Jayden Wayne is one of the top-rated college football recruits in the 2023 class, and on Saturday, the four-star EDGE rusher will announce his college commitment live at 4 p.m. ET on CBS Sports HQ. You can watch the announcement live in the video at the top of this page or at this link, on the CBS Sports App or via your connected device (Roku, Amazon Fire, Apple TV).
Wayne revealed a finalists list last week that’s filled with strong contenders. The Bradenton, Florida, native is down to Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan State and Oregon. Looking at the Crystal Ball predictions from 247Sports recruiting experts, the prevailing theory is Wayne will don the orange and green of the Hurricanes.
Wayne is ranked the No. 36 overall player in the 247Sports rankings and No. 5 player at his position. Here’s a scouting report from 247 National Recruiting Analyst Chris Singletary, who compares the 6-5, 245-pounder to former Michigan defensive lineman — and current Green Bay Packer — Rashan Gary.
Good frame to add weight and mass. As he matures and gains more strength in the weight room he will define his body composition and reach his physical peak. Already checking in at 6-foot-4 he could top out at 270 pounds in college without compromising his athleticism.
Good 1st step and burst off the ball. Gains ground and causes the tackle to be immediately stressed by his penetration. Very good pad level which gives the defender little area to strike as he is rushing the passer or playing the run. Shows a good motor and want-to in chasing plays with nice lateral movement. Good agility and quickness, he is light on his feet and is a smooth effortless player. Rips off of blocks and does a good job in pursuit. With added strength and technique improvement he has all the tools you want in an elite defensive lineman. You are exposed to how good an overall athlete he is when you watch him play wide receiver.
Wayne has a unique player that plays not only offense and defense. But a skill position as a receiver that saw him put up 18 catches 269 yards and 5 touchdowns. On the defensive end he had 44 tackles and 9 sacks. Once he is able to focus mainly on defense the sky’s the limit for him. His recruitment has seen the likes of schools from all the power conferences chasing him to be a part of their program. Once he focuses solely on playing defense his ceiling is high. I see all the skills and trait for him to ultimately have a NFL career.
Wayne has visited all six of his finalists since the start of April, with his most recent visits being to Miami on June 17 and Oregon a week after. Wherever he ends up, Wayne has a chance to become one of the most disruptive defensive forces in the country as he develops.
