B/R CFB Recruiting: 2024 Prospects Their Teams Could Use Right Now
Sometimes, the potential answer to your favorite college football team's problems lies just out of reach.
From myriad SEC quarterback issues (and other signal-caller needs elsewhere) to defensive linemen stopgaps to assist in stopping the run, there are prospects coming in the 2024 recruiting class that will help fill needs.
Unfortunately, that hep won't come this season for teams across the nation needing it.
It's always fun to look ahead and predict players who are going to be stars or instant-impact players, but which of the prospects in the '24 class would be nice to have right now? A few of these teams have glaring needs; others are off to good starts but have obvious early-season deficiencies.
Here are some prospects who won't arrive until next year that coaches wish they could start the clock much sooner.
Koy Beasley, Purdue Boilermakers Safety commit
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After offensive-minded Jeff Brohm left West Lafayette, Indiana, for his alma mater at Louisville, the Purdue Boilermakers went the defensive route with new coach Ryan Walters.
Re-creating that team in his defensive image is going to take time, and they are nowhere near where they need to be on that side of the ball.
Help, however, is on the way, especially on the back end of the defense where Purdue needs major reinforcements. While Luke Williams is a nice-looking prospect who could get on the field early, the biggest impact player in the '24 class looks like Cincinnati, Ohio, safety Koy Beasley.
That's a dynamic 1-2 punch at safety for the future, and the versatile, 5'10", 170-pound defender will help right away. He has terrific closing speed and ball skills, and he will thrive in Walters' system.
This year may be a struggle defensively for the Boilermakers, but the Beasley-Williams duo is coming soon to lead what looks like a major recruiting uptick on that side of the ball.
Elijah Brown, Stanford Cardinal Quarterback commit
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Troy Taylor's Stanford Cardinal have experienced some twists and turns thus far in the early season, but they are going to have struggles in a strong Pac-12 this year.
Beating Hawaii was a nice step, and a narrow, one-point loss to Arizona showed some fight, but Stanford is far away from where it needs to be right now. Heading to the ACC next year may not be a bad thing as a fresh start comes yet again following a coaching change.
It would behoove Taylor to just start fresh at the signal-caller position a year from now, unless he can strike transfer portal gold. Getting 4-star, long-time Mater Dei starter Elijah Brown to commit was a major coup, and while he will undoubtedly experience growing pains, Brown has the "it" factor.
First of all, he's a winner. Secondly, he is a natural leader who has been groomed to be "The Man" in college. At 6'1.5", 200 pounds, Brown has more than enough size and skills to maestro Taylor's offense next year.
Why not build around him? Given their issues under center so far this year, it would be nice if the Cardinal could start that process now.
Brandon Davis-Swain, Colorado Buffaloes Defensive Lineman commit
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What Deion Sanders has done in his first (early) season in Colorado is nothing short of amazing. Whether or not the Buffaloes remain a contender in most of the games they play, the turnaround on the field is evident.
They're the biggest story in college football right now.
But a demoralization against Oregon and further issues against USC proves this isn't an overnight fix in Boulder. Sanders mentioned in his postgame press conference following the Ducks' loss that you'd better get Colorado now before he gets rolling.
That may be true, but if so, the defensive side of the ball needs help. Yes, the Buffs need better playmakers and depth, but the line of scrimmage needs beefing up. Enter Brandon Davis-Swain, coming from West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Getting beef like the 6'3", 263-pound defensive lineman will help considerably. Sanders needs to recruit three or four just like him in a class that has yet to take hold and be the kind of turnaround group you'd expect from a team with CU's buzz.
Davis-Swain has to see a major opportunity for playing time, and he can help shore up a front seven in need of it. Too bad it'll have to wait a year.
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Kameron Davis, Florida State Seminoles Running Back commit
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Florida State's start to the season has made coach Mike Norvell's team one of the toasts of the ACC and a popular pick to make the College Football Playoff.
There are still some gaping holes on the Seminoles.
A sweat-inducing win over Boston College and a hump-clearing victory at Clemson where they never led in regulation showed some dents in the armor, and perhaps the biggest one is the lack of a dominant runner outside of quarterback Jordan Travis' wheels.
