Recruiting Rumor Mill: Intel rolls in after busy visit weekend
It was one of the busiest weeks of the college football calendar and there was a ton of recruiting rumors to share in this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill:
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It’s still early for the 2025 three-star athlete from Buford, Ga., but his recruitment is shaping up to be a battle between Clemson and Georgia. Allen was at Clemson over the weekend to see the thrilling game against Florida State and he felt the love from “the entire coaching staff” and he “felt at home” the entire time there.
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Michigan State is making a run at the Pitt commit and even though there is coaching upheaval in East Lansing, the word from the current coaches there to Brewu is that “the train keeps rolling,” so it’s given him something to consider.
During a recent visit, the Worthington, Ohio, three-star standout loved the atmosphere at Michigan State and how hard the team played but he’s still sticking for the Panthers at this point.
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No dates have been set yet for other visits but they’re fully expected to happen for the high four-star receiver from Phenix City (Ala.) Central, who committed to Texas A&M on July 4 and was back in College Station this past weekend.
The word from Coleman is that other schools are pushing and he will figure out dates soon, but Auburn (which was the runner-up in the summer) along with Penn State and Colorado could get trips.
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The 2025 athlete from Goodland, Kan., has seen an explosion of offers to start his junior season and the ones that have mainly caught his eye are Penn State, Michigan, Nebraska, Florida and Texas A&M.
Those five programs definitely have Cure’s attention but Kansas State is still in a strong spot for the in-state prospect as the Wildcats recruited him earlier and the relationships there are strong as well.
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The Katy (Texas) Morton Ranch three-star cornerback committed to Minnesota in June but in recent days Gerald landed a new offer from Houston, which is only 30 or so miles from where he lives.
Still, the word is that Gerald is not swayed by the offer from the Cougars – at least yet – and that his commitment to Minnesota remains firm.
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With the Michigan State coaching situation in upheaval, Hasselbeck is “taking it one day at a time” as things get sorted out following the dismissal of Mel Tucker. The three-star quarterback from Westwood (Mass.) Xaverian Brothers is “focusing on what I can control right now,” and while he stays committed, Boston College could make a run at him among many others for the former Maryland lacrosse commit.
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Nebraska is believed to be the front-runner for the 2025 four-star linebacker from Omaha (Neb.) Westside but a weekend visit to Notre Dame definitely has him thinking. The gameday atmosphere was “insane” and the message from the coaching staff was to “think big” about what Notre Dame could offer outside of football.
USC and Oklahoma are two others to watch.
“It’s definitely on my mind,” Jones said.
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The four-star receiver committed to Ohio State in August but the St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers standout was at Oregon this past weekend for its huge win over Colorado. The message from coach Dan Lanning and his staff was clear: They’re going to do “whatever it takes” to get McClellan as he’s a major flip target for Oregon.
Will it happen? No sign yet but the Ducks aren’t going to stop.
“They want me bad,” McClellan said.
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Alabama continues to be one of the mainstays in Merritt’s recruitment and a recent comment from the coaching staff there really could put the Crimson Tide over the top. They see the 2025 four-star defensive end from College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy used in the same way as Dallas Turner and that definitely stands out.
The Crimson Tide, Clemson, Ohio State and Florida have stood out the most so far and another good trip to Clemson over the weekend will keep the Tigers in serious contention.
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A new offer from Alabama immediately moves the Crimson Tide to the top of his list with three other programs and it’s a “blessing” to add one from the national power. Alabama is joined by Mississippi State, Georgia and Florida high on the list for the 2025 offensive tackle from Laurel, Miss., who could have the Gators as a slight favorite right now.
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Arizona is going to be a major player in Powell’s recruitment because his brother, Tyler, already plays for the Wildcats and the 2025 offensive tackle from Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep has been tagging along for years in the recruiting process.
He loves the facilities and sees the positive changes under coach Jedd Fisch plus the coaches are pushing him to join as well.
Wisconsin, Tennessee and USC will be the biggest competition in Powell’s recruitment.
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Maryland, Michigan, Georgia, Penn State and South Carolina have been the five programs highest on Rodriguez’s list but that could be changing now. A visit to Florida definitely left a massive impression on the 2025 three-star athlete from Providence (R.I.) Mt. Pleasant and the Gators have now “altered” his top five.
“The energy is just different in The Swamp,” Rodriguez said.
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Georgia is going to be difficult to beat for Smith and he was back there again recently to soak in the Bulldogs’ game-day experience. The 2025 four-star offensive guard from Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview definitely has high interest in the Bulldogs, while Tennessee, Auburn, South Carolina, Miami, Florida State, Penn State, USC and Alabama have also made an impression. A significant cut should be coming soon.
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Notre Dame will continue to be one of the top schools in Strebig’s early recruitment and he had a fantastic time in South Bend over the weekend where the coaching staff made plainly clear how much of a priority he is in the 2025 recruiting class.
But watch out for USC in Strebig’s recruitment as the Trojans are surging and he plans to visit with them later this season. The Waukesha (Wis.) Catholic Memorial standout loves coach Lincoln Riley and position coach Josh Henson especially.
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Penn State safeties coach Anthony Poindexter made it clear to the 2026 four-star from Detroit (Mich.) Divine Child that he’s a top priority and now the word is the Nittany Lions moved way up on his early list following his trip for the White Out win over Iowa.
Trips to Tennessee, Auburn and Arkansas are planned for later this season as those programs along with Michigan and Wisconsin are two others to watch.
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Ware worked out with position coach Joe Rudolph at Notre Dame this past summer as he called it an “amazing session” and the previous summer when Rudolph coached at Virginia Tech so the two have history together. That’s one reason why the Irish offer for the 2025 high three-star from Lynchburg (Va.) Liberty Christian Academy is so important. Notre Dame is definitely a program to watch here but Ware was also a late add to the Clemson visitor list over the weekend.