Jacob Eberhart got good at waiting.
Coming out of little league, he didn't carry hype behind his name, but he watched his friend and fellow St. Louis product Keenan Harris start adding offers left and right after their freshman season.
That only fueled Eberhart, who blossomed a late recruitment into Rivals250 status in the Class of 2026. Even as Eberhart and Harris have played for different schools, Kirkwood (Mo.) High and St. Louis (Mo.) University High respectively, they've remained close, congratulating one another with each passing accomplishment.
"Coming from St Louis, it's always been like a competitive nature," said Eberhart, who shares local trainer Jerry Stanfield with Harris. "We already knew each other prior to this, and we spoke before we got our offers. And we were pushing each other. ... He was like, 'You're next.' And when I got my offers, I just saw he was one of the actual people who actually believed in me. He's been more like a brother."
Eberhart and Harris officially visited Missouri together this past weekend. Harris, who committed to the Tigers in late May, moved up his visit from June 20-22, and Eberhart kicked off his summer schedule at a school loaded with connections.
"That means a lot," Eberhart said about his familiarity with the Tigers. "(Kirkwood) coach (Jeremy Maclin), Markus (Golden), Jerod Alton, the list goes on. Some names that are still there now that I look up to like Jamal Roberts and Kevin Coleman. It's just a real big, deep connection, and it makes me want to go there and to be great like all those people that I named."
Golden, Eberhart's cousin, played for Missouri in the early 2010s before a nine-year NFL career. Golden has flown Eberhart out to Arizona for offseason workouts, but it was an invitation from Eberhart to Golden that meant even more.
"He was thanking me," Eberhart said. "Because I got to bring him over there to see a lot of people he hasn't seen in a long time. He's traveling more now he's retired. It was just great having him there, because he's helped me get through a lot. It's just a blessing to have him by my side."
Head coach Eli Drinkwitz, who has visited Eberhart at Kirkwood before, gave the standout two-way player advice on picking the best school for himself, while also helping him understand the transfer portal process that he's seen firsthand the past few years, watching players navigate new cultures and schemes.
"Coach Drink was a great person to be around," Eberhart said. "High energy. He's always got a smile on his face, and he can brighten up your day. He was just talking to me about some real stuff."
Eberhart announced a Top 7 of Alabama, Illinois, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Oregon. With official visits completed to Illinois and Missouri, the four-star nickel corner has trips lined up to Nebraska this weekend, Alabama following in the mid-week days and Oklahoma on June 20-22.
Eberhart's top schools range in conference and state. He found the programs that reciprocated his high respect, helped him fit in multiple defensive schemes and offered him plans to better him for the next four years.
"I'm just taking it in and trying to process it," Eberhart said. "It's not just going to be Mizzou. It's all these schools now. It's all because they have a great relationship based with me."
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