Breaking down the top Big 12 commits in the 2027 Rivals300 rankings

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The Big 12 is never short on drama, but when it comes to the recruiting trail, there’s one program that’s grabbing headlines: Texas Tech. The Red Raiders have the No. 9 class in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Beyond Joey McGuire’s crew in Lubbock, no other Big 12 program has a class inside the top 30 nationally. Kansas State is next at No. 34. Upon looking at the Rivals300 rankings for the 2027 cycle, it’s evident that TTU is couple rungs above the rest of the conference.

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Of the 300 prospects featured in Rivals’ latest update for the senior cycle, just 28 are committed to a Big 12 program. Ten league members have at least one Rivals300 commit, but TTU easily leads the way with 12 of them. K-State and Colorado each have three.

So, who are the top prospects in the Rivals300 that are also committed to a Big 12 school, as of Aug. 21? Rivals takes a look at those top prospects with the high school football season now officially underway across most of the nation:

DL Jalen Brewster — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 1 NATL.
School: Cedar Hill (Texas)
Committed Since: Oct. 4, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Uber-athletic defensive line prospect with true game-wrecking ability. Measured in at around 6-foot-3, 300 pounds prior to his junior season. Carries his weight exceptionally well with a dense build. Tests as an elite athlete in the combine setting, easily cracking 5.0 seconds in the 40-yard dash. Carries that athleticism over to the field where he has consistent flashes of dominance on Friday nights. Lines up all over the defensive line for Cedar Hill (Texas) High while facing top competition. A dangerous pass rusher from any spot. Combines explosive get-off with the movement skills of a much smaller player, carrying elite testing numbers directly onto the field. Consistently collapses pockets and disrupts plays before they develop.

…Has legitimate game-wrecking moments on film. The quickness to dart into the backfield and the speed to hunt down ball carriers is eye-popping. Was tabbed as the Rivals MVP at the Under Armour All-America Game after his junior season. Showcased high-end functional power on top of his elite movement skills in the all-star setting. May not possess premier length. Father was a third-round pick by the Dallas Cowboys. Tracking as the top defensive line prospect in the 2027 cycle and projects to have high odds to ultimately become a 1st round NFL Draft pick.” — Cody Bellaire, Rivals National Scout

LB Jhadyn Nelson — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 41 NATL. (No. 4 LB)
School: Langham Creek (Texas)
Committed Since: March 18

Scouting Summary: “Elite physical talent who has the potential to be a versatile defensive weapon. Measured at 6-foot-3, 216 pounds at the Rivals Camp in Houston prior to his senior season. Has 32.5-inch arms with hands that measure over 10 inches. An elite athlete in the combine setting, posting a 4.63-second 40-yard dash, 35.2-inch vertical, and 10’9.1 foot broad jump at the Rivals Camp – all elite marks. Shows the athleticism on Friday nights, where he lines up at all three levels of the defense for his high school team, taking reps as a pass rusher, outside linebacker, and safety. The top notch movement skills jump out immediately. An explosive, smooth mover who covers space quickly. Shows the ability to quickly generate pressure off the edge. Coordinated when working in spaces and shows impressive range in coverage.

…Eliminates angles and has sideline to sideline speed. Finished his junior season with 59 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, and three sacks. Has solid physicality, but can continue improving his instincts and take-on ability as an off-ball linebacker. Younger for the cycle, turning 17 years-old in June prior to his senior season. Could have the highest upside of all linebacker prospects in the 2027 cycle with the potential to grow into a top pass-rusher.” — Charles Power, Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings

WR Benny Easter Jr. — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 56 NATL. (No. 8 WR)
School: Summer Creek (Texas)
Committed Since: Nov. 20, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Multi-level playmaker who can stretch the field vertically and move the sticks consistently with his pass-catching prowess. Strongly built body type with great proportions and length. Stands in at 6-foot, 200 pounds with a nearly 6-foot-5 wingspan. Needs a bit of a runway in order to hit top-end speed, but has the long speed to run by most defenders. Clocked a 22.15 200m dash during his sophomore track and field season. Excellent understanding of leverage in order to box out defenders and attack the football.

…Strong hands that come down with the majority of 50-50 balls due to high point ability and frame utilization. Has yards-after-catch ability due to play strength and impressive wiggle. Need to see him continue to improve acceleration and precision out of breaks at the top of his routes, but he is a plug-and-play number one option at the next level.” — Bellaire

ATH Gideon Gash — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 61 NATL. (No. 3 ATH)
School: Detroit Catholic Central (Mich.)
Committed Since: June 6

Scouting Summary: “Gash is the epitome of an athlete prospect. He has the potential to play upwards of maybe five positions at the college level just with his combination of size and athleticism and breadth of skills. He is a big athlete at around 6’4 and plays receiver and corner for his high school team.He shows very good overall athleticism and just ability to make big plays. He’s a walk-down defender and really has outstanding cover skills for such a big prospect. We could see him potentially lining up as a safety, linebacker or corner on defense. He has the skill set to be a receiver or tied-in prospect on offense.

…He’s a true athlete in that sense and is hyper-versatile. It’s yet to be seen where he’ll end up positionally, but we’re very high on the overall football player. I’m looking forward to seeing how he continues to develop. We’ll be tracking his position projection closely, but there’s a bunch of upside. He’s a high-end, very versatile high school football player who has several pathways to success at the college level.” — Power

EDGE Anthony Sweeney — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 64 NATL. (No. 9 EDGE)
School: St. Frances Academy (Md.)
Committed Since: April 13

Sweeney on his commitment: “It happened a lot faster than I expected. I went into that visit expecting to come out, continue to take visits, get to some official visits, then make a tough decision in the summer. That visit really changed everything for me. The people were real. The environment was different. After being there, I just knew they came up for me. The people, how real they are, and the feeling I had around them changed how I felt about Texas Tech. It showed me a lot.”