If 5'10", 200-pound top-60 playmaker Kameron Davis was already in garnet and gold, it would help tremendously. He will make the short trek from Albany, Georgia, to play his college ball for Norvell, and Davis already has a college-built body.
As the 'Noles search for star runners to carry the load, you'd better believe Davis would be in the mix. He spent his high school career playing quarterback efficiently and effectively, and even though he has massive shoulders and a thick lower body, he's shifty in space and powerful in the hold.
FSU would find a way to get him right in the mix this year.
DJ Lagway, Florida Gators Quarterback commit
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Even though he dissected Tennessee during the first half of a key early-season win for Florida, Gators transfer quarterback Graham Mertz has plenty of limitations.
At best, he's a game manager for coach Billy Napier, who is trying to turn the program back into an SEC East powerhouse.
Next year's Florida recruiting class looks like it could be a catalyst for big things, spearheaded by 6'2", 225-pound Willis, Texas, 5-star signal-caller DJ Lagway.
The quarterback is the primary weapon in a class filled with difference-makers that Napier is assembling, and a guy with his skill set and dual-threat abilities would be great in Gainesville this year, even if it was just to provide a change-of-pace.
It's going to be interesting to see if Napier goes the transfer portal route yet again to bridge the gap from Mertz to Lagway, but if the prospect was in town already, he would be the type of playmaker who could elevate an offense with too many stalled drives and settling for field goals.
Lagway is by no means a finished product, but a ceiling like his is hard to ignore.
Cheta Ofili, Texas Tech Red Raiders Edge commit
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Entering the season, the Texas Tech Red Raiders were a popular pick to click in the Big 12, especially following an 8-5 season in Joey McGuire's first in Lubbock.
That hasn't transpired yet, as they have limped to a 1-3 start with tough losses to Wyoming, Oregon and West Virginia.
Part of the problems for the Red Raiders is their struggle getting to opposing teams' quarterbacks. The longer those guys are able to stand back in the pocket, the more they can dissect a defense that is still short on the necessary depth and talent to excel.
McGuire is changing the recruiting fortunes for Texas Tech, though, and getting a player of Cheta Ofili's ilk from Sachse, Texas, will help. The 6'3.5", 215-pound edge-rusher will team with star '23 recruit Isaiah Crawford to give the Red Raiders a formidable future duo.
Though he needs to add some weight, you can't tell me putting Ofili's speed in a rabbit package off the edge wouldn't help change the fortunes of a sack-hungry defense this year.
They would be wise to get him on the field quickly in '24, and it would be a big deal if he was already in the fold.
Jadon Porter, Baylor Bears Wide Receiver commit
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Is Dave Aranda's Baylor Bears football program fundamentally broken, or is it just going to take some time to build it back?
This is a program two years removed from winning the Big 12 and putting Aranda on the map as an upstart, young coach who was a guy who could turn around a program quickly. But he also was the beneficiary of a bunch of upperclassmen and COVID-19 seniors who had played a ton of football.
The past couple of seasons has witnessed a major dip in wins and production, and the Bears are in desperate need of offensive playmakers. Enter Jadon Porter, who as Dave Campbell's Texas Football recruiting guru Greg Powers says, is often overlooked.
Porter is a 5'11.5", 190-pound pass-catcher who is just a 247Sports composite 3-star prospect, but that's underrated; he's much better than that. His 247Sports profile thinks he's a 4-star player, and he's the type of guy who can step in and play right away if not start.
The Bears need guys who can change the narrative on offense, and Porter is a wildly productive, fast playmaker who has played a lot of meaningful football for Lorena High School in Texas.
Aranda could use a guy with his abilities right now to help transform that offense.
James Resar, Iowa Hawkeyes Quarterback commit
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For all the early-season decent vibes regarding Iowa's maligned offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz, they all washed away in a shutout loss to Penn State a couple of weeks ago.
Michigan transfer Cade McNamara again looked like virtually every other Hawkeyes signal-caller under Ferentz. New blood is needed as head coach Kirk Ferentz needs to demote or fire his son and bring in some fresh, innovative ideas.
Can any quarterback fix Iowa?
