Miami football pledge Donte Wright headlines top 2027 ACC commitments
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Between Miami football’s recent run to the national championship game, Clemson's dominance for years and the conference's overall rich history on the gridiron, the ACC is annually one of the best classes when it comes to the recruiting trail.
The Big Ten and SEC may lead the nation when it comes to the number of overall top recruits committing to their school, but the ACC comes in a close third as the top programs in the conference continue to recruit at a high level.
Even programs near the bottom of the conference rankings continue to recruit at a high level. That's the case once again when it comes to the 2027 recruiting cycle.
Here's a look at the top senior commitment for every ACC program entering the 2026 high school football season.
Boston College: Jackson Tucker
Position: Safety
High School: Catholic Memorial (West Roxbury, MA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 56 Safety
Breakdown: The No. 5 player in Massachusetts, Tucker committed to the Eagles on October 7, 2024. Over the last two seasons he's totaled 57 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and three interceptions.
California: Charles Davis
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Westlake (CA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 99 overall, No. 13 WR
Breakdown: The Golden Bears landed a massive recruiting win on April 10 when Davis announced his commitment to the program. Last season he caught 30 passes for 526 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Clemson: Jamarin Simmons
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Amos P. Godby (Tallahassee, FL)
247Sports Ranking: No. 25 overall, No. 5 WR
Breakdown: The Tigers landed their receiver of the future in Simmons with his commitment on May 20. He’s had over 900 receiving yards in each of the last two seasons and finished his junior year with 59 catches for 932 yards and 14 touchdowns.
Duke: Parker Newman
Position: Tight End
High School: Sevier County (Sevierville, TN)
247Sports Ranking: No. 12 Tight End
Breakdown: Newman committed to the Blue Devils on May 29. He had a breakout season for the Smoky Bears last season, catching 78 passes for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns while also tallying 117 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, eight pass breakups, four interceptions and three sacks on defense.
Florida State: Ta'Shawn Poole
Position: Safety
High School: Howard (Macon, GA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 84 overall, No. 4 Safety
Breakdown: Poole gave the Seminoles a much-needed recruiting win on July 17 with his commitment. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is ranked as one of the top 5 players in his position for the 2027 class.
Georgia Tech: Joshua Sam-Epelle
Position: Offensive Tackle
High School: Douglas County (Douglasville, GA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 110 overall, No. 16 OT
Breakdown: After having his sophomore year cut short due to an ACL injury, Sam-Epelle started at left tackle for the entirety of his junior season for a 9-4 Douglas County squad. He committed to Georgia Tech on June 19.
Louisville: AJ Tillman Jr.
Position: Athlete
High School: Lithonia (GA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 126 overall, No. 8 Athlete
Breakdown: After playing his first few seasons of high school football at McDonough and rushing for over 1,500 yards and 17 touchdowns, Tillman will play at Lithonia his senior season. He committed to Louisville on June 1.
Miami: Donte Wright
Position: Cornerback
High School: Long Beach Poly (CA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 6 overall, No. 1 CB
Breakdown: A one-time Georgia commitment, Wright flipped his commitment from the Bulldogs to the Hurricanes on May 9. A true lockdown corner, last year he totaled 25 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and seven pass breakups.
NC State: Gunner Rivers
Position: Quarterback
High School: St. Michael Catholic (Fairhope, AL)
247Sports Ranking: No. 42 overall, No. 4 QB
Breakdown: The son of long-time NFL quarterback Philip Rivers, Gunner committed to his dad’s alma mater on February 23. Last season he was an All-State selection, leading St. Michael Catholic to a 13-1 record while completing 69% of his passes for 3,176 yards and 46 touchdowns.
North Carolina: Amare Patterson
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Bluffton (SC)
247Sports Ranking: No. 171 overall, No. 25 WR
Breakdown: Patterson committed to Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels on June 20. He broke out onto the scene last year, catching 51 passes for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns in 11 games.
Pittsburgh: Jeremiah Proctor
Position: Linebacker
High School: Gainesville (GA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 234 overall, No. 17 LB
Breakdown: Proctor announced his commitment to the Panthers on June 1. Last season he played in seven games totaling 22 tackles, two pass breakups and an interception.
SMU: Malachi Zeigler
Position: Quarterback
High School: Benton (LA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 18 QB
Breakdown: The Mustangs’ quarterback of the future, Zeigler committed to SMU on October 19. He saw a significant jump in his game during his junior season, completing 57% of his passes for 2,698 yards and 23 touchdowns while also rushing for seven touchdowns.
Stanford: Evan Via
Position: Cornerback
High School: Ladue Horton Watkins (St. Louis, MO)
247Sports Ranking: No. 205 overall, No. 24 CB
Breakdown: The only four-star in Stanford's 2027 class, Via committed to the Cardinal on June 9. He’s Stanford’s highest-rated commitment since wide receiver JonAnthony Hall during the 2025 cycle.
Syracuse: Botond Varga
Position: Offensive Tackle
High School: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 42 OT
Breakdown: Varga announced his commitment to the Orange on June 8. The 6-foot-8, 310-pounder anchored an offensive line that helped the Seawolves average 42.8 points per game during an unbeaten 2025 season.
Virginia: Tajeh Watson
Position: Wide Receiver
High School: Westside (Anderson, SC)
247Sports Ranking: No. 97 Wide Receiver
Breakdown: Watson committed to Virginia on June 18. A standout on both sides of the ball, last year he caught 58 passes for 1,101 yards and 11 touchdowns. On defense, he totaled 27 tackles, four interceptions and also had three special teams touchdowns.
Virginia Tech: Peter Bourque
Position: Quarterback
High School: Tabor Academy (Marion, MA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 74 overall, No. 6 QB
Breakdown: The 2025 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, Bourque became the Hokies’ highest-rated commitment in years when he chose them on May 14. Last season he completed 63% of his passes for 2,241 yards and 18 touchdowns while also rushing for 15 more touchdowns.
Wake Forest: Logan Steele
Position: Athlete
High School: Shamokin Area (Coal Township, PA)
247Sports Ranking: No. 37 Athlete
Breakdown: Steele committed to the Demon Deacons on April 8. The definition of a do-it-all athlete, last year he passed for 693 yards and eight touchdowns, rushed for 1,168 yards and 21 touchdowns, recorded 58 tackles on defense and tallied nine interceptions including four returned for touchdowns.
Follow Sports Reporter Joe Spears on X at @joe_spears7 or via email: JSpears@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow @usatodayhss on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miami football pledge Donte Wright headlines top 2027 ACC commitments
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