Winners, Losers from College Football Recruiting Trail for Month of October
College football featured significant on-field developments and a pair of high-profile coaching changes during October, adding new dynamics to a compelling recruiting landscape.
Storied programs Miami and USC are scrambling to keep things intact, while a new regime at Florida has swiftly found its groove. With those storylines and more in mind, here's a look back at recruiting winners and losers from the past month.
Winner: Notre Dame
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Notre Dame has put itself in position to capitalize on other teams' losses during a crucial stretch of the 2016 recruiting cycle. The Fighting Irish hosted a pair of freshly decommitted 4-star defenders for an Oct. 17 game against USC, welcoming former Trojans pledge Daelin Hayes and former Alabama commit Khalid Kareem to campus.
“Notre Dame definitely set the bar,” Hayes told Tom Loy of 247Sports. “They shattered any expectations I had for the visit. It was just a great experience. And the game itself, that was amazing. It was unreal."
Hayes still has a few official visits remaining, but fellow Michigan standout Kareem couldn't wait to join Notre Dame's class. The 6'4", 260-pound prospect, who recorded 85 tackles and 18 sacks as a junior, pledged to the Irish on Oct. 23.
Notre Dame now holds commitments from two top-tier 2016 pass-rushers as Kareem combines with North Carolina product Julian Okwara. It's another building block for an Irish defensive haul that could expand quite a bit in the coming months.
Tennessee cornerback Donte Vaughn, a 4-star recruit, committed to Notre Dame midway through the month. He chose the Irish over offers from Auburn, Ole Miss, LSU and Texas A&M, among others.
Hayes is certainly considering Notre Dame, while head coach Brian Kelly also has his squad firmly in the mix for Texas linebacker Jeff McCulloch, Pennsylvania cornerback Damar Hamlin and California defensive end Oluwole Betiku.
Loser: UCLA
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UCLA suffered a major recruiting blow Oct. 23 when 5-star prospect Oluwole Betiku broke his verbal pact with the Bruins.
"I have decided to open up my recruiting," he tweeted. "It is in my best interest to take my time with the recruiting process and weigh my options carefully, it's a lifetime decision and I pray God guides me to make the best decision."
Betiku initially pledged to the program in August, shortly before the start of his senior season at Los Angeles area powerhouse Junipero Serra High School. His decommitment opens the door for several alternative contenders, including Florida, Florida State, LSU, Notre Dame and Texas A&M.
UCLA loses grips on a prolific pass-rusher who remains in early stages of his development. Rated No. 1 nationally among weak-side defensive ends in the 2016 composite rankings, Betiku began playing football in 2014 and is just two years removed from Nigerian emmigration.
He's tallied 103 tackles—42 for loss—and 21 sacks in 19 career games, according to MaxPreps. His departure drops the Bruins to third in the Pac-12 class rankings, behind Stanford and USC.
Winner: Florida
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After averaging approximately seven victories per season under former head coach Will Muschamp, Florida has quickly turned things around with Jim McElwain at the helm. The Gators have already won six games this season, displaying offensive explosiveness that was practically nonexistent in recent years.
McElwain and his staff spearheaded a strong finish on the 2015 recruiting trail and now have on-field evidence to offer interested athletes. Increased confidence in the program is paying dividends with recruits, as the Gators added a trio of key commitments this month.
In-state standout McArthur Burnett, a former Miami pledge, joined the class Oct. 3. He's projected to play cornerback in Gainesville, according to Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel, though he also presents an option at running back and wide receiver.
Fellow Florida product Freddie Swain enhances the future Gators passing attack. The 4-star receiver, who committed Oct. 9, is among America's most polished high school route-runners and flashes big-play skills with a sturdy 6'1", 188-pound frame.
Swain accumulated career-high statistics as a junior last fall, catching 52 passes for 841 yards and six touchdowns.
Florida gained another crucial commitment Oct. 28 when 4-star Georgia defensive end Antonneous Clayton joined the class. He picked the Gators from an offer list featuring nearly 40 teams.
