The recruiting race for college football is heating up — not just on the field, but in the increasingly complex ecosystem of modern college football, where NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals are reshaping how programs and players navigate early recruitment. For elite underclassmen, talent alone is no longer the only factor drawing attention; marketability, social media presence, and brand potential are now playing pivotal roles in how offers are extended and decisions are made. The top recruits in the 2027 cycle are not only physically advanced and highly skilled — they're entering high school with endorsement potential and media savviness.
Stacker compiled a list of the highest rated Class of 2027 football recruits from California using data from 247Sports. Players are ranked by their 247Sports composite ratings. Here's the players from California set to dominate Saturdays (and potentially Sundays) for years to come.
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1 / 20#20. Elija Harmon (DL)
- National rank: #258 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #28
- College: Oklahoma
- Offers: Oklahoma, Arizona, Auburn, California, Florida
- High school: Inglewood (Inglewood, CA)
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2 / 20#19. Brady Edmunds (QB)
- National rank: #243 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #20
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, UCLA, Georgia, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Huntington Beach (Huntington Beach, CA)
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3 / 20#18. Myles Baker (S)
- National rank: #237 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #21
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, California, LSU, Alabama, Arizona State
- High school: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
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4 / 20#17. Demare Dezeurn (WR)
- National rank: #198 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #28
- College: California
- Offers: California, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas
- High school: Westlake (Westlake Village, CA)
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5 / 20#16. Pole Moala (S)
- National rank: #182 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #15
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, California
- High school: Junipero Serra (Gardena, CA)
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6 / 20#15. Alifeleti Tuihalamaka (DL)
- National rank: #155 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #18
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Texas A&M, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn
- High school: Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA)
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7 / 20#14. Rahzario Edwards (TE)
- National rank: #153 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #7
- College: California
- Offers: California, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Grant Union (Sacramento, CA)
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8 / 20#13. Gavin Williams (S)
- National rank: #145 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #10
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Damien (La Verne, CA)
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9 / 20#12. Eli Woodard (WR)
- National rank: #132 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #22
- College: Miami
- Offers: Miami, California, UCLA, USC, Arizona State
- High school: Chaparral (Temecula, CA)
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11 / 20#10. Taven Epps (LB)
- National rank: #105 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #8
- College: Oklahoma
- Offers: Oklahoma, Texas, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State
- High school: Tustin (Tustin, CA)
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12 / 20#9. Charles Davis (WR)
- National rank: #82 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #13
- College: California
- Offers: California, SMU, Arizona, Arizona State, BYU
- High school: Westlake (Westlake Village, CA)
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13 / 20#8. Danny Lang (CB)
- National rank: #74 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #7
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Oregon, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State
- High school: Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA)
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14 / 20#7. Kasi Currie (DL)
- National rank: #66 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #6
- College: Texas
- Offers: Texas, Georgia, Arizona State, California, Florida State
- High school: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
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15 / 20#6. Quentin Hale (WR)
- National rank: #56 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #9
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Arizona State, California, Georgia
- High school: Corona Centennial (Corona, CA)
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16 / 20#5. Myels Smith (DL)
- National rank: #51 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #4
- College: Texas A&M
- Offers: Texas A&M, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn
- High school: Inglewood (Los Angeles, CA)
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17 / 20#4. JuJu Johnson (ATH)
- National rank: #46 (4 stars)
- Position rank: #5
- College: UCLA
- Offers: UCLA, Oklahoma, Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas
- High school: Long Beach Poly (Long Beach, CA)
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18 / 20#3. Marcus Fakatou (DL)
- National rank: #26 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #2
- College: Ohio State
- Offers: Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Alabama, Arizona
- High school: Sierra Canyon (Chatsworth, CA)
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19 / 20#2. Honor Fa'alave-Johnson (ATH)
- National rank: #16 (5 stars)
- Position rank: #2
- College: USC
- Offers: USC, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas
- High school: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, CA)
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