Class of 2027 · edge rusher
Cael Thigpen
6-3, 220 · Jersey Village · Houston, TX
Committed to Houston since Mar 28
70offer strength · No. 746
0.8578composite · 3-star
19offers · 8 power
His offers
19 offers · visited 2HoustonCommitted
offered Mar 15
Northwesterncold
offered Mar 17
Iowa Statecold
offered Jun 10, 2025
Wake Forestcold
offered Jan 28
Californiacold
offered Apr 30
Baylorcool
official visit Jun 12
Show all 19 offers
Tulanecold
offered Jan 29
North Texascold
offered Mar 3
Vanderbiltcold
offered Mar 17
San Diego Statecold
offered Jan 30
UTSAcold
offered Jan 21
SMUcold
offered Jan 31
Texas Statecold
offered Jun 20, 2025
UNLVcool
official visit Jun 19
Arkansas Statecold
offered Mar 15
UTEPcold
offered Feb 12
Cornellcold
offered Jan 23
Princetoncold
offered Feb 2
Yalecold
offered Feb 1
Best programs first, by what each offer is worth in our grade: program strength times how rarely that program offers (how it is made). Warm means an offer, visit or camp in the last 60 days or an official visit in the last 120; cool, contact in the last 180; cold, older or a decommit. A count is the offers on record, not every offer the staffs made.
Where he fits
best 3 of 19 offers
Best fits
BaylorNo. 1Houston CommittedNo. 2SMUNo. 3Need (how thin the program is at his spot) x fit (whether it starts players his size) x room (who leaves after this season), and while he is uncommitted, STM odds. How it is made. Not advice, and never a dollar figure.
Where his size starts
342 of the 892 FBS starters at edge rusher since 2022 were his size (6-2 to 6-4, 205 to 235 pounds): most in the ACC (48), Big Ten (48) and Mid-American (42). Programs that start it most: Boston College (8), Miami (OH) (8) and South Florida (8). Of his offers, Arkansas State (6), Northwestern (5), Wake Forest (5) and SMU (5) have started it.
Who needs him
Of his 19 offers, Baylor has the thinnest room at defensive line: 7 with 2+ years left of 19, 4 in their last year, 14 portal exits in 3 seasons, 1 commit this cycle. Also thin there: Houston and SMU.
Starter seasons 2022-2026: six or more games in one of the position's starting slots by volume (college snap counts are not public). How it is made. Room is 2+ years left plus 2027 commits at the spot against the 68 programs mapped (the power conferences and Notre Dame); exits are the 2024-2026 portal feeds. How it is made.
Boards that looked like his
0 of 10 drafted
Trace FordNot drafted
match 77
Tyriq McCordNot drafted
match 76
Reuben JonesNot drafted
match 76
Dakota RoyerNot drafted
match 73
Malik DortonNot drafted
match 73
Show all 10
Jimmie TaylorNot drafted
match 70
Clay BurtonNot drafted
match 70
Owamagbe OdighizuwaNot drafted
match 67
Devin WashingtonNot drafted
match 66
Ken EkanemNot drafted
match 66
Past recruits whose offer boards looked most like his: same position, about the same size, offers from programs of the same strength, about as many. Past boards are offers at signing day; his is the board he holds today (Nov 2, 2026). Classes 2016 to 2026 are thin in our record today, so most matches come from 2010 to 2015. 10 of these 10 have finished their draft window. History, not a forecast for him.
His board on any day
Jun 2025 to today
Jun 2025SepDecMarJunSepNov 2026
Drag to any month: the offers, the timeline, the grade and the stars become what they were on the last day of it, on today's scale. How the grade is made.
Timeline
22 dated moves since Jun 10, 2025
Official visit UNLVJun 19Official visit BaylorJun 12Offered CaliforniaApr 30Committed HoustonMar 28Offered NorthwesternMar 17Offered VanderbiltMar 17Offered Arkansas StateMar 15Offered HoustonMar 15Show all 22 moves
Offered North TexasMar 3Offered UTEPFeb 12Offered PrincetonFeb 2Offered YaleFeb 1Offered SMUJan 31Offered San Diego StateJan 30Offered BaylorJan 29Offered TulaneJan 29Offered Wake ForestJan 28Offered CornellJan 23Offered UNLVJan 22Offered UTSAJan 21Offered Texas StateJun 20, 2025Offered Iowa StateJun 10, 2025Newest first, from recruit posts and the national recruiting data. An offer with no posted date sits in the offers list only.
Claim it free: add offers we missed, measurables and a film link. A parent or guardian claims for a recruit under 18, and we never publish contact details, handles or dollars.