College football recruiting: Oklahoma, Miami headline biggest commitments this week
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The 2027 college football recruiting cycle is heating up as we go deeper into March, and Rivals is tracking the biggest commitments as they happen.
After a slow month of February, multiple major prospects came off the board in the first week of March. Miami and Oklahoma both secured top-of-the-board targets, while Ole Miss surprised everyone with a commitment from one of the country’s top defensive linemen.
Meanwhile, Georgia, Louisville and Illinois all secured blue-chip players in the secondary to boost their own classes. We break it down below:
4-star WR Nick Lennear – Miami
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 26
School: Miami Carol City (Miami, FL)
Scout’s Take: “Lennear is a big get for the Hurricanes,” said Rivals Rankings Director Charles Power. “You’re keeping one of the top receivers in the 2027 cycle in South Florida. When you talk about Nick Lennear’s skillset, it starts with the combination of athleticism and play speed, along with a high skill level. He is a prospect who can win at multiple levels of the field. He’s really made some big plays in meaningful moments at Miami Northwestern over the years.”
4-star LB Cooper Witten – Oklahoma
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 34
School: Liberty Christian (Argyle, TX)
Witten on his commitment: “Oklahoma made an impression on me from the beginning because Coach Venables was the first coach to offer me,” Witten told Rivals’ Sam Speigelman. “I strongly believe in the vision he has for me and where the program is going.”
4-star DL Ben’Jarvius Shumaker – Ole Miss
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 66
School: Choctaw County (Ackerman, MS)
Scout’s Take: “Shumaker is on the short list when talking about the top interior defensive lineman in the country. Had a big junior season, totaling 69 tackles 17 for loss, 7 sacks and two forced fumbles. Very strong, especially in his lower half and can take on double teams and still get a push. Gets off the ball well, shows an active motor and lives on the other side of the line of scrimmage. Can win with speed and power and has the ability to dominate at the point of attack. Plays high at times and will need some technical work like most high school interior lineman but very high ceiling and projects as a high impact player at the Power 4 level.” — Greg Biggins, Rivals National Analyst
4-star SAF Jerry Outhouse – Georgia
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 172
School: North Crowley (Fort Worth, TX)
Outhouse on his commitment: “Man, I can’t wait. Coach Donte did a great job recruiting me. We built a very strong relationship and I can’t wait to play for him,” Outhouse told Rivals’ Sam Spiegelman of his commitment to Georgia. “They’ve got a legacy. Every time I see a Georgia football player, they’re in the draft,” he continued. “My next goal is to be a freshman All-American, and then go to the NFL Draft. Georgia is the best place to do it.”
4-star SAF Jordan Haskins – Louisville
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 371
School: Bryan Station (Lexington, KY)
Haskins on his commitment: “One of the biggest reasons for my decision is the strong relationship I’ve built with the coaching staff,” Haskins told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “During my visits and meetings, they really took the time to sit down with me and show me how I fit in their defensive scheme and how they see me developing in their program.”
4-star CB Justin Johnson – Illinois
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 376
School: Evanston Township (Evanston, IL)
Analyst’s Take: “At Illinois, this is a good match because Corey Parker is a good coach who can help him maximize his potential. We see room for improvement with Johnson in terms of technique and positional experience. He’s been a two-way guy in high school and has been a fairly dynamic offensive player who can line up in multiple spots including wildcat quarterback. His ball skills are there having played receiver, the closing speed is there, he’s a physically strong player who will get stronger. It would be good for us to see him a little more in man coverage to assess hips and change of direction but we see a really strong all around skill set here.” — Allen Trieu, Rivals National Analyst
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