Rivals recruiting buzz: 10 biggest visits on tap this weekend
June is now one of the biggest and most important months for official visits, and this weekend will be the first in a wild and crazy time on the recruiting trail. Here are 10 visits Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is watching as things pick up in a major way.
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Charles Lester - Alabama
Alabama gets another shot at the No. 1 cornerback in the 2024 class who could also play safety at the next level. While it remains an uphill battle against Florida State, coach Nick Saban could work some magic this weekend with the new Venice, Fla., high four-star. The Seminoles look great here, but Saban coaches the defensive backs and he has a way of getting the guys he wants.
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Mike Matthews - Clemson
There has been a lot of chatter around Tennessee recently, and rightfully so, because the five-star athlete has been enamored with the Volunteers for a long time and they’re absolutely an up-and-comer in the SEC. But this will be Clemson’s shot to convince the Lilburn (Ga.) Parkview two-way standout that he has a big opportunity with the Tigers and he fits their culture. That’s going to be a big selling point to Matthews - that he fits in better at Clemson - and could be a compelling pitch.
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Sammy Brown - Clemson
The No. 1 inside linebacker couldn’t make the Georgia Scavenger Hunt so five-star QB commit Dylan Raiola and a bunch of other top prospects came to him in Jefferson, Ga., two weekends ago. Last weekend, Brown saw Tennessee and had rave reviews about his time in Knoxville. Now, Clemson gets its shot to sell Brown on the culture again - which is a significant draw - and what the high four-star could do in the defense. An avid fisherman, the outdoors feel there certainly won't hurt.
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Jeremiah Smith - Florida
Can Florida flip the five-star receiver away from Ohio State? Can any team? The Gators will get their shot as Smith has visited Gainesville recently and four-star QB commit DJ Lagway is working hard on the South Florida five-star. Still, there are a lot of valid reasons to believe Smith sticks with the Buckeyes, especially if position coach Brian Hartline stays in Columbus. If Smith flips anywhere, Georgia could be a real player.
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David Stone - Florida
When all is said and done, it’s more than possible that the five-star defensive lineman heads back home to play at Oklahoma, but for the time being Florida is getting a real shot to land the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout. After the Sooners, basically every team still has a real shot to be in contention for Stone, and the Gators have stepped up prioritizing the elite D-lineman in recent months.
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Williams Nwaneri - Georgia
The feeling right now in Nwaneri’s recruitment is that Oklahoma looks best - especially since the Sooners have made him a top priority and former high school teammate Cayden Green is playing there - with Tennessee and Missouri rounding out his top three. But the high four-star defensive end with five-star potential is going to Georgia for a reason and coach Kirby Smart is maybe the best closer in recruiting. It will be interesting to see if the Bulldogs shoot higher up Nwaneri’s list after this weekend.
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Justin Scott - Georgia
Miami, Notre Dame and Georgia are the real players for the five-star defensive tackle from Chicago St. Ignatius, and a lot of the recent chatter has centered around the Hurricanes. That absolutely makes sense since Scott has loved his time in Coral Gables and coach Mario Cristobal has made him a top priority. But the pull of staying close to home and family and playing for the Irish is also significant. But no team has developed elite interior defensive linemen better than the Dawgs in recent years, and that will be a consideration as well.
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Demarcus Riddick - Georgia
Rumored to be one of the top linebackers on the boards of Georgia and Alabama, Riddick has been committed to the Bulldogs since November. But there continue to be rumors that the Crimson Tide will not give up on the Clanton (Ala.) Chilton County four-star and it might be having some effect. Riddick has stayed out of the limelight and hasn’t talked much about his recruitment recently, but this visit to Athens could be very important one way or another.
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Elijah Brown - Stanford
Is this the weekend that Stanford locks up one of the only remaining top quarterbacks left on the board? The Cardinal are definitely a major contender for the four-star QB from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei. Getting to Stanford for the weekend to meet with new coach Troy Taylor and - maybe, possibly - finalize things will be something to watch as USC and others remain involved.
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Eddy Pierre-Louis - UCF
It is a massive weekend at UCF not only in quantity but quality as well as coach Gus Malzahn and his staff have a tremendous opportunity to load up with elite players - and Pierre-Louis is one of them. UCF, Oklahoma and Florida are seemingly battling it out right now as the powerful four-star offensive guard from Tampa (Fla.) Catholic is really serious about the program. Landing him would be another major steal for the Knights as Pierre-Louis has five-star potential.