B/R Recruiting: Underrated 2024 Prospects Who Could Make an Instant Impact
The transfer portal has become college football's great equalizer, allowing programs to fill gaps and catch up with rivals more quickly than ever before.
It's also made it difficult to project which incoming freshmen will be able to impact the team right away.
Projecting recruits' impact was an inexact science, anyway, no matter the ranking or the position, but it's become even tougher now. When you try to look deep into a team's recruiting class and pick out under-the-radar "finds", the degree of difficulty is compounded.
But it's still fun to dive in, watch film on some lower-trajectory prospects and make a determination if they will be able to shine for their teams of choice on the gridiron in 2024. When there are a handful of quarterbacks on the list, that is even more exciting.
As always, teams' success (or failure) in the portal will impact this list in a massive way, but in recruiting, services don't always get the rankings right. Even at this time of year when high school seasons are either complete or teams are in the playoffs, a few guys remain underrated.
Let's take a look at a few 3-stars who could impact their team right away next year.
Cedrick Bailey, North Carolina State Quarterback Commit
1 of 11
It's hard to envision North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren not trying to attack the transfer portal hard and find his '24 signal-caller.
Following this past week's news that starter MJ Morris was going to redshirt the remainder of the season, likely ending his Wolfpack career, and with this year's transfer—Brennan Armstrong—out of eligibility after this year, the Pack is hurting depth-wise.
Morris' departure leaves Lex Thomas as the only scholarship quarterback on N.C. State's roster, and that's not enough. That means Doeren's only signal-caller commit in the '24 class could find himself right in the mix right away.
Cedrick Bailey is far from a polished product, but the Florida 3-star player has a lot of upside, which is why he had offers from Georgia Tech, Indiana, Louisville and Texas A&M and others. At 6'6.5", 185 pounds, Bailey needs to fill out a bit, but he has potential.
He has led top-tier program Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Florida, the past couple of years, and he is better than the nation's 31st-ranked quarterback. He also gets to throw to 5-star Jeremiah Smith, too.
Even if Doeren goes out and finds a player in the portal, the Pack have had a difficult time keeping their starters healthy in recent years. Bailey is a terrific athlete with a big arm and may get on the field right away for a quality ACC program.
Eli Bowen, Oklahoma Cornerback Commit
2 of 11
When the Oklahoma Sooners pulled off a huge recruiting upset a year ago and brought in Peyton Bowen to Norman, they got an instant-impact star who has been fun to watch at safety in his first season.
Now, his brother could potentially follow in his footsteps.
Eli Bowen is a 3-star player from the same powerhouse high school (Guyer) in Denton, Texas. At 5'9", 165 pounds, he's a bit undersized, and he's not as electrifying as his 5-star brother. Still, he's better than the nation's No. 454-ranked player and 36th-rated cornerback.
Like his brother, Eli has a knack for the ball, and that's why teams like Texas, Texas A&M, LSU, Baylor, TCU, Notre Dame and Oregon all offered him. The older Bowen, of course, was once committed to the Fighting Irish and signed with Oregon before winding up at Oklahoma.
The younger brother's choice came down between the Sooners and Longhorns, but in the end, he decided to keep it in the family. With OU's need for impact defensive backs, it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him get some run alongside his brother next year.
Like Cedrick Bailey, Bowen comes from one of the nation's top high school football programs, and that winning mentality is something that can behoove a youngster trying to separate himself on the next level. He may get his chance to make an impact right away.
Martavious Collins, Auburn Tight End
3 of 11
Hugh Freeze is doing plenty of work on the recruiting trail, and that's a big reason why he has the surprising Auburn Tigers sitting with six wins at this point of the season after last year's disaster.
While much of the splash-worthy news comes with the Tigers' top-heavy class in the '24 cycle, a deeper look shows quite a few prospects who may not have the rankings but have plenty of ability.
One of those guys is South Pittsburg (Tennessee) athlete Martavious Collins, a former Alabama commitment who flipped to the rival Tigers where he will play tight end in the loveliest village on the Plains.
The 6'3", 241-pound tight end has a ton of physical prowess, which is why the Tide, Florida State, Arkansas and others wanted him. Still, his rankings didn't follow suit to the interest he received. He's the nation's, No. 574-ranked player and the 43rd-rated athlete.
Despite an injury earlier in the season that hindered his development as a tight end with the Pirates, he has a ton of ability at the position. He also played very well for the Tennessee prep powerhouse on the defensive line.
Once Freeze gets him on campus and starts teaching him some nuances of the position, Collins should thrive at a position where the Tigers need help.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Ka'Davion Dotson, SMU Safety
4 of 11
As SMU makes its way to the ACC next year, the Mustangs are going to have to close a lot better on the recruiting trail than it has in recent memory.
