Recruiting doesn't take breaks in the summer. In fact, it only heats up.
After a wave of June official visits, July and August have been popular stretches for some of the nation's best to lock in their college decisions. More are expected as the summer continues.
Here are the latest predictions from Rivals.com national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr.:
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Brown is down to Florida, Florida State, Miami and Ohio State. We all know what the Buckeyes have been able to put together at the wide receiver position, but this race has long felt more tilted towards the in-state programs. Florida State has been very consistent with its pitch and Brown continues to talk up the Seminoles, but their position near the top of his list began to change when he took the official visit to Florida. The familiarity, the need and legacy status in Gainesville combine for a pitch that is hard to beat ahead of a July 21 decision date.
If Brown was going to push his recruitment into the season, Florida State or Miami could emerge victorious, but the summer window points the arrow toward the Gators.
Prediction: Florida
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Before competing among the best defensive lineman at Rivals Five-Star, where Carter won the bench press competition, he admitted he was exhausted from his busy official visit slate in June. Florida, Penn State, UCF, Ohio State and Miami hosted the polished defensive lineman (in that order) before the NCAA Dead Period kicked in. Shortly thereafter, Carter set a July 18 verbal commitment date and there has been some back and forth since.
The in-state programs, particularly Miami, looked to be in strong position but those trips to Big Ten country have stayed on his mind. Carter to Columbus could be one of the surprises of the cycle.
Prediction: Ohio State
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The blue-chip safety will come off the board on Aug. 3 and choose from a group of Florida State, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, UCF and Washington. Most of the buzz around the Panhandle prospect has been in SEC and ACC country, with the Seminoles and Rebels seemingly jockeying for position atop this list. Clardy is closest to the Seminoles, which have always had the chance to keep area prospects home, but the allure of the SEC and repeated trips to Oxford has to bring confidence to Lane Kiffin, Pete Golding and company.
He's called Ole Miss his best visit and went semi-viral with the Kiffin uber ride while in town, so call us prisoners of the extended moment here.
Prediction: Ole Miss
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A one-time Alabama commitment who has seen plenty of bluebloods shoot their shot, Ffrench is now most focused on Texas, LSU, Miami and Tennessee. At the Rivals Five-Star, he also said Ohio State is still hanging around, so the Buckeyes aren't to be discounted just yet.
The June official visit window was spent elsewhere, though, and no program built buzz for Ffrench the way Texas has. Throw in the Longhorns' big miss of No. 1 in-state prospect and wide receiver Dakorien Moore and the pressure to reel in one of the best in Florida has only increased.
Miami won't go away and will recruit Ffrench through signing day despite his planned August 30 decision date, but the newest SEC program will be tough to turn down next month.
Prediction: Texas
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At the Rivals Five-Star, Fitzgerald released a final four of Florida, Florida State, Miami and LSU. The Tigers got the first official visit and really set the tone as a dark horse to pull him away from his home state, but the more local trips also went very well and the rivals in the northern part of the state may be battling this one out. Florida held the most buzz in the spring but Fitzgerald all but confirmed Florida State as his top program after the busy visit stretch.
Can Mike Norvell's group hold on until mid-August when the Miami native plans to announce?
Prediction: Florida State
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In-state programs Florida and Florida State each built momentum with Howard earlier this year, but it seems as if he is more likely to leave his home state at this time. Ole Miss is working to get him on campus early in the season, so that could present as an intriguing option if he remains on the board going into the fall.
Penn State may be pacing this one after his June official visit there, though. Should all go well on his return to Happy Valley at the end of this month, we could see a decision for James Franklin's program pop in soon after.
Prediction: Penn State
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Louis is looking heavily at the in-state programs but there are two beyond the Sunshine State that are also in the running. Wisconsin got a surprise official visit and then Georgia hosted Louis twice in a one-week span for camp and then an official visit.
The Bulldogs are newest to the party but it has been full speed ahead for Louis over the last month or so. With no set commitment date, it may not be too little too late for Kirby Smart's program.
Before that point, Louis' recruitment looked like a Miami and Florida State battle. The Seminoles have received many recent trips and FSU doesn't yet have a running back on board. Should something shake later this summer or early in the fall, the Florida State momentum could hold.
Prediction: Florida State
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The smooth wideout has a new top five of Alabama, Florida, Florida State, LSU and Penn State.
His visit to Penn State went very well and he has considerable ties to the program, not only playing with multiple Nittany Lion pledges at Miami (Fla.) Central but originally hailing from the Northeast.
Before that point, though, Billy Napier and Florida's long prioritization of Montgomery was reemphasized during his visit to Gainesville. It combines with a wide-open roster at the position and the SEC for a steep pitch to match elsewhere among the programs pushing for him.
Prediction: Florida
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The No. 1 outside linebacker in the class has a top five of Florida, Notre Dame, Ohio State, USC and defending champion Michigan and he took trips to all but Florida during the busy June official visit season. He'll get to Gainesville, just up I-75 from IMG Academy, for a game early in the season, and then a commitment timeline should be established.
Of the visits Owusu-Boateng took in June, he was high on all four programs, but there was external buzz after his trips to Notre Dame and Michigan in particular. If the commitment window was a bit closer, the Wolverines position to pull the upset would be that much stronger. In the end, though, following the legacy to Notre Dame may be too intriguing to pass up.
Prediction: Notre Dame
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South Carolina, Indiana and Ole Miss received official visits out of the well-traveled wideout during the month of June, but Watkins insists he is taking his time with a verbal commitment. It means additional programs are just as likely to get the polished slot receiver on campus for games in the fall -- as official visits. That plan, as well as the timeline of making a decision closer to the end of the year, can shake things up among the top contenders as the season rolls on.
But for now, the return trips to Oxford and the rapport Watkins has built with Lane Kiffin and company may not be easy to unseat as the dust settles.
Prediction: Ole Miss