After a busy summer of recruiting, and just 89 days from the Dec. 4 early signing period, the number of elite uncommitted prospects in the 2025 cycle has dwindled to a select group.
Of ESPN's top 100 recruits in 2025, just 10 prospects remain uncommitted as of Friday morning, with five-star defensive tackles Elijah Griffin and Justus Terry, two top-30 skill position players, and four of the nation's top 15 linebackers among those still mulling their decisions. Within the 2025 ESPN 300, the count of uncommitted prospects stands at just 19.
ESPN spoke with recruits, high school coaches and sources across the industry to find out where potential flips and the top uncommitted prospects stand and how the key remaining recruitments in 2025 could shake out as the cycle careens into its final months this fall.
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Flip watch
Georgia, Miami and USC in the running for five-star defensive tackle Elijah Griffin
Hometown: Savannah, Georgia
School: Savannah Christian Preparatory School
Ranking: No. 5 in ESPN 300, No. 1 defensive tackle
Griffin, ESPN's top uncommitted prospect in 2025, narrowed his recruitment to three schools over the summer: Georgia, Miami and USC.
At 6-foot-4, 280 pounds, Griffin is ESPN's top defender in the 2025, possessing a combination of size and speed that makes him a menace to opposing backfields. Griffin tallied 17.5 sacks last fall while powering Savannah Christian to a state title game, and he entered his senior season with 69 tackles for loss, including 35.5 sacks, for his high school career.
Griffin has spent plenty of time at Georgia since the Bulldogs offered him in eighth grade and took official visits to USC and Miami this summer. He was in Atlanta for Georgia's neutral-site opener against Clemson in Week 1 and is also expected to take an official to Athens sometime this fall. Griffin plans to take visits to Miami and USC during the season, as well.
Proximity and history make Georgia the front-runner for Griffin's pledge, but he would have taken notice of Miami's and USC's big wins over the weekend. Griffin's commitment is not expected until at least mid-October and could run all the way up to the early signing period.
Five-star defensive tackle Justus Terry taking SEC visits this month
Hometown: Manchester, Georgia
School: Manchester High School
Ranking: No. 7 in ESPN 300, No. 2 defensive tackle
Committed to Georgia first, then USC, Terry reopened his recruitment again in June. With the college football season underway, Georgia, Alabama, Florida State and Auburn lead the race for one of the most physical, pure run stoppers in the 2025 class.
Justus Terry brought it all at UA Next in Atlanta 💪 @JustusTerry80
— Billy Tucker (@TheUCReport) February 20, 2024
The Georgia commit is freakishly athletic and a force in the trenches. Real 5-star talent 📈 #UANext pic.twitter.com/AL5yskROpJ
The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive tackle led Manchester to its first state title-game appearance since 1997 last fall. Across the past two campaigns, Terry totaled 116 tackles and 17 sacks, emerging among the top defenders in the cycle.
Terry took summer officials to Georgia, Florida State and Alabama before spending Week 1 in Atlanta for Georgia's rout of Clemson. He's expected to be at Alabama in Week 2 before returning to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28 when the Crimson Tide host Georgia. Terry also plans to visit Auburn in the early part of the season and has not yet set a commitment date.
Four-star athlete Michael Terry down to Texas, Oregon and Nebraska
Hometown: San Antonio
School: Alamo Heights High School
Ranking: No. 24 in ESPN 300, No. 2 athlete
Terry -- one the most versatile, high-potential recruits in the class -- became the nation's top uncommitted 2025 skill position prospect after four-star wide receiver Jaime Ffrench (No. 17 in ESPN 300) committed to Texas on Aug. 30.
The surging Longhorns could be favorites to land Terry, too, but Oregon and Nebraska remain firmly among Terry's finalists following official visits to all three schools over the summer. Terry intends to travel to see each of his finalists again this fall and has not set a commitment date.
"I think he wants to finish the process and take his game-day visits and go from there," said Terry's father, Michael.
