The top QBs’ commitments from the 2027 class have recently started settling down one by one. There are only a handful of them left. Out of all the remaining ones, the nation’s finest QB, Elijah Haven, is taking his time and making a historical record. Word around Tuscaloosa is, the Dunham QB has become the first-ever high school player to sign an NIL deal right before he announced his highly anticipated commitment date.
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On April 8th, On3 hopped onto their IG handle and announced his EA Sports’ historic NIL deal. Haven has officially joined the “GEN / EA SPORTS” roster. He is the first-ever high school athlete to be brought into this exclusive global program. He’s standing side-by-side with the icons like Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Real Madrid’s (Olympique Lyon star) soccer phenom Endrick. Not going to lie, EA Sports’ taking a flier on Haven as the future face of sports culture before he even picks his college has to be one of the greatest flexes any high-schooler could ever dream about.
However, unlike traditional NIL endorsements, this NIL deal more focuses on Haven as a person, not just of a quarterback. They specifically chose him because he’s a “multi-hyphenate” athlete and man of too many talents. The Baton Rouge native is a legit filmmaker. He’s a pretty talented drummer and also a digital creator. This EA partnership is designed to tap-in on his creative side and probably present himself before the world.
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However, even though the EA deal is all about his personality and creativity, his statistics are the reason he has this level of platform in the very first place. He’s already racked up well over about 9,000 career passing yards and more than 2,300 rushing yards throughout his career. This past season alone at Dunham School in Baton Rouge, he threw for 3,931 yards and 62 touchdowns, which happens to be a new Louisiana state record.
Even though he’s from Baton Rouge, it doesn’t look like he’s staying home for college. Alabama is the big-time favorite to land him right now. He has a very strong bond with Bama’s QB coach Bryan Ellis and head coach Kalen DeBoer. In fact, Rivals currently gives the Crimson Tide a 96.9% chance to get his signature. He has even visited Alabama 4 or 5 times in the last 4 months.
He’s scheduled to be in Tuscaloosa for the A-Day spring game on April 11, which many believe will be the final step before he officially joins the “Roll Tide” family. According to Brett Greenberg of Bama 247Sports, the world will finally get the answer on April 25 about where his next home is. Even though Bama are the clear frontrunner, 247Sports’ Tom Loy believes there are some other threats within the SEC that are quite capable of pulling Haven away from Tuscaloosa.
The potential threat for Bama in Haven’s case
Right now, the race to sign Elijah Haven is the hottest story in college football recruiting. His “final four” list includes Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Auburn.
The Bulldogs are viewed as the primary competition to spoil Alabama’s lead. Haven actually grew up a Bulldogs fan, and his family has roots in Georgia. Tom Loy believes they are a sleeper pick here. Haven’s scheduled to visit Athens on April 9 for a final look.
The Gators are more or less seen as a fading contender at this point. Early in his recruitment, the Gators were seen as a top landing spot. However, recent coaching turnover and a general reset of his recruiting process have caused Florida to cool off slightly, even though they remain in his final group. Then you have Auburn and Kentucky. Both schools remain in the hunt. Haven is looking at an April 14 visit to Kentucky.
The biggest question on everybody’s mind is why LSU is not here for his pledge. LSU did not make his finalist list. The Tigers’ coaching staff has shifted their priority to other 2027 targets like Payton Houston. The last thing you want is two of the nation’s best in the same room from the same cycle. Many insiders believe the door has closed for Haven to stay home. Two weeks from now (April 25), someone from the SEC will win him over, and it will most definitely be Alabama.
