Villanova mid-May recruiting updates on all Class of 2024 targets

Welcome Back to VUHoops recruiting updates. It’s been about four months since we’ve looked at the upcoming recruiting classes and while most of Nova Nation’s attention has been on the transfer portal – the staff continues to be hard at work with the Class of 2024. Below are links to the past updates:

Summer 2022 Update

January 2023 Update

We’ll focus solely on the Class of 2024 today for a few reasons:

• The Class of 2023 is pretty much all confirmed with no changes since our last update.
• The Class of 2024 has 19 prospects to talk about! So, apologies in advance because this article is going to be lengthy.
• The Class of 2025 has started to pick up some activity with a handful of elite prospects receiving Villanova offers – but we’ll wait for things to materialize more before including.

Most of the information below has been sourced from recruiting websites (247 Sports, On3, Rivals, etc) or social media (players or analysts posts). While everything below has a source – there’s a chance it’s not 100% accurate and we’ve those items out. However, if anyone has other information, we’re happy to edit and include going forward.

Feel free to sit back and grab a drink because there’s a lot to review (like a lot more than our January edition).

Class of 2024

Isaiah Abraham

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 60 |On3: 58
Hometown: Warrenton, Va.
High School: Paul VI Catholic
AAU: Team Takeover
Height: 6-6
Weight: 180
Offer date: August 2
Status: Offered and Unofficial Visit
Other offers: Arizona State, Bethune-Cookman, Bowie State, UConn, George Mason, Georgetown, Howard, Kansas State, Marquette (Official visit), Maryland (Unofficial visit), Mississippi State, Murray State, North Texas, Pitt, Providence, Radford, Seton Hall, Tennessee, Virginia (Unofficial visit), Virginia Tech, Wichita State, Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] Obviously, ‘Nova loves recruiting the DMV, so lots of ties here. Abraham resides in the same town that Angelo Brizzi and attended the same high school, but he will now be transferring to Paul VI Catholic, which is where Brandon Slater went to, and plays for the AAU program that has been the home of many Villanova recruiting targets. The most recent ‘Cats to suit up for Team Takeover? Slater and Justin Moore, who were teammates together. Abraham averaged 14.3 points and 4.2 rebounds as a sophomore. His recruitment started to pick up over the summer, as he started to gain numerous high-major offers. Abraham was also a first-team all-state selection. There’s a lot to like about his game, from his physical build as a guard/wing, to his athleticism, motor and shooting ability.

[January Update] Abraham has picked up offers from Tennessee and Arizona State since receiving his Villanova offer. He gave a brief update on his recruitment last month – saying that things will pick up once the high school season ends. Villanova was one school that was mentioned as “working on planning a visit.” One school to really watch out here is Marquette, as his father, Faisal Abraham, played basketball there.

[May Update] Publicly, things have been quiet on Abraham’s recruiting. He has picked up a few new offers to Mississippi State and Providence, and reportedly was at the Wells Fargo Center for Justin Moore’s return on Jan. 29. He referenced it in an interview in February saying, “I like how they play together and how they teach the game, you know, the jump stops, playing two feet, and all. I like their defensive execution and how they value the ball on offense. The atmosphere when I went was awesome. All the students and the fans were loud. It was a great experience. Coach (Kyle) Neptune is my main recruiter there.” There is no concrete deadline as Abraham mentions he wants to visit a few more schools.

Marcus Allen

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 56 |On3: 25)
Hometown: Miami, Fla.
High School: Compass Prep
AAU: Florida Rebels
Height: 6-6
Weight: 190
Offer date: Sept. 14
Status: Offered
Other offers: Arizona State, Arkansas, FGCU, Florida State (Unofficial visit), Marquette, Miami (Official visit), Michigan, Missouri (Official visit), Oregon, Ohio State, South Carolina, Stanford, UCF (Unofficial visit), UConn

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. Allen is yet another prospect that was offered in the early fall.

[January Update] Marcus Allen has been a fast riser in the recruiting rankings, and Villanova jumped on this past fall. Another wing on Kyle Neptune’s radar, he transferred to Compass Prep in Arizona this past season. Allen has already taken official visits to Miami and Missouri, along with unofficial visits to Florida State and UCF. He told On3 back in December that he was in talks with Villanova to schedule a possible visit. In On3’s most recent rankings, Allen had one of the largest jumps of 2024 prospects going from No. 43 to No. 21 in their national rankings and is quickly becoming one of Villanova’s highest rated prospects.

