Dominoes in the class of 2025 are beginning to fall, as prospects narrow their lists of offers and, in some cases, make verbal commitments. There are a handful of top-100 prospects already off the board as we enter August, and plenty more will follow suit in the coming months.
Today, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy explores the recruitments of five high-profile recruits and attempts to discern which school leads for each as things stand.
More: Breaking down the contenders for four-star Jalen Reece
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Presumed leader: Providence
There was some early USC smoke surrounding the Nevada-based big man, but much of that seemed to fade a bit when the Trojans made their coaching change following last season.
These days, Providence and Miami feel like the front-runners, with the Friars leading the way. Kim English has already hosted Bartlett for an unofficial visit, and a return trip could be in the cards this fall. Should that take place, Providence will be a real threat to lock down the big man.
Miami is laying in the weeds, however, The Hurricanes offered Bartlett back in June based, at least partly, on his play during the first live period and things seem to have progressed quickly since. No visit has taken place just yet, but expect one this fall if the two parties stay engaged.
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Presumed leader: Duke
Miami has managed to make things interesting here, seeing as the Hurricanes' Coral Gables campus sits roughly five miles away from Boozer’s Pinecrest home. Arkansas also made a late overture after hiring John Calipari, who cannot be ruled out totally. Still, Duke has been the presumed leader since before most knew anything about the five-star forward and that hasn't changed.
It’s very much a believe-it-when-I-see-it situation when it comes to Boozer choosing any program other than his famous father’s alma mater – a program that has gotten nearly whatever it wants on the recruiting trail in recent years.
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Presumed leader: Kentucky
Moreno feels like a must-get for Kentucky, as the Wildcats’ campus sits roughly 20 miles away from the four-star forward’s family home. Beloved former UK captain turned head coach Mark Pope was brought in to win local recruiting battles exactly like this, so it seems as though the new Kentucky staff is going all-out to keep the priority target home.
Moreno has been incredibly receptive to Pope since the new leader of Big Blue Nation took the reins of the program. Moreno has been on campus to meet with the new staff on multiple occasions and seems especially focused on the hometown school as of late.
Moreno has fall visits officially scheduled to Ohio State, North Carolina, Indiana and Arkansas but has granted Pope and the Wildcats his final trip, which is slated for Oct. 11. The pecking order can obviously change, but Kentucky likes where it stands at this juncture.
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Presumed leader: Arizona
Peat’s recruitment still seems fluid, so no one will be stunned if things change in the coming weeks but there is some semblance of confidence beginning to emerge from in-state Arizona. Other programs, such as North Carolina, Texas and Houston should be monitored closely as we enter into the fall because each has a real chance to shake things up, but in-state Arizona holds the familiarity factor and is trending toward getting Peat back on campus for a fall official visit before he makes his decision.
What happens from here is anyone’s guess, but there would be serious optimism in Tucson if the five-star forward were announcing his commitment today.
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Presumed leader: Kansas
Kansas once had a number of irons in the fire when it comes to lead guards this cycle, but the tea leaves with Peterson are starting to appear a distinct shade of crimson and blue as the two sides get serious.
The Jayhawks were once involved with five-star guard Darius Acuff, who recently chose Arkansas. They’re also in the mix with five-star Meleek Thomas, who feels like a UConn lean. Peterson, however, remains particularly interested in Kansas, an adidas flagship school that would jibe with his standing as an adidas NIL athlete and the fact that he stars on the adidas 3SSB circuit in the summer.
Peterson speaks extremely highly of Bill Self, has already visited Lawrence and feels comfortable with the Kansas staff.
Buzz coming from those around the five-star suggests KU holds pole position with USC coming on strong following a recent visit. Peterson intends to announce his commitment before the start of his senior season in November.
