ATLANTA - The Recruiting Rumor Mill is always churning and there was a lot of chatter going on over the last few days at the Rivals Five-Star Challenge and the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge. Here is the latest:
FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE COVERAGE: Analysis | MVP spotlight | WR vs. DB Part 2 | WR vs. DB Part 1 | OL vs. DL | RB vs. LB | Sherrod Covil commits to Clemson during Five-Star Challenge | The Gorney Awards
FIVE-STAR CHALLENGE INTERVIEWS: Lebbeus Overton | Oscar Delp | Shawn Murphy | Cade Klubnik | Jaylen Sneed | Dante Moore | Beau Atkinson | Justin Williams | Jeadyn Lukus | Dillon Tatum | Tawfiq Thomas | Trent Ramsey | Cayden Green
There are still a lot of top schools for the four-star running back as the College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy will visit Northwestern this weekend and then head to Penn State the following weekend. The Nittany Lions along with Auburn, LSU and North Carolina are recruiting him the hardest which could provide a window into what Alston is thinking in terms of a commitment. Watch LSU as well since he had an excellent visit there and the Tigers are in the market for running backs.
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The Bainbridge, Ga., four-star cornerback was not at the Five-Star Challenge but there were some prospects talking about him and what’s happening in his recruitment after Bouie decommitted from Georgia earlier this month. The chatter is that Texas A&M is now the front-runner but to not count out Alabama, either, and the four-star is expected to visit Florida State soon as well so the Seminoles could become a bigger player.
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After taking a bunch of visits over the first few weeks of June, Georgia still holds the edge in Delp’s recruitment, he loves how Todd Monken plans to use the tight end in his offense and staying close to home is a consideration. A recent visit to Michigan went really well and Clemson is also an attractive thought (he was friendly with QB commit Cade Klubnik at the Five-Star event) but it looks like Georgia still holds a grip on the lead here.
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The culture at Easter’s high school is very similar to the one at Clemson and so the rumor is if the Tigers offer then the 2023 four-star tight end could end up there. Clemson would definitely become the favorite although there are some other major players in his recruitment. An offer from the Tigers, though, could change everything as Easter looks at some front-runners.
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What once felt like a battle between LSU and Clemson for the four-star all-purpose back has now expanded. Georgia is becoming a serious contender for the Jennings, La., standout even if five-star Branson Robinson commits to the Bulldogs as expected. Clemson remains high as does LSU (where he camped and will return), a visit to Alabama will happen and then Penn State and Florida should get officials in the fall.
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The five-star linebacker from Kettering (Ohio) Archbishop Alter has been committed to Ohio State since May 2020 and has never given any indication that he was wavering in his pledge. But there is one program that wants him to visit: Alabama. But the chatter is that Hicks will not take any other trips and is completely locked in with the Buckeyes.
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The four-star cornerback from Houston (Texas) Clear Lake committed to Florida in late May but there is going to be lots and lots of competition until signing day. A visit to Alabama just happened, Ohio State and Texas A&M are in this one along with LSU and Humphrey is planning to see some of those programs again in the fall. Florida looks good right now but it will be a battle until the end.
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Clemson is the front-runner for Lukus and it could be tough to beat the Tigers, not a complete shock since the Mauldin, S.C., four-star cornerback has talked highly of the program before and lives less than an hour from campus. But North Carolina is still sticking around and Lukus loves the turnaround job Mack Brown has done in Chapel Hill and a visit to Ohio State is possible.
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Missouri and Michigan State are two programs to watch early on for the four-star offensive lineman from East St. Louis, Ill., as both the Tigers and the Spartans have made him a major priority. But there are some significant visits coming up with Alabama and a possible stop at Ohio State as well so things could still be in the early stages. Still, Missouri and Michigan State are leaving a big impression.
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Indiana is going to get an official visit from Mullen and that’s no surprise since the Hoosiers have been recruiting him for such a long time and his brother plays there. The chatter is that his brother is not pressuring Mullen to commit but is selling the good points of the program and there might be a commitment coming following his visit to Bloomington. But there’s a lot more competition now with Miami, Florida State and Florida all making a push in recent months.
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The rumor on the five-star linebacker is that Alabama and LSU have surged to the top in his recruitment after recent visits to both schools. Those could be the front-runners but others are not being counted out yet for the Manassas (Va.) Unity Reed standout as Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, Penn State and others can’t be counted out yet.
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Oklahoma State is the early front-runner for the 2023 wide receiver from Ardmore (Okla.) Plainview and the Cowboys could be tough to beat in the long run. Pearson might visit Texas and Texas A&M soon but maybe even more telling in his recruitment, the 2023 prospect is trying to get back to Stillwater as well.
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Just a few weeks ago, Rowser said his only visit would be to Arkansas and he would be playing lots of 7-on-7 in the coming weeks but now the four-star safety is planning another SEC trip. Ole Miss is expected to get the Belleville, Mich., standout on campus and that’s something to watch because the Rebels’ coaching staff is aggressively going after some top defensive backs and it looks like Rowser is one of them.
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West Virginia, Louisville, Texas A&M and many others have offered the Georgia Tech running back commit but after this past few days, it sounds like the Yellow Jackets will not be beaten in his recruitment.
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Sneed has emerged as one of the top linebackers in the country and while there are still other programs in his recruitment it looks like Notre Dame and Oregon are the finalists. The Hilton Head, S.C., standout could be ready to make a decision in just a couple weeks and the rumor is that the Irish are the big leaders here.
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A recent offer from Oklahoma has propelled the Sooners right to the top for the 2024 defensive tackle from Del City, Okla., but there are mainly two other schools to really watch. Stone has been very intrigued with Texas A&M for a long time and LSU is his dream offer. If the Tigers come through with an offer then they would be battling to land the talented 2023
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There is a very good chance that the four-star defensive end from Donaldsonville (La.) Ascension Catholic will end up at LSU but there is going to be some serious competition. A recent visit to Georgia went very well and the Bulldogs could be quickly moving up his list, Clemson might be a possibility and Alabama has been sticking around. Florida and Texas are two other schools in the running right now.
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The feeling is that the four-star cornerback from Lafayette (La.) Acadiana will remain committed to LSU and sign with the Tigers but Auburn and Oklahoma visits are expected. Welch has already been to Texas A&M and Florida State and while many others continue to pursue the four-star, LSU looks good.
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Nebraska had become the front-runner for the four-star running back from Dallas (Ga.) East Paulding but after a recent visit to West Virginia, the Mountaineers are now tied at the top. Williams goes to Louisville this weekend and an Ole Miss visit could happen as well. It seems like an Auburn offer would mean a whole lot but the Tigers haven’t come through yet.