At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, Terry carries the frame and in-game speed to play on either side of the ball at the next level. But elite programs see Terry's future as a Cordarrelle Patterson-like, do-it-all offensive weapon, capable of playing running back, wide receiver or tight end in a given package. Terry tallied 1,559 all-purpose yards and 30 total touchdowns as a junior last fall and found the end zone three times in Alamo Heights' season opener last Friday.
Texas has pitched Terry on proximity to home and an expansive role in the Longhorns' offense. At Oregon, there's a long-standing relationship with offensive coordinator Will Stein and a chance to join a Ducks class that already includes pledges from four of ESPN's top 10 athletes in the 2025 cycle. Matt Rhule and the Huskers have made Terry a priority, and he'll be on hand to see Nebraska host Colorado at Memorial Stadium in Week 2.
"Education will be the first factor in Michael's decision," his father said. "And then I believe it's going to be the style of football they play."
Utah and USC ahead for four-star wide receiver Jerome Myles
Hometown: Draper, Utah
School: Corner Canyon High School
Ranking: No. 26 in ESPN 300, No. 5 wide receiver
Myles, Utah's top prospect in 2025, spent two months committed to Ole Miss this spring before decommitting on June 24 after official visits to Utah and Texas A&M.
"I didn't like how active they were in the transfer portal," Myles said. "The coaches started acting a little bit different after I committed. At first they didn't want me to redshirt, and then out of nowhere they told me they want me to redshirt my freshman year."
Since reopening his recruitment, Myles has placed an emphasis on culture, staff relationships and programs with proven records of developing NFL prospects. The Utes and Aggies remain among Myles' leaders this fall, while USC, Ohio State and Georgia now round out his finalists.
Myles told ESPN that Utah and USC have pulled ahead in recent weeks. Both programs check the box on Myles' desire to play college football relatively close to home.
"That's pretty important to me -- I want to play in front of my family," said Myles, who plans on committing on Oct. 30. "I want them to be able to come watch."
Myles was on hand for Texas A&M's 23-13 loss to Notre Dame in Week 1, visiting alongside 2025 Aggies quarterback pledge Husan Longstreet and Corner Canyon teammate Helaman Casuga, ESPN's fifth-ranked dual-threat quarterback in 2026. Myles will visit USC this weekend and is expected to travel to Georgia and Ohio State over the first half of the season.
ACC trio or Big Ten power for top uncommitted safety Jordan Young
Hometown: Monroe, North Carolina
School: Monroe High School
Ranking: No. 39 in ESPN 300, No. 3 safety
Of ESPN's top 15 safeties in 2025, only one remains uncommitted: Young, the rangy defensive back who totaled 107 tackles and nine interceptions in his past two prep seasons.
Roughly five weeks out from his Oct. 12 commitment date, Young has narrowed his options to Clemson, Florida State, Michigan and NC State following official visits with each program, while Alabama is making a late push for the 6-foot, 185-pound defender.
"It's pretty neck-and-neck," Young said. "But these are the schools that came down to see me at the school, not just me going up to see them."
NC State and Clemson present intriguing options close to home. Young visited the Wolfpack twice this summer, and among his group of finalists, no program has hosted Young more than Dabo Swinney and Clemson.
Elsewhere, Young has connected with Florida State's coaching staff and the program's record of producing defensive back talent. Michigan impressed on his official visit in June and presents an opportunity to join a class that includes top-50 defensive backs Ivan Taylor and Kainoa Winston. Alabama has emerged late in the race for Young's pledge, and he'll be on campus when the Crimson Tide host Georgia on Sept. 28.
Young attended Clemson's season opener against Georgia. He has plans to visit Michigan (Week 2 vs. Texas), Clemson (Week 4 vs. NC State), and one of Florida State or NC State on Oct. 5 before announcing his decision.
"It's going to be the place I feel the most comfortable and where I have the strongest relationships," Young said. "How I fit in with the defensive scheme and getting on the field early is important, too."
