A Look Into Mid-Major 2025 Recruiting

High school recruiting has slowed as a result of the open transfer portal and the optional 5th years, however, with 2025 recruiting in full swing, here's a look at the top mid-major classes.

Jul 25, 2024

We are in the full swing of high school basketball recruiting for the 2025 class. As a result of the open transfer portal and the COVID years (which will be expiring soon), many college coaches have veered away from recruiting high school players and shifted their focus on veteran collegiate players. As a result, this has opened up opportunities for mid-major schools to swoop in and find higher rated recruits that could be looking for immediate playing time, rather than joining a power conference and riding the bench.

Now, the recruiting cycle will continue to expand and develop over the next month or so going into the coming season. When exhibitions and games fire up, coaches will dim their high school recruiting, so August and September are crucial months for these recruits. As of right now, many of the top recruits have not committed, but let’s still look at the top Mid-Majors thus far per 247 Sports:

South Florida

Ranked: 13th

Committed Recruits: Joshua Lewis (4-star, #67 nationally)

South Florida has made a slash, securing the commitment from Joshua Lewis. Lewis ranked #67 nationally and #10 overall from Florida per 247. ON3 had his as high as #38 in the nation. The four-star has opened many eyes as a strong scorer with the ability to alter the game on the defensive end as well. Listed at 6-7, he’ll slot in at the Small Forward position for the Bulls in the upcoming season. On the season, he averaged 16.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. From the field, Lewis shot 48% overall and 35% from 3pt. This is an all around elite player that will thrive at the AAC level. Here’s some highlights:

Joshua Lewis is South Florida’s highest rated recruit in program history. He selected the Bulls over the likes of Cincinnati, Illinois, Ole Miss, and Virginia Tech. Another incredible milestone for the fast-rising head coach Amir Abdur-Rahim. Last season was no fluke for the Bulls.

Northern Iowa

Ranked: 22nd

Committed Recruits:

Jalen Wilson (3-star, #185 nationally)
Travein Jirak (NR)
Geon Hutchins (NR)

The Northern Iowa Panthers have secured a commitment from a top-200 recruit in the country, Jalen Wilson. ESPN has Wilson listed as a top 100 recruit. The 6-7 Forward will be an immediate impact for the Panthers as his game will translate well to the Missouri Valley. He can finish around the rim, he has a nice hook-shot, and he can get up and down the court quickly. Obviously you have to take recruiting videos with a grain of salt, but his ability to get to the rim and finish shots is impressive. At 6-7, he’d be a very undersized Power Forward, so I’d love to see him develop more on the shooting end to help round out his game.

Here’s a video of Wilson posting a ridiculous 43 points in a single game last season (as a freshman, he had a 34 point game as well):

Trevin Jirak is an intriguing piece who held offers from North Dakota State, South Dakota, Tarleton State, and Bryant before committing to UNI. At 6-10, he provides the Panthers with some great height where they’ll need the help as Jacob Hutson will be a senior and Chase Courbat a junior. In his junior year, Jirak averaged 10.6 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists for the Valley Tigers.

I was able to find a video from the IHSAA 4A Quarterfinals where Jirak posted 15 points.

Geon Hutchins wasn’t listed on 247’s commitment page for UNI, however, Hutchins did commit via Twitter. Hutchins had some interesting mid-major offers from Western Michigan, Robert Morris, Oakland, and Central Michigan before committing to UNI. Hutchins comes in at 6-4 as a Shooting Guard. He can finish at the rim and I love his shot. He’ll most likely have a tough time breaking the rotation as a freshman, but with the open transfer portal, it’s tough to guess until we see who is on the team next year.

Ben Jacobson has always been able to find next-level talent and bring them to Northern Iowa. Look at AJ Green, who this past season played for the Milwaukee Bucks, appearing in 56 games throughout the year, including 6 games on their playoff run. No doubt he’s found some more talent in Wilson, Jirak, and Hutchins.

Cal State Fullerton

Ranked: 30th

Committed Recruits: Ben Winker (3-star, NR)

Cal State Fullerton picked up an excellent center in Ben Winker. At 6-9, he’ll provide the Titans with some excellent size as a freshman. Recruiting wise, Winker had offers from Lindenwood, SIUE, Florida Gulf Coast, and Southeast Missouri State. What is intriguing is, none of these schools are necessarily mid-major powerhouses. Out of Missouri, Winker ranked #14 overall, and Lindenwood and SEMO both hail from Missouri while SIUE is not far in Edwardsville, Illinois. Only FGCU and Cal State Fullerton were the only two non-local schools on the recruiting trail.

Skill wise, Winker can get up and down the court quickly and has a strong ability to finish down low. This is a true center and he’ll be a great recruit to watch develop over the years.

Idaho

Ranked: 31st

Committed Recruits: Jackson Rasmussen (3-star, 235th nationally)

The Idaho Vandals have picked up a big-time talent out of the local ranks in Jackson Rasmussen. The 6-7 Guard/Forward is ranked 235th nationally per 247 sports, holding another offer from Washington State. Out of every recruit I’ve discussed thus far, I think Rasmussen might be the largest steal.

Rasmussen is crafty and his size gives him a major advantage. He can create his own offense and seems to have a high basketball IQ, plus he can shoot it as well. Watch the highlight video linked below to see some of the impressive shots he made. I’m a huge fan of this pickup and he’ll provide an impact on Idaho in year one.

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