Credit: 247Sports

Top 2025 Uncommitted Recruits After Early Signing Day

Brad Shepard

The elevated timeline of high school recruiting largely renders much of the post-early December cycle obsolete and uneventful as the majority of top-tier prospects signed scholarship papers last week.

This time of year is set aside for the College Football Playoff, postseason and—especially nowadays for everybody—transfer portal recruiting. That's where every head coach's focus is right now, but there are still a handful of noteworthy prospects left unsigned.

Only four of top 300 prospects in the nation according to the 247Sports composite rankings remain unsigned, and two of those are uncommitted. Some of the players on this list maybe have "committed" to a school, but they are actively looking around during the late cycle and will sign in February.

A deeper dig into the rankings shows that out of the 464 prospects rated 4-stars or higher, just 10 of those haven't signed on the dotted line. So, there is still a large group of programs around the nation trying to catch the attention of a select few guys.

From one hotly coveted quarterback to an undecided 5-star offensive lineman, it's still worth paying attention to the recruitment of a few high schoolers between now and February. Let's get you acquainted with them.

Austin Alexander, Defensive Lineman

Credit: 247Sports

There are a few guys on this list where there simply isn't a lot of information floating around out there post-early signing period, and one of those is 4-star North Carolina defensive lineman commitment Austin Alexander.

The 6'3", 243-pound Tar Heels pledge still shows as committed, but he did not sign during the early period after UNC elected to part ways with coach Mack Brown. He is one of a couple of potential Heels players on this list.

The Burlington, Kentucky, native was hotly pursued the first time around but has been committed to the Tar Heels since April. Back in October, he told InsideCarolina's Don Callahan he was "locked in" with UNC, though other schools were coming after him.

He also mentioned that he didn't see any issues with the coaching staff despite the subpar season, and he planned on being an early enrollee arriving in Chapel Hill in January.

Obviously, all that changed, and there hasn't been any buzz surrounding Alexander yet, which would indicate he still has heavy interest in the school where he's committed. But not signing early is a big deal.

That means his recruitment is still up in the air, and it doesn't appear he's doing many interviews.

McKay Madsen, Linebacker

Credit: 247Sports

As loaded as the Oregon Ducks' fourth-rated recruiting class is, coach Dan Lanning may not be done just yet.

Versatile athlete McKay Madsen of Clovis, California, didn't sign during the early session, and he is still very much an option for the Ducks, along with BYU and UCLA. The 6'1", 230-pound defender can play a lot of different positions, but he's most likely a linebacker on the next level.

He is the nation's No. 404-ranked overall player, and 247Sports' Greg Biggins believes Madsen can play linebacker or fullback on the next level.

Madsen visited Eugene for Oregon's season-ending win over rival Washington, but he didn't pull the trigger in the early session. That was never the intent, anyway, as Madsen is a player who won't be readily available next year.

According to 247Sports' Brandon Huffman, Madsen will take an official visit this weekend and will serve a Church of Latter-Day Saints mission, delaying his enrollment until 2027 and won't sign until February.

It's unclear whether Lanning's late flip of former Miami linebacker commit Gavin Nix may have impacted Madsen's decision. Regardless, either the Ducks, Cougars or Bruins are going to get a high-upside player. They'll just have to wait on his collegiate impact.

Cameron Sparks, Athlete

Credit: 247Sports

Early in the recruitment of 4-star athlete Cameron Sparks of The Baylor School in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the playmaker was a commodity coveted by teams around the country.

His recruitment kind of went quiet during the past few months, though, and he didn't sign with anybody during the early signing period. The 6'3", 205-pound two-way athlete most likely projects as a wide receiver on the next level, but where will he go?

That's anybody's guess right now for the nation's No. 393-rated overall player in the country and the 20th-ranked athlete.

There were times during his recruitment where it was expected he favored Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss. But none of those schools appear to be in the picture right now. Mississippi State could potentially be an option.

He recently helped the Red Raiders to a state runner-up finish following a loss to hated rival McCallie in the finals, so there may be more to Sparks' recruitment surface in the coming weeks.

It's unclear why there hasn't been a lot of chatter around Sparks during the past several months, but he doesn't appear to be coveted by a lot of programs right now. There are almost no recent articles about his recruitment. Some team may get a fly-under-the-radar commit.

