10 best college prospects

The high school football season doesn’t officially start until August, but recruiting season has already begun. Rhode Island might not be big, but it’s managed to produce some pretty big talent over the years. Larger states produce volume, but the Ocean State has done a good job with some elite talent. Defensive end Kwity Paye went from Bishop Hendricken to Michigan and then became a first-round draft pick; offensive tackle Xavier Truss went to Georgia and is now with the New Orleans Saints; wide receiver Marquis Buchanan dominated at Classical and is now doing the same at the University of Rhode Island.

So, who are Rhode Island’s current top prospects for the college ranks?

Here are who we think are the 10 best prospects in Rhode Island high school football right now:

1. Elijah Guertin

Guertin was an obvious Division I prospect before he stepped on the football field for his sophomore season at Hendricken. His size, then 6 feet 3 inches and 215 pounds, and speed — he was a state qualifier in the hurdles — drew the attention of New England’s Division I college programs, but it wasn’t until after last season that Guertin’s recruitment hit the stratosphere.

Now listed at 6 feet 5 inches and 255 pounds, Guertin, an All-State defensive end last fall, was hit up by some of the biggest programs in the state. He plays tight end and defensive end for the Hawks, but it seems like defensive end is the position colleges are looking for him to play.

Guertin started picking up lower-level Power Four offers before some of the big dogs showed up. Arkansas offered Guertin on March 9, setting off a wave of offers coming predominantly from Big 10 schools. On April 2, Penn State became his 19th Division I offer, and while 11 more followed, including Tennessee, North Carolina, Florida, Nebraska and Michigan, Guertin verbally committed to the Nittany Lions on June 14.

His recruitment might be over, but in the name, image and likeness era, recruitment doesn’t end until a player shows up on campus. Guertin is a four-star recruit and, depending on how Class of 2027 recruitment goes, expect the country’s biggest programs to keep in touch with him throughout his senior season and right up until signing day.

2. Greg Kirwan

Another athlete The Journal identified as a budding star prior to his All-State season at tight end for North Kingstown last fall, Kerwin has become one of the country’s biggest recruits, and he’s still got two seasons left before his high school career is over.

Kirwan saw time on the field for the Skippers as a freshman and with his athleticism — he plays basketball and volleyball at NK — and 6-foot-4-inch, 200pound frame, his potential was easy to identify. Kirwan added size and speed last fall and a shoulder injury couldn’t stop him from being the state’s best tight end.

What separates Kirwan from most others is his motor.

At tight end, he’s active as a blocker and his play was instrumental in the All-State season from running back Nick Stafford. He’s a terrific receiver as well, with a wide wingspan, great hands and a ability to highpoint a ball over anyone.

Kirwan’s first offer came from Kentucky on May 29 and it took less than a week for it to explode. He currently holds 20 Division I offers, with some of the biggest programs in college football, such as Florida State, Tennessee, Penn State, Ohio State, Florida and Auburn, getting involved.

What happens next likely won’t happen in Rhode Island. Kirwan is heading to Lipscomb Academy, a prep school powerhouse coached by former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer. The move will allow Kirwan to improve his college stock as he becomes one of the top 2028 prospects in the country.

3. Jalen Moseley

Moseley is one of the more intriguing prospects in the state simply because he has a skill that you can’t teach — speed. He’s grown over the last two years and while he lists himself at 6 feet 1 inch, a photo from The Providence Journal All-State show of Moseley standing next to the University of Rhode Island’s 6-foot-4inch All-American receiver Marquis Buchanan shows he’s probably closer to 6 feet 3 inches.

Being football fast is one thing, but Moseley has the track speed that takes his game to another level. He’s run a lasered 4.41-second 40-yard time, has a 10.6second 100-meter run under his belt and holds the state record in the long jump.

Initially thought of as a prospect at defensive back, where he was a Second Team All-State pick last fall, his sudden growth spurt makes him an intriguing prospect at receiver. The majority of Moseley’s recruiting has been out of the Northeast, and on June 15, he verbally committed to play for the University of Connecticut.

There is something to keep an eye out for. Moseley’s biggest offer came from Louisiana State University, but not for football. It was a track offer. He’s one of the country’s best long jumpers and while he might not be able to play football at the Southeastern Conference level, Moseley can certainly compete in track.

Don’t be shocked if the nation’s top track programs continue to pursue him and see if they can make Moseley an offer he can’t refuse.

4. Brendan Cardoso

Cardoso opened a lot of eyes when an offer from Bill Belichick and the University of North Carolina seemingly came out of nowhere. While the initial offers may or may not be there as Cardoso’s recruiting picks up for his senior season, it put the St. Raphael-now-La Salle star on the map and made him someone other schools were suddenly paying attention to.

Cardoso is 6 feet tall and boasts a 4.4-second 40-yard dash time and that speed is something that will interest many college coaches. Rumblings were UNC wanted to turn the All-State returner into a college defensive back, but Cardoso’s other offers — the University of Rhode Island, Brown, Stonehill, Maine and New Haven — seem to be after the rising senior for his talents at wide receiver.

Cardoso will continue to pick up interest at camps this summer and good video this fall at La Salle will only help him continue to improve his stock.

5. Gabriel Seidi

6. Johnny Germain

Seidi didn’t make many headlines last fall. That’s what happens when you play offensive line, but don’t be mistaken about the road on which the rising sophomore is heading. He’s going to be highly recruited. It will just take some time and, as a member of the Class of 2029, Seidi has plenty of that.

