Rivals Most Wanted: Melton, Taylor Wynn
Each week, Rivals.com looks at three players who saw their offer list lengthen considerably over a seven-day stretch. This week's group includes two 2017 risers and a 2018 defensive end with family ties to last season's national runner-up.
This week’s offers: Oregon, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, Illinois, Navy
Status report: Melton is not new on the recruiting landscape as he already had several impressive offers before adding five more over the last week. However, his offer from Oregon is one that could have ramifications down the line. Melton has claimed Oregon as his “dream school”, so it is likely that the Ducks will be a contender till the end. Two other programs to keep an eye on are in-state Rutgers, where both of his parents attended and played sports at, and Michigan, which is now the home of his former teammate Ahmir Mitchell. Look for these three schools to make Melton’s favorite list, which he is looking to announce in April.
In his words: “I'm just blessed to have the opportunity to receive all of these offers. It's really a blessing. I wanted to have a stellar year this year and I trained my body to outwork my opponents and I guess it worked out well.”
Visit plans: Melton’s most recent visit was a return to Rutgers, while next on his agenda are visits to Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State on March 28-29. After that, he is looking into taking trips to Oregon, Ohio State, Penn State, Nebraska and Pittsburgh.
This week’s offers: Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Auburn
Status report: Over the last two weeks, Taylor has become a household name with recruiting fans. With numerous top-level offers from many of the elite programs in the country, Taylor is still somewhat overwhelmed by all of the recent recruiting success. Because of this, he has no timeline for a final decision and does not claim any favorites. He mentioned he grew up a fan of Georgia and Alabama.
In his words: “The two weeks have been very shocking. I have never been known like this and now whenever I go somewhere, people ask me if I'm the linebacker from Lanier that blew up and I think it's always kinda funny. But so far it has been an amazing experience.”
Visit plans: Taylor attended the recent Tennessee junior day and next will be at Georgia for their first day of spring practice. He also plans to attend the Auburn spring game, hopes to make first-time visits to Oklahoma and Michigan State, and then return trips to Tennessee, Kentucky and Wake Forest.
This week’s offers: North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Clemson, Michigan State
Status report: Wynn, who was always seen as a recruit who possessed a great deal of potential, had zero offers until a little over a week ago. South Carolina was actually the first one to pull the trigger, which was quickly followed by five additional impressive offers. Notable was the Clemson offer, which has special meaning to Wynn. Both of his parents attended the school, plus he mentioned that Clemson has been “my favorite school since I was a little boy”. He was quick to point out that neither of these issues would be a deciding factor for him, but it’s likely that the Tigers will be a major player for Wynn throughout his process.
In his words: “It’s a great feeling. It helped me realize that hard work does pay off.”
Visit plans: Up next for Wynn is a visit to South Carolina on March 19. He does not have any other visits scheduled, but he will visit North Carolina and Tennessee when the opportunity arises. When it comes to camps, he is unsure of any school events, but he plans to attend the Rivals Camp Series in Charlotte.