College Football Powerhouse Emerges in SEC-Heavy Battle for Nation's No. 2 CB

The battle to land the top prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting cycle intensified in April of the 2026 offseason.

Many key prospects in the class have gotten their college commitments out of the way ahead of the summer. The rest are narrowing down their lists of schools to choose from and taking visits to the schools that interest them most.

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Among the top uncommitted 2027 prospects is five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson. The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder from Cornelius, North Carolina, ranks as the No. 2 cornerback, No. 1 player in North Carolina and No. 8 overall prospect in the class of 2027 per Rivals.

Dobson transferred to Hough High School for his senior season; he played his first three seasons of high school football at Catawba Ridge High School in Fort Mill, South Carolina. In those previous three seasons, Dobson logged 76 tackles, 17 pass breakups, six interceptions, to go along with three kickoff return touchdowns on special teams and three receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns on offense.

Dobson also ran in the 100, 200 and 400-meter dashes on the track and field team at Catawba Ridge, qualifying for the state meet twice in the 400-meter dash.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins called Dobson a "speedy zone corner with a wiry frame that can race into the deeper third" and said that he "gains depth with ease while in reverse" in a scouting report from the 2026 Under Armour All-America Game.

Josh Newberg and EJ Holland of Rivals discussed the latest intel surrounding Dobson on a recent edition of "The Inside Scoop." Holland mentioned that Miami gained momentum with Dobson following his visit to the Hurricanes.

"I think Miami swung hard and really moved the needle this weekend. I had a chance to talk to Josh while he was still on campus after the pool party, (he) really enjoyed his time there. Miami doesn't officially have a cornerbacks coach yet, but Terry Jefferson has been handling duties there (and) made a good impression," Holland said.

"He had personal time with Mario Cristobal, he hung out with several of Miami's commits, I think he felt at home at Miami. Josh was honest with me afterward; I think Miami still has work to do here, but he told me, 'Miami's rising in my recruitment and coming out of this visit, I will set a summer official visit.'"

Other contenders for Dobson's commitment

LaNorris Sellers outruns Harold Perkins Jr in South Carolina's 2025 game at LSU. — Harold Perkins Jr 7, LSU Tigers take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. October 11, 2025; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; at Tiger Stadium. | SCOTT CLAUSE / USATODAY Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As Holland alluded to, the Hurricanes are up against a trio of SEC powers in the battle to land Dobson's commitment. LSU has been in the driver's seat for several months; the Tigers offered him a scholarship in July of 2025, and he has maintained his interest in them despite Brian Kelly's firing, taking an unofficial visit in January and setting another for mid-April.

South Carolina's proximity to Dobson has made it a major player in his recruitment. He has already visited the Gamecocks on six different occasions and has an official visit scheduled for June 19. The Gamecocks already hold a pair of secondary commitments in their 2027 class from three-star cornerback Aamaury Fountain and three-star safety Jernard Albright.

Texas A&M is the other SEC program vying to land Dobson. He has unofficially visited the Aggies three times in his recruitment and has an official visit scheduled for June 5. Texas A&M is off to a hot start in the 2027 recruiting cycle with 11 commitments before the summer, three of which are four-star prospects in the secondary.