National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney is back with his Recruiting Rumor Mill, which features recruiting chatter and news from around the country as a big month of visits continues this week.
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Agbo postponed his visit to LSU last weekend but that does not mean the Tigers are out of it - far from it. The four-star lineman from Federal Way (Wash.) Todd Beamer wants to get to know new offensive line coach Brad Davis, so the plan is to now get to Baton Rouge during the season. That means Agbo probably won’t make a decision until later in the fall as LSU remains a major contender for him.
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Oklahoma offered the 2023 four-star offensive tackle from Windsor (Conn.) Loomis Chaffee School in recent days, and the rumor is the Sooners immediately move right into his top list of favorites. Others that stand out early on include Oregon, Texas, Penn State, Georgia Tech and USC.
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Miami and Louisville are the two standouts right now for the three-star cornerback from Lafayette (La.) Lafayette Christian Academy. A recent trip to Louisville stood out as he liked the family feel around the program, but the rumor is also those programs are standing out because that’s where he’s visited. Trips to Penn State and Tennessee are happening next, so those programs could surge, too.
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The new five-star offensive tackle from Houston Summer Creek has recently taken important visits to LSU and Oregon, but the chatter is that Banks is going to pick an in-state school, with Texas and Texas A&M battling it out. The former Oklahoma State commit grew up a Longhorns fan, while the Aggies do a great job recruiting the Houston area, so staying closer seems like the move at this point. Oregon’s offensive line tradition could be something to watch, but the expectation is an in-state school.
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Brubaker is a Penn State legacy, and while he recently had an outstanding visit to State College, the four-star offensive lineman is going to take all his visits and he was at South Carolina this past weekend. The rumor is the Gamecocks coaches seem confident they can stay very involved with Brubaker, especially after this past weekend’s trip. What stood out was the new coaching staff being completely upfront about where the program is right now but also painting a picture of how South Carolina could return to the top of the SEC East. Tennessee and Vanderbilt visits are next, but a lot of people think this is a Penn State/Stanford battle with South Carolina as the biggest sleeper.
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Over the first few days of June, the 2023 high four-star linebacker has visited Georgia, Clemson, Florida and Florida State, and the rumor is that the Georgia trip made the biggest impression on him. There is still a long way to go and more visits to take, including Ohio State and others, but the Bulldogs have to like where they’re sitting early on in Bryant’s recruitment.
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Conerly has a top 12 and a lot of visits are going to happen later on for the four-star offensive tackle from Seattle Rainier Beach, but the rumor is this could end up being a Pacific Northwest battle between Washington and Oregon. A recent visit to Washington went very well, especially since the entire staff showed him a lot of attention. The only other trip being considered right now is to the Ducks this summer but others should happen during the season.
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Penn State has long been considered a frontrunner for the five-star defensive end from Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh, and the rumor is the Nittany Lions took a giant step forward after his visit this past weekend. Georgia thoroughly impressed Dennis-Sutton and made a move up and a trip to Alabama is also coming up. But the word is it would be surprising if the five-star doesn’t end up with the Lions, especially after seeing what other players like him have done at Penn State.
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Glover has a lot of connections to Florida State, and the Seminoles are high in his recruitment. A recent visit to Tennessee went well, and he likes the offensive vision there. But South Carolina really impressed him this past weekend, and the four-star running back loved the culture and being around the players in Columbia. Those are going to be huge selling points, plus Glover feels he can make an early impact. The commitment of Jyvonte McClendon to the Gamecocks this past weekend won’t be a major consideration for Glover’s decision, though. After all this was said and done, Glover received a Florida offer on Wednesday that could change the entire scope of his recruitment, but it’s too early to say the Gators move right to No. 1 so soon.
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The three-star linebacker from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan recently visited Florida State, and now the Seminoles are definitely the frontrunner in his recruitment. Relationships clearly matter to Graham as he’s not only hit it off with Mike Norvell and his position coaches but others across the department. Many others are involved, but FSU has the edge to land Graham.
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It might only be a matter of time until the four-star offensive guard from Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic commits to LSU. The chatter is that the Tigers are still really high in his recruitment and it was only reinforced after a recent visit there, where Jones loved the energy of the entire coaching staff. Florida State and others are involved as well, but LSU is the team to beat.
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The 2023 four-star interior offensive lineman has been taking numerous visits to start the month of June, with Ole Miss, Auburn and Georgia on the list, and the rumor is that the UGA visit was by far the best. The coaching staff and the facilities definitely stand out, but the love and hospitality showed to Joyner were important factors as well. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the top 2023 offensive lineman had Georgia as his No. 1 team.
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The high three-star running back from Pike Road, Ala., visited Auburn this past weekend and he’s a top target for the Tigers but a commitment was not made. He was told he’s a priority but Judkins is going to keep all options open, especially since he’s planning to visit Penn State and Ole Miss soon. Auburn could still be the leader, but Judkins has not pulled the trigger yet.
