5 G5 Programs Off to Hot Recruiting Starts

Recruiting at the G5 level is a little bit different than it is for P4 programs. There are several reasons for this, but overall, it tends to produce a slower process. However, that doesn’t mean that every program is on the same timeline. Here are five that are off to hot starts:

San Diego State

The skinny: 2025 was a huge season for the program and second-year head coach Sean Lewis. The Aztecs went 9-4 after a 3-9 disaster in 2024 and have translated that success into the current recruiting cycle. San Diego State picked up their tenth Class of 2027 commitment on Wednesday morning from three-star defensive end Kemper Castro (Herriman, UT), which continues an impressive trend. That is because all ten of the commitments are consensus three stars. Leading the way are linebacker Isaiah Phelps (Oxnard, CA) and wide receivers Ayden Payne (Anaheim, CA) and Isaac Cook (San Diego, CA).

North Dakota State

The skinny: Nobody should be surprised that the Bison currently lead all G5 programs with 18 commitments. The FCS power has hit the ground running during their first recruiting year in the FBS, which has gotten the attention of many people. North Dakota State knows what they’re looking for, focuses on their region, and succeeds. Now with the extra selling point of playing FBS football, it has further helped their recruiting. The top commitment is quarterback Carter Temple (Kearney, MO), while offensive lineman Bryce Vigness (Papillion, NE) and safety Robenson Duclona (Fort Myers, FL) are also key additions.  

Washington State

The skinny: The Cougars are another G5 program who have commitments from all three-stars, with the two most recent coming after a successful official visit weekend. Now with seven commitments, Washington State has mostly focused on West Coast recruiting aside from running back Marquez Wimberly (Nazareth, PA) who will be traveling across the country. Other commitments worth noting are athlete EJ Coleman (Folsom, CA) and defensive tackle Lopeti Malupo (San Francisco, CA).

Miami-Ohio

The skinny: The commitments may not all be three-stars for Miami-Ohio, but it is impressive that a non-P4 program already has 16 by early June. This also doesn’t mean that there isn’t intriguing talent in this group. A few key wins by head coach Chuck Martin are three-star safety Errol Kerns III (Indianapolis, IN), three-star tight end Owen Matela and three-star quarterback Kaden Estep (Cincinnati, OH).

Boise State

The skinny: While the Broncos only have five commitments, all are top tier three-star recruits and three have come since Saturday. Leading the way in this group are athlete J’Isaiah Mitchell (Puyallup, WA), quarterback Kael Snyder (Gilbert, AZ) and defensive tackle Kekoa Peko (Bellflower, CA). As one of the top G5 programs in the country during this century, the Broncos toughest job is to keep all of their commitments until Signing Day because P4 programs are sure to come sniffing.