Nation's No. 1 ATH Now Linked to Three Major College Football Programs

Columbus, Ohio, USA; Glassboro (New Jersey) athlete Xavier Sabb watches warm-ups before Ohio State's game against the Marshall University Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium. | Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Xavier Sabb (Glassboro HS, Glassboro, N.J.) is a 6-foot, 180-pound two-way athlete who starred as a dynamic playmaker at receiver, defensive back, and returner.

As a junior, he led Glassboro to a 14–0 record and a Group 1 state championship while posting 59 catches for 897 yards and 13 receiving touchdowns. He also added scores rushing, passing, and on special teams, finishing the season as a state champion with national recognition, postseason all-star invitations, and a selection to the Polynesian Bowl roster.

Sabb is widely regarded as the No. 1 athlete in the 2027 class and sits No. 24 overall by both On3 and in the 247Sports Composite rankings. He holds more than two dozen Power Five offers and has trimmed that list to a smaller group of serious contenders in recent months.

Programs such as Alabama, Oregon, Georgia, Notre Dame, Nebraska, Miami, Ohio State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and USC have all offered and hosted him, and through the fall and early winter, Notre Dame, Alabama, Oregon, and Nebraska were widely viewed as the primary contenders.

However, momentum appears to be shifting. On Tuesday, Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong reported that Miami, Georgia, and Tennessee have emerged as the three programs pushing hardest for Sabb as he lines up spring and summer visits.

Miami Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal with linebacker Wesley Bissainthe (31) against the Indiana Hoosiers | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Each of the three programs sits firmly in the national championship conversation.

Miami, fresh off a College Football Playoff national championship game appearance, presents an explosive, tempo-driven offense with immediate opportunities in the receiver rotation and return game.

The Hurricanes have prioritized versatile, space players who can create mismatches, such as 2025 ACC Rookie of the Year Malachi Toney, making Sabb’s multi-phase skill set a natural schematic fit while also offering high-level NFL exposure.

Georgia, under Kirby Smart, remains the gold standard for player development and championship consistency. The Bulldogs can offer elite coaching, physical development, and annual CFP contention, with the flexibility to deploy Sabb situationally on offense and defense, given his two-way profile.

Tennessee, meanwhile, is one of the SEC’s rising programs, featuring a wide-open offensive system and a strong NIL infrastructure. The Volunteers have aggressively pursued elite receiver and defensive back talent in recent cycles and can pitch a clear, early path to snaps and national visibility.

With Sabb scheduling spring and summer visits, a decision timeline likely centers around late summer or early fall following those trips.

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