January always proves to be an interesting month when it comes to recruiting. Big weekend days for juniors alternate signing periods, leading to late and early decisions in the senior and junior cycles.
This was again the case last month. As the 2026 cycle prepares to end next week, there have been some late moves thanks to the release of the Rivals300 finale. Important decisions were also made during the 2027 cycle.
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Below is a look at January’s biggest commitments:
School: Irmo (SC)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 34 NATL. (EDGE N°5)
On the decision: “Coach (Sterling) Lucas is a coach I trust and believe in,” Bryant told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “South Carolina wasn’t one of my first offers, but he was recruiting me before that. He started recruiting me early and he’s like family. He’s easy to talk to, we have a good relationship and he’s always been a coach that I knew I would love to play for.”
School: Reserver (Florida.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 159 NATL. (No. 23 WR)
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On the decision: “I signed with UCF in December” Hornes told Rivals. “They recruited me very early. From the beginning of my recruitment, they recruited me hard. The staff always wanted me. They stuck with me, they were patient and they always expected me to commit to them. The way they made me feel was important.”
School: IMG Academy (Florida.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 80 NATL. (No. 9 CB)
On the decision: “There are many reasons why I chose USC” Washington told Rivals’ Greg Biggins. “It’s the local school for me and I have a great relationship with the entire coaching staff. I’ve been to USC several times and it always feels like home. We have a nice little crop of Mater Dei players going to USC right now. We’re trying to build that pipeline and I’m very excited to be a part of it and help make USC special.” — Washington has since transferred from Mater Dei (California) to IMG
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CB 4 stars 2027 Allen Evans —Louisville
School: Trinity (Ky.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 90 NATL. (No. 10 CB)
On the decision: “I think Louisville is the place for me” Evans told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “It’s the best solution for me in terms of development, where I feel most comfortable and where I can grow.”
2027 EDGE 4 stars Taven Epps -Oklahoma
School: Tustin (California)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 103 NATL. (EDGE N°14)
On the decision: “Coach Stacey (Ford), I’m very close to him because he was at UCLA and now he’s at Oklahoma, so he told everyone at Oklahoma, ‘I’m very close to this kid,’ and they all want me to go there,” Epps told Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “Even the offensive coaches are recruiting me.”
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TE 4 stars 2027 Korz Loken -Wisconsin
School: Iola-Scandinavia (Wisc.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 147 NATL. (N°8 TE)
On the decision: “I love the program” Loken told Rivals’ Greg Smith. “You can tell everyone there wants to win. The coaches really want to be the best they can. They want to win games and the players work hard every day. I’ve been there to practice several times and they really understand that iron sharpens iron mentality. You can tell everyone there that they want to turn this program around and start winning games.”
EDGE 4 stars 2026 Elie Reeder — State of Pennsylvania
School: Regional Center (NEW JERSEY)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 238 NATL. (N°28 EDGE)
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The scout’s point of view: “Elijah Reeder was a great discovery for Matt Campbell and his staff at Iowa State late in the process. I don’t believe he had any FBS offers and they were able to keep him under the radar and bring him into their class on signing day. When you watch his film, he is very talented as a passer. He looks like he has good size, is explosive and has that arcing acceleration with quality curvature. He has the coordination and change of direction to create mismatches as a pass rusher. Just watching his senior film, I think he’s a guy who has NFL upside. — Charles Power of Rivals
CB 4 stars 2027 Amare Nugent — Florida
School: American heritage (Florida.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 207 NATL. (No. 22 CB)
On the decision: “The coaching staff and the relationship with them” Nugent told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong when asked why he chose UF. “Florida culture fascinates me.”
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CB 4 stars 2026 Andrew Clarke -Kentucky
School: Hermitage (Virginia.)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 298 NATL. (No. 35 CB)
On the decision: “I believe in the new technical staff and the reconstruction” Clarke told KSR’s Jacob Polacheck. “I believe in Coach (Will) Stein. I feel like he’s going to change the program for us. I believe in the guys, and they’re going to get the best out of me when I go out there.
School: Central-East (California)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 306 NATL. (N°21 RB)
On the decision: “I always loved them and once they contacted me and offered me, I was honestly speechless. My emotions are still a little all over the place right now. It was a crazy sequence of events but I’m very excited to see how it all worked out for me,” Smith told Rivals’ Greg Biggins.
