Multiple College Football Programs Look to Poach Elite WR from SEC Program – Sports Illustrated

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One of the more coveted wide receivers in the 2027 college football recruiting class is already committed to a rising SEC program.
But that won’t stop other college football teams from making a serious push.
Three-star Crandall (Tex.) wide receiver Jeremiah Douglas is currently committed to Vanderbilt, but five other programs are looking to make a serious push for him, according to Rivals.
LSU is one of the other SEC programs currently interested in Douglas, sitting in the top 30 of the national recruiting rankings, but is yet to earn a wide receiver’s commitment.
Wide receivers coach George McDonald has been in regular communication with the player and the school is “making me feel like a top priority, and that has definitely caught my attention, and so does the love they show,” according to the prospect himself.
Steve Sarkisian and Texas are among the 10 best recruiting classes in 2027, boosted mostly by the commitment of No. 1 wide receiver Easton Royal.
“Texas has been coming at me hard for sure,” Douglas told Rivals.
He added that Longhorns staffers have been going into detail as to how the wide receiver fits in their offensive system, and he also noted “how I fit in their scheme and the culture.”
Ole Miss has remained a serious contender to get Douglas, which commended the program for its new staff and its “knowledge and experience.”
SMU and Kansas State were involved with Douglas even before his pledge to Vanderbilt and are still in the conversation.
Just because other schools are interested doesn’t mean Vanderbilt is out of it.
The wide receiver is poised to take an official visit to the program in late May, and he has expressed confidence in the direction of the program.
“Feeling really great about Vandy, and I love how much consistency they have with me and they value my talent there,” he told Rivals.
Douglas is a consensus three-star prospect in the 2027 college football recruiting class, according to a compilation of analyst assessments.
He is currently listed as the No. 71 wide receiver prospect in the country and the No. 69 overall player regardless of position, according to an average of the national recruiting services.
Douglas is rated as the No. 513 overall prospect in the nation.
Despite the player’s existing pledge to the Commodores, they aren’t currently favored to keep it, according to expert opinion.
Vanderbilt currently has a meager 1.4 percent chance to keep Douglas, according to the latest figures posted to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.
That metric currently favors a tight three-school race for the wideout.
Texas has a slight edge with a 25.1 percent chance to secure Douglas, while rival Oklahoma is right behind with 21.9 percent odds, according to the RPM.
Texas Tech is a close third at 18.8 percent.
Douglas is coming off a standout junior season as a critical piece of the offense for Crandall High in Texas this past fall.
The wide receiver finished the 2025 campaign with 66 receptions while covering 1,032 total yards and scored 11 touchdowns over 11 appearances.
In the course of that effort, Douglas averaged almost 16 yards per reception and amassed just under 94 yards per game on average.
(Rivals)
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James Parks is the founder and publisher of College Football HQ. He has covered football for a decade, previously managing several team sites and publishing national content for 247Sports.com for five years. His work has also been published on CBSSports.com. He founded College Football HQ in 2020, and the site joined the Sports Illustrated Fannation Network in 2022 and the On SI network in 2024.
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