Hawkeyes fans hope 6'4", 199-pound Jacksonville, Florida, quarterback James Resar is the answer. The dual-threat player has a big arm and strong athleticism, and he may have the opportunity to play as soon as he gets on campus.
Truthfully, putting Resar on this list is a bit of a slight to McNamara, who is simply the latest signal-caller to fall victim to the offensive vortex that is the younger Ferentz. Nothing is ever going to get fixed until changes are made.
But it may make Iowa fans feel a little better to be growing with a youngster under center than just the latest in an ever-revolving door of inefficient upperclassmen.
Elijah Rushing, Arizona Wildcats Edge commit
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The Arizona Wildcats again are doing an exceptional job of luring offensive skill-position players to Tucson in the 2024 recruiting class, but coach Jedd Fisch needs to secure some defensive difference-makers.
Better success in the transfer portal has to be a staple of this offseason, but there's no question keeping 5-star defensive end Elijah Rushing at home was a massive recruiting win and a major step forward for the program.
The 6'6", 251-pound edge-rusher would be the most talented defender on campus right now, and there's no way he wouldn't at least be firmly in the rotation this season on a defense needing playmakers.
Rushing is special, a long-armed, jumbo defensive end who possesses the type of quick-twitch skills and bend to get around offensive tackles and into the backfield. He is a game-changer, and this is the type of player Arizona hasn't gotten in years.
A win in the living room like Rushing can help turn around the fortunes of not only a defense but a program. Yes, he's that good, and as strong as the talent has been in recent years in the state, Fisch needs to play him early so Rushing can be a walking "Come to Arizona" billboard for prospects.
Julian Sayin, Alabama Crimson Tide Quarterback commit
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A team that recruits as well as the Alabama Crimson Tide shouldn't be facing the quarterback conundrum they're in this season.
While Jalen Milroe has looked a little better recently, neither he nor Tyler Buchner or Ty Simpson are going to strike fear in the hearts of defenders. Dylan Lonergan has a lot of talent but hasn't been able to get on the field, so what does that say?
Nick Saban hasn't ever been scared to trot out freshmen quarterbacks (see Jalen Hurts and Tua Tagovailoa), so don't sleep on Julian Sayin winning that job in 2024. He is one of the most polished, college-ready quarterbacks to come out of high school in a while.
Arguably, he is the most ready player at that position in the '24 class.
What if the 6'1", 195-pound Carlsbad, California, prospect would be the most talented quarterback on the 2023 Tide roster who gave the team the best chance to win? Is that a hypothetical? Sure, but none of the guys offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is throwing out there have seized the job.
Sayin absolutely could win the gig next year, and it would be fun to see him get a shot in Tuscaloosa this season. Unfortunately, that can't happen.
Dylan Stewart, South Carolina Edge
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Even after South Carolina's strong end to the season a year ago with upsets to Tennessee and Clemson, the Gamecocks are still building to where coach Shane Beamer wants them to be.
The transfer portal ripped away any depth they may have built in the offseason, and the defensive deficiencies are showing so far this season. Another recruiting class under Beamer's belt will help.
If elite pass-rusher Dylan Stewart was eligible this year, he'd be making an Elijah Rushing-type impact in Columbia.
The 6'5", 235-pound edge-rusher continues Beamer's exceptional success recruiting the Washington D.C. area, and Stewart is a guy who is a major difference-maker no matter when he steps on campus. He's college-ready right now, and he has the potential not only to get after quarterbacks but help in the run game.
South Carolina lacks depth and defensive playmakers in the front seven, and Stewart would be a guy who could shore things up right now.
He's going to be fun to watch once he gets on campus in Columbia, and it's got to be tough for Gamecocks fans to watch this year when they know help is on the way. Stewart has the ability to be a great one.
David Stone, Oklahoma Defensive Line
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If you've watched the Oklahoma Sooners this year, you're witnessing a team that is beginning to take on a little more of Brent Venables' identity in his second season.
There's more defensive toughness along the line of scrimmage, and the Sooners have plenty of more fight than they did in a losing 2023 campaign. There been a massive talent upgrade through recruiting and the portal, and it's obvious on the field.
