Cole's Corner: Recruiting buzz from the Mid-South region
Rivals.com national analyst Cole Patterson takes a look at some recent recruiting developments in the Mid-South region, including a highly rated prospect reaffirming his commitment to a national power.
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Wesco reaffirms Clemson pledge.
Clemson has had its struggles on the field this season, leading some to wonder if the Tigers' recruiting haul will stick until pen hits paper. One of Dabo Swinney's top commits put some of those concerns to rest on Monday evening.
Rivals100 wide receiver Bryant Wesco reaffirmed his pledge to the ACC power, stating that his recruitment is "now closed." While Wesco himself never gave much indication that he was looking elsewhere, there was at least some buzz behind the scenes that Oklahoma and maybe even Colorado were looking to get into the mix and cause the high four-star to look around.
Instead, Wesco is holding firm in his summer decision and is giving Clemson a significant win in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He is a big-play machine with downfield ability and after-the-catch playmaking skills. Wesco grabbed 17 touchdowns as a junior and is off to a fantastic senior campaign in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Right on the cusp of five-star status, Wesco has the potential to be next in the NFL pipeline at WR for the Tigers.
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SEC commit sets official visit to Alabama.
Tristan Jernigan made a spring decision in favor of Texas A&M, but that has not stopped other programs, especially those in the Southeast, from recruiting the Mississippi linebacker. Mississippi State and Ole Miss would like to keep him in the state, but it's a different SEC program that is most involved at this point.
Alabama put an offer on the table, and Jernigan has locked in an official visit with the Crimson Tide that is scheduled in two weeks. The A&M pledge will get a first-row seat to see the Tide take on LSU under the lights while the Alabama staff makes its pitch for an entire weekend.
Jernigan recently told Rivals that he is still happy with his commitment and a decommitment is not imminent. Still, it's always a situation worth monitoring when Nick Saban gets a defensive prospect on campus for an official visit.
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LSU flips two SEC West DBs.
It's no secret that LSU is an attractive destination for defensive backs, given the Tigers' track record in the secondary. That is the case again in the 2024 cycle as LSU has completed two flips at defensive back.
First, LSU earned the commitment of Rivals250 corner PJ Woodland over this past weekend. Woodland had been committed to Mississippi State since June, but a game visit to Baton Rouge opened the door for the Tigers to strike. A week after backing off his Bulldogs pledge, Woodland announced for Brian Kelly and company.
Then, the Tigers quickly jumped into the mix for another defensive back that had been committed to a Mississippi program. Three-star corner Bernard Causey decommitted from Ole Miss on Monday and he was in the LSU class by Tuesday afternoon. Causey is a New Orleans product and the Tigers zeroed in on adding him to their haul.