The office in
Jared Verse’s house looks like he and his family are trying to solve a mystery. There are 20-plus papers stuck to billboards, each sheet crammed with data points ranging from a school’s defensive scheme to questions he should ask each program's coaches and strength coaches. There are also pros and cons listed for each school.
“It’s really detailed,” Verse told 247Sports. “My mom, I give her a lot of credit for that.”
A former unranked recruit in the 2019 class, Verse has emerged as one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal since he entered in late November from Albany. Ranked as the No. 6 overall transfer in the 247Sports rankings, Verse has drawn offers from dozens of programs, including bluebloods across the country And his process is rapidly coming to a close.
Verse told 247Sports he will not release a top five or a public list of any sort out of respect for the schools that have recruited him. But he is in the process of narrowing things down with the intention of making an announcement in the next few days.
“Heading into the home stretch I have my internal list of three or five schools, and every day I’m trying to take one off,” Verse said. “Not like a chopping block thing, but it’s looking at the pros and cons as the final days come up. I could see myself at a couple of different schools right now, so I’m trying to do my research. I don’t have my decision made yet. I’m trying to get it done in the quickest way possible but the smartest way possible, too.”
In terms of the schools involved, Verse has reported a litany of high-profile offers. Two schools Verse said are certainly in the mix are Florida State and Tennessee, both of which hosted Verse for official visits in December before the start of the dead period; Syracuse and Houston also had Verse on campus for a visit. Miami is another school Verse has publicly discussed as being a factor in his recruitment.
Here’s what he had to say about all three programs:
Tennessee: “They just got out of a bowl game and fell a little short. I feel like a couple of calls didn’t go their way. They had an OK season. Not what the coaches wanted but it’s something to build upon. They set up a good vision of what they can use me for and how they’d use me.”
Florida State: “They’ve been talking to me about how they’ll use me. Jermaine (Johnson) and
Keir Thomas just came out of the situation that I’m literally in. Two transfers guys that played one year and are about to go to the league and get drafted. I’m looking at that situation like, ‘Oh yeah, that could be me.’”
Miami: “It’s a whole new coaching staff and the coaches are telling me I can help build Miami back to what it was, ‘A top program that teams fear.’”
“It’s hard to think of cons," Verse said. "It’s hard to without looking at the boards. We sat there for three or four hours the other day trying to come up with cons. Schools are really so great about selling you on what’s great about the program that you can’t really come up with anything bad about the program.”
There are other programs in play for Verse. Since the dead period began in mid-December, he’s picked up offers from the likes of LSU, Oklahoma, USC, Florida and Texas. Verse declined to go in-depth on some of the other schools he’s considering, but he did say of that group: “There are a couple of schools I’m still in contact with strongly. I’m getting really in-depth with the strength coaches and trying to figure out how (the coaches) will use me.”
Verse said he’s still not entirely used to being one of the hottest names in the transfer portal. He called it “humbling.” The Colonial Athletic Association’s Defensive Rookie of the Year this spring as a redshirt freshman and a dominant presence this fall (11.5 TFLs, 9.5 sacks), Verse emerged as one of the top young pass rushers in the FCS. He may have had just two offers exiting high school, but people took notice when Verse entered the transfer portal.
Initially when Verse entered the portal, he was mostly focused on where he'd fit on the depth chart. As his process is coming to a close, the factors that are important to him have expanded.
"Going further into the process, no school is bringing me in for depth," Verse said. "If you’re bringing me in to be a third-down pass rusher, I’m not really talking to you. The schools I’m talking to want me as a four-down player.
Important factors are the coaches and how they can help me grow as a player and how I can help the program. I want to play and compete for a national championship. Schools that can help me do that.”
