Nation’s No. 1 College Football QB Prospect Eyeing Two Major Programs

Top-rated 2027 quarterback prospect Elijah Haven, a prototypical 6-5, 215-pound dual-threat signal-caller out of The Dunham School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, has produced eye-popping numbers at the high school level.

As a sophomore, Haven threw for 3,093 yards and 37 touchdowns while adding 925 rushing yards and 21 scores on the ground, leading Dunham to a 14-1 record and a berth in Louisiana’s Division III Select state championship game.

He elevated his game even further during his 2025 junior season, setting state records with 62 touchdown passes and 73 total touchdowns. Haven completed 240 of 332 passes for 3,931 yards, a 72.3% completion rate, while rushing 127 times for 794 yards (6.3 yards per carry) and 11 additional touchdowns.

The breakout campaign earned him both the Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year and MaxPreps Player of the Year honors.

As a result, Haven is now a consensus five-star prospect, ranks as the No. 1 quarterback in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports, and holds nearly two dozen scholarship offers from top programs nationwide.

Despite widespread interest from powerhouse programs, Haven reportedly told KSR+ this week that he is “eying” two schools as he nears a decision: the Kentucky Wildcats and the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Kentucky Wildcats head football coach Will Stein. — Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head football coach Will Stein speaks during his introductory press conference at Nutter Field House. | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Both programs have clear, structural reasons to pursue a recruit of Haven’s caliber.

The Wildcats, under new head coach Will Stein, are aggressively rebooting the offense and prioritizing a blue-chip quarterback to accelerate that transition.

Kentucky can credibly offer a fast track to meaningful snaps, a defined role in a reshaped system, and the opportunity to become the face of a program intent on elevating its national standing at the position.

The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, remains the benchmark for quarterback development and NFL pipeline access. Under head coach Kalen DeBoer, Alabama continues to sell elite schematic structure, national exposure, deep roster infrastructure, and one of the most established NIL ecosystems in college football.

Both cases carry legitimate weight, so the decision ultimately becomes a calculus of immediate opportunity versus long-term platform and brand power.

In his KSR+ appearance this week, Haven confirmed strong interest in Kentucky and indicated that a spring visit is likely, adding that he expects to narrow his choice and commit “in the next two months.”

Recruiting industry projections continue to lean toward Alabama based on historical quarterback trends, but Kentucky’s push signals that this is no longer a formality.

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