As the college football calendar approaches mid-October, crunch time has arrived for the top prospects in the 2025 cycle. Eight weeks out from the early signing period, only 17 prospects in the ESPN 300 remain uncommitted, including nine of the top 100.
Yet the final weeks of the cycle still promise to deliver plenty of fireworks. As Dec. 4 looms, there's a handful of elite committed prospects mulling possible flips, and college football's top programs continue to work on changing the minds of some of their rival's top pledges.
Among the nation's high-profile flip candidates are ESPN's No. 1 cornerback, three more top-10 defensive backs and two top-10 wide receivers. Meanwhile, across the country, the likes of Oregon, Auburn and Texas A&M look set to be heavily involved in the flurry of flips that could unfold over the next two months.
As the 2025 cycle hits its home stretch, ESPN spoke to recruits and sources across the sport on 10 prospects whose commitments could flip between now and the early signing period.
Na'eem Offord, CB (Birmingham, Alabama)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 6
Position rank: No. 1 CB
Committed to: Ohio State Buckeyes
Recruitment intel: Offord has been the top prospect in Ohio State's star-studded 2025 class since he committed to the Buckeyes on Feb. 4, but Oregon, Auburn and a late-arriving Big 12 school remain in the mix for the cycle's No. 1 cornerback.
At 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, Offord carries elite length and playmaking ability that will make him a versatile defender at the next level, where talent evaluators project Offord to emerge as one of the nation's top cornerbacks. Following his February commitment to the Buckeyes, Offord took spring official visits to Auburn, Alabama, Oregon and Ohio State before returning to Auburn for an unofficial visit in July and again for the Tigers' Aug. 31 season-opener against Alabama A&M.
The latest: Oregon and Auburn continue to work on flipping Offord. The Ducks are set to host the talented defensive back this weekend for Ohio State's visit to Eugene, while in-state Auburn has stayed in touch since hosting Offord in Week 1. Offord is also eyeing Ohio State's Oct. 26 visit from Nebraska for his next trip to Columbus.
Offord remains committed to the Buckeyes and in close contact with cornerbacks coach Tim Walton. Yet, roughly two months out from the early signing period, his recruitment remains open. The surprise program making a hard, late push for Offord's pledge: Deion Sanders' Colorado.
Caleb Cunningham, WR (Ackerman, Mississippi)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 19
Position rank: No. 3 WR
Committed to: Alabama Crimson Tide
Recruitment intel: Cunningham's pledge was part of Alabama's hot summer in recruiting, and he stands as the No. 2 prospect in Kalen DeBoer's inaugural class while a pair of SEC rivals seek to shake Cunningham's commitment this fall.
A 48-catch, 1,137-yard, 14-touchdown junior season shot Cunningham to No. 3 in ESPN's wide receiver rankings for 2025. His list of spring officials included trips to Auburn, Florida, Tennessee and Alabama prior to his July 13 commitment to the Crimson Tide.
The latest: Cunningham has publicly maintained a firm commitment to Alabama while Ole Miss and Auburn have made plays to flip the talented pass catcher this fall. Ole Miss hosted Cunningham, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Mississippi, in Week 1. Cunningham was on campus at Auburn several weeks later for the Tigers' 24-14 loss to Arkansas.
The Ole Miss visit did not leave a strong impression on Cunningham, and his trip to Auburn seemed to sour his feelings on the Tigers. Auburn quarterback commit Deuce Knight has pitched him hard, but Cunningham appears highly likely to stick with Alabama.
Dallas Wilson, WR (Tampa, Florida)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 33
Position rank: No. 6 WR
Committed to: Oregon Ducks
Recruitment intel: There's a sense that Wilson -- the longest-tenured member of Dan Lanning's 2025 class -- will be difficult to flip. However, that hasn't stopped several Florida programs from trying to convince the 6-foot-4, 190-pound pass catcher to stay home.
Wilson has been committed to Oregon since Jan. 26, 2023, the middle of his sophomore year at Tampa Bay Tech Senior High School. A big-bodied deep threat, Wilson caught 49 passes for 872 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior last fall, and he took visits to Florida State, Florida, Miami and Oregon (twice) this spring ahead of his senior campaign.
