Three-Point Stance: Austin Novosad, LSU's surge, Future 50
Rivals national recruiting analyst Nick Harris takes a look at Austin Novosad's hotly contested recruitment, LSU's surge in the month of July and a loaded group of Mid-South recruits at the Future 50 event this weekend.
*****
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Stories/coverage | Message board
*****
1. Unless Austin Novosad's recruitment extends past this month, look for the four-star to stay in-state.
One of the more eye-catching recruitments in the entire country in recent weeks has been that of Dripping Springs (Texas) four-star quarterback Austin Novosad, as the Central Texas gunslinger has fielded major interest from across the country despite being committed to Baylor.
Ohio State was the first to make things interesting with an offer in late June after a strong camp performance in front of Ryan Day and his staff. Shorty after, Novosad returned for an official visit just days before Texas A&M finally threw its hat in the ring after months of monitoring. Now, in mid-July, Notre Dame has become the most recent program to extend an offer after the Fighting Irish lost out on Dante Moore. With schools such as Penn State, LSU and others still searching for a quarterback, Novosad's list of options could only grow as time goes on.
But the question that I think a lot of people are wondering is this: Just how long will Novosad allow his recruitment to be (kinda) open?
Before Notre Dame got involved, it was believed that Novosad would have had his decision made by late July, but with an open weekend of visits available July 29-31, and a new program involved, that timeline could very well be extended.
However, if it stays on track, I see Novosad staying in the state of Texas and choosing either to stick with Baylor or to attend his childhood dream school Texas A&M.
There has been cautious optimism in Waco about Baylor's chances to keep Novosad in the class, and there's been a big buy-in from quarterbacks coach Shawn Bell and Dave Aranda to keep their prized quarterback target home. Bell's quarterback development has stood out to Novosad in a big way and the Bears offer an earlier opportunity to see the field.
Just down Highway 6 from Waco to College Station, Texas A&M had to make up quite a bit of ground early on to thwart poor early impressions, but the Aggies have overcome that and now sit in a prime position to win Novosad's commitment. If the Aggies can get him on campus in late July instead of him taking a trip to South Bend, it could be the writing on the wall that would finally tell how this recruitment will end.
*****
2. LSU's recruiting surge in July has been exactly what everyone has been waiting for.
I wrote in a Fact or Fiction piece in late June that LSU was a little behind the eight-ball in recruiting some of its top targets and that the following weeks would be crucial in determining how its class shook out.
And after a lackluster first few months in Baton Rouge, Brian Kelly and his first-year staff have rattled off 12 commitments in the month of July spanning across two recruiting classes and multiple position groups.
The Tigers have landed highly recruited out-of-state players such as Jalen Brown, Jaxon Howard and Dashawn Womack. They've landed big in-state talent such as Kaleb Jackson and they have nabbed high-upside players such as Ashton Stamps and Xavier Atkins. When you put it all together, LSU shaped and orchestrated the entire mold of its 2023 class in a matter of days while also showing what Kelly's staff would be capable of in the coming years with its national presence.
However, the work is not yet done. If LSU can finish off the cycle by closing the deal with major targets such as Shelton Sampson, Khai Prean and Zalance Heard, while also finding a worthy quarterback, then it would be more than safe to consider the first cycle under the new regime to be a resounding success.
While it seemed murky halfway through the cycle, LSU fans should start to breathe a sigh of relief as the commitments and buzz continue to swirl in.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT TIGERDETAILS.COM
*****
3. This weekend serves as a big proving opportunity for multiple Mid-South recruits at Future 50.
Rivals is in Bradenton, Fla., this weekend for the annual Future 50 event at IMG Academy, and some of the biggest names in the Mid-South will be in attendance with some looking to make one last offseason statement with rankings meetings around the corner in August.
Going in alphabetical order down the roster, Jackson Arnold is the first name that jumps out. After a stellar performance at Elite 11 that landed him camp MVP, can the borderline five-star Oklahoma commit put together another solid outing?
Jaiden Ausberry hasn't been too active on the camp scene this offseason, as it will be interesting to see how he stacks up against some of the best competition in the country while also seeing his offseason improvements on the field.
Ashton Cozart has put in the work that has put him in the four-star conversation, but I'm hoping to see the Oregon commit from DFW make a big splash this weekend before rolling forward with that take.
Notre Dame commit Braylon James had a huge season on the track and is prepping for a senior season that will allow him to showcase his skills in a more pass-friendly offense. But how will his tools and athleticism stack up against some of the nation's top defensive backs?
Jordan Renaud's one appearance on the camp circuit this offseason came at Under Armour Dallas, where he dominated competition after a junior season that left some of us wanting more. If the four-star can put together another solid performance this weekend I'll be looking at his name closely when rankings meetings come around.
Recent Clemson commit Harris Sewell is making a rare camp appearance this weekend - his first of the offseason - as the West Texas bruiser will get his first taste of national competition. I'm buying stock on Sewell going into the weekend.
Javien Toviano was recently made a five-star, but can some of the nation's top wide receivers in attendance expose a weakness that we haven't seen yet?
All in all, this will be a big proving weekend for recruits across the country as this will serve as the final big impression before senior fall camps get underway next month.