Rivals recruiting buzz: Ten visits to watch this weekend
Let’s be honest: This isn’t the best weekend of games across the country but there are still important visits to watch. Here are 10 of them.
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Bear Bachmeier to Stanford
The rumor was Bachmeier was seriously considering a commitment to Notre Dame during a visit earlier this season but the Irish took Deuce Knight instead. That opens up a big opportunity for Stanford, since it already has his brother, Tiger, on the roster. The 2025 four-star from Murrieta (Calif.) Murrieta Valley likes the new coaching staff and how the offense runs, and he’d be a major spark to an offense that has struggled in coach Troy Taylor’s first season.
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Cam Coleman to Texas A&M
The high four-star receiver (who will be considered for five-star status during rankings meetings in November) has been committed to Texas A&M since July. So why is this visit so important? Because Auburn is trying everything to flip the Phenix City (Ala.) Central standout, and coach Hugh Freeze is making him a top priority. Getting back to College Station as coach Jimbo Fisher’s seat heats up will be important for the elite pass-catcher.
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Kylan Fox to Georgia Tech
The four-star tight end has been committed to UCF since July 4, but Auburn and Georgia Tech have emerged as threats to flip Fox in recent weeks. The Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout is open to listening, since he was at Auburn a couple weeks ago and now he’s going to take a much closer look at the hometown team.
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Jericho Johnson to Utah
The feeling in Johnson’s recruitment for months is that this is shaping up to be a battle between Oregon and Washington, so this Utah visit is really interesting. The Northern California four-star defensive tackle could fall in love with what defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley is doing on defense, and the grit and toughness up front fits Johnson’s style. The Utes could be a surprise here.
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Nasir Johnson to Florida
Florida landed Johnson’s commitment in June but ever since then Georgia has been working to flip the four-star defensive tackle from Dublin, Ga., and Johnson hasn’t exactly turned down the Bulldogs’ overtures. Getting to see both teams in person on a neutral field could be a little double-dipping and an opportunity for Johnson to see where he fits best in the coming years.
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KJ Lacey to Texas
He’s been to Alabama recently. He’s been to Auburn recently. So it’s important for Texas and coach Steve Sarkisian to get the 2025 four-star quarterback from Saraland, Ala., back in Austin to see why he committed to the Longhorns in the first place. Despite other visits, there doesn’t seem to be a ton of wiggle room in Lacey’s recruitment, so a flip isn’t expected. Nonetheless, having Lacey around the program can only help Texas.
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Nicholas Marsh to Georgia Tech
He committed to Michigan State only to back off that pledge and then recommit to the Spartans. But the turmoil around the coaching situation in East Lansing has caused the four-star receiver from River Rouge, Mich., to once again consider other options, and Georgia Tech has convinced him to visit this weekend. The Yellow Jackets could pull him away, but Colorado might be the team to watch if Marsh decides to flip.
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Drelon Miller to Ole Miss
The feeling is that after his Texas A&M decommitment, Miller is destined to sign with LSU, but Colorado is trying to make a run at him and some believe the four-star receiver from Silsbee, Texas, is doing a little reset on his entire recruitment. Enter Ole Miss, which is averaging nearly 40 points per game and is 6-1, with its only loss coming to Alabama. The Rebels have some ground to make up here, but a big showing against Vanderbilt could be a good start.
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Deion Smith to Ole Miss
Smith is one of the best JUCO receivers in the nation, and he has caught 27 passes for 678 yards and seven touchdowns this season at Goodman (Miss.) Holmes CC. He will be at Ole Miss this weekend and he could be a massive addition to the receiving corps since he’s been so productive in junior college. Mississippi State, Utah, Purdue and others are involved, but the Rebels have to like their chances.
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Douglas Utu to Utah
The 2025 five-star offensive lineman from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman stays pretty hush-hush about his recruitment and which teams have really made the biggest impression, although we know he has liked USC and Oklahoma a lot early on. Utah could intrigue him greatly as well. It's a place that players don’t talk a lot about, but the Utes just accomplish a ton and use their physical nature to push people around. That fits Utu well, plus he’ll be joined in Salt Lake by at least one offensive line teammate in Alai Kalaniuvalu.