After a wild first day of the NCAA recruiting cycle for rising high school juniors on Aug. 1 that saw 37 verbal commitments, the pace noticeably slowed over the remainder of the opening week.

Still, another 35 2008 and 2007-born players announced their collegiate intentions, as teams attempt to secure the top end of their lineups for the latter years of the 2020s.

Below is a breakdown of the week’s biggest commitments, followed by a full list of the action from Aug. 2-9.

 

The five stars

Five-star recruits flew off the board on Aug. 1. Five of the 32 2008-born players given that designation in PuckPreps’ rankings announced their commitments on day one. In the time since, three more joined the fray, both heading to college hockey powers.

Michigan State propelled itself into the top five of the recruiting class rankings with the commitment of forward Jack Hextall on Aug. 8. Hextall, No. 11 in our rankings, is a dynamic playmaker who was well over a point per game with the Chicago Mission 15U last season and posted four points in five games with Team Gray at the U.S. 16 National Camp last month. He’s a Youngstown Phantoms tender and the fourth commit for Michigan State in this recruiting cycle.

Boston University made another splash on Aug. 6, when it landed 2008 Canadian forward Caleb Malholtra. He’s the third commitment and second five-star commitment of the week for BU, putting the Terriers solidly in third in class rankings. Malholtra, No. 15 in our rankings, drove the pace of play for the Vaughan Kings U16 last winter, despite a shortened season, to the tune of 48 points in as many games. He’s set to make an impact in his first year of junior with the BCHL’s Chilliwack Chiefs this season. Oh, and his dad is longtime NHLer Manny Malholtra.

PuckPreps’ top 2008-born skater, JP Hurlbert, announced his commitment to Michigan on Aug, 9, landing on the Wolverines after narrowing his top two to include them and Wisconsin last month. A native Texan, Hurlbert has family in Michigan and will play out his junior career in Plymouth with the USNTDP. He posted 76 points in 45 games with the Dallas Stars Elite 16U last season.

 

Next in line

Michigan further solidified its status atop the 2008 class rankings with the commitment of 4.5-star Alexander Hage on Aug. 2. It’s not exactly a surprising get for the Wolverines. Hage’s brother Michael — a 2024 NHL first round pick — is committed to Michigan, and Alexander’s teammate with the Vaughan Kings, Zachary Nyman, chose the maize and blue less than 24 hours prior. Nonetheless, Hage is simply the most recent example of the Wolverines dominance on the recruiting trail.

North Dakota got on the board on Aug. 2, landing 2007 forward Carter Sanderson, one of South Dakota’s top recruits. But the highlight of the week came later for the Fighting Hawks, when they secured 2008 Minnesotan Cole Bumgarner. The four-star forward — No. 71 in our rankings — played for three different Minnesota high schools over the last three seasons and will start his junior career with USHL Fargo in the fall.

Boston College also continued its strong recruiting cycle with the commitment of four-star defenseman Sam Wathier. Our No. 16 2008-born defenseman, Wathier will join the USNTDP this fall.

 

Looking up

Miami, the laughing stock of the NCHC for the last decade-plus, is on a trajectory toward relevance under new head coach Anthony Noreen, and the first week of this recruiting cycle gave the RedHawks their moments. They landed two high profile commitments, their third and fourth of the window on Aug. 2 and 6. U.S. 16 National Camp standout Trevor Theuer, No. 84 in our rankings, was the first domino to fall, followed by 4.5-star Nate Pederson, a versatile forward poised to lead Shakopee High School (MN) into state championship contention this season.

Western Canadian defenseman Nate Yellowaga is the biggest grab for Maine one week into this window. No. 79 in our rankings, Yellowage comfortably stepped into the junior level with the Brooks Bandits for a stint last season, the same organization he’ll join full time for 2024-25. A year prior, he managed point-per-game status from the blue line playing second fiddle to future NHL top pick Landon Dupont with the Edge School. The Black Bears also picked up 3.5 star defenseman Rhys Medved and South Kent School centerman Jude Herron making it five commits since Aug. 1 for a program that has fought its way back to prominence under fourth-year head coach Ben Barr and intends to stay there.

 

Seeing Crimson

There may be no school better at committing players en mass than Harvard, which has amassed 17 verbal commitments from 2008 and 2007-born players over the past two recruiting cycles. A good handful of these players may never play a second for the Crimson, but a degree from Harvard is a substantial enticement as the program looks for its next upper echelon of talent.

No school has more than the Crimson’s seven verbal commitments over the last week, the biggest of which being forward Joseph Salandra — No. 33 in our rankings — a New York native who’s 13 points led the U.S. 16 National Camp in scoring last month. Harvard also landed four-star Canadian forward Ryder Cali, three-star forward JT Rothstein, Kent School defenseman Ryan Poirier and goaltender Jacoby Weiner, Salandra’s Teammate with Mid-Fairfield 15U.

 

Welcome to the party

Five teams secured their first commitment of the window from Aug. 2-8, none bigger than Minnesota Duluth landing forward Victor Plante, No. 70 in our rankings. Plante will continue his family’s legacy with the Bulldogs, where his brothers Zam and Max are incoming freshmen and his father Derek captained and coached. Duluth also committed four-star defenseman Jackson Marthaler, who will join Plante on with USNTDP this fall.

Moorhead High School (MN) standout Tyden Bergeson announced his commitment to Augustana, the Vikings’ first pickup of the window. Bergeson, a Madison Capitals draft pick, had 37 points in 27 games last season.

Cornell became the third Ivy League school on the board, landing in-state 2007 forward Jack Broderick, who boasted 170 points in 92 games captaining the Westchester Express 16U last season.

Vermont also dipped into the talent pool from its own state, committing Seacoast Performance Academy defenseman Sullivan Martin, while Omaha looked north, adding Manitoban defenseman Brayden Thompson — No. 309 in our rankings — to its recruiting pool. Des Moines holds his USHL rights.

 

Full list of commitments from Aug. 2-9 (listed in order of commitment):

Alexander Hage - Michigan
Victor Plante - Minnesota Duluth
Indiana Grossbard - Dartmouth
Trevor Theuer - Miami
Jude Herron - Maine
Jacoby Weiner - Harvard
Carter Sanderson - North Dakota
Jack Broderick - Cornell
Brayden Thomspon - Omaha
Ryder Cali - Harvard
Cooper Bordeaux - Western Michigan
Loic Nasreddine - Northeastern
Rhys Medved - Maine
Nate Yellowaga - Maine
Owen DeGraff - Penn State
Cole Bumgarner - North Dakota
Nick Bogas - Michigan State
Sullivan Martin - Vermont
Sam Wathier - Boston College
Caleb Malhotra - Boston University
Nate Pederson - Miami
Joseph Salandra - Harvard
Ryan Poirier - Harvard
Lincoln Kuehne - Colorado College
Jimmy Egan - Colorado College
Tyden Bergeson - Augustana
JT Rothstein - Harvard
Jack Hextall - Michigan State
Jackson Marthaler - Minnesota Duluth
Machala Musty - Merrimack
JP Hurlbert - Michigan
Mason Roy - Providence
Cody Sokol - Wisconsin
Gavin Clark - Merrimack