Top inside linebacker Ty Jackson keeping things open
Hometown: Loxahatchee, Florida
School: Seminole Ridge Community High School
Ranking: No. 44 in ESPN 300, No. 1 inside linebacker
Just under three months from the early signing period, there is perhaps no top-100 recruitment more open than that of the nation's top inside linebacker prospect.
Jackson released a list of 10 finalists in February that included Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Miami, Penn State, Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Florida State and Syracuse. Jackson tells ESPN that the bulk of that group remains in contention this fall while USC has entered the fray in a recruitment Jackson intends to take to the late stages of the 2025 cycle.
"As of right now it's still at the end of the season toward December," Jackson said of a potential commitment date. "I'm really just seeing if the coaches stick with me all the way to the end. I'm looking for an opportunity for development"
Jackson took officials to Penn State, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Florida over the summer, then visited the Gators again in Week 1. Jackson will visit USC in Week 2 ahead of confirmed trips to Alabama (Week 5 vs. Georgia), Penn State (Week 9 vs. Washington) and Florida State (Week 14 vs. Florida). Visits to Tennessee, as well as trips to see other finalists, could fill the remaining open weekends on Jackson's fall calendar.
"I'm still breaking it down and trying to really figure it out," Jackson said. "I want to see how the season goes. It's a tough decision."
Big names in the mix for four-star OT Andrew Babalola
Hometown: Overland Park, Kansas
School: Blue Valley Northwest High School
Ranking: No. 51 in ESPN 300, No. 7 offensive tackle
Babalola is the top uncommitted offensive tackle left in the 2025 class, and his recruitment remains one of the most close-to-the-vest processes in the nation. Once expected to commit before the start of his senior season, Babalola has yet to announce his verbal pledge with Stanford, Michigan, Auburn, Missouri and Oklahoma all still in the mix.
At 6-foot-6, 270 pounds, Babalola brings a big frame and functional athleticism to his plays thanks to a basketball background. A relative newcomer to football, he projects as a high-potential prospect with raw talent to be molded at the next level.
Stanford and Michigan appeared to be front-runners for Babalola's pledge following official visits to both schools in the summer. Yet Auburn, Missouri and Oklahoma -- where Babalola took his remaining official visits -- are continuing to push into the fall.
Babalola would represent a cornerstone commitment for Stanford or Michigan in 2025, while his pledge would add to already impressive offensive line classes at Auburn, Missouri or Oklahoma.
Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas and Florida lead for four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng
Hometown: Hyattsville, Maryland/Bradenton, Florida
School: IMG Academy
Ranking: No. 74 in ESPN 300, No. 8 outside linebacker
The brother of Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Owusu-Boateng is the highest rated of the three uncommitted top-100 outside linebackers in 2025. He told ESPN that Notre Dame, Michigan, Texas and Florida enter September as the leaders for his commitment with USC remaining in contention, as well.
"All the schools I want to go to have a high excellence in academics," Owusu-Boateng said. "They all have high caliber of excellence on the football field, as well."
Owusu-Boateng began his high school career at Dematha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland, before transferring to IMG Academy for his junior season last fall, where he notched 45 tackles and one sack in eight games. He took official visits to USC, Ohio State, Notre Dame and Michigan during the summer before narrowing his recruitment this fall.
Owusu-Boateng's brother was a unanimous All-American and the Butkus Award winner at Notre Dame in 2020, and the program carries obvious ties into a recruitment that has seen Owusu-Boateng establish a close relationship with head coach Marcus Freeman across multiple visits to the Irish in 2024.
"We're talking about a coach who played that position at Ohio State," Owusu-Boateng said of Freeman. "So as a linebacker, there's no better opportunity because you're playing for a coach that played linebacker and has been in those shoes before."
Despite the Notre Dame connections, Michigan, Texas and Florida remain seriously involved in Owusu-Boateng's recruitment.