Justin Hasenhuetl, Interior Offensive Line

Credit: 247Sports

While a lot of prospects were making their final decisions last week, Rabun Gap, Georgia, offensive lineman Justin Hasenhuetl was deciding he didn't exactly know where he wanted his future home to be.

The 6'5", 300-pound 4-star prospect who could play either guard or tackle on the next level but is rated the nation's No. 340th overall prospect and the No. 20 interior offensive lineman by the 247Sports composite rankings decommitted from Georgia Tech last week.

The news came amid some positives for the Yellow Jackets as they solidified the signing of Josh Petty and flipped Peyton Joseph from Florida State along the offensive front.

Tom Loy of 247Sports noted upon Hasenhuetl's decommitment that California and Virginia Tech are the two schools to watch in his recruitment with the Bears out front. His profile has Justin Wilcox's program at the forefront of his commitment watch now, too.

Though Hasenhuetl attends Rabun Gap (Ga.) Nacoochee School, he's not a Georgia native. He's from Germany originally and plays for the prestigious boarding school. Distance from home isn't a factor for him.

The massive road-grader would be a big-time commitment for either the Bears or the Hokies, and it will be interesting to see if any other suitors emerge.

Chastan Brown, Offensive Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

When the coaching carousel is in full spin, it affects recruiting at times, too. Though this year's movement among those at the top is minimal compared to the past couple of years, there is some fallout.

Some of that is happening in Orlando, where former UCF coach Gus Malzahn left to be the offensive coordinator at Florida State, which opened the door for former coach Scott Frost to return to the Knights.

They are going to have to pick up the pieces in recruiting, and one of the departures that is a big deal is 4-star offensive tackle Chastan Brown, who bolted upon the Malzahn news. The 6'7", 270-pound lineman is seeing a huge uptick in interest, too.

It didn't take long for Malzahn's new digs to offer, as the Seminoles extended on December 3—as did Missouri, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

His profile currently expects him to land in Tallahassee. Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Duke, Houston and Pittsburgh were in the mix the first time around, too. Tom Loy of 247Sports also mentioned Louisville as a team prioritizing Brown.

As Brown resets, his could be one of the most interesting recruitments of the late session. It's not every day that a guy with the size and physicality of the long-time Knights commit goes back on the market. It doesn't appear UCF is in the mix currently, but Frost would be wise to kick the tires on where Brown's heart was the first time around.

Onis Konanbanny, Cornerback

Credit: 247Sports

For months, there were no rumors or churn to the recruitment of Onis Konanbanny. The 4-star cornerback from Columbia, South Carolina, was all set on heading to Rocky Top to play for Tennessee.

Then, suddenly, a few days before the early signing period started, Konanbanny took a visit to see the Florida Gators. He also didn't close the door on the Florida State Seminoles, a finalist for the 6'1", 180-pound defensive back the first time around.

Now, his recruitment is up in the air in the late signing period. He elected not to sign with the Vols last week, and while he is still technically committed, it would be a surprise if he wound up in Knoxville.

The Gators flipped longtime Tennessee defensive back commit Lagonza "Shaedy" Hayward in the 11th hour, and they could be a major player to get Konanbanny in a deep, talented defensive back class, too.

It remains to be seen just how heavily the Vols re-recruit him or who else may enter the picture for the nation's No. 316-rated overall player and 31st-ranked cornerback.

Konanbanny is a long, lean defensive back with a lot of upside, so interest in him likely will be heavy.

Donovan Murph, Wide Receiver

Credit: 247Sports

The battle for one of the top Palmetto State prospects will continue to be waged into the late signing period.

Wide receiver Donovan Murph is the first player on this list ranked in the Top 247, sliding under the radar as the nation's No. 241-ranked overall player and the 30th-rated pass-catcher.

At 6'1.5", 188 pounds, Murph has ample size and speed to be a difference-maker in either the SEC or the ACC, which seems at this moment like where he'll play his college ball. At Irmo High School, Murph plays basically in the shadow of Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina.

Right now, though, most of the intel suggests coach Dabo Swinney's Clemson Tigers have the advantage over Shane Beamer's Gamecocks when it comes to Murph's signature. He told 247Sports' Anna Adams the Tigers were "on the top" just a couple weeks ago, despite all the predictions on his Crystal Ball going to South Carolina.

