Midwest Spotlight: Surprising recent recruiting developments

National recruiting analyst Greg Smith reports from the Midwest region with four surprising recruiting developments, including Georgia’s push into the region, which has allowed the Bulldogs to land some elite prospects.

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Don’t look now but the current kings of college football are pushing into the Midwest this cycle. Kirby Smart’s team is right there in the hunt for the No. 1 class this cycle after finishing No. 2 last year.

How might the Bulldogs solidify the No. 1 spot this year? By reeling in the top Midwest prospects they are trying to land.

There are three five-stars in the Midwest, defensive end Williams Nwaneri, defensive tackle Justin Scott and wide receiver Ryan Wingo. Each visited Athens in June. It doesn’t appear that Georgia leads for any of the three, but it wouldn’t be a huge shock for any to wind up in Athens. The Bulldogs are also among the favorites of four-star Nebraska tight end Carter Nelson, who many feel could be the next Brock Bowers.

Georgia is in the middle of putting together a special class this cycle. The program has already landed verbal commitments from Missouri four-star tight end Jaden Reddell and Iowa three-star kicker Drew Miller. The last time Georgia signed a scholarship player from the Midwest was 2019. If Smart pulls in one or two of those remaining five-stars it would be a huge deal.

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Talk about capitalizing off a great run on the field. After 12 wins in 2021 and 13 wins in 2022, Michigan is right in the mix for the No. 1 spot in the recruiting rankings this cycle. This is rare territory for the Wolverines. Dating back to the 2020 cycle they have finished Nos. 11, 10, 9 and 18.

Coach Jim Harbaugh is looking to make the leap this year. The Wolverines currently have the second-best recruiting class in the country. The class was really kicked into high gear in March when five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis committed to the program. It’s no surprise that the class is very strong in the trenches. It boasts one of the best offensive line hauls in the nation. There are more top prospects that Michigan is still in the mix for as well.

Since the 2020 cycle, Ohio State is the only school in the Midwest to finish inside the top five of the team rankings. It would be quite the feat if Michigan can finish this off.

RELATED: Michigan's 2024 commitment list | Big Ten recruiting rankings

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Liberty North (Mo.) Kansas City four-star defensive end Jayshawn Ross recently cut down his offer list to hist top five: Oklahoma, Tennessee, Penn State, Nebraska and Michigan.

The Sooners are thought to be the heavy favorites right now, but things are getting interesting around Ross. Florida State offered shortly after his top five dropped. There has been discussion of him taking an official visit to Tallahassee. The whole key here if a team is going to upset the Sooners is if someone can get him on campus for an official. The Sooners are looking to load up the defensive line room this cycle, and North Carolina native James Nesta is safely in the class. The Sooners are in the hunt for more big-time players like Ross, Williams Nwaneri, David Stone and more.

It's pretty surprising this recruitment isn't over yet. Whoever lands the defender will get a 6-foot-4, 220-pounder who runs a 4.43 40-yard dash. It’s not easy to find prospects like that.

Typically, it’s very hard to see a player from the Midwest being the No. 1 overall player in the country. Back in the 2020 cycle, defensive tackle Justin Rogers finished 16th. In 2021 Jack Sawyer finished 12th in the rankings. The last two years have been kinder to the region.

In the 2022 cycle, Missouri wide receiver signee Luther Burden checked in at No. 4 in the final rankings and Michigan defensive back Will Johnson finished right behind him at 5. Last cycle, Detroit quarterback Dante Moore finished fourth in the overall rankings but had a strong case to be No. 1 over Arch Manning.

Could Missouri defensive end Williams Nwaneri break the cycle and finish No. 1?

Nwaneri rose 17 spots to No. 3 and became a new five-star in our latest rankings release. Is there more the defensive end could show during his senior season that could see him jump wide receiver Jeremiah Smith and quarterback Dylan Raiola? Yes. If he’s a consistently disruptive force this fall and dominates all-star game competition he’s got a shot. It will be a tall order, but Nwaneri should keep his lofty ranking the rest of the cycle.