Recruiting Rumor Mill: Intel from Elite 11 Finals, OT7 Nationals
HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. – This week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill is jam-packed with tons of information from both the Elite 11 and OT7 Nationals, which took place recently in Southern California. National recruiting director Adam Gorney attended both major events and shares the latest recruiting buzz.
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The high three-star receiver from Henderson (Nev.) Liberty recently parted ways with Washington and the chatter has been that Arizona could now be the team to beat. Bell visited Tucson recently and he wore Arizona gloves during the tournament but he also said Cal and possibly others are trying to convince him to visit.
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It’s basically now a three-way race for the four-star running back from Seattle (Wash.) O’Dea as Oregon, Washington and Michigan State have taken over the top spots. The Ducks have always been a front-runner, Brown likes the staff at Washington plus it’s down the road and he trains with a lot of former players but he really digs the vibe in East Lansing and loves the staff there as well.
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The feeling from multiple people close to Carr is that he’s sticking with his Georgia commitment and despite many attempts from Florida State tight end commit and Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County teammate Landen Thomas, flipping to the Seminoles does not look likely. One of the top receivers nationally, Carr has been committed to the Bulldogs for a long time and that almost definitely won’t change.
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USC is now the biggest threat to flip the 2025 four-star Ohio State commit after he visited campus over the last few days and fell in love with the coaching staff. The Trojans are now the team to watch for the Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake standout although it might just be a post-visit high and we’ll see if there is sustainability there. Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama are also coming heavily.
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Meeting with Alabama coach Nick Saban was a big deal and getting the feel in Tuscaloosa was important but the feeling is that Jones is going to stick with his Georgia commitment. The Crimson Tide will continue to try to flip the four-star athlete from Swainsboro, Ga., and Tennessee is going to get him on campus as well but the Bulldogs remain in very strong shape here.
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Tennessee and Notre Dame are basically battling it out for the top-rated dual-threat quarterback in the 2025 class and it falls upon the expected lines: The Volunteers stand out because of that elite offense, the play-calling and he could be the next big-time quarterback in line. But Notre Dame is recruiting him the hardest and he has great relationships there plus the academic side is a big consideration.
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Texas A&M looks best with Texas and Louisville being the other schools high up for the Tyler (Texas) John Tyler three-star running back but an offer from USC would be a “game-changer” in his recruitment. The feeling is that if the Trojans offered they might be tough to beat even though many other programs especially ones much closer to home have been involved for longer.
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Before anything is finalized, the four-star receiver from St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers will visit Oregon and it’s a sneaky contender since he likes the Ducks a lot and even was wearing Oregon gloves through the tournament. But the strong feeling is that Ohio State is way ahead for McClellan right now and will probably land his commitment before the season as LSU and Missouri are also in it.
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Ohio State looks like it could be very difficult, if not impossible, to beat for the four-star receiver from Olney (Md.) Good Counsel. Moore wore an Ohio State sleeve on his arm during the tournament and admitted the Buckeyes definitely look best because of his relationship with position coach Brian Hartline but he will still visit Florida State before making a final decision.
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Mozee’s father, Jamar, not only played at Oklahoma but he’s also his son’s coach at Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Lee’s Summit North so the Sooners are definitely going to be a major contender in the 2024 four-star receiver’s recruitment. But not the only program as Tennessee, Oregon, Missouri and Arkansas are others to watch. Mozee’s dad isn’t exactly pushing him to Oklahoma but there is the family connection there and Jamar Mozee has made it clear Norman would not be a bad option at all.
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A visit to USC while in town definitely left a major impression on the 2025 four-star running back from DeSoto, Texas and his relationship with position coach Kiel McDonald could go a long way but this feels like Texas A&M might have the edge with Texas also very much in there. Riden loves A&M coach Jimbo Fisher and Texas position coach Tashard Choice but it’s also early in his recruitment with Ohio State, SMU, TCU, Tennessee and Oregon also involved.
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It’s really just Georgia and Miami for the No. 1 cornerback and while he remains committed to the Bulldogs, the Hurricanes are doing everything possible to flip him. Losing Demarcus Van Dyke was a knock on Miami but the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout has hit it off with Jahmile Addae and Miami is making this one interesting. Still, Robinson has known Georgia position coach Fran Brown from when Brown coached at Temple and Robinson was at New Rochelle (N.Y.) Iona Prep. The feeling at this point is that he sticks with the Dawgs.
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Ohio State, Alabama, Oklahoma and Texas A&M round out the top four for the 2025 five-star cornerback but a new team could be creeping into that top list. LSU has piqued Sanchez’s interest for a while and the Houston (Texas) North Shore standout really likes the program's staff.
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There are a million reasons why the five-star sticks with Ohio State from his relationship with coach Ryan Day and especially assistant Brian Hartline and former South Florida Express teammates Brandon Inniss and Carnell Tate on the roster plus the success in Columbus and all the receivers Ohio State has developed but if there is one threat the chatter is now Florida and Georgia as much. Smith will visit Penn State, Miami and Florida State but if there’s a team to watch it could be the Gators.
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Recent visits to Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee all stood out for different reasons but the word is the Bulldogs impressed the 2025 four-star receiver the most. From their vision on offense to the feeling Taylor got while in Athens, to Georgia’s back-to-back national titles, it could be an early favorite for the Geneva, Ill., standout. Other visits will happen with Notre Dame pushing as well but Georgia left a big impression.
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Michigan is making a big push for the four-star cornerback and coach Jim Harbaugh’s message to West during his visit was that, “The best players in Ohio come play at Michigan,” but history is wildly on the side of Ohio State as the Big Ten rivals battle it out for him. Out of 16 four-stars and two five-stars to come out of Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville in Rivals history dating back to 2002, 15 of them picked the Buckeyes; none picked the Wolverines. West’s decision could come shortly after his Ohio State visit this weekend.
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Staying closer to home will be a major draw for the 2025 four-star safety so that could give Texas A&M a major edge in Williams’ recruitment although the Galveston (Texas) Ball standout has Oklahoma and Ohio State high on the list as well. The idea of having his family drive to games is a big consideration so the Aggies might have the edge.