The latest: Wilson made his latest visit to Florida when the Gators hosted Miami in Week 1 and also attended UCF's Week 5 meeting with Colorado. He has expressed a desire to see each of Florida, Florida State and Miami at least once more over the back half of the regular season. Perhaps most crucial, Wilson will be at Oregon this weekend to see the Ducks host Ohio State in one of the most anticipated matchups on the 2024 college football calendar.
Wilson's pledge to Oregon still feels firm in spite of his home-state flirtations this fall. If any of the Florida schools can flip Wilson, Miami feels the most likely.
Ivan Taylor, CB (Winter Garden, Florida)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 41
Position rank: No. 5 CB
Committed to: Michigan Wolverines
Recruitment intel: Taylor, the son of two-time Super Bowl champion Ike Taylor, flipped his commitment from Notre Dame to Michigan in July. Could the agile defensive back flip again between now and the early signing period?
At 6-foot, 175 pounds, Taylor has the range to play either cornerback or safety at the next level, but he has played primarily at safety at Florida's West Orange High School. Taylor took spring visits to Alabama, Notre Dame and Michigan prior to the summer flip that cemented him as the No. 1 prospect in the Wolverines' incoming class.
The latest: As the 2025 cycle winds down, Taylor is in touch with two programs: Michigan and Alabama. The Crimson Tide have kept up their recruitment of Taylor since his commitment to Michigan with co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach Colin Hitschler leading the charge, and Taylor is expected to visit Alabama again this fall.
For now, Taylor remains the crown jewel of Sherrone Moore's inaugural class at Michigan. But Kalen DeBoer and Alabama are working hard to lure Taylor to the Crimson Tide's second-ranked 2025 class, and questions will persist as long as Taylor's recruitment remains open this fall.
Noah Mikhail, OLB (La Verne, California)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 58
Position rank: No. 6 OLB
Committed to: Texas A&M Aggies
Recruitment intel: California's No. 4 prospect in 2025, Mikhail is a four-year starter at Bonita High School and one of the most physical linebacker prospects in the current cycle, tallying 353 total tackles in the first three seasons of his high school career.
Mike Elko and Texas A&M landed a late-June recruiting win when the four-star linebacker committed to the Aggies over Oregon and USC. Several months later, Mikhail remains committed to Texas A&M while another one of his finalists continues to keep close tabs this fall.
The latest: The only school Mikhail has visited this fall is the one that holds his verbal commitment. He attended the Aggies' Week 1 loss to Notre Dame before catching Texas A&M's win over Arkansas in Dallas on Sept. 28, and Mikhail is hoping to visit College Station again when Elko & Co. host Texas on Nov. 30.
Yet Oregon continues to linger in Mikhail's recruitment. Lanning and Ducks linebackers coach Brian Michalowski attended Bonita's meeting with Kaiser (California) High School on Sept. 20, and Mikhail and his family appreciated that Lanning took the time to visit on Oregon's bye week. If anyone can flip Mikhail over the next eight weeks, the Ducks appear the most likely.
Lamont Rogers, OT (Mesquite, Texas)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 60
Position rank: No. 8 OT
Committed to: Missouri Tigers
Recruitment intel: At 6-foot-7, 310 pounds with high-upside athleticism, Rogers is one of the most college-ready tackles in the 2025 cycle.
The No. 1 prospect in Missouri's 2025 class since his May 31 commitment, Rogers took June visits to Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Florida State. As of the second week of October, it's one of Missouri's SEC foes that's in position to flip Rogers in the coming weeks.
The latest: Texas A&M sits a little under three hours from Rogers' hometown of Mesquite, Texas, and Rogers' trip back to College Station for the Aggies' Week 1 meeting with Notre Dame was the first indication of his continued interest in the school this fall.
Rogers was back at Texas A&M last weekend when the Aggies hosted Missouri. In the wake of Texas A&M's 41-10 beatdown of the Tigers, the noise around Rogers' recruitment favors a flip to the Aggies, who are still searching for their first ESPN 300 offensive line commit in 2025.
Jalen Wiggins, DE (Tallahassee, Florida)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 63
Position rank: No. 7 DE
Committed to: Florida Gators
Recruitment intel: Wiggins has been firm on his commitment since giving his pledge to the Gators. But with Florida State, Stanford and now Notre Dame still circling and questions hanging over Billy Napier's future with the Gators, Wiggins' recruitment is one to watch.