[May Update] Allen’s recruitment is still “wide open” with no time frames on commitments or visits he told on3 a few weeks ago. He mentions Villanova as one of the schools he’s hearing from the most – along with five other schools. Neptune also saw him play in late April during the first live period weekend.

Jalil Bethea

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 63| On3: 30)
Hometown: Warminster, Pa.
High School: Archbishop Wood
AAU: Team Final
Height: 6-4
Weight: 170
Offer date: July 25
Status: Offered
Other offers: Albany, Bryant, Fairfield, Jacksonville, Georgetown, Kansas, LSU, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Mount St. Mary’s, Notre Dame, Penn State (Unofficial visit), Pitt, Radford, Robert Morris, Rutgers (Unofficial visit), Saint Joseph’s, St. John’s Seton Hall, Syracuse (Official visit), Temple, UCLA, VCU, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] Bethea is a local player that hails from the same high school that produced Collin Gillespie. He’s not ranked by recruiting services, so ‘Nova is in the hunt early and well before many high majors catch word of his 6-foot-4 shooter. Bethea thrived in the sixth man role as a sophomore and quickly garnered a reputation for being one of the top three-point shooters in the area. If he continues his upward trajectory, he should fit right in with ‘Nova.

[January Update] Bethea’s recruitment has only gotten more crowded since the summer as he’s picked up offers from Miami, Seton Hall, Syracuse, St. John’s, and Notre Dame. He’s been scoring at will this high school season with multiple games of nearly 30 points. While he took a few visits in the fall, I haven’t found anything on his commitment timeline or if he will be cutting down his list of schools at all.

[May Update] Bethea’s stock soared throughout the high school season through his stellar play - averaging 23.2 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, while shooting 53.6 percent from the field and making 89.2 percent of his free throws, along with being named MVP of the Philadelphia Catholic League. He has since received offers to Kansas, Georgetown, LSU, and others in the last few months. The staff have been monitoring Bethea’s progress and have been seen in attendance at multiple games in the spring. In a recent interview, Villanova isn’t specifically mentioned so we’ll see how things progress.

Christian Bliss

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 148| On3: 88 )
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.
High School: George School
AAU: PSA Cardinals
Height: 6-4
Weight: 175
Offer date: Jan. 7
Status: Offered and Official Visit
Other offers: Bryant, Delaware, Drexel, FGCU, Manhattan, Miami, Penn State, St. Joe’s, St. John’s, Saint Peter’s, Siena, Towson, Virginia, Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. The most recent recruiting development, Bliss is a fast-rising prospect who was not on Villanova fans’ radar over the summer.

[January Update] Villanova’s latest offer hails from Neptune’s hometown of Brooklyn. Some places list Bliss as a three-star prospect, but that’s not listed in recruiting website player rankings. However, that will likely change soon given Bliss’s recent traction. The last two months have resulted in four offers (Xavier, St. Joe’s, Drexel, and Villanova), social media praise, and several other schools monitoring. Jake Weingarten of Stockrisers.com reported that Bliss took an unofficial visit this past Saturday when the Cats took on Xavier and that coaches “rave about him”. He appears to be monitored by other high major teams including Virginia, DePaul, and St. John’s per Rivals.

[May Update] Bliss was another to see their stock improve over the high school season as he led his high school to a league championship and dropped 37 points in the process. He appears to be a recruit that the staff is focusing on, as he is one of a handful to have completed an official visit. VUHoops’ Tommy Godin sat down with Bliss after his visit to give an update on his recruitment. While Bliss had great things to say about Nova and his visit, there will be plenty of suitors to choose from with St. John’s, Miami, and Virginia all offering Bliss of late. Bliss gave another update recently, talking about his Villanova visit and provides a timeline of committing before the end of summer.

Daquan Davis

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 81| On3: 135 )
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
High School: St. John’s
AAU: Team Takeover
Height: 6-1
Weight: 185
Offer date: March 18th
Status: Offered – Not Included in Top 4
Other offers: Butler, George Washington, Illinois, Kansas State , Maryland, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Providence, Penn State, St. Joe’s ,Texas A&M, VCU

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] Davis had an explosive high school season, leading to an offer from Villanova. The DMV point guard was named the 2022-2023 MaxPreps District of Columbia High School Player of the Year. He averaged 16.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and led St. John’s (high school) to the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference tournament title. Davis checks a lot of boxes for a Villanova target so we’ll see what happens over the next few months. Davis announced his Top 4 a few days ago with Villanova not included. Mississippi State, Maryland, Providence, and Notre Dame are the finalists.

