Five must-get prospects for East Coast programs
Commitment season is upon us and the college football world is waiting for certain dominoes to fall. Many of the nation's best prospects have been recruited for years and the teams that target certain players from an early age can't afford to miss out on players they worked this hard to sign.
Here are five players from the East Region that are "must-get" prospects for certain teams this cycle.
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FACT OR FICTION: Four-star receiver Noah Rogers will sign with Ohio State
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NC STATE: Noah Rogers
There isn't a recruit in the East Region that is a bigger must-get than Noah Rogers is for NC State. A truly elite pass catcher, the Wolfpack and head coach Dave Doeren have invested more time and effort recruiting the local star than any other school. On top of that, he is extremely tight with longtime NC State commit Lex Thomas, who has been pushing to get him onboard with the Wolfpack.
Ohio State is the biggest threat to NC State right now and Clemson is right there as well. North Carolina is also involved. All four programs will get Rogers on campus again before he commits but NC State needs to find a way to turn up the heat.
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PITT: Rodney Gallagher
Pat Narduzzi and the Pittsburgh program are livid with how the impending transfer of Biletnikoff Award winner Jordan Addison has played out. There's nothing that would ease the sting of that series of events but landing a commitment from Rodney Gallagher, a star receiver from Western Pennsylvania, would certainly help.
The Panthers have been all over Gallagher from the beginning of his recruitment and currently sit at or very near the top of his list. He was on campus earlier this month and he is building a good relationship with new receivers coach Tiquan Underwood.
Meanwhile, Penn State and West Virginia are the other top two main contenders for Gallagher.
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CLEMSON: Monroe Freeling
The 2023 recruiting cycle is humming along for the Tigers but one area where they are behind the eight ball is along the offensive line. The Tigers lost out on Rivals250 prospect Sam Pendleton, who favored Clemson early in the process, after he committed to Notre Dame and they are trying to play catch up with four-star offensive tackle Sullivan Absher as well.
Monroe Freeling has been a long-time Clemson target and has a lot of connections to the program through the coaching staff and current players. After Freeling, Clemson’s list of offensive line targets starts to get a little thin so it is imperative that the Tigers pick up momentum quickly in Freeling's recruitment.
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MARYLAND: Desmond Umeozulu
There’s a lot that can be said about the Maryland program right now but one that is fairly obvious is how many players it has lost via the transfer portal this offseason. Highlighted by the losses of Demeioun Robinson to Big Ten rival Penn State and Darrell Jackson to Miami, the Terps really need to upgrade their pass rush personnel and Desmond Umeozulu is the perfect fit.
He has a former teammate on the roster in Tommy Akingbesote and, as a local prospect, he is extremely familiar with the coaching staff and many of the players on the roster. Maryland has beaten some national powers for talented local prospects in the past and it'll need to do it again to keep this important prospect home.
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SOUTH CAROLINA: Markee Anderson
Markee Anderson just came out with his shortlist and South Carolina figures prominently into his recruitment. Battling the likes of Clemson, North Carolina and LSU, the Gamecocks need to keep this in-state offensive lineman home. Solidifying their offensive line is imperative to the offense's success in the coming years and head coach Shane Beamer and his staff know it.
Anderson has been a frequent visitor to the Columbia campus and the in-state prospect understands how big a priority he is for the Gamecocks. No decision date is set but Anderson is getting closer to his commitment and South Carolina has to like where it currently stands.