Here are 17 high school football recruits from Rhode Island. Where will they end up?
High school football recruiting has changed dramatically the last few years and we’re seeing the results of it here in Rhode Island.
The transfer portal and COVID eligibility have changed how colleges recruit and it leaves Rhode Island, which traditionally hasn't been a hotbed of football talent, with plenty of good players who still haven’t solidified plans for where they’ll play college football.
But Denson is not the only player currently being pursued by Division I programs.
So, who are the biggest recruits in Rhode Island high school football right now?
Some didn’t play in the Ocean State in 2023, having already graduated last spring and then gone off to the prep ranks to try to increase visibility. Some are members of the Class of 2024 who may end up doing the same and we’ve even got some underclassmen getting some Division I attention.
Some have signed, others haven’t, but all should end up playing Division I college football at some point in their careers.
Here’s what’s going on with the state’s biggest high school football recruits.
Eddie Buehler
North Kingstown, quarterback
Buehler had an All-State season in 2022 and garnered offers from Maine, New Haven and Wagner as well as some Division II schools. Over the summer, he committed to Maine, had a spectacular fall playing for Phillips Exeter, and officially signed with the Black Bears on Wednesday.
“The opportunity to play football at the University of Maine was extremely hard to turn down due to the high level of football and the amazing staff that coach [Jordan] Stevens has put together,” Buehler wrote in a message to The Journal. “I couldn’t be more excited to get to work with [offensive coordinator Steve] Cooper and learn his offense all while attending a great school.”
Terrence Campbell
La Salle, running back and linebacker
Campbell burst into the spotlight as a sophomore and might have been the best two-way player in Rhode Island in his junior season in 2022. At 6 feet 2 inches and 225 pounds Campbell projects more as a linebacker than running back and schools have already started showing interest. He currently holds offers from Bowling Green, Brown and URI and expect that list to grow exponentially once recruiting season for the Class of 2024 ends.
Myles Craddock
Moses Brown, running back
Craddock was the state’s most complete running back last fall and his size, speed and strength, not to mention his strong academic standing, makes him an interesting prospect. He received his first college offer from St. Anselm, a Division II program, in July and has posted about visits to Harvard and Brown. In November, Craddock posted about an offer from Boston College and more could be coming down the pipeline once the transfer portal starts to empty out.
Ian Cooper
Moses Brown, offensive and defensive lineman
When it comes to projects, Cooper is a perfect example of someone colleges will take a risk on. At 6 feet 7 inches and 275 pounds, he has the size to play at the next level. Cooper is a latecomer to football but started taking it more seriously after generating some interest after his junior season. A prep year seems inevitable from Cooper, and with his academic standing, Ivy League schools should come calling soon.
Brady Fisher
La Salle, tight end
Fisher was a freak athletically while playing at La Salle and became a state high jump champ as well. Schools showed interest, but nothing in terms of offers. Fisher spent last fall at Suffield Academy, got bigger, stronger and faster, and with his academic history, he’s picked up Ivy interest. Currently, Fisher holds offers from Brown, Columbia and Lehigh and an announcement on his choice should be made soon.
Ben Gorman
Westerly, defensive end
Gorman had three terrific seasons for the Bulldogs, earning second-team All-State honors after his junior season in 2022. He was going to be one of Rhode Island’s top edge defenders this fall, but followed Westerly coach Stanley Dunbar to Suffield Academy and continued to grow. At 6 feet 5 inches and 235 pounds, his future includes Division I college football. Expect Patriot League and Ivy League schools to come calling next summer.
Israel Hiraldo
Mount Pleasant, wide receiver
After a terrific senior season for the Kilties in 2022, Hiraldo had a huge offseason in 7-on-7 and picked up some Division I looks. Bowling Green and URI were in early before the Power Five took notice and Hiraldo picked up offers from Maryland, West Virginia and UNLV. Hiraldo played at East Coast Prep last fall and recently he posted about reclassifying to the Class of 2025. He’ll play a postgraduate year at JCP Prep in North Carolina and looks headed to join a college program in January 2025.
