6/14/2018 football Edit

Five key SEC official visits this weekend

Chad Simmons • Rivals.com

Recruiting Analyst

Chad Simmons is a Recruiting Analyst for Rivals.com. He was the expert on The Next Class on Fox Sports South from 2011-2015. He currently covers Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi.

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

The new dead period kicks in June 25 and goes until July 24, so not much time left this summer for 2019 prospects to take official visits. Five Rivals250 prospects will be on the road this weekend visiting SEC schools and we take a look at those here.

Updated 2019 Rankings: Top 10 players revealed | Who was the hardest to rank? | Making the case for the top 10 | A closer look at who is No. 1 | New QB rankings

Dean is the No. 1 inside linebacker in the country and he has his eye on numerous SEC schools. He was back at Georgia earlier this week, he visited Texas A&M last weekend and Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss are among others in the running for this Rivals100 talent. His recruitment is likely to go all the way to the Early Signing Period in December, but this visit is important. This is official visit No. 1, so the Crimson Tide will look to set the bar high. Alabama looks to be in a good spot at this time.

Hill is a new five-star defensive back out of Oklahoma and he is high on Alabama’s board. He was in Tuscaloosa for the Crimson Tide spring game and he will be back this weekend. Alabama’s style of play, how its defense is run and the way Nick Saban operates the program has caught Hill’s attention. This will not be an easy pull for Saban and his staff. Hill is an elite talent out from the Midwest with a final six of Clemson, Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Alabama. His recruitment is still open between those six.

Could this be Jones’ last official visit before he makes his decision? He saw his cousin Emory Jones sign with the Gators in December, and although the two aren’t inseparable, they are close. John Hevesy has done a good job here connecting with Jones and really making him feel like a priority for Florida. Auburn has had Jones on campus two weekends in a row and the Tigers may have a little momentum, so this is a big visit for Dan Mullen and his staff. Mississippi State and South Carolina are two others to keep an eye on.

Is this the time? Since visiting Auburn the first time early in the spring, Sheffield has had the Tigers on top his list. Florida State, South Carolina and Tennessee may still be in the mix, but this visit is big because this is Auburn’s chance to try to seal the deal. Sheffield has a great connection with Kodi Burns, the Auburn wide receivers coach, and he has been wanting to get his mother to the Plains. She will be with him this weekend, so let's see what she thinks of Auburn.

Georgia is in need of offensive tackles in this class, so this being Thomas’ first visit to Athens is important. Thomas does not know too much about Georgia, but being from Arkansas, he knows offensive line coach Sam Pittman since he coached for the Hogs. Memphis had Thomas on campus late in May for an official visit and he took official visit No. 2 to Ole Miss last weekend. It may come down to those three. Thomas is leaning toward making a commitment before his senior season, so this is likely the only time he visits Georgia before that takes place.

RIVALS RANKINGS WEEK SCHEDULE

Rival Views: Who is the top QB? | Who is the top RB?

Tuesday: New Rivals100 released | Five new five-stars | Farrell's Mind of Mike | Rival Views | Which prospect has the most important summer ahead?

Friday: DL rankings | LB rankings | DB rankings | ATH rankings

Saturday: Team rankings breakdown