VJ Edgecombe

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 42| On3: 22 )
Hometown: Glen Head, N.Y.
High School: Long Island Lutheran
AAU: Southeast Elite
Height: 6-6
Weight: 180
Offer date: February 11th
Status: Offered
Other offers: Alabama, Charleston, Florida, Georgia Tech, Indiana, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Texas, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Pitt, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Texas Tech, Tennessee, Wake Forest

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] VJ Edgecombe has quickly become one of the fastest rising recruits in the country as he’s picked offer after offer since the spring. Edgecombe is another Villanova target with some recent hardware – being named the MaxPreps New York High School Basketball Player of the Year and leading his school to a Federation Class AA state championship while averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.2 steals a game. He recently spoke the Rivals and mentioned how he talks to Villanova “a lot” and has a “great relationship” with Kyle Neptune. Edgecombe is one of numerous wings that Villanova has offered, and it seems like his stock just continues to rise.

Boogie Fland

Rating: 5-star (247 Sports: 13 | on3: 8 )
Hometown: Harlem, N.Y.
High School: Archbishop Stepinac
AAU: PSA Cardinals
Height: 6-3
Weight: 175
Offer date: Aug. 4
Status: Offered
Other offers: Alabama, Auburn, Bryant, UConn, Florida, Fordham, Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, LIU, LSU, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Michigan (visited), North Carolina (visited), Oklahoma, Oregon, Pitt, Providence, Rider, Siena, St. Bonaventure, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, TCU, UCLA, UNC, Virginia Tech

The skinny:

[Summer Update] It was a big summer for Fland, who was one of the youngest members on Team USA’s U-17 FIBA championship team. Fland thrived in his role off the bench and showcased he was more than just a scorer, putting together an impeccable assist-to-turnover ratio (tournament-high 8.3 AST:TO) and ranked in the top 10 for overall steals. He helped Team USA seal its dominant run with a gold medal, winning it on his birthday. As a sophomore at Stepinac, Fland averaged 14.4 points and 5.0 rebounds this past season. Since his time with the FIBA gold medal team, he shot further up the national recruiting scene, with the likes of Villanova, UNC and Kentucky offering him after returning home from Spain.

[January Update] As one would expect, the recruiting battle for Fland has only grown more competitive. Since Boogie’s scorching summer he’s risen to the No.5 overall prospect in Class of 2024 and picked up offers from other programs like Louisville, Florida, Syracuse, and Alabama. Despite a recent official visit to UNC, Fland will keep exploring his options. In a piece with On3, he will be taking more visits after the high school season and “most likely” will wait until his senior year to commit.

[May Update] Despite Fland’s recruitment being relatively quiet - Villanova is reportedly still heavily pursuing Fland and was in attendance for AAU games in late April. He’s only visited two schools (UNC and Michigan) – with the Michigan visit occurring in early May. However, a recent discussion with Rivals doesn’t mention Villanova and hints that Duke might be lurking here as well.

Curtis Givens III

Rating: (247 Sports: 87 | on3: 60 )
Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
High School: Montverde Academy
AAU: Mokan Elite
Height: 6-2
Weight: 170
Offer date: April 25th
Status: Offered – Top 7
Other offers: Cal, UConn, Florida, Florida State, Georgetown, Illinois, Illinois State, Indiana, Jacksonville, LSU, Maryland, Memphis, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Portland, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas, UCF, Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] The latest offer from the Class of 2024, Curtis Givens III is a highly sought after point guard who has picked up eight offers within the last few weeks. Based on this article highlighting the first weekend of the Nike EYBL – Givens appears to be a high scoring guard (18.8 points over four games) who can get hot from beyond the arc (40.7%) while handling an elite assist to turnover ratio (4.8 assists to 0.5 turnovers). It’s a small sample size but seems to be a no brainer that he received a Villanova offer. Villanova has been recently included in Givens’ Top 7 along with LSU, Memphis, Texas, UConn, Georgia Tech and Indiana. Looks like Coach Howard is on this one.

