Recruiting Rumor Mill: Reactions roll in from big visits
It was another busy weekend of news and rumors as Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney has you covered in this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill:
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The four-star defensive end from Birmingham (Ala.) Parker has been committed to Alabama since May but after an “amazing” visit to Auburn for the Georgia game recently, the word is that Beaman is now “considering” the Tigers much more in his recruitment. The Birmingham Parker standout recently visited Colorado as well so the Crimson Tide will have some work to keep him in the class.
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There are some that feel highly confident in Georgia as Breland is less than a week before he makes his commitment on Sunday but there is now a lot of talk about Oregon around his recruitment - and Ducks coach Dan Lanning was at his game on Friday night. Miami is also in this because of Breland’s relationship with the coaches there. No final decision has been made yet so Georgia is not a complete lock here yet.
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The four-star offensive lineman from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei has been committed to Auburn since early September and his father’s side of the family is from Birmingham so there are connections to the area. But Carter recently visited Texas where his offensive line mate Brandon Baker is already committed and Longhorns position coach Kyle Flood is recruiting Carter hard as well. The four-star is committed to the Tigers “at the moment” but Texas isn’t giving up.
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Many of the same programs that have been involved for a long time - Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Ohio State - remain very much under consideration for the 2025 five-star but there are some new ones to watch as well. After a great visit to Colorado, that’s a program to watch and now Tennessee is “coming really hard” in recent weeks. The Longhorns might have an edge but it’s nowhere near decision time yet.
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Dixon-Wyatt could be the next big-time receiver at powerhouse Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei and a top list of programs is already emerging. There have been rumors about Georgia being a top team especially since the 2026 standout likes to model his game after George Pickens but the rumor now is that Texas is definitely a team to watch. Colorado, Ohio State, Oregon and Miami would be the others standing out now.
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Auburn, Florida State, Vanderbilt, NC State and Clemson are the five programs that have caught the early attention of the 2026 offensive lineman from Cartersville (Ga.) Cass. The Tigers could be of particular interest at this point after a recent visit there where he thought the atmosphere for the Georgia game was “absolutely unreal” and the coaches have shown him tons of attention.
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Virginia Tech could be the team to watch in Heyward’s recruitment as the Hokies have definitely emerged for the three-star receiver from Oak Ridge, Tenn., for numerous reasons. Heyward loved the atmosphere during a recent game - calling it “extreme” - plus Virginia Tech’s offense is taking multiple shots downfield which appeals to him. Missouri, Vanderbilt, Marshall and Colorado State are the others to watch.
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Duke could be tough to beat for Johnson-Kelley especially after a recent trip to Durham but Kansas and Wake Forest have caught his attention as well. The 2025 three-star defensive end from Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee loved the energy from the Blue Devils coaching staff and the turnaround story there so Duke is one to watch along with the other two.
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A top eight of Clemson, LSU, NC State, Auburn, Tennessee, North Carolina, UCF and Kentucky was released Friday by the 2025 defensive back from Milton, Ga., but an even smaller list might be emerging. The chatter is that Tennessee remains very high on his list and that LSU, North Carolina, NC State and Clemson are the strongest. A recent visit to Clemson went well and the Tigers could be emerging but the Vols have the edge.
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As the Michigan State coaching situation unfolds, the four-star Michigan State receiver commit was at Colorado two weekends ago and many other schools are trying to get him on campus as well. Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern, Missouri, Wisconsin and UCLA are all trying to get him to visit but nothing has been finalized yet.
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The four-star receiver from St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers committed to Ohio State in August but like others McClellan is taking visits in case position coach Brian Hartline leaves or something else changes. He was at Oregon recently and loved it and now Missouri is back involved as he was at the thriller against LSU over the weekend. The message from coach Eli Drinkwitz was that the Tigers would not stop recruiting him until the end and McClellan “loved everything about” his trip to Columbia where he spent time with five-star Ryan Wingo and others.
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Even though he lives about 30 miles away and a recent visit to Duke went really well, the 2026 four-star offensive tackle from Garner (N.C.) South Garner has other schools on top. Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Clemson and Maryland remain his top programs but the Blue Devils have excited him in recent weeks.
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A great trip to Louisville over the weekend could definitely propel the Cardinals higher up his list but the 2025 four-star quarterback from Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab is also hearing heavily from Florida State, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. If LSU offered Picarella then he could be an instant-commit to the Tigers but the other schools have paid more attention so far.
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Texas A&M defensive coordinator/linebackers coach DJ Durkin is pursuing Riggins hard and the message at Saturday’s game was that the 2025 four-star linebacker could be making plays in the backfield like the Aggies’ linebacker. The Forney, Texas standout loved the crowd and the atmosphere and it was one of the best game-day environments he’s seen. Durkin is pursuing hard and the Aggies are right there but Georgia, Tennessee, Baylor and Ohio State are talking a lot as well.
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Oklahoma might have a slight edge in Sellers’ recruitment and it wasn’t necessarily off of Saturday’s win over Texas as the 2025 four-star cornerback from Pearland (Texas) Shadow Creek thinks both teams could be in the College Football Playoff. The Longhorns and the Sooners stand out most in Sellers’ recruitment but Oklahoma could have a sliver of an advantage at this point.
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LSU and Texas A&M are the two clear front-runners for the 2025 four-star running back from Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist Academy and despite the Aggies’ loss to Alabama on Saturday, Simon absolutely loved the environment in College Station. The message Simon received after the game was that the A&M coaches believed they were the better team and should’ve won. LSU probably has the edge for Simon but the Agies are right there.
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The chatter is that Miami is “100 percent” out of it for the five-star receiver from Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade Madonna and Saturday’s epic meltdown late can’t help the Hurricanes. Ohio State still has Smith locked in but a whole lot will be impacted if position coach Brian Hartline stays in Columbus or becomes a head coach somewhere and how the Buckeyes finish down the stretch. Florida State would be the team lurking the most.
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There have been others mentioned throughout Wormley’s recruitment but the word is that this is basically a Texas-Oklahoma battle and Saturday’s big Sooners win didn’t necessarily sway Wormley one way or another. The Southlake (Texas) Carroll standout thought both teams showed out, he loved the energy on both sides and the Sooners’ win was definitely noticeable but might not change anything in terms of a favorite.