Midwest Spotlight: Five key visits on the radar
The calendar has turned to May and each visit prospects take is carrying more weight. Here are four important visits to keep an eye on in the Midwest region.
RELATED: Five key visits from East Coast prospects | Key Mid-South visits | Key Southeast visits
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EUGENE HILTON JR. - Wisconsin, May 30
The four-star wide receiver’s recruitment could still take a number of twists and turns. Georgia was the heavy favorite over the winter and Hilton had a good trip to Athens. A commitment did not happen that weekend and now things are a bit more open.
The Bulldogs are still in the hunt and are scheduled to get an official visit. However, Hilton’s trip to Wisconsin at the end of the month has my attention. He last visited Madison last season for Wisconsin’s matchup with Ohio State and is eager to get back.
The Badgers have a real opportunity to win this recruitment which would be a good win for the program looking to take a new path with coach Luke Fickell.
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TARRION GRANT - Michigan, June TBD
Grant being on this list for an important official visit but not to the program he is committed to will sting Purdue fans. However, it has become pretty clear that Grant is exploring his options. He took an unofficial visit to Michigan recently and enjoyed the trip.
It’s easy to see why several programs still want the four-star defensive back. He racked up 36 tackles, two tackles for loss, and five pass breakups as a junior. When I spoke with him last, there was not a date locked in for his official visit to Michigan but it’s likely one is coming. Michigan will have another shot to swipe a highly-rated defensive back from Purdue. They did the same thing last cycle with Illinois native Jo’Ziah Edmond.
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LINKON CURE - Oregon, June 14
In a lot of ways it seems like the standout Kansas tight end is destined to end up at Kansas State. He’s been on campus many times, it’s close to home and the Wildcats have clearly made him a huge priority.
The problem is that Cure is a top-100 prospect with offers from the entire country. While Chris Klieman is doing a nice job in Manhattan he is battling some real heavyweights in this recruitment. Right now, Oregon is the team best positioned to pull Cure out of Kansas.
Kansas State does get the final June visit for Cure but the Ducks have a chance to set the bar pretty high. .
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COREY SIMMS - Missouri, June 21
There aren’t many wide receivers having a better offseason than Simms. He’s performed well on the 7-on-7 circuit and has been able to visit several programs. He’s got three official visits lined up right now to USC, Nebraska, and Missouri. It wouldn’t be a stretch to see any of those programs land him.
But the visit to the in-state program is the most intriguing. The Tigers have been on an absolute tear on the recruiting trail. There is a serious movement to keep the best players from Missouri in the state to play college football.
What will the Tigers be able to show Simms that he hasn’t already seen to push him over the hump to a commitment?
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NICOLAI BROOKS - Iowa, June 21
It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Brooks ends up back in the Iowa recruiting class. Even though he backed off his pledge to the Hawkeyes he never cut off communication with the program. It was always expected the team will get an official visit from him this summer.
There are other visits on the books for him to USC, Texas and Georgia. But I’ll be most interested to see how coach Kirk Ferentz and his staff make him feel at home all over again.
The wrinkle here will be if Iowa (or anyone) can convince Brooks to shut down his recruitment early and not take it all the way to signing day.