High-major offers beginning to roll in for Stephon Castle
Stephon Castle was one of 30 prospects to see his name appear in the initial 2023 rankings on Rivals.com. At 6-foot-6, the Georgia native can legitimately play point guard as he’s a very good ball handler and decision-maker with the needed athleticism to play the position. However, his size and ability to score the ball provide the versatility for him to play off the ball as well, which only adds to his value at the next level.
Speaking of the next level, Castle is already starting to see his recruitment take off. Ohio jumped in first a few months ago with a scholarship offer. In the past couple weeks, Auburn came in with an offer followed by the in-state Georgia Bulldogs right behind them. He’s also receiving interest from Florida, Florida State, Maryland and Wake Forest.
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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IN HIS OWN WORDS
Auburn: “I talked to Bruce Pearl. Ashton Hagans’ dad got me in touch with him. He was saying he really liked my game and how I versatile I am. He thinks I can play a big part in their program. I like how they play defense. They know who they are. When Sharife (Cooper) first started playing, he played his game. I like how Coach Pearl just let him play.”
Georgia: “I like Georgia, too. They play hard. I watched the game against Auburn. They played hard but let the game slip away a little bit. I don’t know much about their coaching staff, but I’ve known coach (Michael) Curry from long before he got to Georgia.”
Wake Forest: “I’ve talked to one of their assistant coaches. He didn’t know my dad went to Wake Forest. They want to get me on a visit. They haven’t offered yet, but he said they’ll be watching me.”
RIVALS' REACTION
The high-major offers are just starting to roll in for Castle and don’t expect that to stop any time soon as he’s an elite talent in the 2023 class. Once the extended dead period is over and college coaches can get back on the road, expect Castle’s stock to soar.
Auburn was smart to jump in with the first high-major offer. He’s seen the way Bruce Pearl has allowed Sharife Cooper to come in and play his game, which is important to Castle. Georgia’s campus isn’t terribly far from where Castle goes to school at Newton High School and expect Tom Crean’s staff to make him a priority over the next couple years. Wake Forest hasn’t offered yet, but given that it’s his father’s alma mater and the Demon Deacons have a terrific recruiter as head coach now in Steve Forbes, don’t be surprised if they remain a factor in this one until the end.