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Rice coach Jose Cruz Jr. (Photo by Brian Westerholt/Four Seam Images)
To round out the coverage of the 2024 recruiting cycle, it’s time to take a look at eight recruiting classes who flew under the radar. With the recruiting landscape going through rapid and drastic changes thanks to the introduction of NIL, it is impressive to see which schools who do not fall under the “power four conference” umbrella are able to adapt and still land high-end talent that will serve their programs well for the next three-to-four years. Similar to the piece that discussed 10 recruiting classes who fell just short of the top 25, there is no particular order to the schools mentioned below.
You can also find our overall Top 25 recruiting classes here.
Florida International
- Recruiting coordinator: Brian Jeroloman
- Top recruit: Adonys Velez, SS
- BA 500 freshmen (if applicable): 1
The brother of Florida recruiting coordinator Chuck Jeroloman, coach Brian Jeroloman was able to put together a solid recruiting class of his own. The class has a heavy focus on the Sunshine State, which is similar to FIU classes of the past. While often overshadowed by other programs in the state, the Panthers have been able to land plenty of high-end talent of their own in years past. 2024 was a big step in the right direction, as in head coach Rich Witten’s second season the Panthers won their most games (27) in a single season since 2017.
The class is headlined by shortstop Adonys Velez, who possesses an advanced defensive acumen. Velez has impressive actions and a borderline plus arm at shortstop, which are two traits that make him a safe bet to stick at the position long term. The biggest key for Velez will be how much progress his offense makes during his time on campus. There is a little bit of pop from gap-to-gap right now, but his hit tool is below-average. If he can shore up his pitch recognition skills and approach, Velez has the chance to be a day-two draft prospect when he is next eligible. Outfielder Cole Cleveland packs an exciting toolset of his own, while 6-foot-4 lefthander Loic Guillemette has been into the low-90s with his fastball and is the most intriguing arm in the class.
Xavier
- Recruiting coordinator: Joey Bellini
- Top recruit: Jack Detienne, RHP
- BA 500 freshmen (if applicable): 1
A former infielder at Cincinnati, coach Joey Bellini was added to the Musketeers’ staff in 2021 as a volunteer…