Venables continues to recruit at a high level, and while the major improvements will be evident in the win column, it would be a major boost to a defense that still needs help stopping the run to have David Stone in the mix in the interior of the line.
The 6'4", 275-pound 5-star prospect from IMG Academy is arguably the best lineman in the entire class, possessing the build to play right now, an ability to get after the quarterback from the middle of the line and violent hands.
Stone is going to be a force when he gets to Norman next year, and while it's tough to project defensive linemen and how quickly they can make an impact, he's a can't-miss talent. He would be in the rotation this year, and it would be a huge boost if they had him once the Sooners get in the rigors of the Big 12 season.
He'll help in the SEC next year, regardless.
Bryant Wesco/TJ Moore, Clemson Wide Receivers
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The Clemson Tigers haven't enjoyed an offensive turnaround yet, and quarterback Cade Klubnik has suffered plenty of struggles in adapting to Garrett Riley's system, even with DJ Uiagalelei out of the picture.
The signal-caller is the biggest issue right now, but Klubnik's talent is obvious. He needs more weapons that can help him improve the downfield passing game.
It's difficult to choose just one of the two elite receivers coach Dabo Swinney has coming in next year, but the duo of Bryant Wesco and TJ Moore are going to be special. They'd be in the rotation this year and would be big boosts to a receiving corps needing more dynamic players to go along with Antonio Williams.
Wesco (from Texas) and Moore (from Florida) proves Swinney still has major recruiting reach, and those are explosive pass-catchers who would give Klubnik weapons that would help with his development.
It's hard to believe the Tigers already have a pair of losses this year and are not in the ACC picture already, but inserting a 5-star like Wesco and another playmaker like Moore would help the Clemson offense begin looking like Riley's group a season ago at TCU.
An upgrade is needed in skill-position players, and everybody will see it's coming. It just has to wait till '24.
Walker White, Auburn Quarterback
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The most puzzling thing that has happened so far in a wildly successful early Hugh Freeze tenure at Auburn where he's flipped the roster was his inability to lure an impact quarterback.
Yes, he got Payton Thorne from Michigan State, but he struggled at East Lansing and has endured the same issues on the Plains. Last year's starter, Robby Ashford, is uber-athletic but an inconsistent passer, and Holden Geriner hasn't proven anything yet, either.
Case in point: During Auburn's loss to Texas A&M a couple of weeks ago, three quarterbacks combined for 56 passing yards in a game where the Tigers were playing from behind. That's, um, hard to do.
Freeze needs a quarterback, and it looks like he has secured his signal-caller of the future in Arkansas prep star Walker White. The 6'3", 215-pound Little Rock Christian quarterback is the perfect Freeze quarterback, blessed with a strong arm and the athleticism to be a power runner.
While you'd think Auburn will go portal-ing again to try to find a terrific quarterback to help bridge the gap between its current mess at the position and the White era, it's hard to envision a scenario where the high school senior who is developed and polished enough wouldn't be in the picture this year.
If Freeze knew he had his quarterback in place around which he was going to build his program, he'd be playing him now. Instead, he's rotating guys who aren't SEC signal-callers and trying to get enough production to win a handful of games in a transition year.
Marcelles Williams, USC Cornerback
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The strides USC is making on defense has been noticeable in the early season, though coordinator Alex Grinch's unit has still experienced its share of struggles in wins over San Jose State and Arizona State.
A talent upgrade is still needed on that side, and while defense has never been the strong suit of a Lincoln Riley-coached team, the Trojans need to continue to get better on that side of the ball if national championships are in their future.
Of course, they already have a top-tier offense, but defensively needs to come along. Continuing to recruit waves of talented players at all levels will help, and a star-in-the-making like Marcelles Williams will help boost the secondary.
His brothers Max (USC) and Macen (Arizona State) already have been Pac-12 players, and Marcelles should be the best of the bunch.
The 5'11", 185-pound cornerback fills a major need for cornerbacks coach Donte Williams after the Trojans signed just one player at the position last year. The Trojans have a lot of talent in the secondary, but getting difference-makers like the younger Williams is huge.
He'd be in the mix this year.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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