Jaiden Glover

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 123 | on3: 73 )
Hometown: Hillside, NJ
High School: The Patrick School
AAU: NY Rens
Height: 6-6
Weight: 190
Offer date: January 26th
Status: Offered and Unofficial Visit
Other offers: Butler, Creighton, Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Providence, Rhode Island, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Texas Tech, UAB, UNLV, West Virginia, Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] Jaiden Glover has had a fast-moving recruitment thus far. The 6-6 wing was offered in late January, attended two Villanova games in February and March, and recently had an unofficial visit to campus in April. Things seem to be trending in great way – as recently as early May, Glover mentioned that Villanova is the program he hears from the most. We could see his stock take another jump in the near future since 247’s Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein identified Glover as “a prospect on the cusp of making a significant rise.”

Sir Mohammed

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 70 |On3: 148)
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
High School: Myers Park
AAU: Team Curry
Height: 6-6
Weight: 200
Offer date: July 26
Status: Top 6
Other schools: Appalachian State, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Georgetown, Georgia, Georgia Tech, High Point, Miami, Michigan, N.C. State (Unofficial visit), Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State (Official visit), Providence, St. John’s, Stanford (Official visit), UMass, USF, Virginia Tech (Unofficial visit), Xavier

The skinny:

[Summer Update] It’s been quite the last few months for Mohammed, who racked up a vast majority of his Division I offers throughout this stretch. He enjoyed a solid sophomore season, averaging 17.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists. He elevated his game even higher in the playoffs, where he averaged 25.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Mohammed has only continued that upswing on the AAU circuit and has captured the eye of plenty of scouts. He’s the son of former NBA player Nazr Mohammed, so he’s got the game in his genes.

[January Update] As of late December, Mohammed’s recruitment is “wide open” and Villanova is one of the school he has been hearing from the most. Sir went on an unofficial visit to Villanova the weekend of the Oklahoma game.

[May Update] Since our last update, the Villanova staff has been busy with Sir. They’ve attended two of his games and visited him at practice once, at least from what social media tells us. He made a Top 6 in late March that includes Villanova, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Penn State, Marquette, and Oklahoma. However, some new players like Miami, St. John’s, Gonzaga, Kansas, and Notre Dame are in the mix. Mohammed recently said that Villanova is one of five schools he’s hearing the most from – specifically mentioning his “amazing relationship with Kyle Neptune” and Villanova being a “prestigious program”. In regard to a timeline – Sir says “hopefully by August”.

Ahmad Nowell

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 50| On3: 49)
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
High School: Imhotep Institute
AAU: Team Final
Height: 6-2
Weight: 185
Offer date: TBD
Status: Offered?
Other offers: Auburn, UConn, Kansas, Kentucky, Memphis, St. John’s, Tennessee (visited)

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. Nowell has had Villanova for a while, but nothing concrete had emerged during the summer. The Philly based point guard was named to the Nike EYBL Peach Jam third team over the summer, averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.3 SPG.

[January Update] None of the major recruiting websites (247 Sports, Rivals, On3) list Nowell as receiving a Villanova offer. On3 had a quick update on Nowell’s recruitment a few weeks ago that listed Villanova as a team in contact. However, Andrew Slater, a notable figure in the college basketball recruiting scene, recently mentioned on Twitter that Nowell has an offer from Villanova and Nowell “liked” the tweet, so we’ll have him on the radar.

[May Update] There doesn’t seem to be any updates on Nowell from a Villanova perspective, but he’s picked up additional offers from Kentucky, UConn, and St. John’s. Like our last update, we’ll leave him on the radar since you never know what could happen.

Malachi Palmer

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports 98 |On3: 83)
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
High School: Mt Zion Baptist Christian School
AAU: NY Rens
Height: 6-5
Weight: 185
Offer date: TBD
Status: Offered?
Other offers: Arizona State, Creighton, DePaul, Georgetown, Georgia, Houston, Illinois, Kansas, LSU, Nebraska, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Oklahoma State, Oregon, Penn State, Seton Hall, Texas Tech, UNLV, Virginia Tech

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] Malachi Palmer is a big body shooting guard who took an unofficial visit to Villanova last summer, however there is no concrete evidence of an offer from the Cats. In his latest update from the spring, it seems like Villanova is not in contention as he mentions Oklahoma State, LSU, Maryland, and Pittsburgh being the most active.

Qin Pang

Rating: 3-star (247 Sports 114 |On3: 96)
Hometown: Middle Village, NY
High School: Christ the King Regional
AAU: NY Rens
Height: 6-9
Weight: 230
Offer date: TBD
Status: Offered?
Other offers: Fordham, George Washington, Illinois, Iona, Marist, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Rhode Island, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] Qin Pang is another recruit that because of social media, we’re not 100% sure where things stand. A tweet from 24/7 High School Hoops, a reputable college basketball twitter account, mentions Pang holding a Villanova offer back in late January. However, I haven’t seen anything other than that tweet showing a connection between Pang and Villanova. We’ll keep him on the radar in case something develops, but it doesn’t seem likely.