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The 2023 defensive end from Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep had such a good time visiting Notre Dame in recent days that the Irish are going to be involved until the end, and they could end up being the pick, even with Florida and many Southeast powers involved as well. The chatter is that Keeley absolutely loved his time in South Bend, enjoyed the family feel of the program, liked the coaching staff a lot and the word “amazing” was thrown around numerous times about the experience.
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The four-star athlete from Hays, Kan., has seen his recruitment completely take off in recent weeks and with that, Kanak has altered his official visit agenda. The plan now is to visit Oklahoma on Wednesday, then be at Alabama on Saturday and close out the month in more than a week at Florida. Those aren’t exactly the only favorites, but it’s providing a window into what Kanak is thinking.
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The Overland Park (Kan.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star defensive tackle had a phenomenal visit at Nebraska recently and the word is that trip is going to be hard to beat. That’s an excellent sign for the Huskers because Oklahoma State and Indiana are to get visits, but it sure sounds like Nebraska is the team to beat in Marshall’s recruitment.
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Maybe Michigan State is not the clear frontrunner for the three-star tight end from Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton, but his visit to East Lansing last weekend was great and the Spartans will be a major contender. Mel Tucker’s vision for the program, seeing the weight room and the plan for nutrition and spending time with a bunch of assistant coaches really stood out for Masunas. Michigan State has already dipped into Arizona once for OL Gavin Broscious this recruiting cycle, and it might be going back.
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The feeling is that Alabama is going to eventually land the commitment of the 2023 four-star cornerback from Alabaster (Ala.) Thompson, but Mitchell still has a long list. Along with the Crimson Tide, Mitchell has his focus on Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, USC, LSU, Auburn, Georgia Tech and Oregon.
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The chatter is that Ohio State is going to be tough to beat for Nwankpa, but Texas A&M thoroughly impressed the high four-star safety a lot. The rumor is the Aggies might not be out of this one and could really be making an impact in his thinking. Playing in the SEC, the A&M network after football and the promise of only taking one safety in this class appealed to Nwankpa, because he could see the field early. Do not count out Texas A&M to get him.
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Florida is the early leader for the 2023 four-star defensive end from Phenix City (Ala.) Central, especially after a recent visit to Gainesville. What stood out most to Parker is that he had a jovial and comfortable relationship with the coaching staff at Florida, something that really could play a factor as his recruitment continues. There’s a long way to go, but the Gators are on top.
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It would be pretty surprising to not see the four-star, in-state running back in Penn State’s recruiting class, especially after his weekend visit that went really, really well. From walking into Beaver Stadium with highlights on the big screen to visualizing himself making those plays, the word “amazing” was tossed around and Singleton’s family is on board for him to play for the Nittany Lions as well. He’s already visited Wisconsin and trips to Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Alabama are coming up but Penn State looks like it has a big edge right now.
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An offer in recent days from Oklahoma is massive in Stone’s early recruitment and even though he’s a 2024 prospect the Del City, Okla., defensive tackle and his family definitely like the Sooners a whole lot. After visiting Oklahoma, Stone was at Oklahoma State and he’s keeping an eye on LSU, Clemson and Ohio State for offers, but Oklahoma is the early frontrunner right now.
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Florida could still have a slight edge for the four-star athlete from Niceville, Fla., but Georgia Tech gave him a lot to think about after visiting there last weekend. The words “genuine love” were used, and the coaching staff’s attention to everyone on the team - from the walk-ons to the star players - definitely has Thomas liking the Yellow Jackets a lot. It also stood out that the Georgia Tech coaches didn’t try the hard sell on a commitment. Still, Florida and others linger, but the Jackets did their part.
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Uiagalelei’s father, Dave, made some pointed comments on social media about how impressed he was about the Alabama program and with coach Nick Saban, and some believe that could play a big influence in the final decision for 2023 four-star DE Matayo Uiagalelei. But sources tell me the commitment will be completely Matayo’s decision and no one else’s. That’s why an unofficial visit in recent days to USC was definitely important and that Ohio State and Georgia also have captured his attention. At this time, it might be a little surprise if Uiagalelei ends up playing at Clemson, where his brother, DJ, is the starting quarterback.
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A few days ago on social media, Webb put out a message that something would be announced on July 4. It perked up a lot of fans that a commitment could be coming. But a source tells me the 2023 athlete from Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian School will put out a list of frontrunners - and it looks like Ohio State could be right at the top. When asked recently what Webb liked about his visit to Columbus, the response was, “Everything.” From the coaches, to the players, to the culture, Webb loved everything about the Buckeyes and they could now be the team to beat.
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The four-star defensive end from Boonville, Mo., recently visited Georgia and Clemson and loved both places. Those national powers, along with Alabama, Florida, USC and Penn State are standing out most in his recruitment. At Georgia, his relationship with Kirby Smart and defensive coordinator Dan Lanning stand out, and they saw him work out at linebacker. Dabo Swinney and his family stood out at Clemson, and it’s definitely a draw for Wesolak to play for someone like Swinney, who has fire but is also welcoming at the same time. He also visited North Carolina over the weekend.