Nation’s no. 1 QB sparks recruitment battle between major college programs

The most-coveted quarterback in the 2027 college football recruiting class is predictably getting serious interest from multiple schools, but his own interest could be narrowing in particular to one notable SEC program as he nears his decision.

Five-star Dunham (La.) quarterback Elijah Haven has narrowed his interest down to four contenders in his recruitment, but national recruiting experts are of the opinion that the top signal caller is leaning heavily towards one school in particular.

SEC blue blood in the lead

Alabama remains the overwhelming favorite to ultimately earn the commitment of Elijah Haven, currently listed with a 78.6 percent chance to sign the quarterback, according to the latest figures posted to the Rivals Prediction Machine.

That confidence is notable, considering the person who was leading Haven’s recruitment with the Crimson Tide is no longer with the program.

Nick Sheridan was Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach this past season and was heading the school’s effort to bring on the top-ranked quarterback.

But now Sheridan is the offensive coordinator at Michigan State, a decision that doesn’t seem to have dimmed Haven’s interest in the SEC blue blood.

Alabama is in store for a change at quarterback this coming season, as former five-star and No. 2 nationally ranked signal caller Keelon Russell is poised to take over as the school’s starter under center after Ty Simpson’s departure into the NFL Draft.

Who else is in the picture?

In a distant second place is Florida, another SEC program that has earned Haven’s interest, with an 18.9 percent likelihood to land the quarterback prospect.

Jon Sumrall took over the Gators program this offseason and just lost former five-star quarterback DJ Lagway to Baylor in the transfer portal.

But the school did sign Aaron Philo, the former three-star Georgia Tech backup to the position this cycle who is currently projected to be the starter at Florida in 2026.

What he’s done on the field

Haven broke a Louisiana state record throwing the football this past season.

The 6-foot-5, 215-pound signal caller covered 4,714 yards throwing the ball and scored 73 touchdowns in total, the latter being a state high school record.

Haven threw for 62 touchdowns while completing 72.3 percent of his pass attempts and throwing just seven interceptions while averaging almost 281 yards per game passing.

The quarterback ran for 794 additional yards and another 11 touchdowns while posting 6.3 yards per carry and averaging 57 yards with his legs each time out.

An improvement from last season

That represents a jump in production from the previous season, when Haven threw for 37 touchdowns and 7 interceptions while covering 3,137 yards in the air.

He rushed for a career-high 948 yards as a sophomore and had a personal-best 21 touchdowns on the ground in 2024, according to MaxPreps.

In total, Haven has 9,274 passing yards while completing 68.1 percent of his passes and scoring 134 touchdowns in the air.

He has another 2,375 yards rushing while averaging 5.9 yards per attempt and 44 touchdowns with his legs at Dunham (Baton Rouge), La.

What the recruiting experts say

Analysts are very high on Haven, unanimously naming him a five-star recruit and placing him among the very best prospects in the country.

Haven is considered the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the nation, the second-best player in Louisiana, and the No. 14 overall recruit regardless of position, according to an average of the national recruiting services.

The quarterback is regarded as the best prospect at his position and the No. 2 overall player, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

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