school coach.
Georgia
Georgia has eight total commitments in the class, with six ranked in the ESPN Jr. 300. The 2022 cycle isn't officially over yet, but Georgia has a top-three class as of now and is in the hunt for another top-three finish in 2023 the way its class has started.
Among the six ESPN Jr. 300 commits, five are ranked in the top 150, with the sixth, tight end Pearce Spurlin, ranked at No. 151. Spurlin is a 6-foot-6, 210-pounder from Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
The Georgia staff has had success with tight ends as of late, with freshman Brock Bowers leading the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns this season. Spurlin had 1,404 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns this season and will be a welcome addition to the Bulldogs once he gets to campus.
The staff was also able to flip wide receiver Raymond Cottrell from Florida in November as the Gators were seeing quite a few prospects decommit. Cottrell is a 6-foot-3, 205-pound receiver out of Milton High School in Milton, Florida, and is the No. 16 receiver in the class. He's one of three prospects who will help the pass game, along with Spurlin and receiver Daquayvious Sorey.
Kirby Smart and his staff have some important defenders in the class as well, including corners Marcus Washington and Kayin Lee, both in-state recruits.
Michigan
At the beginning of the season, the Wolverines were being viewed as a team without any momentum on the recruiting trail and uncertainty about how the season would play out on the field. Now, with a win over Ohio State, a Big Ten championship and a College Football Playoff berth, that narrative has changed.
Michigan had a ton of recruits on campus for its win against the Buckeyes, which turned out to be one of the best environments and game atmospheres Michigan has had in quite some time. Jim Harbaugh saw a bump in the 2022 class, landing Keon Sabb, Zeke Berry, Alex Orji, Derrick Moore, Darrius Clemons and Amorion Walker around signing day.
That momentum is flowing over into the 2023 class as well, with recruits interested in what's happening at Michigan.
Shortly after the win over Ohio State, Michigan got a commitment from ESPN Jr. 300 defensive tackle Joel Starlings out of Virginia. Then, shortly after the Big Ten championship game, the Wolverines got a commitment from ESPN Jr. 300 linebacker Raylen Wilson, the No. 56 prospect overall.
Wilson was an important get not only because he's the No. 7 outside linebacker in the class, but also because Michigan beat out Georgia for him. It's an important step for Michigan to win a big recruiting battle and tells the story of how drastically the perception has changed around the program from last season.
Harbaugh and his staff also got a commitment from in-state wide receiver Semaj Morgan, a smaller receiver who can make big plays with his speed and ability to find space, as well as kicker Adam Samaha.
USC
Lincoln Riley inherited a difficult situation when he took over at USC. The Trojans had just four recruits in the 2022 class with only a few days remaining until the early signing period started. But he was able to close strong and land five-star corner Domani Jackson, ESPN 300 running back Raleek Brown and ESPN 300 safety Zion Branch.
Riley still has some targets left in 2022, but there wasn't enough time to really salvage a full class, which is partially why he immediately turned his attention to 2023. Only days after Riley left Oklahoma for USC, he was able to flip ESPN Jr. 300 quarterback Malachi Nelson from the Sooners.
Nelson is the No. 3 recruit overall and the No. 2 quarterback in the class behind Arch Manning. Nelson is the top prospect in California, giving Riley a major win by keeping the No. 1 recruit and the top quarterback in the state at home, something that hasn't happened a lot at USC in recent years.
The previous staff had a commitment from Bryce Young in the 2020 class, only to see Young flip to Alabama. Fellow Heisman finalist C.J. Stroud, Matt Corral and a handful of others all left California for other programs.
So to land Nelson, a prospect targeted by most of the big programs, is a huge statement for Riley and his ability to recruit offensive prospects at USC. Riley was also able to get a commitment from Nelson's teammate, ESPN Jr. 300 receiver Makai Lemon, the No. 21 prospect overall. That makes USC the only program with two commitments ranked in the top 25 so far in the 2023 class.
In-state athlete Johnny Thompson committed before Riley was hired and is still part of the class as well.
Penn State
Ever since the Nittany Lions finished outside the top 25 in the class rankings in the 2020 cycle, James Franklin and his staff have put their foot on the gas pedal. Penn State has the No. 7 class overall in 2022 and the No. 2 class in the Big Ten, and it is off to a fast start in 2023 as well.
Franklin has dealt with staff turnover seemingly every year and has still done an excellent job maintaining relationships and keeping commitments. He has four total commits in 2023, with two ranked in the ESPN Jr. 300.
Offensive lineman Alex Birchmeier is Penn State's top-ranked commitment at No. 72. He's a 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman out of Ashburn, Virginia, who committed back in July.
Birchmeier is joined in the class by ESPN Jr. 300 tight end Mathias Barnwell, ranked No. 236, and also out of Virginia, as well as tight end Joey Schlaffer and corner Lamont Payne. Barnwell and Schlaffer are 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6, respectively, and should add a big presence on offense.
If the way Franklin recruited in 2022 and the fast start in 2023 are any indicator of how this cycle will finish, Penn State will be in good shape.
Florida State
The Seminoles have put together a good class in 2022 with six ESPN 300 commitments, adding two in the early signing period. That has been overshadowed by the fact that Florida State lost five-star corner Travis Hunter, when he very publicly flipped to Jackson State.
Coach Mike Norvell also lost his offensive coordinator, Kenny Dillingham, to Oregon, but it's not all doom and gloom as the staff has gotten a good start in 2023.
Norvell has done a good job getting commitments from quarterbacks, trying to shore up the position, by signing A.J. Duffy in 2022, and now getting a commitment from ESPN Jr. 300 quarterback Chris Parson in 2023.
Parson is ranked No. 168 overall, and is a 6-foot, 210-pound prospect from Brentwood, Tennessee. He's joined in the class by ESPN Jr. 300 defensive end Lamont Green Jr., as well as tight end Randy Pittman and receiver Vandrevious Jacobs.
The staff is off to a good start and needs to continue that momentum throughout the rest of the cycle to help turn around this roster.
Other teams with two ESPN Jr. 300 commits: Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Florida, Ohio State and Arkansas.