Owusu-Boateng has a tight relationship with Michigan linebackers coach Brian Jean-Mary dating back to the assistant's time at Tennessee. Texas freshmen and former IMG teammates Jerrick Gibson and Jordan Johnson-Rubel have pitched Owusu-Boateng heavily on the Longhorns, and he expects to visit Texas soon. Florida, which Owusu-Boateng visited in Week 1, has appeal for its proximity and potential early opportunities on the field at linebacker.
Owusu-Boateng has not set a commitment date and intends to take his recruitment into the fall.
Four-star linebacker Christian Jones down to Nebraska, Oklahoma and Miami
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
School: Westside High School
Ranking: No. 92 in ESPN 300, No. 12 outside linebacker
Nebraska's top prospect in 2025, Jones had interest from USC and Tennessee, and took official visits to Auburn, Nebraska and Oklahoma before an unofficial trip to Miami later in the summer. As he nears a decision, perhaps as soon as later this month, Jones has cut his list of finalists to Nebraska, Oklahoma and Miami with a focus on both program and positional fit.
"He doesn't really love the idea of playing inside linebacker," Dave Jones, his father, said. "So some of the schools that see him playing inside, I think that turned him off a lot."
Nebraska, less than an hour from Omaha, is a natural fit for Jones, and he would represent a massive addition for the Huskers after the program chased and missed out on Alabama linebacker commit Dawson Merritt. At Oklahoma, Jones meshed with Brent Venables and first-year defensive coordinator Zac Alley, while Miami remains in close touch as Mario Cristobal seeks to add to a talented defensive class that lost a pledge from four-star linebacker Elijah Melendez last weekend.
"I think [Christian] is a big culture guy," Dave Jones said. "He's a big personality guy. He's a feeler. He wants to feel like he's in the right place."
Jones will visit Nebraska for a second-straight weekend in Week 2 and appears likely to wrap his recruitment in the coming weeks with all three finalists still in strong contention.
USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Washington chasing four-star linebacker Madden Faraimo
Hometown: San Juan Capistrano, California
School: JSerra Catholic High School
Ranking: No. 96 in ESPN 300, No. 14 outside linebacker
After nixing initial plans to commit prior to the start of his senior season, Faraimo hits the fall focused on the four schools he feels most closely aligned with -- USC, Notre Dame, Texas and Washington -- with no firm commitment date in mind.
"My timing is definitely open-ended," Faraimo said. "I don't think it'll go all the way to signing day. But I want to make sure I get to games first."
Faraimo, the brother of former UCLA softball All-American Megan Faraimo, grew up around USC football and holds family ties to the school where his brother Matt played volleyball from 2017 to '20 and a cousin, Salo Faraimo, played under Pete Carroll in the early 2000s. Like many 2025 prospects, Faraimo has taken notice of a new energy under first-year Trojans defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn and first-year linebackers coach Matt Entz.
At Notre Dame, Faraimo feels the strength of what he calls "three levels" of linebacker wisdom between Freeman, defensive coordinator Al Golden and linebackers coach Max Bullough through a recruitment that began nearly three years ago.
"I really trust the people there and I really believe that they can bring me to the places I want to go," Faraimo said. "Not only on the football field but off of it academically and with my faith as well."
Faraimo has watched Texas flex its recruiting muscle over the past month and has built strong relationships with Steve Sarkisian and first-year linebackers coach Johnny Nansen. And while Faraimo was initially recruited to Washington by Kalen DeBoer's staff, Jedd Fisch has retained Faraimo's interest, helped by Faraimo's long-standing connection with linebackers coach Robert Bala.
Faraimo intends to visit each of his finalists this fall before announcing a decision.
"It's just going to be me leaning back on my faith and getting the clarity that I need from God and feeling that it's truly the right place," Faraimo said. "Once I get to that point, I'll pick the school and run with it."