Even so, he didn't sign, so both teams will keep swinging for the talented target. He has been to both schools many times, including the Gamecocks' 17-14 season-ending win over Clemson, and he will decide soon and commit in February.

Since he reclassified from 2026 to the '25 class, he isn't an early enrollee, so other teams could pop into the fray, too. Right now, it looks like Murph will stay at or near home.

Bryce Baker, Quarterback

Credit: 247Sports

This time of year, you rarely have the potential to recruit a potentially elite quarterback with tremendous upside, but that's what's currently going on in the case of Bryce Baker.

The 6'2.5", 195-pound Kernersville, North Carolina, signal-caller was all set to stay home and play for the Tar Heels, but with the ouster of Mack Brown, Baker is at least keeping his options open beyond the early signing period.

If you have the chance to sign the No. 82-ranked overall player and the eighth-rated quarterback, you try to become part of that picture, and many are.

Baker is far from a finished product, but he's an exceptional athlete and has the arm strength to make all the throws. Even in a loaded class of quarterbacks, his potential stands out.

North Carolina is certainly still a candidate to keep Baker's commitment in the fold. But others are pushing, and the biggest suitor right now may be Penn State, which hosted Baker recently on a visit. After LSU lost Bryce Underwood to Michigan, the Bayou Bengals are hot on Baker's trail, too.

"Penn State and LSU are very much in play," Baker's father, Michael, told On3's Steve Wiltfong. "Because Bryce has been committed for two years we want to give them the benefit of who are you bringing in before jumping ship. I think that's the fair thing to do."

This one seems dicey, at best, for the Heels.

Zahir Mathis, EDGE

Credit: 247Sports

Bryce Baker isn't the only big-name recruit remaining on coach Penn State coach James Franklin's board. They are trying to parlay this College Football Playoff run into an impressive haul of recruits, and one guy who may be a realistic target is 4-star edge-rusher Zahir Mathis.

The Philadelphia native has made numerous visits to the state's flagship school, but he was also a longtime commit to Ohio State.

That changed in late November when Mathis decided to reopen things, suddenly putting the nation's No. 75-rated overall player and sixth-ranked edge-rusher back on the market.

Imhotep Institute is going to be a hot stop for a lot of schools now, as many try to become players for Mathis' scholarship papers. At 6'6", 225 pounds, he has the mixture of size and athleticism you simply can't teach.

Penn State is heavily involved and may even be the favorite, but the Lions aren't alone.

WeAreSC's Scott Schrader noted USC, Florida State, Miami, Penn State and possibly Oregon are some programs to watch in the late cycle as Mathis starts back at square one.

"Mathis' decommitment from OSU was totally NIL-driven, and those advising him have him staying in the open market through the rest of December and January, hoping a program in need will pony up the offer to meet the ask in a supply-and-demand situation," Letterman Row's Alex Glietman wrote, according to the Schrader article.

Deep-pocket programs, engage.

Ty Haywood, Offensive Tackle

Credit: 247Sports

Alabama loading up on big-time recruits is a tale as old as time, and while first-year coach Kalen DeBoer has enjoyed his share of success on the trail this year, the Crimson Tide did lose a few important battles, too.

Long-time 5-star offensive tackle commitment Ty Haywood likely will be another one once everything is said and done.

While he still shows as an Alabama pledge, the prevailing thought is the fourth-rated offensive tackle and No. 20 overall player in the nation won't ultimately end up in Tuscaloosa as part of DeBoer's first full class.

The 6'5", 285-pound Denton (Ryan High School) Texas product right now appears focused on Michigan or Texas Tech. That may seem like an odd combination, but Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire has done a good job recruiting the Lone Star State, where he's a legendary high school coach.

Michigan, of course, is a factory for offensive linemen, and Haywood could team with Andrew Babalola to give the Wolverines their bookends of the future. He would be a tremendous late pull for coach Sherrone Moore.

According to On3's Steve Wiltfong, Haywood is waiting until February, and Texas Tech and Michigan could be major suitors.

All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference unless otherwise noted. Recruit rankings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.

Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.

   

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