New IMG Academy offensive lineman Jordan Church dropped his top schools on Thursday listing Florida State, Pitt, Louisville, Missouri, and Tennessee. The Fort Myers (Fla.) native only has one in-state school on his list giving the impression that he might be heading outside the Sunshine State for his college career.
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RANKING THE CONTENDERS
1. LOUISVILLE
The Cardinals signed just 16 players in the 2022 class but are off to a fast start in the 2023 cycle. The class currently has nine commits ranked No. 8 on the Rivals’ team rankings and Church might be one of the next top players to join the group. Of the teams listed, Louisville is the most recent to host him doing so in early March. Another note in favor of the Cardinals, he has locked in a June 17 official with the ACC squad.
Almost a year ago, the Seminoles were one of the first to offer Church as a member of Dunbar High School. Church made the trek to Tallahassee in September and back in January. A secret weapon FSU has on staff is offensive line coach Alex Atkins. Atkins is beloved by recruits; that could be the key to Church staying home for college.
3. TENNESSEE
Another hot team along the recruiting trail are the Volunteers adding four commits in April. Tennessee has a top-five team ranking with one five-star, four four-stars, and four three-star prospects. Head coach Josh Heupel has made a name for himself as an offensive genius putting an extra emphasis for recruits on that side of the ball paying attention when the Volunteers come calling. Tennessee offered on Feb. 20 and hosted him on April 2… a real contender here.
4. PITT
The Panthers laid down their offer in late February and have worked the lines of communication keeping Church’s attention. The 11-3 season turned in a year ago has recruits in the southeast listening to what Pitt has to say. The Panthers put a school-record 41.4 points per game on the board in 2021 with offensive line coach Dave Borbely producing two All-ACC players. If Church wants to learn from someone who has been around the game since 1981 when he got his start as a graduate assistant with Evansville, receiving instruction from Borbely is the way to go.
5. MISSOURI
The Tigers are a hard team to get a line on right now. They have two verbal commitments in 2023 but are in the mix for a lot of top players in the region. A feather in the cap for Missouri in regards to Church, or any offensive lineman they are recruiting, o-line coach Marcus Johnson speaks from experience. Coach Johnson played in the league from 2005-09 with Minnesota, Oakland, and Tampa Bay. An official visit to Columbia could change everything for the Tigers.
