Recruiting Rumor Mill: Big visits continue around the country

The Recruiting Rumor Mill keeps cranking after yet another busy weekend of news and rumors around visits and spring games as the breakneck offseason continues:

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Oklahoma State could now be the program to beat in Cryer’s recruitment after a recent visit to Stillwater went really well and the coaches made it clear he’s exactly what they need on the offensive line. The Cowboys are definitely up there for the Natchitoches (La.) Natchitoches Central three-star offensive lineman but Ole Miss, Mississippi State, TCU, Missouri, Penn State and Cincinnati all stand out as well.

Clemson has intrigued the 2025 four-star running back from Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy greatly as he’s taken multiple visits there recently and really hit it off with new offensive coordinator Garrett Riley and position coach C.J. Spiller but he’s still waiting on the offer. June 1 is when Clemson will be sending out 2025 offers and if Davidson gets one then the Tigers will be a major player as Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, USC, Oregon and Iowa State are in focus for visits.

Oklahoma could be very difficult to beat for the four-star running back from Duncanville, Texas as the Sooners have been the front-runner for a while.

But LSU could make things at least interesting because Durham had a phenomenal trip to Baton Rouge recently and the message from the Tigers’ coaching staff is that they’re “all in” on him. If LSU lands Duncanville five-star teammate Colin Simmons, it could be something to watch.

“LSU is LSU,” Durham said. “There’s nothing to dislike and everything to love.”

Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina are the early frontrunners for the 2026 defensive end who recently transferred from Anniston, Ala., to Huntsville (Ala.) Jemison.

A recent visit to Tuscaloosa was a good start for Harris as he met new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele and saw the Crimson Tide scrimmage but all the others remain in the early running too.

The 2026 tight end from Reidsville, N.C. still has an incredible amount of time in his recruitment but major programs are already involved since the 6-foot-7, 237-pound prospect is such a good-looking recruit.

Harrison was recently at Georgia, landed an offer from the Bulldogs and meeting star tight end Darnell Washington, who’s the same height but weighs more, was absolutely a highlight of the visit. The Bulldogs, Tennessee, North Carolina and NC State are the early standouts.

“To meet Darnell meant everything to me,” Harrison said.

In March, the four-star receiver from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy released a top six of Louisville, Miami, Penn State, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Florida but now the chatter is that three of those schools are standing out more than the others.

The Gators and the Hurricanes are the two in-state teams to watch but Hawkins, who’s originally from Wheeling, W. Va., was at Penn State recently for a spring practice and loved watching the receivers in action. Those three have made the biggest move in his recruitment.

The atmosphere inside the stadium for Miami’s spring game was definitely a big deal to the four-star tight end from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Cardinal Gibbons and so the community’s support stood out to Heinrich, who now has the Hurricanes as one of the programs that has been in constant contact with him.

His recruitment has taken off recently with Miami, Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State making the biggest impression so far.

Even though Jefferson is a Tennessee baseball commit, there are two other SEC programs that have most of his attention in football recruiting now. Alabama and Georgia are battling it out for the four-star receiver from Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School and a recent return trip to Tuscaloosa definitely left a big impression.

He closely watched the receivers in spring practice and the message from the Bama coaches was that he’s very high on the recruiting board and they’re going to keep recruiting him hard. Penn State, Colorado, Oklahoma, Miami, South Carolina and Tennessee are the other schools to watch.

Texas might be too far ahead for the high four-star safety who’s originally from Fort Worth, Texas but is now playing at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy but Alabama is not going to give up easily.

A recent visit to Tuscaloosa went incredibly well for Johnson-Rubell especially seeing the pace of practice, talks with coach Nick Saban and position coach Travaris Robinson and them comparing him to Brian Branch or Minkah Fitzpatrick. Also seeing his old coach and teammates from IMG including Desmond Ricks, Jihaad Campbell and Tyler Booker stood out.

“This was one of the best visits,” Johnson-Rubell said.

The Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s outside linebacker is already shaping up to be one of the best defensive players in the 2026 class after a phenomenal performance at the National Combine in San Antonio and his recruitment is shaping up to be a battle of heavyweights.