Four-star rusher Ousmane Kromah down to three schools
Hometown: Leesburg, Georgia
School: Lee County High School
Ranking: No. 127 in ESPN 300, No. 9 running back
ESPN's top uncommitted running back, Kromah took summer official visits to Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee and Georgia, and his recruitment remains open this fall with the Tigers, Seminoles and Bulldogs leading the chase for the talented, all-around rusher.
"A lot of guys want to lock it in before their senior year," said Lee County head coach Dean Fabrizio. "But [Kromah] wasn't quite ready to make the decision so he decided to extend it. He's taking his time right now and making sure it's the decision that's best for him."
Kromah is a physical runner who has eclipsed 1,500 rushing yards in each of his three high school seasons prior to 2024. A talented pass catcher out of the backfield, he accounted for 2,305 all-purpose yards and 29 total touchdowns in his junior season last fall.
Georgia and Florida State enter the fall among the most active programs in the 2025 running back market, and the Bulldogs might hold an edge through running backs coach Josh Crawford, who previously led Lee County and coached Kromah's older brother in high school. Auburn hosted Kromah in Week 1 and would like to pair him with ESPN 300 running back commit Alvin Henderson.
With Georgia and Florida State in need of a 2025 rusher and Auburn in the midst of a recruiting tear, Kromah's recruitment remains one of the most intriguing processes across the country.
Four-star linebacker Tyler Lockhart eyes in-state schools with Auburn in the mix
Hometown: Winona, Mississippi
School: Winona High School
Ranking: No. 132 in ESPN 300, No. 19 outside linebacker
Lockhart committed to Auburn on May 6, then pulled his pledge from the Tigers in late June. Mississippi's fifth-ranked prospect now enters his senior season in close contact with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn with no date set for his commitment.
Lockhart is one of four top-20 outside linebackers still available in the 2025 class. An aggressive defender with a long wingspan, Lockhart recorded 100 total tackles, including 28 for loss and 11 sacks in his junior season last fall.
Auburn has pushed hard to pull Lockhart back into a 2025 class that does not yet include a single linebacker commit. Lockhart spent Week 1 at Mississippi State, where he saw the Bulldogs roll Eastern Kentucky, and he would represent the top prospect in Jeff Lebby's first full signing class. Ole Miss holds only three ESPN 300 pledges and also remains in the mix for Lockhart.
Four-star wide receiver Jaden Nickens will take his time
Hometown: Oklahoma City/Chatsworth, California
School: Sierra Canyon High School
Ranking: No. 162 in ESPN 300, No. 15 wide receiver
Nickens began 2024 with a transfer from Oklahoma City's Millwood High School to crosstown rival Douglass. Two months later, on March 14, he decommitted from Oklahoma, emphasizing plans to play both football and basketball at the next level in his announcement. Nickens' July move to California prep school power Sierra Canyon High School marked the latest and most significant shift in a year of change for the 6-foot-4, 190-pound pass catcher.
"The motivation for me was just to get on a higher level and to showcase my talents against higher-caliber players, guys capable of doing things that I can do," Nickens said of the move. "I felt like I deserved this for my senior year. I did this for myself."
A three-star guard per ESPN's high school basketball rankings, Nickens joins a Sierra Canyon basketball program that has featured the sons of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Scottie Pippen in recent seasons. Along with stronger competition, Nickens explained that his move was motivated by the lure of increased exposure to football and men's basketball programs on the West Coast.
Since arriving in California, Nickens said he has picked up interest from the likes of USC, UCLA, Utah, Cal and San Diego State, along with Nebraska and North Texas. Nickens intends to take visits throughout the fall and potentially into the spring, and does not plan to sign a national letter of intent during the early signing period in December.
"I don't think I could be committed and signed by then," he said. "If a school wants me, they'll want me."
