Five-star 2023 quarterback recruit Jaden Rashada released his list of seven final contenders and we ranked them ahead of his June 18th decision date.
Whether it’s according to the 247 sports composite rankings or the On3.com consensus rankings, Jaden Rashada is one of the top quarterback recruits left in the 2023 class, and on Tuesday, he announced that he would be making his decision public on June 18.
According to the 247 composite rankings, Rashada is a five-star prospect and ranked 29th overall, as well as fifth among quarterbacks in 2023. On3 has him a little lower in its consensus rankings and part of that is due to his 155th overall ranking by that site which isn’t factored in the 247 composite rankings.
Next Destination: Home 🏡 @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/esmE3a5jlw
— Jaden Rashada 5️⃣ (@jadenrashada) May 17, 2022
Still, the On3 consensus rankings have him as the seventh-best QB and 58th overall prospect, and on top of announcing his commitment date, the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder from California also released his final list of seven contenders, and ahead of his decision date on June 18th, we rank the seven contenders for his commitment.
7. California
It’s hard to see the Bears as a legit contender in the recruitment of Jaden Rashada. It feels more like the obligatory inclusion of the in-state school.
Cal has done its work with Rashada and he’s very familiar with the program but with heavy hitters across the board such as Oregon, Texas A&M, Miami, Florida, Ole Miss, and LSU in the mix, the Bears don’t feel like much of a threat.
He’s also never visited the Cal campus officially or unofficially according to his On3.com profile, so I wouldn’t bet on the Bears winning this one, even if they do get him on campus before his decision.
On3 prediction machine: Less than 1 percent
6. LSU
LSU and Florida are both in the same boat right now in terms of quarterback recruiting for the 2023 class. With new head coaches, they were sort of behind at the start of this cycle and each is playing catchup both with Jaden Rashada and Dante Moore.
Moore has visited both LSU and Florida and according to a report from 247 sports, the Gators and Tigers are expected to receive official visits from Rashada.
If LSU gets an official visit, it means that the Tigers are a real threat, and in a recruitment this wide open, that’s a big opportunity to swing things in their direction.
On3 prediction machine: Less than 1 percent
5. Ole Miss
It really feels like this recruitment is going to be decided based on how these official visits go and for Ole Miss, that doesn’t necessarily bode well.
The Rebels got the first official visit and were once seen as the leader for Jaden Rashada, but Lane Kiffin and the coaching staff recently took Marcel Reed, a top-400 three-star at the position.
I can see why that wouldn’t necessarily scare off Rashada. Yet, Jaxson Dart is also there and should be there in 2023 too depending on how things go.
So despite Rashada’s relationship with Kiffin, it feels like Ole Miss has work to do especially as other contenders line up official visits in the last month.
On3 prediction machine: 7 percent
4. Texas A&M
The Aggies thought they had their quarterback commitment when Eli Holstein committed earlier in the 2023 cycle but he re-opened things and Texas A&M football doesn’t have a clear replacement for him.
Dante Moore is also a target for the Aggies as is Rashada. The key is getting him on campus. Rashada hasn’t even taken an unofficial visit to Texas A&M football. However, if the Aggies get an official visit as 247 sports reported they are in line to do, along with UF and LSU, then Jimbo Fisher and company can definitely become a threat.
If NIL becomes a bigger factor, then the Aggies are going to move up. One issue hurting Texas A&M football though was the signing of five-star Conner Weigman. Rashada is obviously looking at depth charts as all high-level QB recruits and A&M’s isn’t all that friendly.
On3 prediction machine: 21 percent
3. Florida
The Gators have one thing that some of the other contenders don’t necessarily have and that’s a clear path to being the starter. Anthony Richardson could be gone after this season as he’s being talked about as an NFL draft pick and Florida is a prestigious program.
Florida has had multiple Heisman winners at quarterback and selling Rashada on the idea of being the savior for that program shouldn’t be that hard. Florida isn’t a serious contender for another QB in the 2023 class right now and outside of Richardson, it’s pretty open on the depth chart.
LSU has five-star QB Walker Howard coming in as a freshman. Ole Miss has Dart and the Reed commitment to deal with, and A&M has a solid QB room too. So in terms of SEC programs, Florida might be able to make the best pitch, plus the Gators are effective with NIL.
Also, Billy Napier is a proven head coach, although not yet in the SEC, yet he’s an elite recruiter and this could be his first major win.
On3 prediction machine: Less than 1 percent
2. Miami
Miami has been in the mix for Jaden Rashada throughout this spring and that’s probably helped by the fact that Mario Cristobal was Oregon’s head coach when Rashada visited last September.
Rashada has visited Miami once this spring but the Hurricanes are also looking to revive their program and the 2023 QB said this about Miami to On3’s Hayes Fawcett:
“I love the opportunity there, along with the relationship I have with the staff,” Rashada said. “I believe they’ll run their conference these next few years.”
He mentioned something similar about Florida being able to reach that next level and just like with the Gators, Tyler Van Dyke could be gone after this season, so the opportunity to play right away is there. Miami has also offered his brother, a JUCO transfer, so the U would check a lot of boxes.
Getting the last official visit would also be a key indicator of where the Hurricanes stand, so that’s something to watch going forward.
On3 prediction machine: 26 percent
1. Oregon
There are a number of teams that could make a case to be at the top of this list, but we’ll stick with Oregon for a few reasons.
Rashada just took a visit there and it was the second time he has visited Eugene since Dan Lanning took over. Oregon doesn’t have him scheduled for an official visit, but he’s closer to Oregon than any other school except Cal, so an official visit probably isn’t as important, although it would still be a positive sign.
Rashada would have to compete with some other talented QB recruits at Oregon but he would have a clear chance to win the job in 2023. He also called Oregon an “elite” program and with an elite quarterback like himself, the sky really would be the limit.
In fact, one of the comparisons thrown around for Rashada is Marcus Mariota. Of course, Chip Kelly isn’t around anymore, but the comparison makes sense and if the Ducks were able to land Rashada, he could have that kind of impact on the future of the program.
Oregon and all of the contenders have work to do before June 18, but right now, there’s reason to be optimistic about the Ducks, although they are hosting four-star QB Avery Johnson for a visit in June too and how that goes could be a telling sign for the Ducks and Rashada.
On3 prediction machine: 38 percent