Billy Richmond III

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports 91 |On3: 79)
Hometown: Memphis, TN
High School: Camden
AAU: NJ Scholars
Height: 6-6
Weight: 180
Offer date: April 25th
Status: Offered
Other offers: Alabama, California, Kansas State, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Memphis, Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Seton Hall

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] Billy Richmond has been one of the fastest rising recruits this spring, jumping from No. 154 in On3’s ranking from January to No. 79 in just a few months. The 6-6 shooting guard averaged 12 points and 5.6 rebounds this past year for Camden High School, while playing alongside two Kentucky-bound 5-star seniors (D.J. Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw). Richmond has been on a tear recently in AAU ball and been rewarded with offers from Alabama, California, Miami, and Villanova. The good news? His high school coach is none other than Maalik Wayns – who surely is giving the staff an excellent scouting report. The bad news? Richmond’s father, Billy Richmond Jr, played for Coach Cal at Memphis from 2002-04, along with two Kentucky teammates last year. This is one of Villanova’s latest offers in the Class of 2024, so we’ll see how things progress over the summer.

Lathan Sommerville

Rating: 3-star (247 Sports: 133 |On3: 87)
Hometown: Peoria, IL
High School: The Skill Factory
AAU: Nike Meanstreets
Height: 6-8
Weight: 225
Offer date: Dec. 1
Status: Committed to Rutgers – made Top 7

Other schools: Xavier (Unofficial Visit), Wake Forest, Rutgers, SMU, Georgia Tech, Bradley

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. Sommerville is one of Villanova’s latest recruiting developments, earning an offer in December.

[January Update] I haven’t found any other details about Sommerville’s recruitment with Villanova other than the offer last month. He has already taken unofficial visits to Xavier and Wake Forest. A scouting report from last spring highlights Lathan’s physical traits, good footwork, and rebounding skills.

[May Update] Villanova made Lathan’s final cut, which consisted of his Top 7. However, he committed to Rutgers on April 21st. One of the few PF/C offers Villanova has given in the Class of 2024, the staff will likely double down on the remaining guys.

Thomas Sorber

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 109 |On3: 51)
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
High School: Archbishop Ryan
AAU: Team Final
Height: 6-9
Weight: 250
Offer date: Jan. 23
Status: Top 4 – Unofficial Visit
Other offers: Bryant, Drexel, Georgetown (Official Visit), La Salle, Maryland, Miami, Mississippi State, Penn State (Unofficial visit), Pitt, Providence, Richmond, Saint Joseph’s, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Syracuse, Virginia, Xavier,

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. He was largely under the radar, until he started to pick up steam on the high-major Division I recruiting circuit in August.

[January Update] The latest player to receive an offer from ‘Nova, he got one of the largest jumps in On3’s latest rankings – jumping from No. 117 up to No. 43. He was a double-double machine for Archbishop Ryan this season. Sorber is also able to stuff the stat sheet with block and steals, including a 24 point 17 rebound 10 block night in late December against King’s Fork (Va.). Especially being in Villanova’s backyard, he’s one to keep an eye on.

[May Update] Villanova once again made the final cut (Top 4) but Sorber committed to Georgetown in an slightly surprising turn of events given he previously mentioned a commitment would come in September or October.

Garrett Sundra

Rating: 4-star (247 Sports: 86 |On3: 104)|
Hometown: Fairfax, VA
High School: Paul IV Catholic
AAU: Team Takeover
Height: 6-10
Weight: 215
Offer date: April 1st
Status: Offered
Other offers: Butler (Official Visited), George Mason, George Washington (Unofficial Visit), Iowa, Maryland, Miami, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rhode Island (Unofficial Visit), Rice, Seton Hall, Towson, Virginia Tech

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A.

[January Update] N/A

[May Update] A self-described “stretch-four,” Sundra plays for the same high school and AAU team as 2024 prospect Isaiah Abraham. As mentioned above, their high school produced Brandon Slater, and their AAU team produced both Justin Moore and Slater. Sundra is part of the recent wave of offers, coming in early April so we’ll see how things progress over the summer.

