TAMPA, Fla. -- The first day of the Overtime OT7 Finals was about outside-the-box competition, and it resulted in a variety of prospects showing up to participate in everything from a relay race to tug of war before the actual 7-on-7 game broke out between the 2025 and 2026 classes.
MORE: Rivals250 2026 QB Dereon Coleman talks top eight contenders
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Ohio State got the first official visit from the multi-phase prospect and set a strong bar for the rest of his top four. The Buckeyes have been at or near the top of his list for some time and they should have staying power as a primary contender going forward.
The in-state contenders, Florida, Florida State and Miami, get the rest of the official visits for the Floridian and the in-state pull won't be easy to avoid for the rest of the month. A verbal commitment could come as early as July for one of the nation's most coveted recruits, so the trio of semi-local trips will be key.
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Georgia kicked off the meteoric rise Cooper has been on in recruiting with an early offer and it paid off Thursday with a commitment from the four-star standout. The Bulldogs beat out challenges from Ohio State to Alabama and even local Miami for Cooper's pledge.
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The massive two-sport star says he last checked in at 6-foot-7, 250 pounds and it will lead to a career with football paired with basketball in college if it's up to him. Most of the programs on his mind at the moment, like Penn State, Florida State, North Carolina and Oregon, are open to him working both sports within their recruiting pitches. Only the in-state Tar Heels haven't offered on the basketball front, and Harrison says it's the only scholarship he is waiting on at this time in his recruitment. Harrison expects to take plenty of time to take the next step in the recruiting process.
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Houston picked up the surprise commitment from the local athlete and the plan is for him to play quarterback for the Cougars. Henderson prefers the position despite legitimate athletic skill at wide receiver and/or defensive back and he is willing to "bet" on himself with the new staff at Houston. Many programs remain in contact with so much time remaining for the 2026 talent, including Oregon, Baylor, SMU and others, but he couldn't be happier to be able to continue his career locally.
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The five-star Buckeye pledge continues to remain solidly committed to the program, but he is also considering taking visits to other programs. Henry mentioned LSU, Oregon and Texas as potential destinations he would like to get to at some point in the summer, along with a return to Columbus. The NFL legacy recruit doesn't consider his commitment to be soft for Ryan Day's program, he considers the trips to be part of the "business" of the recruiting process.
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Before leading the 2025 class all-star team to a win over their 2026 counterparts Thursday night, Jones said all the right things about Florida State and was joking with top Seminole target Vernell Brown III about coming to Tallahassee. There's little doubt Jones' commitment will be easy for any program to disrupt, but the Florida Gators are not slowing down in their push. Jones has been hosted by Billy Napier's program relatively recently, so it's much more than a shot in the dark from the UF perspective.
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The Notre Dame commitment is recruiting for Marcus Freeman's program, he was just back in South Bend to throw for the entire staff and hasn't revealed plans to be anywhere else. That said, Knight admits Lane Kiffin and in-state Ole Miss will not go away in this recruitment. Beyond the local angle, the Rebels are selling the SEC and the trajectory of the offense and program under Kiffin.
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The Texas A&M commitment says the Mike Elko impact, back when he was an assistant at Texas A&M, played a huge part in him rolling with the Aggies despite interest from many elite programs. The four-star says his recruitment is shut down at this time, though programs have attempted to maintain communication with him. Rink refers to College Station as "home" and already has his eyes on his positional projection and the depth chart on the defensive front.
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The Ohio State commitment was solid when he picked the program back in January, but his pledge has since grown stronger following a return to Columbus for the spring game. It's to the point where Sanchez doesn't expect any additional programs to push for his commitment and he won't be initiating contact with any on his end. The only trip on his schedule is the official visit to Columbus later this month.
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The USC commitment was back in Los Angeles to kick off his official visits and the Trojans have to feel as strong as they have relative to holding onto the elite safety. Stubbs isn't done taking trips, however, with plans to get back to in-state programs Miami and Florida this offseason. The Gators were once considered the leader in this recruitment, per the blue-chipper himself, so the time in Gainesville is always worth keeping an eye on.
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In town for the all-star event, Watkins came bearing news of his transfer to Venice (Fla.) High School. He won't be in the Tampa area for long, though, as he'll begin an official visit with Ole Miss and Lane Kiffin on Friday before flying back to Tampa to compete in the OT7 Finals on championship Sunday. The Rebels hosted Watkins for an unofficial visit earlier this spring and have surged near the top of his recruitment since, projecting him similar to former Rebel Elijah Moore in their pitch. Ohio State is the other program commanding his attention at the moment.
