The 2025 recruiting cycle is entering a critical stretch, as prospects are starting to plan senior year visits and narrow their list of college options. As coaches establish their high-priority targets, some prospects have morphed into full-on must-gets for certain programs.
Below, Rivals’ Rob Cassidy explores five such prospects and outlines why landing each is critical for specific schools.
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2024 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team
2026 Rankings: Top 100
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MUST GET FOR: Michigan
In a recent interview, Acuff essentially conceded that Michigan led his recruitment when the Wolverines were being led by the now-dismissed Juwan Howard, so it stands to reason that the Wolverines are back in the thick of the hunt now that the program is in a more stable situation under the recently hired Dusty May.
Acuff grew up a Michigan fan and seems to want to play for the Wolverines if all things are equal, but it’s up to May to seal the deal amid serious interest from programs such as Kansas, Houston, Rutgers and Arkansas. May has already been in touch with Acuff, so the groundwork for Michigan is being re-laid.
Acuff could wait until the fall or winter to make a decision, which seems like positive news for the Wolverines.
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MUST GET FOR: Kentucky
Kentucky seems to be prioritizing local stars under new head coach Mark Pope, and 7-footer Moreno certainly fits that bill. The four-star center lives just 20 minutes outside of Lexington and grew up watching Wildcat basketball. Pope and his staff jumped all over Moreno out of the gate and have already convinced him to come to campus for a meeting and unofficial visit in the coming weeks, though Moreno says a date for such a trip has not been finalized.
The highly ranked center is familiar with Pope’s run as the captain of the 1996 UK national title team and seems genuinely open to staying home and playing for the Wildcats. Closing on Moreno would allow the new staff to make a statement about its recruiting prowess, while watching him go elsewhere, especially to John Caliapri’s Arkansas program, would be an awkward pill for fans to swallow.
Moreno’s recruitment obviously won’t determine the future of the Pope Era, but it will certainly represent an early data point.
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MUST GET FOR: Arizona
Peat is in-state Arizona’s top target in the 2025 class, and the relationship in place is strong. The five-star forward has already been on campus in Tucson on a number of occasions and plans to return at least two more times – a final unofficial visit this spring as well as a fall official.
He’s comfortable with head coach Tommy Lloyd and says he barely even talks about basketball with the UofA staff these days, instead engaging in deeper, more meaningful personal conversations due to the level of familiarity.
Most signs point to the Wildcats as the leaders of the pack, but nobody has gone on record to say it in those words. Whatever the case, losing Peat down the stretch would be a small disaster as their perception as the leader has created certain expectations.
In order to seal the deal, LLoyd and his staff will need to hold off Kansas, Ohio State, Kentucky, Arkansas and North Carolina.
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MUST GET FOR: Syracuse
Syracuse could use a high-profile recruiting win under head coach Adrian Autry, and opportunities don’t come much better than this one. The son of Syracuse star turned New York legend Carmelo Anthony, Kiyan Anthony is seriously considering the Orange. That said there will be nervous moments on campus as Kiyan considers options such as Florida State, Indiana and Memphis.
There’s also a chance a late-arriving offer could shake things up, as the Syracuse legacy recruit is off to a strong start this grassroots season. Obviously, one recruiting battle won’t determine Autry’s future at the program, but losing Kiyan Anthony while having a building on campus that bears his last name would be a rough look to say the least.
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MUST GET FOR: Duke
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer has received nearly anything he wants on the recruiting trail since taking the program over in 2022, so landing former Blue Devils star Carlos Boozer’s twin sons once seemed like a mere formality. These days, however, Miami and, to a lesser extent, Arkansas seem like minor threats to pull an upset.
Duke is still seen as the frontrunner for good reason, so losing the Boozers now, after pouring a pile of resources into their recrutiment, wouldn’t send the best message to fans or other high-profile prospects. The situation is intriguing because, on paper, Scheyer is supposed to win this battle easily and he’ll get a muted ovation if he does so. If he doesn’t, however, the sighs and grumbles will be much louder.
