Rivals recruiting buzz: Ten most intriguing visits this weekend
The final visit weekend before National Signing Day on Wednesday is upon us. Here is a look at some of the biggest trips coming up and what that could mean leading into next week:
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JORDAN ANDERSON - Oregon State
The four-star receiver from Newport Beach (Calif.) Newport Harbor committed to Oregon last December and his pledge lasted nearly a year but Anderson and the Ducks parted ways in recent days and now Anderson is looking for a new home.
The new Oregon State staff jumped in and convinced the four-star to visit and while some other visits may happen, this could be a major steal for the Beavers since Anderson caught 77 passes for 995 yards and nine scores this season.
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KJ BOLDEN - Florida State
Is this when the five-star safety from Buford, Ga., finally wraps everything up? There has been some serious flirting with Auburn in recent months and coach Hugh Freeze has made numerous trips to see Bolden along with coach Kirby Smart and others from Georgia but getting Bolden back in Tallahassee could be great news.
Through it all, coach Mike Norvell and his staff have diligently stayed on Bolden, who’s been committed to Florida State since the summer, and this could be the final step. Or not.
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AARON BUTLER - Arizona
After skipping half of his senior season to prepare to play for coach Deion Sanders at Colorado, Butler made the move in recent days of backing away from his pledge to the Buffaloes.
The talented four-star receiver from Calabasas, Calif., is now looking for a new home and is expected at Arizona this weekend. It would be another huge steal for coach Jedd Fisch and his staff who are loading up on offense like crazy.
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XAVIER FILSAIME - Texas
This weekend could determine everything. The four-star safety from McKinney, Texas, has been committed to Florida since mid-April but Texas has never stopped recruiting him and really stepped it up in recent weeks.
Florida has a new secondary coach in Will Harris that Filsaime has hit it off with but the Longhorns are going to the College Football Playoff and doing a phenomenal job recruiting. After a few days in Austin, we’ll see where things stand.
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JORDAN LYLE - Miami
Could Miami flip a South Florida running back from Ohio State for two years in a row? Last recruiting cycle it was Mark Fletcher and he ended up with more than 500 rushing yards and five touchdowns in his freshman season.
Now Lyle will be back in Coral Gables over the weekend and while Lyle remains committed to Ohio State, the Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas has made it no secret he’s seriously interested in the Hurricanes.
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LT OVERTON - Alabama
The former five-star defensive end from Milton, Ga., has not exactly lived up to expectations at Texas A&M but now he’s looking for a fresh start and it’s still expected he will end up in the SEC.
South Carolina had him on campus recently and now Alabama will have its chance to load up with a transfer prospect who has tons of talent but still needs to prove it on the field.
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DYLAN RAIOLA - Nebraska
This is the biggest visit of the weekend – maybe the biggest of the entire recruiting cycle. That might sound a little hyperbolic but it’s really not since the five-star quarterback and No. 2 prospect in the entire 2024 class remains committed to Georgia but all signs are pointing to a flip to Nebraska.
He could immediately start and revitalize the Huskers’ offense – and who knows who would want to come play with him. This is a huge weekend in Lincoln.
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KEVIN RILEY - Alabama
Riley has been committed to Miami since June and the Hurricanes could still keep him locked up but reality might be setting in, too: Alabama wants him in this class and Riley lives literally just a few minutes from campus as the four-star from Northport (Ala.) Tuscaloosa County will visit with the Crimson Tide this weekend.
If Miami can keep him (especially watch what plays out with Lyle as well) that would be huge but there could be a lot of running back movement in these final days.
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JOEY SLACKMAN - Auburn
A visit to Michigan was in the works but now Slackman will be at Auburn and that’s a huge win for coach Hugh Freeze and his staff. Locking up the Penn defensive lineman transfer would be even bigger.
Florida, Wisconsin and others are involved with Slackman, who had 49 tackles and 4.5 sacks this season but could be in line for an even bigger breakout season.
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DARRIS SMITH - Missouri
Smith did not work out at Georgia as other elite players landed jobs at linebacker but that doesn’t mean he still isn’t a high-end player with great athleticism and length who would be coveted by nearly every other team in the country.
The former four-star will be at Missouri this weekend and is just one of many transfers on the road finding new homes. For the four-star from Baxley (Ga.) Appling County, it didn’t work in Athens. It could in Columbia.