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East Spotlight: Five most contested recruiting battles

Dylan Stewart
Dylan Stewart (Rivals.com)

Official visit season is right around the corner, and while many recruitments are winding down a host of others are becoming more contested by the day. Here is a closer look at the five most contested recruiting battles happening in the East.

THIS SERIES: Most contested recruiting battles in the Midwest | Mid-South | West | Southeast

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Contenders: South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Miami, Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, Alabama, Penn State

Overview: This is still going to be a long process for Stewart, but it’s easy to see why South Carolina should be confident right now. The Gamecocks have been doing a great job recruiting Washington D.C., and the surrounding areas in the last few recruiting cycles and they’ve really put the full-court press on Stewart.

A recent visit to Tennessee helped the Vols but there’s still work to be done on that front. He has an official visit set up to Georgia for this weekend, followed by Miami, Ohio State and South Carolina over the next three weekends.

Tennessee, Michigan, Oregon, Alabama and Penn State are just a few other teams that could get official visits. A decision is expected sometime in the fall.

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Contenders: Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Boston College

Overall: Notre Dame was the large favorite for Lambert early on in the process but it seems like the fighting Irish have come back to the pack a little bit. Ohio State is a major contender for the elite offensive tackle out of the Boston area. The Buckeyes are scheduled to get him on campus for an official visit on June 16.

Penn State and Boston College have official visits set up for this month as well. Look for Lambert to be in South Bend again this coming weekend. This is a major opportunity for Notre Dame to reclaim the outright lead in his recruitment.

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Contenders: Florida, Georgia, Penn State

Overview: Florida and Georgia are the main contenders for Jones, who wants to announce his commitment prior to August. The Gators have been pushing for some time and they’re going to get their chance with him on campus this coming weekend.

At this point, though, momentum seems to be on the side of Georgia. The Bulldogs are expected to host him for an official visit on June 16. That visit could prove to be enough to put Georgia over the top for Jones‘ commitment.

Penn State is a bit of a wild card right now. The Nittany Lions were the team to beat early on because of how many connections Jones has to the program, but it seems like the Nittany Lions have faded.

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Contenders: Penn State, Notre Dame, Georgia, Miami, Virginia Tech

Overview: Cole has a full official visit schedule planned for this month, beginning with Penn State this weekend and followed by Notre Dame, Georgia and Miami to finish out the month. He was at Virginia Tech earlier this week for an unofficial visit and the Hokies are working hard to get him back for an official visit before he commits.

There is still plenty of time for that, considering Cole doesn’t expect to commit before August. Penn State is a major team to watch here, along with Notre Dame as we head into official visit season.

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Contenders: Florida, NC State, Tennessee, Penn State, Georgia

Overview: Williams just put out a top five of Florida, NC State, Tennessee, Penn State and Georgia last week, but right now it seems like Tennessee and Florida are battling it out. The Vols just got him on campus last weekend for an unofficial visit and he is expected back at the end of this month for an official visit. Florida has been working hard to keep his attention throughout the process and he has great relationships in Gainesville already.

NC State has been recruiting Williams for the longest, but it has ground to make up. The same could be said for Penn State and how much work the Nittany Lions still have in front of them.

Georgia is likely to get Williams on campus for a camp at some point this month and that could determine how much the Dawgs prioritize the North Carolina pass rusher.

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