Recruiting Rumor Mill: Prospects planning spring visits
The Recruiting Rumor Mill is back this week with plenty of news from the 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes as the focus turns to them with the offseason event schedule kicked into high gear:
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Oklahoma is definitely a top program for Bradley and he just had a great visit to Iowa State. Many others will remain involved as well and now a recent offer from LSU could change a whole lot of things moving forward. The Tigers have definitely caught the attention of the four-star defensive end from Platte City (Mo.) Platte County for many reasons mainly because of his relationship with new defensive line coach Jamar Cain, who was recruiting him to the Sooners previously. Watch out for a visit to Baton Rouge here.
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In October, Collins named Alabama, Clemson, Texas A&M, Florida, Texas, Georgia, Auburn and South Carolina as his top eight but the word is things are changing. A source told me “things have changed” and there are “different schools now” with Oklahoma, Oregon and Arkansas joining a new top group for the four-star defensive end from Gardendale, Ala.
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The four-star defensive end from Colleyville (Texas) Covenant Christian Academy is still deciding on his top eight but he’s sure Michigan, Michigan State, Cal and Stanford will make the list. Many have pegged Etta to the Spartans and that could still be the case but it looks like the Texas four-star prospect is working on a top list and then will narrow it down from there.
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The 2024 defensive end from Leeds, Ala., is approaching 20 offers already but his dream school - LSU - has not come through yet. If the Tigers do offer then they could be tough to beat and he’s visiting Baton Rouge on March 5 but as it stands now USC has made the biggest impression on the programs that have offered along with Arkansas, Purdue, Michigan and others.
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Few receivers nationally have had a more impressive offseason during the early big events than Joseph and that means his recruitment could go a number of ways. New Miami coach Mario Cristobal is coming after the Miami (Fla.) Edison standout and other national powers are going to make their move but the word is that Joseph is fully committed to Clemson and not looking around at all. Right now, the Tigers look very strong in keeping the four-star receiver.
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The big-time defensive end from Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep has been committed to Notre Dame since June and has outlasted a coaching staff change - having Marcus Freeman in place might help the Irish even more here - but some visits are possible. Keeley could be at Florida on March 5 and he’s also looking at trips to Ohio State, Georgia and Alabama as well. A trip to South Bend will also be important as the Irish look to hold onto his pledge.
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By the end of summer, the four-star offensive lineman from East St. Louis, Ill., should be ready to make his decision. Many believe Missouri has the slight edge in his recruitment but he’s taken lots of visits with Illinois, Michigan State, Tennessee, Alabama and Auburn in that top list as well. Before any decisions are made, McVay is targeting trips to Oklahoma, USC and Oregon but prior to his senior season, the four-star would like to have something done.
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The thinking right now on Mitchell is that Alabama and Georgia have taken a big lead in his recruitment but the word is it’s not so clear that the Crimson Tide is leading right now. There could be numerous factors at play but Georgia does look to be in good shape and Florida could be making a bigger run after a recent visit to Gainesville. LSU, Texas A&M, Clemson are also among the favorites. Alabama is still there but it’s not clear it’s the top team right now.
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Michigan is still going to play a major role in Moore’s recruitment even after offensive coordinator Josh Gattis left for Miami. With coach Jim Harbaugh coming up, that’s huge for the Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King standout plus his relationship with position coach Matt Weiss should keep Michigan high on the list. Michigan State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Oregon are all in it and after a trip to Miami plus with Gattis there now, the Hurricanes could be a sleeper here.
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There is still a long list of favorites for the four-star defensive end from Trussville (Ala.) Hewitt-Trussville but with nearly 50 offers it is newsworthy that Alabama, Florida, LSU, Clemson, Oregon, USC, Auburn, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Miami and Clemson are the schools standing out most. A recent trip to LSU really stood out getting to know the new coaching staff in Baton Rouge. On March 5, Osborne will be at Clemson and then later in the month the four-star will travel to Florida.
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The feeling might be that even after his decommitment from Texas the Longhorns remain in the driver’s seat for the high four-star from El Campo, Texas and that might be the case but others are making a run. Owens plans to visit Michigan State soon and also see Alabama, USC, Miami, Texas A&M, Georgia, LSU and Texas again before finalizing a decision. Texas is in great shape but big visits are coming.
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Texas was the dream school growing up and the Longhorns could be tough to beat for the four-star defensive end from Cypress (Texas) Cypress Ranch but there are others involved and not just Arkansas and Baylor. Porter is also serious about Arizona State, Michigan State, Ole Miss and Grambling. Still, the feeling is that Texas could be the school for Porter and it might be only a matter of time before he lands in Austin.
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Arizona, Oregon and Tennessee were the three standouts for the three-star running back from San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln but a new offer from USC could flip things upside down. Still, Robinson loves all the NFL experience on Arizona’s staff and a recent visit to Tucson went really well. And then there is Oregon where two of his San Diego Lincoln teammates just signed with the Ducks. USC is a major offer but the other Pac-12 schools look strong as well.
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A recent visit to Miami definitely left a strong impression on the high three-star offensive tackle from Clearwater (Fla.) Clearwater Academy International especially because he loved the new coaching staff and their vision for rebuilding the Hurricanes into “The U” again. But with so much coaching turnover and change at a lot of Simmons’ favorites, he’s taking it very slowly through the recruiting process right now.
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He could be playing coy about this not being a Notre Dame-Ohio State battle right now but the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout is taking trips to Alabama, Georgia and LSU soon and discounting those SEC programs could be foolish. Tate knows the history and success of those programs, especially developing receivers, so the Irish and Buckeyes still might have an edge here but the SEC visits will be important.
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Now with more than 40 offers, things are busy for the five-star defensive end from Tacoma (Wash.) Lincoln but the group that Wayne is focused on mainly remains a little more than a handful. Alabama has definitely caught his attention and he loves the focus and drive of that coaching staff. Georgia, Miami, Oregon, USC, Texas, LSU and Michigan State are the other front-runners.