The 6'3", 218-pound edge-rusher has 54 tackles and seven sacks through eight games this season, per MaxPreps.
“Right now I’m almost unblockable, not to be cocky or anything. That’s how I see it, but I kind of take that back. I have a right to be,” Clayton told USA Today. “I’ve been working all summer for this.”
The pieces are coming together quickly in Gainesville.
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Loser: USC
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USC endured an embarrassing chapter in program history this month, dismissing second-year head coach Steve Sarkisian due to alleged substance abuse issues. It's a setback that won't be easy to overcome when combined with three losses in the past five games.
The Trojans signed arguably the nation's most talented 2015 recruiting class and entered this season with high hopes. However, things have been rocky at best, and it appears the program is headed for its third major reboot since Pete Carroll left town.
There's been a serious price to pay on the recruiting trail, as USC suffered two devastating decommitments shortly after Sarkisian's Oct. 12 firing. Linebackers Daelin Hayes and Mique Juarez reopened their recruitments on consecutive days.
Hayes and Juarez are rated 4-star and 5-star talents, respectively. Without them on board, USC plummeted to 13th overall in the national composite class rankings.
The hits could keep coming in Southern California, where all eyes will be on what direction university administration goes for its head coaching vacancy. Swirling uncertainty leaves recruits across the country assessing a fluid situation moving forward.
"I'm still committed but feel that it's wise to explore the other options that I have," 4-star wide receiver commit Josh Imatorbhebhe told Bleacher Report.
At this stage, there may be several USC commitments hanging by a thread.
Winner: Pittsburgh
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Pat Narduzzi is off to a 6-2 start as head coach at Pittsburgh, and his staff is starting to make meaningful recruiting strides. The Panthers addressed needs for both the 2016 and 2017 cycles in October, securing pledges from a pair of prized Pennsylvania defenders.
Aliquippa High School senior Kaezon Pugh, considered the top outside linebacker prospect in Pennsylvania, committed to Pittsburgh on Oct. 19.
"He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast and he’s tough,” Aliquippa head coach Michael Zmijanac told Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports. “When you have a combination of those things it gets people’s attention.”
The 6'2", 207-pound stepbrother of NFL star and former Panthers great Darrelle Revis is also accomplished on offense. He rushed for 1,621 yards as a junior, according to Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Paris Ford, perhaps the state's premier 2017 defensive recruit, pulled the trigger on a pledge to Pitt just three days earlier. Rated sixth nationally among safeties in his class, the 4-star Seton-LaSalle High School junior is an early foundational member of Narduzzi's long-term recruiting plans.
It's worth noting Ford is a close friend of top 2016 Panthers target Damar Hamlin, an elite cornerback who included Pitt in his latest list of favorites.
Loser: Miami
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Miami is another proud program that's struggling to maintain its reputation during difficult times. The Hurricanes haven't won 10 games in a season since moving to the ACC in 2004 and must now identify a fourth head coach since that transition.
Al Golden lost his job last weekend following a historically lopsided loss to Clemson. His 57-game tenure in Coral Gables featured more defeats than victories against conference opponents, forcing university leaders to search elsewhere for a solution.
Despite his in-season struggles, Golden managed to grow impressive recruiting classes at Miami. His 2016 haul rated No. 1 overall in the composite rankings last winter, but the class continues to unravel and it's now listed 11th nationally.
In-state wide receiver Ahmmon Richards is the latest casualty. The 4-star Wellington High School senior decommitted immediately after the school announced Golden's dismissal.
Richards plans to visit Alabama, Auburn and Tennessee before making a final decision, according to Corey Bender of Scout.com. His past two seasons have been an individual highlight reel, as he's totaled 107 receptions for 2,355 yards and 37 scores since 2014, per MaxPreps.
The Hurricanes also face a significant loss in underclassmen recruiting efforts. Coveted 2018 cornerback Al Blades Jr., who already carries offers from Florida State, Alabama, Michigan State and LSU, ended an eight-month commitment to Miami following the firing.
This program is at a crossroads right now, and its recruiting situation may get worse before a rebound occurs.
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