Recruiting Rumor Mill: Junior Day reactions rolling in

There was so much news and lots of recruiting rumors following the first big junior day weekend for the 2025 class. Here’s the latest in the second edition of the Recruiting Rumor Mill this week:

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Kansas made a major impression on the 2025 defensive end from Kennesaw (Ga.) Hebron over the weekend because the defensive coaches already knew a lot about him and his game and coach Lance Leipold talked more with Bellomy about his personal life than just football.

It was a keen recruiting tactic because it worked as the Jayhawks are definitely a program to watch along with Georgia Tech (where he’ll visit this weekend) and Virginia Tech. Seeing a big-time basketball game inside electric Allen Fieldhouse was big for Bellomy, too.

Georgia, Clemson, Duke, Alabama and Miami are the five programs making the biggest impression with the four-star defensive end from Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley and his weekend visit to Athens only reinforced the Bulldogs as a major contender.

How UGA can develop Davis in that defensive scheme and the amount of love they showed him during this visit all stood out.

The “unmatched” energy from Georgia’s coaching staff really stood out to Gibson over the weekend as the four-star defensive end from Warner Robins, Ga., has the Bulldogs high on his list but others are there as well.

South Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Florida, Tennessee, USC and Georgia Tech are the programs he mentioned most.

The Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes has been committed to Alabama since April but at this point he’s “waiting on everything to settle down” and then he’ll make a decision about his future. Glover is looking to learn about coach Kalen DeBoer and the new coaching staff but he was at Auburn over the weekend and the Tigers are working hard to flip him.

Texas, Florida and Tennessee are also in the mix for him.

Ohio State and LSU are two others to watch for the four-star receiver from Sachse, Texas but Texas A&M offered in recent days and his visit back to College Station was great over the weekend. It was his first time on campus since 2017 but he has a connection there because his grandmother worked in the math department at Texas A&M.

From coach Mike Elko’s message to him to the connections in College Station, the Aggies should definitely be watched.

“Something coach Elko said (Saturday) that really caught my attention was he’s not going to talk about it, he was going to be about it,” Lockett said. “That quote has been sitting on my mind.”

There are going to be many other programs involved but Texas A&M is definitely one to watch for the four-star defensive end from Red Oak, Texas, after his weekend visit. What stood out most to Morgan was coach Mike Elko’s message that he worked for everything to get to this point and won a lot with little margin for error at Duke.

Texas and others won’t give up easily, that’s for sure, but he had a good weekend in College Station.

Texas A&M has to be considered the front-runner for the four-star defensive back following his weekend visit to College Station especially because he loved coach Mike Elko and the new staff and believes the Aggies have everything in place to win a championship.

Ohio State, Alabama, LSU and others could be in the mix but Texas A&M has the big-time edge.

Mississippi State made a major impression with Prudhomme over the weekend as the 2025 offensive lineman from Shreveport (La.) Captain Shreve absolutely loved the new coaching staff and how upfront they were with him during the visit.

The Bulldogs could be the team to beat now as Prudhomme also likes Arizona State, Tulane and Texas Tech at this point.

The message to Riggins from new Texas A&M coach Mike Elko and defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Jay Bateman was that he’s needed in their program and they have a “perfect defensive package for me.”

That was an impactful statement for the four-star linebacker from Forney, Texas, as the Aggies have an edge now in his recruitment with Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State and LSU most involved so far.

Wisconsin is one of the early favorites along with Penn State, Michigan, Tennessee, Kentucky, Louisville and Michigan State for the four-star athlete from Mount Healthy, Ohio and the Badgers definitely impressed him over the weekend.

The “love and genuineness” of the Wisconsin staff stood out but even more important was how they envision using him on defense and where he fits there.

Auburn, Tennessee, South Carolina, Miami, Florida State and others are in the mix but Georgia is the team to beat and that was only reinforced by another visit to Athens over the weekend.

The Bulldogs are the team to beat for the Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview four-star offensive guard, the coaching staff is showing Smith how he fits into the future and things are only getting stronger.

Florida has now emerged as one of four favorites for the high three-star defensive end from Opa Locka (Fla.) Monsignor Pace after his weekend visit to Gainesville where he landed his newest offer.

The connection Telemaque had with the Florida coaching staff stood out most as Indiana, West Virginia and Georgia Tech are the three others to watch.

Waldrep is a double legacy to Alabama and his father played in Tuscaloosa so the Crimson Tide might be really tough to beat for the four-star offensive lineman from Phenix City (Ala.) Central but Auburn is making a serious push.

The coaches were “all over me” during a weekend visit and the players are also recruiting him hard to the Tigers.

“It really makes me feel at home,” Waldrep said. “I can see myself there.”

Penn State has made an early impression on the 2026 defensive back from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood but a new offer from Florida could move the Gators way up his list.

The word is that Florida will “for sure be top three” for Waters moving forward as he has a really strong relationship with that coaching staff and the Gators will be one to watch in the coming years.

Auburn is still the team to watch for the four-star linebacker from Enterprise, Ala., especially after another strong visit to The Plains this weekend.

The coaching staff there is talking a lot about how good the 2025 recruiting class will be and how they want Winters to be in it. Georgia, Tennessee and Michigan are still the other three standing out most.