Four-star rusher Byron Louis nears his Sept. 21 commitment date with four finalists
Hometown: Plantation, Florida
School: American Heritage High School
Ranking: No. 182 in ESPN 300, No. 10 running back
From the same high school that produced NFL draft selections Sony Michel and Khalil Herbert, Louis intends to commit to one of Miami, Florida State, Georgia or Wisconsin Sept. 21.
"I'm still weighing out all my options," he told ESPN. "I love all those schools. They all run the ball. I can't go wrong with any of these schools."
The 6-foot, 205-pound Louis is one of two uncommitted top-20 running backs in the 2025 class as he enters his senior season at American Heritage High School after logging 1,663 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 215 carries in his sophomore and junior campaigns.
Louis' Miami recruitment began under Manny Diaz and saw no drop-off when Cristobal's staff took over. He remains close with Miami running back and former American Heritage teammate Mark Fletcher Jr., as well as offensive analyst Benedick Hyppolite, whose son is a quarterback at American Heritage this fall. Florida State, still searching for a 2025 running back, holds its own American Heritage connections through defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain Sr., who coached the high school program from 2016 to '21.
Georgia is continuing its push in the 2025 running back market as well, while Wisconsin appeals to Louis for its history of running back development and the Badgers' impressive collection of offensive line talent. After official visits to each of his four finalists in the spring, Louis does not plan to take any additional trips ahead of his commitment date.
"It's going to be a place that feels like home for me," he said. "That's really it."
Flip watch
Five-star QB Julian Lewis: The noise has quieted around a potential flip for the coveted USC commit, but Lewis' commitment remains a storyline into the fall after he was linked heavily to Colorado and Indiana last month. USC's performance in its Week 1 win over LSU couldn't have hurt the Trojans' cause.
Five-star CB Na'eem Offord: ESPN's sixth-ranked prospect in 2025 has been committed to Ohio State since February. However, links between Offord and Auburn lingered through the summer, and the defensive back from Birmingham, Alabama, was back on campus for the Tigers' season opener. The longer Offord's flirtation with Auburn continues, the more likely it seems a flip away from the Buckeyes could be in store with Oregon also back in the mix.
Five-star athlete D.J. Pickett: Pickett, ESPN's No. 1 overall athlete in the cycle, remains firm in his July commitment to LSU. But Pickett chose to spend Week 1 on a visit to Florida, which means he also watched Miami -- one of his other finalists -- execute its beatdown of the Gators. While Pickett might be set on LSU, his recruitment is worth keeping an eye on this fall.
Four-star WR Caleb Cunningham: Like Pickett, Cunningham remains steadfast in his commitment to Alabama, and he'll be on campus when the Crimson Tide host USF in Week 2. After a Week 1 visit to Ole Miss, the pass catcher from Ackerman, Mississippi, also plans to see LSU and Mississippi State in the coming weeks, leaving the door open to a potential flip.
Four-star QB Deuce Knight: Auburn and Ole Miss spent the summer working on the Notre Dame commit, and Knight sported towels featuring each school's logo in the first game of his senior season last Friday. Knight has visited Auburn twice since late July, including last weekend's trip for the Tigers' season opener, and Hugh Freeze & Co. should be considered heavy favorites to flip the dual-threat passer from Lucedale, Mississippi.
Four-star CB Daryus Dixson: Penn State wowed Dixson on his official visit in June, and he committed to the Nittany Lions days after returning home to California. That same pull remains, but runner-up Washington continues to push for Dixson's flip and could be an option should the Mater Dei High School defensive back decide he wants to stay closer to home.
Four-star OLB Dawson Merritt: ESPN's 101st overall prospect was down to Alabama and Nebraska when he committed to the Crimson Tide. The Huskers have kept in contact with Merritt through the summer and could be a candidate to flip Kansas' No. 3 high school prospect.
Four-star WR Cortez Mills: The talented pass catcher from Florida is another prospect Nebraska is looking to flip this fall. Mills, an Oklahoma commit, visited the Huskers in the spring and he'll be back on campus in Week 2 for Colorado's highly anticipated visit to Lincoln.