Midwest Spotlight: Five prospects that should have more offers
Rivals national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove highlights five prospects in the Midwest Region that should have more programs on their offer sheet.
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The high three-star out of Clarkston (Mich.) has a special amount of upside and even though he has more than 25 offers that includes the likes of Purdue, Michigan State, Duke, Louisville, Indiana and others, it wasn't until USC offered on Oct. 31 that he received his first blueblood offer.
Stephens committed to Boston College in June but backed off from his pledge in October and that is likely the reason he seems relatively under recruited when considering his size and skillset.
Stephens has plenty of options and has every tool to be a star at the school he chooses, but the most surprising part of his recruitment is that it took until recent weeks for Michigan State to offer and he has yet to receive an offer from Michigan when he is in the backyard of both programs. Don't be surprised if additional bluebloods enter the mix prior to signing day.
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I know it probably sounds dumb to say that a freshman in high school is under recruited, but Johnson-Cook isn't just any Power Five-caliber freshman. The Decatur (Ill.) MacArthur running back measures in at 6-foot-3 and 207 pounds, and ran 10.97 in the 100-meters as an eighth grader.
Even as a 2027 recruit he looks like he is playing on a different field than those around him despite much of the competition being years older. He is a prospect developed beyond his years and has the upside to be one of the better recruits we have seen out of Illinois in recent memory.
Johnson-Cool already has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and Penn State. I expect him to be one of the most sought after recruits with an offer list that spans the country by the end of his recruitment.
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Oliphant first impressed with his incredible frame and the athletic ability to match during a standout performance at the Rivals Camp Series in Cincinnati last spring. While his offer list is well over double digits, his only Power Five offers are from Boston College and most recently Oklahoma State. After seeing Oliphant in person at both practice and a game recently, I truly believe a bunch of Power Five programs could be missing out.
The Saint Louis (Mo.) University standout recently dropped a top seven of Arkansas State, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, Wyoming, UConn, Ohio and Ball State. Look for a decision to come later this month or in early December.
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As the No. 50 overall prospect in the 2025 Rivals250, Hill is already highly regarded by Rivals. With double-digit offers coming from the likes of Notre Dame, Oregon, Michigan, Minnesota and others, colleges have also taken notice, but after blowing up as a freshman there has been a lull in his recruitment. He is undoubtedly one of the most dynamic players with the ball in his hands in the 2025 class and has the speed to hit the home run every time he touches the ball.
Part of the lull in Hill's recruitment could be attributed to his transfer to Belleville (Ill.) Althoff in the offseason and once coaches are able to visit the four-star athlete this spring I fully expect his recruitment to take off once again.
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The 6-foot-2 receiver first caught our eye while playing on the 7-on-7 circuit this past offseason. His performance while going up against elite talent from across the nation was enough to earn three-stars despite having yet to receive his first offer.
The Chicago (Ill.) Morgan Park standout took his game a step further this season by showing out at corner, and even though he had never played the position before, Washington was nothing short of impressive. With great length and a long stride, he has incredible range and is a natural in coverage.
He is still waiting for that first offer but it is only a matter of time as his physical gifts and junior film speak for themselves. Illinois, Georgia Tech, Wisconsin, Iowa and Ohio State are among the Power Five programs Washington has been communicating with.