Old Dominion athletics

Recruiting is the cornerstone of any good college football program. In an abbreviated recruiting season in 2019, after Ricky Rahne was named head coach, Old Dominion had what could be considered their best class in program history.

The 2020 class, according to the 247Sports Composite, was the 94th-ranked class in the nation. That’s up from 117th in 2019 and was 10th in Conference USA. The Monarchs received a .8142 composite score and consisted of five of their highest-ranked recruits in program history, including LaMareon James, who had a .8608 score — the highest in program history.

Now it’s onto the 2021 class. While recruiting is currently at a standstill due to an NCAA-mandated dead period until April 15 in response to the COVID-19 crisis, maybe it’s a good time to look into the future.

Prospects to Watch in 2021

DE Miguel Jackson Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, PA) 3-star Unranked COMMITTED TO LIBERTY

OLB Isi Etute Cox (Virginia Beach, VA) 2-star 43rd in VA COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH Pro QB Emmett Morehead Episcopal Collegiate (Alexandria, VA) 3-star 25th in VA COMMITTED TO BOSTON COLLEGE ATH Jamareeh Jones Highland Springs (Highland Springs, VA) 3-star 24th in VA ODU, Liberty, Notre Dame, UNC, Tenn., + DE George Wilson Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA) 3-star 35th DE COMMITTED TO SOUTH CAROLINA CB Damond Harmon Highland Springs (Highland Springs, VA) 3-star 52nd CB ODU NOT IN TOP 5

ATH Roman Hemby John Carroll School (Bel Air, MD) 3-star Unranked ODU, Charlotte, ECU, UVA, WVU

TE Curtis Nixon Maret School (Washington, DC) 3-star 70th TE ODU, Rutgers, Harvard, Buffalo, Maryland ATH Jalen Stroman Patriot (Nokesville, VA) 3-star 57th ATH COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH OLB Jalen Riven Central Catholic (Toldeo, OH) 3-star 38th OLB Committed to Toledo ATH Dezmond Williams St. Mary’s Ryken (Leonardtown, MD) 2-star Unranked COMMITTED TO WAKE FOREST CB Shawn Gates East (Akron, OH) 3-star 65th CB COMMITTED TO BOSTON COLLEGE RB Will Towns Jackson Memorial (Jackson, NJ) 3-star 93rd RB COMMITTED TO WAKE FOREST OLB Eric Gentry Neumann- Goretti (Philadeplhia, PA) 3-star 24th in PA ODU, Texas A&M, Oregon, Tenn, UVA DE Shawn Williams Imhotep Charter (Philadeplhia, PA) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO ARIZONA STATE DB Aidan Ryan James Monroe (Fredricksburg, VA Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO UVA OT Nigel Tate Bullis School (Potomac, MD) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO BOSTON COLLEGE S Paul Tangelo Avalon School (Gaithersburg, MD) 2-star Unranked ODU, Rutgers, Liberty

WR Jordan Bly Myers Park (Charlotte, NC) 3-star Unranked ODU, William and Mary, Fordham, + TE Brandon Williams Strom Thurmond (Johnson, SC) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO WAKE FOREST DT Zeek Biggers West Rowan (Salisbury, NC 2-star 54th DT COMMITTED TO GEORGIA TECH DT Denzel Lowry Landstown (Virginia Beach) Unranked Unranked ODU, Citadel, James Madison, Kent State, UMass WR Dalton Stroman Jr Rockingham, NC 3-star 139th WR ODU NOT IN TOP 5 OT Jimto Obidegwu Archbishop Carroll Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO TEMPLE DE/TE Kris Trinidad L.C. Bird (Richmond, VA) Unranked Unranked ODU, Army DT Kenjuan Manuel St. John’s (DC) 3-star 65th DT ODU, ECU, Liberty, Purdue QB Heinrich Haarburg Kearney Catholic (Kearney, NE) Unranked Unranked Committed to Nebraska OT Jaleel Davis Richmond (Rockingham\m, NC) 3-star 66th OT COMMITTED TO NC STATE OT Michael Gonzalez Sun Valley (Monroe, NC) 3-star 26th OT COMMITTED TO LOUISVILLE QB Daylon Powell Hoxie (Hoxie, AR) Unranked Unranked ODU, Western Carolina, Austin Peay,

DT Tommy Akingbesote Flowers (Upper Marlboro, MD) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO MARYLAND

OL Stephon Dubose Indian River (Chesapeake, VA) Unranked Unranked ODU IN TOP 4. COMMITTING SEPT 21ST ATH Tariq Sims Loudoun County Three-star Unranked COMMITTED TO ODU OT Diego Pounds Millbrook (Raleigh, NC) 3-star 65th OT ODU NOT IN TOP 15 DT Christopher Boti St. Vincent Pilotti (Laurel, MD) 3-star 85th DT COMMITTED TO LIBERTY C Michael Myslinski Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville, FL) 3-star 15th C ODU, Iowa, Coastal Carolina, ECU, Texas ILB Dameon Wilson King’s Mountain (King’s Mountain, NC) 3-star 10th ILB COMMITTED TO MISSOURI S Sean Brown Hough (Charlotte, NC) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO NC STATE