Of course, the clout of going to the Power 5 will help coach Rhett Lashlee tremendously, and sitting smack-dab in the recruiting hotbed of the Dallas area will be a major benefit, too. So, don't be surprised if the Mustangs find a way to re-create the same type of recruiting buzz UCF has this year.
The Knights, of course, are in their first year in the Big 12, and they have a top-30 class. SMU doesn't, but getting players like defensive back commit Ka'Davion Dotson will go a long way toward establishing success next year.
The 5'11", 170-pound Duncanville, Texas, standout can play cornerback or safety, and that versatility is going to benefit him right away. Like several others on this list, playing at powerhouse Duncanville HS won't hurt, either.
Dotson chose to stay home rather than go to LSU, Oklahoma State, TCU or Texas, telling Rivals.com's Cole Patterson: "I want to stay home and put on for the Dallas brand. It just feels different for me."
The offensive side of the ball is in good hands for SMU, but the Mustangs need defensive help. Dotson is a gap-closer on the back-end.
Audric Harris, Arizona Wide Receiver
5 of 11
One of the biggest surprises in all of college football this year is what Jedd Fisch has done with the Arizona Wildcats rebuild.
They're bearing down in Tucson with a ranked team and one of the most explosive offenses in all of college football. When you factor in an improved defense, there are plenty of reasons why there is noise coming from the desert.
Still, though, Fisch is an offensive guru, and with Noah Fifita leading the way for the Cats in the future, they are going to have to find some talented pass-catchers to replace Jacob Cowing and go along with Tetairoa McMillan next year.
Audric Harris is another high-quality receiver being brought in by Fisch, and (notice a trend here?) he is coming from elite high school program Bishop Gorman HS in Las Vegas. This is a program that has produced recent stars such as Zachariah Branch and Cedric Tillman.
Harris has the potential to be the next, and with a compact, 6'0", 175-pound frame, he looks a little like a Christian Kirk clone. Think Fisch isn't excited about deploying a guy like him? He's put up huge numbers in high school and is way more college-ready than his No. 1,053 ranking (No. 134 receiver) indicates.
Tillman flew under the radar and was a star at Tennessee. Harris may have the chance to reach the field quicker and be a household name for Arizona fans next year.
Daniel Kaelin, Nebraska Quarterback
6 of 11
If Matt Rhule is going to build his program at Nebraska and make Big Red proud once again, he simply must get better quarterback play.
This year has been a couple of rungs shy of a disaster.
The Cornhuskers hung their hat on Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims, but he has either been ineffective or injured much of the season. While backup Heinrich Haarberg has done some nice things with 1,444 total yards and 12 touchdowns while leading the team in rushing, he still needs to be much better throwing the ball.
Chubba Purdy hasn't played enough to be considered. So, while the Huskers have plenty of depth at the position with all those guys set to return, the door is open for an impact transfer or freshman.
Daniel Kaelin may burst through it. The 6'2", 198-pound Bellevue, Nebraska, prospect flipped from Missouri to his home-state Cornhuskers and is the future at the position for Rhule. That future may come sooner rather than later.
Kaelin can make all the throws and is an intelligent leader, and 247Sports analyst Allen Trieu calls him "refined" in his profile and pegs him as a guy who could play right away. The potential is there and so is the ability, so now, it's just a matter of Kaelin getting on campus and getting in the mix.
There aren't any guarantees ahead of him, so watch out for Kaelin if the Huskers don't go the transfer portal route once again.
Jack Larsen, Notre Dame Tight End
7 of 11
Jack Larsen looks like he could be the poster child for Notre Dame football.
He just happens to play one of the positions you think of when you conjure images of Fighting Irish stars in your head, too. Coach Marcus Freeman needs to find the next great Notre Dame tight end, and he may have it in Larsen.
If you watch his film, you'd have to agree Larsen seems criminally underrated as the nation's, No. 29-ranked tight end. Yes, it's a great class for the position, but the 6'3", 220-pound Charlotte, North Carolina, product had a ton of high-tier offers and is a great player.
Teams like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Texas A&M and others really wanted the Charlotte Catholic HS product. He may not be the biggest or tallest tight end, but he is a great straight-line runner and a fearsome blocker who will improve once he gets in the weight room.
Larsen seems the perfect target to enter school with quarterback pledge CJ Carr and receiver Cam Williams, and he has quick-start potential. Not only does he run pristine routes, but he attacks space extremely well and finds ways to get open. Some around his football program believe he's the best tight end in the country.
While it's not surprising to hear him get that lip service from those around him, this does seem to be a lazy ranking. It looks like talent evaluators got hung up comparing him to some of the physical athletes at the position in this year's deep class and forgot that Larsen is straight-up a smart, quality football player.
He'll play with a chip on his shoulder and play soon.
AJ Surace, Rutgers Quarterback
8 of 11
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football program is close.
There's no question coach Greg Schiano has a once-woebegone program playing its best football in at least a decade, but they still need a lot of help on the offensive side of the ball, as evidenced by last weekend's 22-0 loss to Iowa.
