East Coast Spotlight: Five prospects that could flip
The home stretch of the 2023 recruiting cycle is nearly upon us but there aren't many elite recruits that remain uncommitted. In fact, more than 200 players in the Rivals250 are already committed.
With teams around the country still trying to fill out their recruiting classes, here are five players from the East that could flip their commitment to another team down the road.
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There are other players on this list more likely to flip than Rogers but he is worth keeping an eye on. Rogers had a difficult time making his choice back in the summer but Ohio State landed his commitment despite the strong ties he has to NC State and North Carolina.
Rogers has a brother that plays for the Tar Heels but the team that nearly got him to commit was NC State. Lex Thomas, the NC State quarterback commit, is very close with Rogers and continues to recruit him for the Wolfpack. Rogers says he's locked in with Ohio State but crazy things can happen down the stretch.
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McLeod was a big addition for South Carolina and he is its second-highest-ranked defensive line commitment. The Gamecocks fought off Georgia, Florida and Michigan for his pledge but there is one team to keep an eye on. If Georgia ends up refocusing its efforts on McLeod, who knows what he would decide to do.
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Sampson was one of the first players to commit to Florida State's 2023 class but he spent a lot of time visiting other schools in the offseason too. NC State is the big one to watch here. The Wolfpack have targeted Sampson for a long time and brought him in on a couple visits earlier this year.
The Florida State coaches are staying close with Sampson but it still seems like there is a chance Sampson flips at some point down the road.
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Keys freely admits there is a possibility he flips. It's a strange situation mainly because of how honest he has been. Keys announced a commitment date then picked up offers from Texas A&M and Auburn right afterward. He went ahead as planned and committed to North Carolina a couple of days later.
The UNC coaches and Keys are on the same page when it comes to his visit plans. Keys is going to take official visits to Texas A&M and Auburn this fall so things could certainly change after those trips.
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With the Scott Frost era coming to a merciful end Sunday, Watson is a name to watch on the recruiting trail. He hasn't been in touch with other coaches and hasn't visited any other schools since he committed to Nebraska in February.
Recruiting classes have a tendency to fall apart in the wake of a coaching change and quarterbacks are high-valued targets. It will be interesting to see which programs start trying to pull Watson away from the Huskers.