WR Jahee Blake Heritage (Lynchburg) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO ODU

Dual QB Walter Simmons III Oakleaf (Orange Park, FL) 3-star 18th QB ODU, UVA, Georgia Tech, WVU S Caden Fordham Bolles School (Jacksonville, FL) 3-star 55th S COMMITTED TO NC STATE OLB Jason Henderson Delaware Valley (Milford, PA) Unranked Unranked ODU IN TOP 7 ATH Jordan Poole West Stanly (Oakboro, NC) 3-star 68th ATH ODU NOT IN TOP 3 OT Caleb Bryan Wheeling Park (Wheeling, WV) Unranked Unranked ODU, Robert Morris ATH Jeb Secrist Glenvar (Salem, VA) Unranked Unranked ODU

QB Cole Lourd Brentwood School (Los Angeles, CA) Unranked Unranked ODU, Ohio, Idaho, Louisiana, Western Kentucky LB CJ Tillman Richmond (Rockingham, NC) Unranked Unranked ODU, Gardner-Webb, Citadel OLB/DE Terrance Butler Jr Saint Francis (Baltimore, MD) 3-star 45th DE ODU, Liberty, Charlotte, Syracuse, Minnesota, Michigan St CB/WR Cam’Ron Dabney Riverside Military High (Gainesville, GA) 3-star 142nd ATH ODU IN TOP 15 ATH Caleb Schmitz Warwick (Lititz, PA) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO CINCINATTI ATH Stephon Hall Central Valley (Monaca, PA) 3-star 102nd S COMMITTED TO PITT

OLB Balansama Kamara Central (Philadelphia, PA) Unranked Unranked ODU, Navy, Temple DT Christopher Adams South Hagerstown (Hagerstown, MD) Unranked Unranked ODU, Kent State, Syracuse, JMU WR Reece Jesse Hopkinsville (Hopkinsville, KY) 3-star 128th WR ODU, Charlotte, Kent State, Missouri, WVU ATH Khian’Dre Harris Conwell-Egan Catholic (Bristol, PA) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO ODU WR/TE Will Ford St. Paul’s (St.Pauls’s, NC) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO FAU DB Tahj El Berry (Charlotte, NC) Unranked Unranked ODU IN TOP 5 ATH Trace Campbell Good Counsel (Olney, MD) Unranked Unranked ODU, New Mexico, William and Mary, QB Rishon Holmes Milford Mill Academy (Baltimore, MD) Unranked Unranked ODU, Delaware, Marshall, Howard

DB Justin Bradford Denmark (Alpharetta, GA 3-star 105th CB COMMITTED TO TROY ATH Jonas Sanker Covenant (Charlottesville, VA) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO BOSTON COLLEGE WR Brock Biestek Cardinal Gibbons (Raleigh, NC) ODU ATH Jake Renda IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO MICHIGAN STATE S Chase Hattley Panther Creek (Cary, NC) 3-star 47th S ODU, NC State, Oklahoma, FSU, ECU OG Jaelin Montgomery Prince George (Prince George, VA) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO JMU RB Jon-Luke Peaker Northeast (Philadelphia, PA Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO ODU K Dominik Soos Hungary ODU, Washington State S Brian Pinkney McKinley (Canton, OH) Unranked Unranked COMMITTED TO ODU

WR Troy Lewis Matoaca (Richmond, VA) 3-star Unranked COMMITTED TO ECU

WR Kevin Hamilton Rose (Greenville, NC) Unranked Unranked ODU, NC Central, NC A&T, Western Carolina

DE Miles Capers Sumter (Sumter, SC) 3-star 82nd DE ODU IN TOP 10

DE Zyun Reeves East Forsyth (Kernersville, NC) 3-star 45th DE ODU, Kansas State, Syracuse, UVA, App State

S Jahaad Scales Glenn (Kernesville, NC) 3-star 126th S COMMITTED TO ODU

ATH Keli Lawson Sheranado (Stephens City, VA) 3-star 88th ATH COMMITTED TO VIRGINIA TECH

ILB ZaBrien Harden Swainsboro (Swainsboro, GA) 3-star 65th ILB COMMITTED TO ARKANSAS STATE

LB Jailin Walker Varina (Varina, VA) Unranked Unranked ODU, ECU, Army, JMU

TE Antoine Campbell Jr Copley (Copley, OH) 3-star Unranked ODU, Liberty, Maryland, Army, Navy, Vandy

OLB Taevion Eades Wise (Upper Marlboro, MD) 3-star 30th recruit in MD COMMITTED TO ODU

LB Wayne Matthews Flowers (Upper Marlboro, MD) 2-star 86th LB COMMITTED TO ODU