Recruiting roundup: The June frenzy looms as Cal lands key quarterback and Elite 11 Finals unfold

The Hotline is delighted to provide college football fans with a regular dive into the recruiting process through the eyes and ears of Brandon Huffman, the Seattle-based national recruiting editor for 247Sports. 

Countdown to the end of June

Let the madness begin.

The stretch run for the 2027 recruiting class is in effect — yes, that’s the case slightly more than six months before the players can formally sign their intent to enroll.

With June mere days away, the busiest month on the recruiting calendar looms. This weekend will feature not only a barrage of official visits but also the beginning of campus showcases.

Until June 21st, college coaches can host official visits, and the end of the month is the new unofficial “decision timeline.”

All this unfolds while coaches get eyes on 2028 and 2029 recruits at various camps sanctioned by the NCAA.

The majority of Power Four schools will have their heavy lifting done by July 4, with some securing 95 percent of their class. Many Group of Six schools will be in a similar situation.

Because there was no spring transfer portal this year, coaches focused their attention on filling up their 2027 classes, and many did long before we even got close to June.

And with the dead period kicking in June 22, coaches want to experience some quiet time with their families before training camp begins.

Until July, though, expect mayhem. Schools will host visits every weekend for the next four weekends. Some try for balance with visits each of those weekends. Others may try to accomplish the task with one massive weekend.

The recruiting calendar speeds up every year. The majority of 2027 prospects have already been offered scholarships. Most of the top players have committed.

Meanwhile, the so-called Mega Camps and College Camps provide better opportunities to evaluate and offer 2028 and 2029 recruits. Coaches also get first eyes on the 2030s (the incoming freshmen).

While there are still some senior-to-be success stories, the camps freely allow coaches to shift their focus to the underclassmen more so than the rising seniors.

Bears Big Win

First-year Cal coach Tosh Lupoi hasn’t backed down from a recruiting battle. Not now, not ever.

He waited out the recruitment of quarterback Dane Weber much longer than quarterbacks usually take to decide. And it paid off in droves for the Bears.

The four-star passer from Temecula (California) Chaparral — he was the highest-rated uncommitted quarterback in the country — came off the board on Thursday when he announced for the Bears.

As much time and energy as Lupoi devoted to Weber, credit is also due offensive coordinator Jordan Somerville and quarterbacks coach Nick Rolovich, who did in-home visits with Weber and were present throughout the spring.

Making it sweeter for Lupoi? He beat out UCLA, his Week 1 opponent.

Also, Weber is ranked one spot ahead of Stanford’s quarterback pledge, Sione Kaho.

Elite 11 Finals in SoCal

The most famous camp in high school football returns to the Golden State this weekend when the Elite 11 Finals take place beginning Friday night until Sunday.

The event is back at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach and features a star-studded group, with 20 finalists on hand.

Five of them are from the West, and four of those five are committed. Will Mencl, the No. 1 quarterback in the country, from Arizona, has pledged to Oregon. He’s joined by fellow Big Ten commits Brady Edmunds (Ohio State) and Kamden Lopati (Michigan).

Weber is one of three Southern Californians in the event, with Edmunds and Ryan Rakowski from Palos Verdes, the lone uncommitted passer from the region.

The last time a West Coast quarterback was named the Elite 11 MVP? In 2023, when San Diego native Julian Sayin earned the top billing as an Alabama pledge.

Of course, Sayin would eventually transfer to Ohio State (following Nick Saban’s retirement) and take the Buckeyes to the College Football Playoff.

Colorado heating up?

For all the criticism the Buffaloes have taken in recruiting since Deion Sanders took over — much of it deserved — let’s offer credit when appropriate.

The Buffs have been on a heater of late, with three commitments this week alone and six in the last 10 days.

That includes three prospects with four-star ratings in the Rivals Industry Rankings, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services.

The headliner from that group is receiver Jaiden Kelly-Murray, from South Carolina, who had been committed to the in-state Gamecocks for about a month before decommitting.

Instead, he’ll head to Boulder.

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