Jaxson Carper narrows recruitment, listing Arizona, Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa and Kansas among favorites for 2028

Jaxson Carper is starting to narrow his recruitment picture, putting Arizona, Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa and Kansas in his early top tier as he works through the 2028 cycle. The Ventura, Calif. St. Bonaventure quarterback has taken visits and camp reps during a busy summer and is now moving from exploration to closer evaluation, with the schools in his current favorites group connected to both staff access and what he believes are realistic development paths.

In Tucson, Carper pointed to the day-to-day attention from Arizona’s coaching staff as a distinguishing factor. He said the staff has been “so involved” with him and that he enjoys the feel of the program when he is there, which has helped the Wildcats earn early traction in his process.

Nebraska and Iowa are also part of Carper’s current top five, reflecting his emphasis on how a quarterback is coached and integrated into an offense. Carper discussed building rapport with the people running the program and emphasized the personal side of those recruiting conversations rather than limiting the discussion to schematic fit.

UCLA also stands out for Carper, and his experience at Westwood appears to have left an impression. According to his comments, after a workout in Los Angeles he landed an offer from the Bruins, adding momentum as he continues to weigh how the coaching staff communicates and supports quarterbacks through the recruiting process and beyond.

Kansas is the fifth program in Carper’s immediate favorites list. He framed Kansas as part of the group of teams he ranks highest right now, with the decision still fluid as he continues to evaluate what each program would mean for his growth as he approaches his high school senior season.

Carper also offered an important piece of context for why Arizona has stayed in the mix: he has closely followed the success of Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita. Carper noted that while the two quarterbacks play different styles, the idea that Arizona develops a quarterback in a confident, structured way is appealing, and he believes that kind of track record can translate to his own recruitment.

For Arizona, Nebraska, UCLA, Iowa and Kansas, this is a recruiting moment that is as much about maintaining communication as it is about proving fit. Carper’s comments suggest he is paying attention to staff accessibility, meeting-room interactions, and the personal comfort he feels during visits, meaning coaches across the Big Ten and Pac-12 (plus Kansas) will likely try to keep him engaged through the final stretch of summer evaluation. What to watch next is how quickly his favorites list tightens further, and whether additional visits lead to a clearer frontrunner for an eventual commitment timeline.

A key caveat in any early top-five conversation is that recruiting priorities can shift as prospects compare additional schools, deepen their film-and-offense work, and schedule follow-up visits. Even so, Carper’s current top group points to a quarterback target who wants both a credible development environment and a program relationship that feels responsive day to day. The next meaningful updates should come from where he returns next, and whether one of the five programs can convert early interest into a stronger, more concrete decision path.