A 16-sack junior season at Rickards High School catapulted Wiggins to his place among the top pass rushers in the 2025 class. After committing to the Gators on Jan. 15, Wiggins took spring official visits to Stanford, Florida and Florida State while Notre Dame has been involved in his recruitment since the spring. Wiggins has attended several Florida home games this fall and is expected to be back on campus when the Gators host Kentucky on Oct. 19.
The latest: Florida feels confident that it will hold on to Wiggins -- the program's No. 2 commit in 2025 -- through to signing day. But Marcus Freeman and Notre Dame are making a hard push with Wiggins expected to visit South Bend next month, and Wiggins could return to Florida State in the coming weeks as well.
Wiggins has placed an emphasis on academics in his recruitment with plans of pursuing a degree in engineering. Yet his trajectory over the next two months may truly hinge on Napier's status. For now, the Gators don't think Wiggins is going anywhere.
Eric Winters, S (Enterprise, Alabama)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 85
Position rank: No. 6 safety
Committed to: Auburn Tigers
Recruitment intel: The 6-foot-2, 205 pound defender helped kick off Auburn's scorching summer on the recruiting trail that has the Tigers ranked No. 4 in ESPN's latest team rankings for the cycle. This fall, another SEC foe is circling around the physical defensive back from Alabama.
Expected to add size at the next level, Winters is a two-way high school player who projects as nickel safety or hybrid linebacker in college. He committed to Auburn in June following official visits with Miami, Georgia and the Tigers this spring.
The latest: Georgia never faded from the picture after Winters' June pledge, and the Bulldogs have intensified their efforts this fall, led by safeties coach Travaris Robinson. Following Winters' visit to Athens for last Saturday's win over Auburn, there's growing confidence that Georgia can make the flip and add Winters as the program's fourth top-100 defender in 2025.
Lagonza Hayward Jr., S (Lyons, Georgia)
ESPN 300 rank: No. 104
Position rank: No. 9 safety
Committed to: Tennessee Volunteers
Recruitment intel: A hard-hitting defensive back with special teams upside at the next level, Hayward is a two-way playmaker at Toombs County High School.
He has been the top defender in Tennessee's 2025 class since he made his late-July pledge following spring visits to Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Tennessee. As Georgia continues its chase for an elite safety in this cycle, Hayward has come back into focus for the Bulldogs this fall.
The latest: As Georgia did in its pursuit for a 2025 running back prior to Ousmane Kromah's commitment, the Bulldogs have cast a wide net in its search to add a safety this fall. That's why Georgia has increased its contact with Hayward in recent weeks and why he was on campus for the Bulldogs' Oct. 5 win over Auburn.
Tennessee can still feel confident with Hayward set to visit the Volunteers multiple times in the coming weeks, but Georgia's return to the mix muddies the water until signing day, or at least until the Bulldogs secure another safety elsewhere in the 2025 class to pair with four-star safety pledge Jontae Gilbert.
Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele, QB (Ewa Beach, Hawaii)
ESPN 300 rank: N/A
Position rank: No. 28 pocket passer
Committed to: California Golden Bears
Recruitment intel: After nearly all of ESPN's top quarterbacks were committed, Sagapolutele began the summer as one of the nation's top uncommitted passers, then saw his stock skyrocket after he stole the show at the Elite 11 Finals in June. The 6-foot-2 quarterback went straight from the Elite 11 to an official visit at Cal, and he committed to the Bears several weeks later on July 8 over finalists Oregon State, Boise State and Utah State.
Sagapolutele considered his recruitment closed this fall with his focus set on his senior season at James Campbell High School. However, an offer from Oregon late last month has at least cracked the door on the potential for Sagapolutele to land somewhere other than Cal.
The latest: Sagapolutele has described Oregon as a "dream school" and he has a good relationship with Ducks quarterback and fellow Hawaiian Dillon Gabriel. Sagapolutele isn't put off by the fact that Oregon already has a 2025 quarterback pledge from Akili Smith Jr., ESPN's No. 9 pocket passer in the cycle, either.
While Oregon offers plenty of intrigue, Sagapolutele has a genuine appreciation for the way Cal recruited him, and he remains in daily communication with Bears quarterbacks coach Sterlin Gilbert and other members of the program. Sagapolutele's commitment will be difficult to flip, but Oregon has given him a difficult choice to make between now and the early signing period, and Sagapolutele isn't likely to make a decision before then.