Recruiting Rumor Mill: Focus begins to shift to the 2024 class
The Early Signing Period is in the rearview mirror but there is still an abundance of rumors and news that we’re hearing as the Recruiting Rumor Mill is back this week following the all-star events in Orlando and San Antonio.
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RELATED: Teams are trying, but five-star QB Julian Sayin is locked in with Alabama
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CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
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The 2024 high four-star athlete is still sitting with a top 15 which does not give a ton of insight into his recruitment but that should be changing in the spring months as Bolden looks to narrow to five or seven programs.
The idea is for Buford to take his official visits later this offseason and then decide by August since he’s not crazy about game-day official visit weekends. Georgia will definitely be one program pegged to the Buford, Ga., standout who also has Ohio State, Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, LSU and Oklahoma coming hard.
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Two big visits could be coming up for the 2024 four-star defensive back from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei as Brown is considering his first trip to Oregon on Jan. 14 and then he is definitely going to Alabama on Jan. 28.
The Ducks and Crimson Tide are both coming hard after the versatile and long defensive back but USC remains very much in the picture as well. The Trojans have had great luck landing top Mater Dei prospects and USC is right in the middle of his recruitment now.
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Notre Dame, Miami, Alabama, Arkansas, Penn State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Michigan, Florida, South Carolina, Georgia and Michigan State made the top 12 for Carrie, who’s planning to trim his list to six sometime this spring and then commit before his senior season.
The plan is for the 2024 four-star running back from Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day to visit the remainder of schools on his top list in the coming months - that would be Oklahoma, Penn State, Ole Miss, Michigan and “one or two others” and then be able to formulate a top list.
Ole Miss, South Carolina, Penn State and Michigan State have been recruiting him the hardest so far.
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Georgia, Miami, Florida State, LSU, Auburn, Michigan State and Maryland have made the biggest impression on the 2024 four-star offensive tackle and some programs definitely have his interest recently. The Pensacola (Fla.) Pine Forest standout is being pushed by the Hurricanes to visit soon and that could happen and an in-season visit to LSU was especially memorable because he got to meet Shaquille O’Neal. The Bulldogs could have the early edge.
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Michigan is considered the front-runner for the 2024 five-star quarterback but he’s closely watching the Jim Harbaugh-to-NFL rumors especially now that the Wolverines coach will reportedly meet with the Denver Broncos this week. The word is if Harbaugh leaves Ann Arbor it would be a stretch to believe Davis would end up there.
Clemson and Tennessee are also coming “really big” after the Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day standout with North Carolina and Penn State in the picture, too.
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The 2024 four-star cornerback from Tampa (Fla.) Carrollwood Day has been committed to Clemson since late November and it doesn’t appear he’s wavering but there are many schools still coming after him. Florida State is making the biggest push right now along with Alabama and most recently Colorado.
That could be one to watch since coach Deion Sanders is Feagin’s “idol” and he could visit Boulder in the summer, but his Clemson pledge remains strong.
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The 2024 high four-star defensive end is still sitting with his top 10 and is focused on recovering from in-season injuries but his recruitment has come into focus as well. Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and Michigan State have been the programs that have come after him the hardest but Georgia Tech could make a move since former Spartans assistant Marco Coleman is there now.
That could play a significant role especially if the Buford, Ga., standout visits soon but this could end up being a classic battle between Georgia and Alabama with Clemson in the mix as well.
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Arkansas, USC, Washington and Oklahoma along with Notre Dame have been particularly aggressive with the 2025 four-star linebacker from La Verne (Calif.) Bonita. With the Trojans, Mikhail loves the new coaching staff and the changes they’re making plus he already has a great bond with position coach Brian Odom. The Sooners could be one to watch early on as well as he’s visited Norman twice already.
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The 2024 running back from San Antonio (Texas) Veterans Memorial is still working through his list as it is close to 20 offers but there are a few early standouts.
Ohio State, Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama and Oregon have particularly caught Peoples’ attention as he plans to visit with the Longhorns later this month. Other visits are expected through this offseason.
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With nearly 50 offers, the 2024 four-star offensive lineman from Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Catholic could make a significant trim soon as Pierre-Louis looks to release a top 10 or 12. Nothing has been set in stone yet but Oklahoma, Ohio State, Alabama, Miami and Oregon have really caught his eye.
One thing to watch from Pierre-Louis: He might not go where there’s a ton of offensive line depth so he has a better chance of seeing the field early. The four-star would like to see Oklahoma and Michigan State soon.
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There has been some talk that the 2024 five-star quarterback could end up at Nebraska since his uncle, Donovan, was retained on coach Matt Rhule’s new staff and his father played for the Huskers. That could be an important factor in the No. 1 player’s decision but the word we’re hearing is that Georgia looks best in his recruitment.
Raiola pulled a major surprise in December when he backed off his pledge to Ohio State especially since current QB CJ Stroud could be a top pick and the receiver room is absolutely loaded. But it looks like the Bulldogs have made a really big impression.
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The five-star defensive end has not released a top list yet and might do a lot of that work behind the scenes, especially as he watches all the coaching changes across college football. So many have him already pegged to LSU and while the Tigers are definitely a major player for the 2024 standout from Duncanville, Texas, there are others high on the list.
Georgia, TCU, Texas and Tennessee are among others, and he has really hit it off with the players and coaches in Fort Worth.
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The 2024 five-star receiver committed to Ohio State in mid-December but that has not stopped others from trying to flip him. Florida is making the most aggressive push and trying to get the Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna receiver at an upcoming junior day but Smith is unsure of his travels so far.
Miami, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida State are among the others trying to keep his attention but no flip is expected at this point.
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Tennessee, Texas A&M, Michigan and Missouri are four of the schools Wingo has his eye on most although the 2024 five-star receiver has also been linked to Notre Dame for a long time as well.
The St. Louis (Mo.) University standout has narrowed down his extensive list a little bit but remains open to all programs. A big visit is coming up to Knoxville this weekend and then he could see Texas A&M and Clemson by the end of the month.