On3 5-star RB Nathaniel Frazier close to decision, wants to commit before senior season
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei On3 five-star running back Nathaniel Frazier has not yet made his college decision, but he’s close. The 5-foot-10.5, 205-pound running back told On3 that he expects to commit before the end of August so he can be completely focused on his senior season.
Oregon, Georgia, Alabama and Texas A&M appear to stand out above the rest for the elite California running back. Frazier said each have something unique to bring to the table, and not necessarily just on the football field.
For Texas A&M, it’s the worldwide networking that comes with being an Aggies alum. In Eugene, it’s the connections with Phil Knight and Nike. Alabama has a long history of producing successful football players, while Georgia has won back-to-back national championships and has a major metropolis just down the road in Atlanta.
With his college decision looming, visits and communication with coaches have been crucial for Frazier. When it comes to Texas A&M, Frazier has visited College Station just once — but it made an impact.
“To me, I feel like Texas A&M is on the rise. I feel like they’re really on the rise with their program,” Frazier said. “I like Coach (Jimbo) Fisher and Coach (Marquel) Blackwell.”
Frazier emphasized the importance of running back success at whichever school he picks. He noted Blackwell’s success with Quinshon Judkins at Ole Miss, Georgia’s propensity to churn out NFL running backs and Alabama’s NFL success at any position.
Texas A&M is a school he is considering visiting on July 29 as well. Auburn is another Frazier mentioned, but no visit is set.
Competition not an issue for Frazier
In regards to Georgia, the Bulldogs have already picked up one top-10 running back in the 2024 class, but the current or future talent at the position is not a barrier for Frazier.
“No, I’m not worried about that. At all. Because I don’t run from competition at all,” Frazier said. “I’m a competitor and I want to be in a running back room where every day is hard and I — not to curse — have to work my ass off. So that’s not a problem to me.”
Frazier said that having multiple dynamic running backs isn’t a problem. As Georgia has proven in the past, he said that the coaching staff will always find a way to get talented players on the field when the situation calls for them.
When talking about Alabama, Frazier again brought up the NFL pipeline through Tuscaloosa. In the last five years, no program has produced more first-round draft picks than Saban’s Crimson Tide.
“There’s not really too much you can say about ‘Bama,” Frazier said. “When you talk about ‘Bama, and especially about the things about my position, you know that if you start one year at the University of Alabama, you’re going to be a high prospect on every NFL team’s draft board.”
Frazier brought up the opportunity to learn from incoming freshmen Justice Haynes and Richard Young if he were to end up in Tuscaloosa. Again, discussing the competition, Frazier acknowledged that he would have to work hard, but that hard work at Alabama will always pay off.
Frazier continues to praise Oregon
Oregon is a school Frazier is familiar with. He took an official visit to Eugene in June and he has tripped north multiple times throughout the recruiting process. He has relationships in place and the Ducks continue to be a strong contender.
“Coach Carlos Locklyn is cool,” Frazier said. “My official visit up there was nice. It is always fun to be up there around Coach Locklyn, Coach Dan Lanning and some players I know. Oregon is just a cool place with great facilities, a big brand and a lot of opportunities.”
The elite playmaker out of southern California sees Oregon as a program on the rise.
“Oregon is getting a good recruiting class and Coach Lanning is a great coach. He is building something up there. The players like him, he is recruiting well and Oregon is going to win a lot of games.”
Frazier ‘watching and observing’
In terms of the rest of the 2024 recruiting class, Frazier said he is just “watching and observing,” — seeing big offensive linemen commit to Georgia or friends flipping to Oregon. Frazier said that in his observations, he’s seen recruits worried about Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) in their recruitment. He acknowledged that everyone wants to play the game for money, including himself. But that money can’t be the sole driving force. Frazier then went on to say that he doesn’t expect his top schools to just throw money at recruits, because places like Alabama, Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M all have elite players littering their rosters.
“Of course we all want to get paid as an athlete and as a rising star. We all want the money, that’s what we’re playing the game for. Honestly, I’m playing the game for money as well,” Frazier said. “But I’m playing the game because I love the game. I love this game.”
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