The ACC now spans from coast to coast and that’s led to some new wrinkles when discussing “local” recruiting.
Stanford and Cal have to compete with high-profile programs outside the conference in the Golden State. North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest all often compete in intra-league recruiting battles every cycle.
Which ACC schools are keeping things close in the 2027 cycle? Rivals takes a look at which recruiting classes are the closest to home on average:
1. SMU
Average Commit Distance: 101 miles
In-State: 86%
Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 73
It’s no surprise that SMU is keeping it close to the Lone Star State with its recruiting efforts. Rhett Lashlee and the Mustangs have just seven commits in their class to date, but they do all hail from Texas or Louisiana. Four-star WR Trey Haralson headlines as the No. 35 player in Texas, while four-star QB Malachi Zeigler is the No. 10 player in The Boot. Don’t expect SMU’s average commit distance to grow too much as it fleshes out its pledge list this summer and fall.
2. Louisville
Average Commit Distance: 220 miles
In-State: 35%
Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 27
The 2027 cycle is a good one for talent in the Bluegrass State and Jeff Brohm’s program is taking advantage. There’s six in-state commits in Louisville’s class thus far and they are all top-20 players in the state overall. Four-star CB Allen Evans is atop the haul, checking in as the No. 2 player in Kentucky and No. 17 corner nationally. Additionally, five prospects from Ohio are in the Louisville class, including four-star athlete D’Angelo White and high three-star WR Chuck Alexander Jr.
3. Virginia
Average Commit Distance: 223 miles
In-State: 58%
Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 63
Tony Elliott and the Cavaliers currently have 12 commits this cycle and seven are inside the Old Dominion. Three-star QB Lonnie Andrews III highlights that crew, checking in as the No. 16 player in the state. Virginia has held his commitment since October. Andrews, EDGE Camden Chalkley, safety Derek Fisher and safety Zayvon Miller are all top-20 in-state prospects. Florida, the Carolinas, Maryland and Georgia are states also featured in the UVA haul, as of June 24.
4. Georgia Tech
Average Commit Distance: 225 miles
In-State: 56%
Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 24
Leaning on being close to a wealth of high school talent in the Southeast, Brent Key and Georgia Tech have already landed essentially a full class. There’s 25 commits in the mix and 23 of them hail from Georgia, Florida or Alabama. Four-star OT Joshua Sam-Epelle, the No. 16 player in Georgia, is the Yellow Jackets’ top in-state pledge. Four-star RB Moonie Gipson and four-star EDGE Justin Weeks are among the other touted Peach Staters that are planning to head to The Flats next year.
5. Florida State
Average Commit Distance: 281 miles
In-State: 33%
Rivals Industry Team Ranking: No. 41
Mike Norvell and his staff in Tallahassee are starting to find some recruiting momentum this summer, and to no surprise, they are closing the deal with some key local targets. Of the 12 commits in Florida State’s class to date, nine are from Florida or Georgia. That includes four-star safety Jernard Albright, a top-200 prospect who flipped from South Carolina earlier this month. Four-star EDGE Anthony Cavallaro, the No. 36 player in Florida, has been committed since the end of January and remains the top in-state commit in the class.
ACC Average Commit Distance Nos. 6-17
6. Clemson — 297 miles
7. Wake Forest — 434 miles
8. Duke — 552 miles
9. Syracuse — 557 miles
10. Cal — 588 miles
11. Miami — 605 miles
12. Virginia Tech — 620 miles
13. Boston College — 633 miles
14. Pitt — 667 miles
15. North Carolina — 698 miles
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