There is still a ton of time left for Jones but Georgia, Alabama and Auburn stand out most and that might not change in the coming years. A recent offer from the Dawgs is definitely huge.

“The atmosphere at [Georgia] is amazing, the fans talked to me, took pictures and the coaches are like a family to everyone,” Jones said.

There are some who believe Miami has the edge over Florida State for Knight, who says he doesn’t have a top schools list yet, but his recruitment could be closer to a tie between the two at this point.

The Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Benjamin School four-star cornerback who was phenomenal at the National Combine in San Antonio and emerged on the national scene was recently back at Miami, loved how the coaches paid him so much attention and he’s really hit it off with secondary coach Jahmile Addae.

“When I’m there I always get that crib vibe,” Knight said.

Notre Dame has definitely made a major impression and the Irish could be tough to beat along with in-state Illinois but Iowa could be a team to watch for the three-star defensive end from Oak Park (Ill.) Fenwick.

One of the big reasons why the Hawkeyes stood out during a recent visit is because Marshall hit it off with DL Noah Shannon, who is from the same town and the two talked a whole lot. The message from Iowa was to not worry about where he was going to play but for who and the pitch about Iowa’s staff was compelling. Shannon could be the biggest consideration here.

“I’ve never met a college player I could relate to more than him because being from the same city we came from the same struggle and everything so that stood out,” Marshall said.

Tennessee, Florida State, South Carolina, USC, Louisville, Penn State, Georgia, Ohio State and Miami have been the top eight for Pickett but the word is the Buckeyes are “for the most part” the leader in his recruitment after his recent visit to Columbus. Miami is also very high for the four-star defensive end from Tampa (Fla.) Wharton but Ohio State could now be the team to beat in his recruitment.

Baylor, Oklahoma, Auburn, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, Alabama and Texas Tech made the final eight for the Lindale, Texas four-star offensive lineman and a recent visit to Tuscaloosa definitely made a big impression.

Poe loved the “intensity and high-level that Alabama football operates at,” and the pitch from the coaches is that they want Poe to kickstart offensive line recruiting for the Crimson Tide.

“Everything is done with precision and expertise that it takes to win games in the SEC and be dominant,” Poe said.

Oregon and TCU have emerged as the programs to watch for the four-star defensive end from Durant, Okla., and he was back in Eugene this past weekend so that’s definitely something to watch as the Ducks look very strong in his recruitment.

But Michigan State is a serious player as well especially after a recent trip there where he spent a lot of time with new defensive line coach Diron Reynolds.

“Every time I go back [to Michigan State] it feels more like home,” Sims said.

Many teams, especially Georgia and Florida State, are trying to flip the five-star receiver from Ohio State but the word is that “unless something drastic happens,” the feeling is that Smith sticks with the Buckeyes. He and his family all visited Columbus recently and unless coach Ryan Day is fired if Ohio State loses to Michigan again (which would seem unthinkable) or Brian Hartline leaves for a head coaching job (which is more likely) the feeling is Smith is locked in.

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A busy couple weekends are now in the books as the four-star offensive tackle with about 35 offers recently returned from Arkansas, Kansas and Washington over the last couple weekends. With a top five coming at the end of April, the Razorbacks definitely left a huge impression especially since coach Sam Pittman spent so much time with Westphal and his family during their time in Fayetteville.

During his time at Kansas, Westphal was the only recruit on campus and the Leesburg (Va.) Tuscarora standout definitely felt like a priority. It definitely feels, though, that the Razorbacks caught his attention on this recent swing.

“The clear message is Arkansas is committed to getting me on their roster and it starts at the top with coach Pittman,” Westphal said.

The Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Academy International three-star offensive lineman still has a few programs standing out in his recruitment but the word is that Florida State is way out in front and could be tough to beat.

Zandamela recently visited Tallahassee again - which has been a common occurrence in his recruitment - and his closeness with coach Mike Norvell and the entire coaching staff stands out. USC, Oregon, Oklahoma, Georgia, Miami, Arizona State, Wisconsin, Penn State and Ole Miss are others to watch but if Zandamela doesn’t end up with the Noles it would be a major surprise right now.

“They want me to be a Nole and I’m a priority for them and a big part of their future,” Zandamela said.