Rivals Rivalry Week: Head-to-head recruiting showdowns

This weekend’s slate of rivalry games also features teams that are battling it out on the recruiting trail. Here is a look at 10 of those rivalry games and a prospect that could come down to the schools battling it out this weekend (all times Eastern).

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Rivalry game: Nebraska at Iowa, Friday, 3:30 p.m.

Breakdown: Nebraska and Iowa is an emerging rivalry that has blossomed since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten in 2011. The two programs have also found themselves to be natural rivals on the recruiting trail as well. More and more of those battles are playing out in the state of Missouri. Both teams were in early on Rivals100 2018 defensive tackle Trevor Trout and he has already said the Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers have emerged as top contenders for his service. - Rivals.com Midwest recruiting analyst Josh Helmholdt

Rivalry game: Arizona State at Arizona, Friday, 9:30 p.m.

Breakdown: One of the fastest rising players in the state of Arizona is Scottsdale Saguaro offensive lineman Jax Wacaser and his recruitment could definitely come down to the in-state schools. The Sun Devils haven't offered yet, but it could only be a matter of time, especially since three of his Saguaro teammates are committed there. Arizona has the advantage now if he plans to stay in-state, but if ASU comes through with a late offer then watch out because he could follow his Saguaro buddies to Tempe. Offers are coming in left and right for Wacaser, so it would be no surprise if Arizona State comes soon. - Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Adam Gorney

Rivalry game: Michigan at Ohio State, Saturday, noon

Breakdown: Five-star linebacker Baron Browning seems to have been leaning Ohio State for some time, but he's taken an official visit to Michigan already as well. He'll get the chance to see both in action just one more time in Columbus just days before he plans to commit on Nov. 29. Several other top programs are still involved in his recruitment, but watching the Wolverines' powerhouse defense square-off against a linebacker factory like Ohio State is sure to impact his final decision. - Rivals.com Texas recruiting analyst Nick Krueger

Rivalry game: Georgia Tech at Georgia, Saturday, noon

Breakdown: Despite their fanbases hatred for one another and the relative close proximity of the two campuses, it's not often the Jackets and the Dawgs run into each other on the recruiting trail. But this year, Warner appears to be in the middle of a tug-of-war between the programs. Warner was thought to be an early lean to Georgia Tech, with academics playing a major role for both he and his family. However, with Georgia turning up the heat and offering a quick path to the field, the Bulldogs have become a more realistic possibility as Warner's recruitment as dragged on. This weekend's game won't make or break either team's chances but a win certainly wouldn't hurt either school. - Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Woody Wommack

Rivalry game: Virginia at Virginia Tech, Saturday, noon

Breakdown: The annual rivalry game between Virginia and Virginia Tech could have a direct impact on two in-state offensive linemen. The first is Rivals250 prospect Mekhi Becton. He has seen plenty of both schools but seems to be in Charlottesville more than Blacksburg. Michigan is also in the picture with Becton. Three-star Tyran Hunt has the Cavaliers and Hokies near the top of his recruitment along with schools like Maryland, Syracuse, and N.C. State. - Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic recruiting analyst Adam Friedman

Rivalry game: Auburn at Alabama, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Breakdown: Ruggs seems like a hard Alabama lean. And while he’s considering Florida and others, the only school truly able to push the Crimson Tide here is Auburn. It’s rare that a top-flight prospect escapes the state, so the fact that the Tigers and Tide are the two major players here should shock nobody. Alabama holds the edge, but Ruggs continues to listen to Auburn’s pitches and certainly sees the allure. – Rivals.com Southeast recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy

Rivalry game: Notre Dame at USC, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Breakdown: It is incredibly early in the recruitment of 2019 quarterback JT Daniels but USC and Notre Dame, along with Stanford, could be some early front-runners for the Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei standout. It is almost certainly going to happen that Daniels will continue to add offers from major programs especially as he's thrown for 4,272 yards with 63 touchdowns and two interceptions with the playoffs still going but he's shown a high level of interest in Notre Dame so far. USC could also become really interesting because it was the home of former Mater Dei star quarterback Matt Barkley and many other Mater Dei recruits. -Gorney

Rivalry game: Mississippi State at Ole Miss, Saturday, 3:30 p.m.

Breakdown: Gay was once committed to Ole Miss but somewhat recently backed away from that pledge. He is looking at other schools in addition to the Rebels and the Bulldogs, but none seems like a massive threat to snatch him out of the state at this juncture. It will likely be Ole Miss and Mississippi State in the end with the Bulldogs currently holding an advantage. Michigan is the wildcard in Gay’s recruitment, as the star linebacker backed off his Ole Miss pledge following a trip to Ann Arbor. - Cassidy

Rivalry game: South Carolina at Clemson, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.

Breakdown: With most of the state's top prospects in the Class of 2017 already wrapped up, the biggest recruiting battle between these two rivals is already taking place in the Class of 2018. Five-star defensive end Xavier Thomas is at the top of both school's lists and might be the state's best defensive prospect since former No. 1 overall prospect Jadeveon Clowney. Thomas has taken multiple visits to both schools, including most recently to Columbia to see the Gamecocks victory on Saturday. But Clemson has been recruiting at an elite level over the past few years and as a regular in the national championship conversation will have plenty to pitch Thomas as well. With the way things are going, this could be a battle that is still be waged by the time the 2017 iteration of this rivalry is played. -Wommack

Rivalry game: Florida at Florida State, Saturday, 8 p.m.

Breakdown: This may seem like an odd recruiting battle with Peoples-Jones hailing from Detroit, but there just are not the in-state recruiting battles coming down the stretch in 2017 like we are used to seeing from the Gators and Seminoles. Peoples-Jones has both programs in his top five. Expectations are he likely lands in the Big Ten, but if the five-star receiver decides he needs to get away from his home region, then the Sunshine State schools would be his final two options. - Helmholdt