Bryson Tucker

Rating: 5-star (247 Sports 21 |On3: 8)
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
High School: IMG Academy
AAU: N/A (not participating in AAU)
Height: 6-7
Offer date: Sept. 23
Status: Offered
Other offers: Auburn, Duke, George Mason, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisville, LSU, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Virginia Tech, USC

The skinny:

[Summer Update] N/A. Tucker is another new entrant on this list as he was offered in the early fall. An elite level recruit, it seems like the entire country is recruiting him.

[January Update] Tucker earned a Villanova offer this past fall, and since then his stock has only continued to rise. Other large programs such as Michigan State and USC are the latest to inquire about the talented 5-star wing. Bryson attended Mount St. Joseph in Maryland but transferred to IMG Academy. An interesting note – this is a similar path to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl did in his high school career, by completing his senior year at IMG. Tucker’s recruitment is still “wide open” based on his comments in December. Like other recruits mentioned here, he likely won’t go on any visits until after the high school season.

[May Update] Tucker’s recruitment has been very quiet since our last update – at least publicly. There really hasn’t been any updates with any of the schools who have already reached out. He’s such a high-level recruit – there will sure be noise once activity starts up again.

Caleb Williams

Rating: 3-star (247 Sports: 132 |On3: 117)
Hometown: Washington, D.C.
High School: Sidwell Friends School
AAU: Team Takeover
Height: 6-7
Weight: 215
Offer date: July 27
Status: Offer – Official Visit
Other offers: Bryant, Fordham, Florida State, Georgetown (unofficial visit), George Mason, George Washington, Georgia Tech (Unofficial visit), Harvard, Indiana (Official visit), Maryland, Miami, Michigan (Official visit), Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Penn, Penn State, Providence, Syracuse, USF, VCU, Virginia (Unofficial visit), Virginia Tech

The skinny:

[Summer Update] Williams hasn’t looked back since picking up his first-ever Division I offer in March, racking more up than a dozen offers before the start of his junior year. Williams is from the same high school that produced Josh Hart, and he’s another prospect that Neptune and Co. are in very early on. He’s not ranked by 247 sports or ESPN, but that will likely be changing after his junior season. Williams came through in the clutch, delivering the game-winning buzzer-beater to lift Sidwell Friends to a DCSAA title. He had a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds in the championship game.

[January Update] Since the summer, Caleb Williams has been busy. He managed to crack the player rankings in national recruiting boards and most recently appeared at No. 103 for On3. Williams hit the road in October – completing official visits to Indiana and Michigan, while squeezing an unofficial visit to Villanova in between. I haven’t found any other updates on his recruiting, so we’re in wait and see mode for the time being.

[May Update] Williams had a HUGE spring, leading Sidwell Friends to the 2023 DCSAA Tournament champions AND winning the State Champions Invitational, while being named the Tournament MVP in the later. Coach Neptune and staff have certainly noticed – as Williams was also present for Justin Moore’s return game against Providence, took an official visit to Villanova in late March, and had staff members at his AAU games last month. There’s currently no word on a timeline but it’s getting more competitive every day with Georgetown, Syracuse, Notre Dame, and Florida State all entering the race in the last month.

Outlook

We mentioned it in our last update – but it would make sense that this 2024 class would be a large group. We just walked through 19 prospects in this class alone and in checking out the roster, there should be plenty of spots. How many is anyone’s guess, especially with the transfer portal providing plenty of new options.

Taking a step back, it’s clear the staff is focusing hard on certain positions and staying busy with constant contact:

1. Position Focus: There seems to be a strong desire for wings and point guards. While defined positions have grown to be more fluid, 10 of the 19 prospects are labeled as SG/SF, and 5 are labeled as PG. This shouldn’t be a huge surprise given Villanova’s player profile of late – but it may change Villanova’s focus with Sundra being the only PF/C offer left. We should expect that to change as the cycle continues.
2. Active Communication: It appears the staff is constantly in contact with these recruits. Multiple guys mentioned that Villanova is among those reaching out the most, along with specifically highlighting their relationship with Coach Neptune. They’ve publicly hosted three players (Bliss, Glover, Williams) on unofficial/official visits in the last few weeks and will continue hosting more as the summer progresses.

Overall, there are plenty of positive signs from the Class of 2024 – Villanova is talking with a ton of highly sought after prospects and a number of these recruiting processes are coming along nicely.

While we need to put pen to paper and get some signatures, there’s a lot of momentum into the summer and early fall – hopefully we’ll get some of those “It’s a Great Day to be a Wildcat” tweets by then.