Landon Husereau
Westerly, quarterback
Generally, the only time freshmen are recruited by Division I programs, they have a name (Arch Manning) or are from a high school football hotbed. Husereau will make a name for himself before he’s done at Westerly and, while he doesn’t have offers yet, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him end up as the biggest quarterback recruit the state’s had since Liam Coen.
Jamezell Lassiter
La Salle, running back
Lassiter was the state’s best running back in 2022, but when it came to playing at the next level, Lassiter’s size was an issue. Last fall, he played at Deerfield Academy, got bigger, stronger and faster and ended up as an All-NEPSAC first-team running back. Lassiter has offers from Wagner and Central Connecticut as well as the University of Pennsylvania. With his stellar academic record, he’s also garnered interest from some impressive schools — Cornell, James Madison, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Virginia. Expect an announcement early in 2024.
Alex McClelland
Barrington, quarterback
McClelland didn’t start for the Eagles until his junior season, which put him behind the eight ball in terms of recruiting. He made up for it with a terrific camp season last summer, followed by an All-State season this past fall. McClelland has gotten plenty of interest from FCS schools around the Northeast and holds an offer from URI. He could end up following Buehler’s lead and have a prep season that would allow for another year to find a coach willing to give him a chance.
Damola Owode
La Salle, defensive end
Owode was an All-State defensive end in 2022, but was a relative newcomer to the game. At 6 feet 2 inches and 270 pounds, he had what coaches want but needed more on-field experience. Owode joined Denson at Wyoming Seminary last fall and quickly gained attention with offers from Bowling Green, Coastal Carolina, Fordham, Georgetown, Lehigh, Maine, Sacred Heart and Stonehill. His announcement should come Friday on the last day of the early signing period.
David Rodriguez
Mount Pleasant, wide receiver and cornerback
A member of the Class of 2025, Rodriguez started garnering attention after his freshman season at Mount Pleasant. Attention grew after his play in 7-on-7 and playing at Loomis Chaffee in 2021 — Power Fives from all over the country wanted in on Rodriguez. He went back to Mount Pleasant last winter and was the state’s best receiver in 2022 and will attend St. Frances Academy in Maryland in January. He has listed his top five choices as Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Penn State and South Carolina and a verbal commitment should happen in 2025.
Daniel Rose
Davies, running back
Rose was really only known for what he did on the field in Rhode Island, but offseason camps and 7-on-7 play changed that. With elite speed and quickness, Rose has one current Division I offer, from Temple, with a lot of interest from similar programs. It seems like Rose is headed for a postgraduate season or will reclassify in order to gain size and strength to become a slot receiver at the next level.
Marcus Sukkar
Hendricken, defensive end
At 6 feet 4 inches and 250 pounds with strong athleticism, not to mention a brother playing at the Division II level, Sukkar went largely underrecruited for a player who seems projectable. He held offers from Marist College, which plays FCS in the Pioneer Conference, and a Division II offer from St. Anselm. He had a third offer from Brown, which he committed to on Dec. 10. The Ivy League runs a little different than the rest of the NCAA, so official signings are not usually announced until February.
Oscar Weah
Hendricken, running back
Weah received a lot of interest last summer from Division I programs and, even after a successful senior season, claims URI as his lone Division I offer. Weah’s been offered by AIC, a Division II school, as well as McPherson, an NAIA program, and he seems like a candidate for a postgraduate year in 2023-24 to try to increase his visibility to college programs.
Rushaune Vilane
Hendricken, defensive end
There might not be a more mysterious prospect in the state than Vilane. He picked up his first Division I offer after his freshman season in COVID spring 2021 and didn’t post about another offer until Nov. 23 of this year when St. Anselm came calling. At 6 feet 2 inches and 235 pounds with track speed, Vilane has the talent to play at the Division I level. It might require a prep year, but Vilane could also be playing it tight to his chest before making a decision.
BONUS PICK
Naeshaun Montgomery
Hendricken (sort of), wide receiver
Montgomery played freshman football for Hendricken in the COVID spring season in 2021, but before he could show off his talents at the varsity level, his family moved to Florida and all he’s done since has become one of the top recruits in the nation. Every Power Five program is in search of Montgomery’s skill set, and in September, he narrowed his list of suitors to 10 — Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State and Tennessee.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's a look at 17 high school football recruits from Rhode Island
