October could be a busy month for recruiting in the Southeast. In Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee, some of the top prospects in those states are expected to make decisions in the coming weeks. Here is a breakdown of where they stand as we enter October.
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MAKING THE CASE: Five-star OL Amarius Mims
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Daniels is nearing a decision. No exact date is set yet, but he hinted a decision could be coming around the middle of this month. Texas A&M had the early buzz around Daniels, but Miami has always been in the top group, and the Hurricanes have had some momentum recently. Georgia and Penn State are also on Daniels' list, but this looks to be a battle between the local Hurricanes and Aggies.
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Nobody really knows exactly where Green is with his recruitment. He was close to putting out a top four or five early in the summer, then he was almost there again a month or so ago. Now, he is in the middle of his senior season, and he is focused on that much more than he is recruiting.
At one time in the spring, Green was on the verge of committing to Clemson. Then Auburn grabbed the lead. Over the last few months, Georgia and Tennessee have been battling for that top spot based on the intel we have received. Auburn is hanging around, but the in-state Bulldogs and Vols are in a fight here.
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Last month, Helms announced he would commit on Oct. 15. That is still his plan, and most feel like Florida State, Georgia Tech, Louisville and UCF are heavily in the mix. Some think he is leaning towards the Yellow Jackets. Others think he is looking toward the Sunshine State as a Seminole or Knight. Helms has stayed very quiet about his recruitment, so this one could still go a few different ways.
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Jackson has been viewed as a heavy Florida State lean for some time. Alabama, Auburn and LSU, among others are still on his list, but Florida State has positioned itself nicely based on the chatter around Jackson’s recruitment. He visited Tallahassee before things shutdown earlier this year, and since that visit, Florida State has been very high on his list. There is no timeline on his decision, but we have heard “soon” from multiple sources.
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Lassiter almost committed late in August. He held off, but now, the four-star cornerback in Alabama looks to be nearing a decision. He is from Georgia, and Georgia and Georgia Tech have remained on his list as things wind down.
Then you have the Tigers, both Auburn and Clemson. Clemson came in late after Jordan Hancock flipped to Ohio State, but the Tigers have made a strong impression on the family. Auburn has been there from the beginning and is an in-state program. This one has looked for a while that is coming down to Auburn and Georgia and we have heard a decision could come later this month.
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With McKinstry, anything is possible. The No. 1 prospect in Alabama plays things extremely close to the vest when talking his leader, a commitment timeline and if he is even close to a decision.
We know Alabama, Auburn and LSU are battling it out for the two-sport star, and this could still go a few different ways. There has always been that chatter behind the scenes that he could leave the state for Baton Rouge. The Tigers are in this. Alabama was considered a strong favorite early, and Auburn has had the most buzz late in the summer.
It is really a guessing game when talking about ‘Kool-Aid.' He will have a lot of eyes on him until he makes that commitment.
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Mims will announce on Oct. 14, his 18th birthday. Early on his leader was Georgia, then it shifted to Alabama. Auburn snuck in there and made it interesting as well. Late in the summer though, Tennessee has surged up his list and gotten him on campus four or five times over the last two months.
This looks to be a battle between Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt. Mims was back in Athens two weeks ago, then in Knoxville this past weekend, and he is expected back in Athens when Georgia hosts Tennessee this weekend before he commits. This one has gotten very interesting lately.
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The date is set for one of the top uncommitted prospects in the state of Florida. Trigg, a four-star tight end will announce his commitment on Oct. 11. He took a visit to LSU a few weeks ago, then traveled across the country to check out the campus of USC this past weekend. The buzz has been around those two, then South Carolina, a program he visited before the coronavirus pandemic struck earlier this year.
Trigg is likely to make his decision later this week before he goes public next week. He plans to talk with those close to him about his recent visits, the connections he has with coaches and figure out the best fit for him.
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White was looking to announce his decision on Oct. 10, but that has now changed. He has backed off that date, and he is pushing his decision back. The talented running back in Alabama was down to Florida, Florida State or Purdue. The program with the most buzz around White’s recruitment over the summer had been Florida State, but the Gators quietly made a strong impression on White too.. Purdue is a sleeper here, and the Boilermakers are in this because of their offense. South Carolina and Florida State got White on campus before visits were banned, so that has helped the Seminoles in this race.
He is not one that does a lot of interviews, and White is playing things close to the vest, so keep an eye on this one to see how long he stays uncommitted.
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Williams almost committed in July. He was extremely close. He was about one conversation away from picking up that phone and making that commitment. Who would that have been to? Likely Auburn or Florida. Some think it would have been to the Gators.
Georgia and Oklahoma have also tried to stay in this race too, but Williams is expected to commit to the in-state Tigers or Gators. Auburn has been trending more in the public eye the last five to six weeks, and Williams will let all know who he’s set on next week.
