No. 1 Recruit in College Football Linked to Two SEC Programs

Two of the biggest names in the SEC are after the No. 1 overall recruit John Meredith III.

A detail view of ESPN College Football logo on a TV camera prior to the game between. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

College football recruitments in the 2027 class are starting to take shape, as some of the top players in the country work to make a decision before the start of their senior year.

One recruit that essentially has the world of college football in his palm is five-star corner and No. 1 overall recruit in Rivals' Industry Rankings, John Meredith. The 6-foot-2 corner out of Fort Worth holds 42 offers from programs such as Miami, Ohio State, Texas, Penn State and Oklahoma, but according to Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong there are two schools that are outpacing the rest.

When speaking with Josh Newberg of On3, Wiltfong revealed that Texas A&M and Alabama are the two top schools in the recruitment of Meredith.

"This is a recruitment that can help decide who's going to finish with the No. 1 recruiting class in the country," Wiltfong said. "Texas A&M is one of the frontrunners, Alabama is in the mix for that accolade as well. That's 1a and 1b in John Meredith III's recruitment right now. He was back in Tuscaloosa in January and Alabama continues to put a lot of pressure on the in-state Aggies in this recruitment.

"I could very well see him playing for Kalen DeBoer and company. With that being said, my prediction is still on Texas A&M. I think he'll visit College Station twice this spring. They'll get an official visit, but Texas A&M has their hands full with Alabama. Other programs like Texas, Ohio State, SMU pushing for John Meredith as well."

General view of a ESPN college football sideline cameraman during the second half between the Oklahoma State Cowboys against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

To really put into perspective how talented Meredith is, he played in the Under Armour All-America Game as a junior, recording a tackle and an interception.

As confirmed by 247Sports' Jordan Scruggs, Meredith is expected to take official visits to Texas, Ohio State, Alavbama and Texas A&M.

With NIL being one of the biggest underlying factors these days, as the top recruit Meredith should command a hefty offer from each of these programs. According to On3, he holds a NIL Valuation of $406,000, which ranks No. 56 among all high school football players.

There is no telling when he will officially announce his commitment, but it wouldn't be shocking to see these programs make a push for him until signing day as they attempt to flip him after he does commit.

According to On3's recruiting prediction machine, the Aggies are the overwhelming favorites to land him.