Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on Rivals.com, the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here.
Rivals won’t release its initial rankings for the class of 2027 until late this month, but discussions about how the list should look when it debuts are well underway behind the scenes. Some of that conversation centers around prospects that used the grassroots to make a case for themselves.
Today in I’ve Got Five On It, Rivals national analyst Rob Cassidy provides a peek behind the curtain and discusses five prospects that are helping themselves significantly by posting impressive summers.
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A dark horse for the No. 1 spot in the initial rankings, Hampton is one of the most dynamic and explosive guards in the 2027 class. He helped his stock significantly while running with Southern Assault on the adidas 3SSB Circuit this summer, as the Texas-based star was the talk of the underclassmen divisions and has been as consistently productive as any young prospect in America.
The 6-foot-5 Hampton is the younger brother of former five-star R.J. Hampton, who played overseas instead of in college and became a first-round draft selection. Ryan Hampton boasts incredible physical tools and is a proven weapon in transition from both a scoring and playmaking standpoint. He’s taken strides as a shooter this summer and possesses both the length and lateral quickness to become an incredibly valuable defender as well.
Recruitment: Hampton’s older brother did not attend college but was heavily considering programs such as Kansas and Memphis, both of which have the same coaching staffs in place today that they had back then. Ryan Hampton lists early offers from Texas and SMU.
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Possibly the best-known name in the 2027 class, Oladotun is already a national recruit. When he’s at his best, he looks like a top-five prospect in the class based on his 6-foot-9 frame and developing skill set. He projects as a modern, versatile wing that can defend any position. He’s capable of putting the ball on the floor and creating in the post as well as on the perimeter.
The polish and consistency aren’t there just yet, and the Maryland-based star will need to add weight while he becomes a more reliable outside shooter, but the pro potential is obvious to anyone that has watched him play. Oladotun averaged 14 points and 3.7 assists per game while running with Team Durant in the EYBL 15u division this summer.
Recruitment: Oladotun already boasts a lengthy offer list, which will continue to grow quickly in the coming years. Programs such as Texas, Florida State, UCLA, Cincinnati, Maryland, USC and Ole Miss have already offered.
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Like Oladotun, Rosser projects as a potentially special and rare prospect due to his size, fluidity and advanced skill set. There simply aren’t many 6-foot-8 prospects that move with Rosser’s fluidity and are as dangerous a long-range shooter as Rosser, whose offensive versatility is striking for such a young prospect. An established rim protector, Rosser averaged 11.3 points and four rebounds per game while playing with Team United in the 15U EYBL. Rosser, like a lot of players his age, struggled with consistency this year but his sky-high potential was on full display during a Peach Jam elimination game that saw the forward shoot 6-for-9 from long range on his way to 20 points, four blocks and a win over Brad Beal Elite.
Recruitment: The North Carolina-based Rosser is already well versed on the in-state powers. And while Duke and North Carolina have the luxury of biding their time with scholarship offers, programs such as Michigan and Virginia Tech have already come to the table.
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Spears brings a combination of elite length and long-range shooting ability that has people in NBA front offices already getting familiar with his game. The son of the former NFL defensive end by the same name, the bloodlines are obvious when watching the tall, athletic forward on the hardwood when he’s flashed a smooth jumper and the ability to put the ball on the floor despite his long, lean frame.
Spears plays with an impressive motor for such a young prospect and gets after right defensively, even if he has some work to do on that end when it comes to avoiding fouls. Spears’ long-term upside is obvious enough that he may find himself in the discussion about the top-10 come rankings week.
Recruitment: Spears’ father played his college football at LSU before shipping off the NFL, so expect the Tigers to be involved to some extent with the touted legacy prospect. Spears Jr., has not yet received his first scholarship offer, but a number of high-major coaches are already aware of his talent.
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The next hard-nosed point guard from the Philly area, Sutton is coming off a stock-boosting grassroots season that saw him make a ton of noise running with Team Final in the 15U Nike EYBL. Sutton averaged 11.7 points and 3.6 assists per game for a team that made a run into the Peach Jam Finals and turned plenty of heads in the process.
The 6-foot-2 Sutton showed himself to be a true point guard with impressive court vision and the ability to get by defenders and into the paint thanks to a tight handle and an almost uncanny ability to absorb contact. Sutton has the type of athleticism that allows him to finish through traffic in the lane and get above the rim when the situation dictates he do so.
His trajectory is as encouraging as his skill set, however, as Sutton seems to get a little more aggressive, confident and refined each time we watch him. He’ll go as far as his growing body and still-developing long-range jumper take him, as everything else he needs for long-term success is there in spades.
Recruitment: Miami, St. John’s, Iowa and West Virginia are among the programs to offer Sutton early in the process. Expect additional heavy-hitters to enter the ring soon, however, as Sutton projects as one of the top point guards in the 2027 class.