While older brother Jeremy, who’s headed to play at Army in the fall, wasn’t hard to find on the field playing running back and linebacker, the younger Seidi’s future will be on the line. As a 6-foot-1-inch freshman with a great frame, he held his own up front for a Hendricken front that desperately needed help.

Seidi’s already added another inch to his frame and lists himself at 240 pounds. As he continues to grow, in both height and weight, he’s likely to be recruited as an edge rusher. Seidi will be a terrific high school offensive lineman, but he seems destined to step in for Guertin in 2027 and really make a name for himself then.

He doesn’t hold any offers now but it won’t take long for them to arrive. Provided Seidi continues on his current path — he’s been hitting the summer camp scene — and keeps working at his craft, college coaches will notice.

Some members of the classes of 2027 and 2028 have what Germain doesn’t — Division I offers — but it will only be a matter of time for the rising junior.

Germain started his career at St. Raphael as a 6-foot, 180-pound running back/linebacker and is currently an inch taller and 45 pounds heavier. It’s going to make him a devastatingly good running back this fall, and he could be in for Derrick Henry-type carries, but is showing that his future could end up on the defensive side of the ball.

If Germain can grow a couple of more inches, he could end up being a prospect at edge, but linebacker seems like his calling going forward. It would be fitting, seeing how he’s been putting in work with former St. Raphael All-Stater and current University of Rhode Island defensive star Moses Meus.

His recruitment is not likely to take off until after this season, and even then, he might have to wait until next summer to really start getting noticed. That said, his talent and athleticism make him a player who will certainly find a home provided the off-field work continues.

7. Nick Stafford

Stafford was one of the best stories of the 2025 high school football season, going from an unknown to a 1,000-yard-plus rusher for North Kingstown while drawing Division I college interest.

Size matters and at 6 feet 1 inch and 210 pounds, Stafford is built to be a college running back. While he’s not as fast as others on the list, he’s also significantly larger and seeing that size move at that speed is impressive.

Stafford is in an interesting position with his recruiting. He currently holds two offers — the University of Rhode Island, which continues to do an excellent job chasing the state’s top talent, and Merrimack — but that could change after his senior season. There’s also the possibility of a postgraduate year should he choose that route. Either way, it seems Division I football will be in Stafford’s future.

8. Landon Husereau

Husereau’s the most decorated quarterback in Rhode Island high school history, but the Westerly All-Stater is finding out that getting recruited to play quarterback isn’t easy.

If football recruiting were based on numbers, Husereau would be a no-brainer decision for any college.

What many don’t realize is the numbers that matter most in college recruiting are not statistics.

At 6 feet 1 inch and 208 pounds, Husereau is small for a pocket passer and doesn’t have the speed to be considered a dual-threat prospect. His arm talent is there and his accuracy is terrific, but what separates Husereau from the pack is his brain. He reads defenses unlike any quarterback the state’s seen and makes the right decision on just about every snap.

Husereau holds one Division I offer from Brown University. After winning the Division II Super Bowl, setting state passing records and earning three All-State spots, two as a First Teamer, Husereau’s football goals are now focused on his recruitment, so he will not be back at Westerly for his senior season.

Instead, Husereau is headed to Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., where he will repeat his junior season. He’ll work with one of the great football minds in the game — Bill Belichick’s right-hand man, Ernie Adams, is the head coach — and that should help his recruiting pick up next summer.

9. Liam Barner

There are certainly better players who are more proven in Rhode Island high school football, but projectability rules the recruiting world and Barner, who has yet to play a snap of high school ball, has measurables that others don’t.

Barner is from North Kingstown and will attend Hendricken this fall, a major hit for the Skippers and a massive get for the Hawks. Barner is listed at 6 feet tall, 180 pounds, and should be the next in line to take over at tight end and defensive end when Elijah Guertin graduates.

While Hendricken has some impressive young talent in the classes of 2028 and 2029 who could gain some Division I interest, looking at defensive end Ryan Santo and offensive/defensive lineman Gabriel Seidi and offensive/defensive lineman Nic Conte, among others, Barner has something they don’t with his genetics.

Barner’s cousin is A.J. Barner, the 6-foot-6-inch, 250pound tight end for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. The name recognition won’t hurt his football future and if he ends up in the ballpark as far as measurables, you can expect Division I interest to flow through Warwick.

10. Javien Valle

A lot of high school receivers learn too late in their careers that they would have been better suited to the defensive backfield. Then there are players like Valle, who has dedicated himself to the craft and seems headed toward a Division I college career.

Valle was the No. 2 cornerback for Hendricken last fall and boasts all the qualities you want in a cover corner — good size, great speed and plenty of confidence.

With All-Stater Jabari Jackson transferring to La Salle, Valle will step into the role as the team’s No. 1 cover corner and a season of good film will certainly help his future.

Currently Valle has three offers — Maine, Fordham and URI. Playing premium position can mean a slower recruitment, but those three opportunities are fairly good for a player who hasn’t come close to his potential. This season will go a long way in determining how many more come up.

Hendricken’s Elijah Guertin, left, plays tight end and defensive end for the Hawks, but it seems like defensive end is the position colleges are looking for him to stick with.

North Kingstown’s Greg Kirwan (84) saw time on the field for the Skippers as a freshman and with his athleticism and 6-foot-4-inch, 200-pound frame, his potential was easy to identify.

PHOTOS BY ERIC RUEB/PROVIDENCE JOURNAL

At the schools

Eric Rueb The Providence Journal