Midwest Rumor Mill: Latest recruiting news from the region
Preseason camps are beginning to ramp up, but there are still plenty of recruiting rumors and tidbits coming in. National recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove relays what he's hearing from prospects around the Midwest.
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Love is keeping things close to the vest but says there are a couple of teams at the top and he is close to narrowing his list to a final two. The four-star running back out of St. Louis CBC would like to commit before his senior season, so an announcement could be right around the corner, but he wants to take in some college-game day visits before he officially signs anywhere. Look for Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Michigan to get serious consideration from Love.
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McVay is down to Alabama, Michigan State, Oregon, Missouri, Texas A&M and Jackson State. The four-star offensive lineman out of East St. Louis (Ill.) is announcing his decision on Aug. 11, but has yet to decide which school will receive his pledge. McVay wasted little time getting back on the road once the dead period ended by immediately taking a trip to Missouri. McVay said the trip to Columbia left a good impression on him and that both the players and coaches were working hard to show him the "magic" of staying home and playing for Mizzou.
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Bentancur is now up to 33 offers and being recruited by pretty much every top school in the nation. The four-star tight end says that he doesn't have a top group of schools right now, but he will be visiting Texas A&M, Alabama, Arkansas, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ohio State this season.
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Hayden's commitment to Illinois has not prevented other teams from pursuing him and he has recently added additional SEC offers from Missouri and Mississippi State. He says he is still completely solid with his commitment to the Illini, but also plans to take official visits to Missouri and Ole Miss. Hayden is also considering trips to Tennessee and Mississippi State and there is a slight possibility of Auburn getting a look as well.
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Tuerk is really liking Michigan and says that he and his family had a lot of fun at the Wolverines' recent BBQ in the Big House. He appreciates that coach John Harbaugh and his staff seemed to make him a priority during his time in Ann Arbor. The La Grange (Ill.) Lyons Township standout really likes Northwestern as well and coach Pat Fitzgerald has made a strong impression by always checking in to make sure he is doing well. Tuerk also likes how the Northwestern head coach has taken the time getting to know his family, and he is eager to see how the Wildcats perform on the field this season.
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Williams' recruitment has gone through the roof in recent months as most of the nation's elite programs have offered. He is focusing on his high school season right now and not ready to officially narrow his list at this time. Game-day visits are going to play a big factor when it comes time to deciding which schools make the cut. Once Williams is able to experience the game-day atmosphere at some of his favorite schools he will officially narrow his list.
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Hill says that he is looking to make his final decision at the midway point of this football season. He has a top three to five schools in mind, but is not ready to make that list public as of now. Location will likely play a factor in Kankakee (Ill.) defensive back's decision as he would like his friends and family to be in attendance at all of his home games. While the Big Ten is a likely landing spot for Hill, he says that SEC is still a possibility for him.
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Newsome says that he doesn't have a timeline on a commitment, but he has also started to focus on a select group of schools as he closes in on a decision. Iowa, Minnesota and Stanford are three schools that will get strong consideration from the Waverly (Iowa) Shell Rock standout. Kansas State is another school that Newsome will potentially take a look at.
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Not much has changed on the recruiting front for Edmond since he received his most recent offer from Baylor, but there has been increased communication from a number of colleges. The Indianapolis Warren Central athlete is focusing on the upcoming season and is hoping his play on the field will draw additional attention from college coaches. Edmond says location will not play a factor in his decision, but he likes what the SEC and Big 12 conferences have to offer. Going to a school where he can play as a freshman will be a very important factor in Edmond's decision.
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Scott is focusing on his season and says that not much has changed in his recruitment as of late. The potential five-star defensive lineman enjoyed a recent trip to Notre Dame and says his trip was really good overall. Scott remains open to all schools who are interested and hopes to make it on more college campuses in the coming months.
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Stewart's latest offer came from Oregon after attending its camp, where he ran a 4.4 40-yard dash. The four-star receiver out of Bolingbrook (Ill.) says he also had a really good time attending Michigan's BBQ at the Big House, where he also participated in the camp portion and won MVP. Stewart is keeping things open for now and just trying to enjoy the process. He has had a lot of recent contact with Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, Ole Miss and Tennessee, where Stewart recently made a return visit.
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Bradford says he is willing to go anywhere, but is especially excited about the interest and offers he has received from SEC schools. He is excited to get the season started and hopes to draw attention from additional schools once the early-season film makes it across the desks of college coaches.