Nation's No. 7 RB Announces Top Eight Schools

One of the most promising running back prospects in the 2027 college football recruiting rankings is arousing serious interest from around the country, but is starting to narrow his own focus towards a small and elite group of potential schools.

Four-star Springfield (Mass.) running back Isaiah Rogers is currently focusing on eight schools as he nears a final recruiting decision, the player told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett.

NEWS: Four-Star RB Isaiah Rogers is down to 8 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals⁰⁰The 5’11 210 RB from Springfield, MA is ranked as the No. 4 RB in the 2027 Rivals300⁰⁰Where Should He Go?⁰⁰https://t.co/mDWvUOz1sH pic.twitter.com/rQubXM0WZs
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) February 20, 2026

Who is in contention?

Near the top of the list appears to be reigning SEC champion Georgia, which currently ranks inside the top-five nationally in the industry average 2027 recruiting rankings.

Among the five players the Bulldogs have commitments from, three play in skill positions, including five-star running back Kemon Spell and one wide receiver, three-star Pearland (Tex.) No. 87 ranked wideout Aden Starling.

Marcus Freeman in the mix

Notre Dame owns the No. 4 overall recruiting class according to the latest 247Sports rankings, but is yet to earn the commitment of a running back.

A strong Fighting Irish defense looks to get better after getting the pledges of two four-star top 15 cornerbacks in Xavier Hasan and Ace Alston, but four-star tackle James Halter is the only offensive player on board in 2027 so far.

Super Bowl champion is in play

Eight-time NFL champion Bill Belichick and North Carolina earned a place among Rogers’ top eight schools as their class sits inside the top 30 nationally, but still with no running backs.

Four-star athlete Marquis Bryant highlights Belichick’s latest recruiting class, joined by four-star IMG Academy safety Charles Roberts.

James Franklin getting consideration

Virginia Tech embarks on a new era with the former Penn State head coach at the helm, but they’re yet to sign any players to the program’s 2027 recruiting class.

Rogers listed the Hokies, which also didn’t sign a running back to their 2026 haul, as one of his schools of interest.

Big Ten powers are involved

Four programs in the Big Ten are in the picture for Rogers, including the reigning national champion.

Indiana ranks 23rd in the latest team recruiting standings with five pledges, including four-star Louisville (Ky.) top 50 wideout Ja’Hyde Brown.

Matt Campbell is still settling in his first offseason at Penn State, and though he’s yet to land a 2027 commitment, the school is in play for Rogers.

As is Nebraska, in the midst of a solid 2027 recruiting effort, sitting sixth nationally in the team rankings, a class buoyed by four-star Omaha (Neb.) quarterback Trae Taylor and three-star No. 56 wide receiver Tay Ellis.

UCLA is a dark-horse in the current recruiting landscape, but is inside the top 50 with two pledges, as it sits in contention for the Massachusetts running back prospect.

How he rates as a recruit

Rogers has long been considered one of the most promising players at the running back position and one of the very best from the New England region.

Analysts list Rogers as the No. 7 running back prospect in the country and the second-best player from Massachusetts, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

That average places Rogers as the No. 114 overall player in the 2027 recruiting class, irrespective of position.

Rogers is rated as the No. 4 overall running back according to the Rivals 300.

What he’s done on the field

Rogers is coming off by far his best varsity campaign as a junior at Springfield Central.

The running back appeared in 10 games last fall, finishing with 126 carries for 986 rushing yards and scored 14 of his career 18 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps.

He also averaged a career-high 7.8 yards per attempt and amassed just under 99 yards per game.

What the prediction experts are saying

Right now, one Big Ten program is favored to land the running back, but in a close race.

Penn State leads the way with a 28.8 percent chance to sign Rogers to its 2027 class, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Nebraska is close behind, with a 14.6 percent likelihood to earn the running back’s commitment.

Georgia and Notre Dame are tied behind the Cornhuskers with 6.4 percent each.

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