RB SaRod Baker — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 72 NATL. (No. 4 RB)
School: DeSoto (Texas)
Committed Since: April 27

About: “Baker enjoyed a historic junior season and a momentous playoff run that anchored the Eagles to another state title. DeSoto HC Claude Mathis calls Baker the best RB in the country and best player in Texas. Baker piled up 3,206 rushing yards and 43 touchdowns, along with 500 passing yards and 4 TDs, with 249 receiving yards with 2 additional scores. In six postseason games, Baker rushed for north of 1,600 yards and 21 TDs, averaging almost 270 yards per game.” — Sam Spiegelman, Rivals recruiting insider

QB Kavian Bryant — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 97 NATL. (No. 7 QB)
School: Westwood (Texas)
Committed Since: Nov. 1, 2025

Scouting Summary: “Elite athlete at quarterback who thrives as an improvisational playmaker. Measured at around 6-foot-2, 190 pounds with a 9.5-inch hand prior to his senior season. Added height and mass from his junior to senior year. Tests as the top athlete among blue-chip quarterbacks in the 2027 cycle, consistently ripping off 40 times under 4.6 seconds. Shows a strong downfield arm and is able to generate plus velocity on throws to the intermediate area of the field when mechanics are aligned. Shows the ability to take the top off of defenses as a deep passer. Excels as a playmaker. Has a backyard football style and is capable of turning nothing into something. Keeps eyes downfield and operates with the peripheral vision to identify rushers. Tough for defenders to corral. Dangerous scrambler when he decides to take off. Has been one of the more productive quarterback prospects in the 2027 cycle, dating back to his freshman season.

…Completed 72.6% of his passes for 3,407 yards and 37 touchdowns against 1 interception as a senior. Also rushed for 740 yards and 7 touchdowns. Doubles as an elite high school basketball player who averaged 26.4 points per game as a junior while leading his team to a state title appearance. Needs refinement as a passer, given he spends much of his year playing basketball. Has a circular throwing motion with an over the top delivery. Has some rigidity in his delivery and comfortable throwing out of one arm slot and will need to clean up his footwork. Does not play top competition and benefits from huge passing windows. Viewed as a high upside prospect who should benefit from the coaching he’ll receive in college.” — Power

DL Raiden Cook — Houston

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 99 NATL. (No. 9 DL)
School: Barbers Hill (Texas)
Committed Since: Feb. 3

Scouting Summary: “Cook earned an invite to Rivals Houston after lighting up the Rivals combine and put together a dominant performance on Sunday. At 6-foot-4.5 and nearly 270 pounds, Cook flashed impressive bend and twitch for an interior defensive lineman. His ability to maintain leverage and gain control at the point of attack at his size allowed him to manipulate blockers with ease. In his pass rush, he utilized his length efficiently and was able to win with power and finesse.

…For a younger prospect for the cycle, Cook showed advanced understanding of leverage and was able to deliver counter moves if his initial rush was stopped. He has one of the highest ceilings of any prospect that attended Rivals Houston and earned his Defensive Line MVP honors.” — Bellaire

ATH Hunter Haug — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 112 NATL. (No. 4 ATH)
School: Smithson Valley (Texas)
Committed Since: June 17

Scouting Summary: “Explosive, coordinated athlete who has the physical ability and skills to project at a number of positions long-term. Has blue-chip ability as a corner, safety, and wide receiver. Owns a well-built frame, measuring in at 6-foot-1.5, 205 pounds prior to his senior season. A top athlete in the combine setting, posting strong numbers in sprints and jumps. Was the best player on his high school team, leading his Spring Branch (Texas) Smithson Valley team to a state title as a junior. Lines up at wide receiver, corner, and as a return man on Friday nights. Shows easy speed with the ball in his hands with the ability to take a quick slant to the house at any time. Gets manufactured touches in the running game and quick passing game. Shows excellent tracking ability as a corner, easily turning to locate the football over his shoulder. Instinctual and can come off his man to make plays on the football in coverage. Has the long speed to carry wide receivers vertically.

…Shows good tackling ability in the open field. Dynamic on special teams and may be one of the better return men in the cycle. Competitive and has clear stamina given his three-phase contribution at a higher classification of Texas high school football. Finished his junior season with 1,156 receiving yards and 16 touchdowns along with 57 tackles, 1 interception, and 2 forced fumbles. Doubles as a strong track athlete, turning in a sensational 10.65 mark in the 100 meters as a junior. Will need to nail down a long-term position at the next level, but has multiple paths to success and NFL upside.” — Power

WR Julian Caldwell — Texas Tech

Rivals300 Ranking: No. 122 NATL. (No. 22 WR)
School: Argyle (Texas)
Committed Since: May 9

Caldwell on his commitment: “The coaching staff has done a great job recruiting me. They’ve definitely been in my ear a lot recently. For Texas Tech, I have an opportunity to really play early and make a big impact. They have a lot of seniors leaving, so there are a lot of good things going on over there. It’s close to home. My grandparents are alumni, so that’s another plus and shoot, it’s in Texas and it’s a great school.“

Other top Big 12 commits in the Rivals300

CB Joshua Banks — Texas Tech
EDGE Chris Wilson — West Virginia
DL K’Adrian Redmond — Texas Tech
OT Jake Hildebrand — Arizona State
S Kaston Lewis — Texas Tech

LB Izzy Hammons — Oklahoma State
CB Daniel Yebit — TCU
QB Andre Adams — Colorado
IOL Dewey Young — Colorado
CB Joshua Vilmael — Kansas State

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