Elijah Burress, Plaxico’s son, leads this week’s Power Four commits in college football recruiting
With some of the best high school football players in the nation having already announced their college choices, the 2025 recruiting cycle is officially underway. Thirteen athletes, all from the 2025 class, made commitments to Power Four college football programs during the week of February 9–15. The son of a former NFL player is the group’s main attraction.
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(Alphabetically) Baylor, Iowa State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Oregon, Penn State, Rutgers, SMU, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, and Virginia Tech (2) are the Power Four schools that have at least one commitment this week.Background in recruiting: After making an unofficial visit to Eugene, Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound edge defender from Concord (Calif.) De La Salle, committed to the Ducks. He turned down offers from several schools, including Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, USC, and Washington. The player, an edge rusher who becomes the Ducks’ sixth commitment in the 2025 recruiting cycle, was primarily recruited by Oregon defensive coordinator and defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi. Over the course of nine games as a junior, Johnson recorded 30 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles, according to MaxPreps.
Abridged scouting report: “Johnson is a versatile interior lineman with tackle and three-tech capabilities.” He’s a powerful young man who can get pushed even while facing double teams. He’s a pain to deal with one-on-one and just intimidates rival centers and guards at the high school level. He has an excellent motor, is skilled with his hands, and gets off the ball rather effectively. He can disengage from an opposition lineman and make a tackle with ease thanks to his long arms. — Greg Biggins, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports
Background in recruiting: Tompkins, an offensive tackle from Cedar Falls High School who stands six feet five and weighs 270 pounds, made his commitment to the Cyclones less than two weeks after the team traveled to Ames for Iowa State’s Junior Day. Offers from Duke, Illinois, Kansas, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, and Wisconsin were turned down by him in favor of Iowa State. Ryan Clanton, the offensive line coach at Iowa State, was Tompkins’ primary recruiter. He is Matt Campbell and company’s third-choice commit for the 2025 recruiting class.