Dual-threat quarterback Gavin Wimsatt has done some nice things with his feet, but he's simply not enough of a downfield passing threat to keep teams honest. The Scarlet Knights are one-dimensional, and that's why Schiano has to mix things up in the quarterback room.
Maybe Wimsatt will develop as a passer, or it's possible Schiano gets a guy in the transfer portal to compete. But there's also a chance incoming freshman AJ Surace can become a force to be reckoned with in the '24 race under center, as well.
The 6'1.5", 210-pound Lawrenceville, New Jersey, product chose to stay home rather than go to Duke, Michigan State, Boston College or others. He is a top-shelf athlete who has put up big rushing and passing numbers for Notre Dame Prep and is a great-looking prospect.
He finished the season completing 130-of-188 passes for 1,862 yards. He had 22 passing touchdowns and two interceptions. On 107 carries, he also had 909 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns, according to RutgersWire's Kristian Dyer.
Despite being the nation's No. 663-ranked overall prospect and the No. 41-ranked quarterback, Surace is better than that. He will be at Rutgers in January to battle, which is also a big deal in his opportunity to get in the mix.
Keona Wilhite, Washington Edge
9 of 11
It made college football recruiting headlines when 5-star edge rusher Elijah Rushing decommitted from the Arizona Wildcats and found his way into Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks class.
While the shockwaves weren't quite as resounding for Rushing's Salpointe (Arizona) Catholic High School teammate Keona Wilhite's decision to back off his Wildcats' pledge, it was still a pain point for coach Jedd Fisch's recruiting class.
Wilhite is far from Rushing's 5-star status, but the 3-star prospect is still a quality prospect, which is why he was snatched up quickly by the Washington Huskies, where he will have the opportunity to get immediate snaps with Bralen Trice and Zion Tupuloa-Fetui heading to the NFL.
The 6'5", 240-pound Wilhite is a guy who is physically ready to play right now, and he is going to have the opportunity to do so for a program that is competing for the national championship. That had to be a huge selling point for coach Kalen DeBoer to get the Tucson native out of his backyard and up to Seattle.
"I love the development program for their edges," Wilhite told Inside the Huskies' Roman Thomashoff. "I believe committing to Washington will help me reach my end goal of the NFL."
Despite his 3-star status, he is shockingly the nation's No. 92-ranked edge rusher and the No. 820-ranked overall player. But he is a much better prospect than that. This is a deep D-line class for the Huskies as they head to the Big Ten in '24, but Wilhite has just as good of a shot as any at making some waves of his own on the field right away.
J'koby Williams, Texas Tech Athlete
10 of 11
With all his recruiting ties around the Lone Star State, Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire is doing big things in Lubbock when it comes to convincing kids to join him with the Red Raiders.
At 5-5 and having battled injuries all year, it hasn't been the type of season McGuire wanted at Tech, but he has plenty of reinforcements coming in. There are playmakers up and down the '24 class, and one under-the-radar kid who could find his way into an offensive package or two is J'koby Williams.
The 5'9", 180-pound Beckville, Texas, native has churned out eye-opening numbers throughout his high school career playing quarterback, and though he won't play that for the Red Raiders, his "Athlete" status proves there are several places he could slot. There's a reason why his high school coach, Cody Ross, calls him "special."
For now, it appears McGuire wants him as a running back, where he can be an explosive, do-it-all dynamo. He can catch the ball out of the backfield, and his open-field ability that he's cultivated playing quarterback in high school will serve him well.
Williams doesn't play at one of those Texas powers, which may be a reason why he's the nation's No. 481-ranked player and the 32nd-rated athlete. With Tahj Brooks off to the NFL after this year, there will be RB reps to go around. Williams may get some.
Yasin Willis, Pittsburgh Running Back
11 of 11
The only outlier in an otherwise-awful season for the Pittsburgh Panthers was a stunning upset win over Louisville, thus far the Cardinals' only loss of the year.
Even so, coach Pat Narduzzi needs to have to positivity happen down the stretch for the dreadful 2-8 Panthers, or he's going find himself on the hot seat.
Pitt needs a talent injection in a big way, and it would be a major win if the Panthers can get some immediate-impact ability from incoming running back Yasin Willis. The 6'1", 220-pound Montvale, New Jersey, native spurned Rutgers, Alabama, Kentucky and several other programs to play for Pitt.
He had to see the large, flashing vacancy sign above the running back room. The Panthers have had zero luck running the ball this year, and their leading rusher is Rodney Hammond Jr., who has just 381 rushing yards on a 4.2 average.
Willis needs to turn the trajectory right away. The Garden State has provided Pitt with a ton of talent over the years, most recently quarterback Kenny Pickett.
It's certainly a possibility with as many high-end offers as he had that Willis is the next big-time prospect from that state to play for the Panthers. He will have every opportunity to make an impact in '24.
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.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
