Sunshine State Rumor Mill: Spring camp circuit underway
ORLANDO -- Rivals has been out and about as the spring camp circuit has begun, especially in the state of Florida. That has led to a lot of news coming out of the Sunshine State so it's time for another rumor mill for the 2025 and 2026 classes.
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Thomas remains firm in his early commitment to Florida State, citing his consistent communication with Alex Atkins and the rest of the staff. However, programs like Florida, Miami, Georgia and many others continue to press for time with the four-star offensive lineman. He will consider official visits to Tallahassee and other campuses in the coming months.
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The elite safety recruit is eyeing a preseason verbal commitment and several programs close to home are in the mix, perhaps led by Florida. Of the Gators, Stubbs admits he nearly jumped on board during his last trip to Gainesville because of the prioritization from Billy Napier’s staff. USC, he says, covets him similarly and a return to Los Angeles for an official visit is likely. Georgia, Alabama, Florida State and Penn State are also among those in the mix come official visit season.
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The well-traveled wideout could be closing in on a decision timeline, with many SEC and ACC programs in the mix at this stage of the game. Miami, Florida and Florida State have his attention and Tennessee and Auburn have also impressed. With family throughout the state, this close battle could still sway in one direction or the other when all is said and done.
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The lengthy tackle talent recently took in Clemson and Matt Luke’s reputation combined with the culture in Death Valley has his attention. Miami and Florida State are also among those heavily involved at this time, but so many new offers have come in that could lead to an expanded base of consideration, as well.
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The two-way talent has the attention of plenty of programs, but two in-state powers are building buzz with the versatile prospect. Of course his family ties to Gainesville and to the program itself have Florida in rock solid shape, but Miami could be emerging as the primary contender after multiple trips to Coral Gables recently. Florida State is still in the thick of it, too, in what is shaping up to be a classic Sunshine State battle. A decision could be made prior to the season kicking off.
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The Florida Gator commitment is another early pledge off the board that will be contested. While all is well with the staff in Gainesville, Florida State, Georgia and Miami – among others – are still in the mix. When it comes to official visits, though, it could be the Stanford Cardinal that kicks off the slate for Wiggins as he has yet to visit the Palo Alto campus.
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The UCF commitment is healthy and programs have circled back on him on the trail, with Georgia perhaps presenting as the top challenger to the local Knights. A trip to Athens is in the works for the end of March and it will be worth tracking, at a minimum. Auburn, Miami and others have also continued to communicate with the versatile back.
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Miami got Williams on the commitment list early on after an unofficial visit to Coral Gables. The connection with Mario Cristobal’s program will be tough to get him off of, but several programs are continuing to push including Florida State, Maryland and Houston in addition to planning return trips to The U.
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Sporting an Auburn backpack recently, the Tigers have the attention of the big pass-catcher, among others. Florida has flirted with him, though no offer has come through just yet. It means Kentucky, Wake Forest and USF could benefit from some premier programs passing on the versatile junior.
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The longtime Oregon commitment continues to hear from other programs despite the status with the Ducks. Miami, UCF and others are hoping to continue to get more trips out of Thompson, but it’s the semi-local Knights who could be worth watching closest in terms of potential flip candidates.
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A fast-riser out of the Florida Panhandle, McCloud made an early commitment to Mississippi State to join his 2024 teammate Josaiah Knight in Starkville. Since, the offers have not slowed down and the program to keep an eye on is also relatively close to home in LSU. The Tigers new defensive line coach Bo Davis is pushing for visits, as are Georgia, Tennessee and Miami.
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The Tampa native is trending up as an interior offensive line prospect and more programs are taking notice. Clemson has hosted him as much as anybody and has his attention accordingly, but programs like UCF, Miami and Purdue have also prioritized Blanchard ahead of the official visit season. A commitment is likely to come down before the 2024 season kicks off.
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An early combination of Power Four and Group of Five offers are in for Johnson, but the newer programs in communication could go a long way in this recruitment if the talk turns into offers. Penn State and Syracuse are among those keeping tabs on the lengthy wideout from the Tampa area.
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Keep an eye out for Florida if the offer comes in for the two-way talent, who most are beginning to project at linebacker due to his ability to play in space. In the meantime, Ole Miss, Iowa and USF are the programs that have his attention. Dean's goal is to come off the board this offseason if at all possible.
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Already in with offers from UCF, FAU and Charlotte, more programs are beginning to up communication with the versatile talent, including Duke and UCF, among others. There is no rush to make a decision at this time.
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The crafty cornerback recruit is close to double-digit offers but he may not be on the board very much longer. He is zeroing in on a top group of UCF, Tulane and Liberty. He’ll trip to each of them in the next two months to try to narrow the process further ahead of what is likely a spring verbal commitment.
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More than a dozen programs are in on the Floridian at this time, adding to the list of late through the contact period. Among them, Cincinnati, Iowa State, Minnesota, Purdue and Georgia Tech are holding his attention. Looking like a lean to leave the state, trips to most of the contenders could go down in the coming months and an early decision becomes that much more likely.
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The towering sophomore is high on the football and non-football aspects in big cities surrounding campuses like Miami and UCF, but Florida State and Ohio State also have the Orlando-area star’s attention early on. Smith doesn’t envision making a commitment prior to his junior season in the fall as he wants to hit the visit trail harder in the coming months. If he does, Oregon and USC are on the dream itinerary.
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The next step for the young blue-chipper is naming top schools, a tougher task considering all the new programs in the mix for him. Florida offered in mid-January and will have some staying power for the Orlando-area native, who has been to many campuses of late. Notre Dame, Miami, Oklahoma also appear to be among those in good position early on for the productive passer.
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Oklahoma recently offered the young passer and to say the Sooners have his attention would be an understatement. Expect a visit to Norman as soon as possible, and it could potentially go a long way. Many other programs are entering the picture after a breakout sophomore season, so the timeline for Coleman will become its own storyline.
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Another 2026 in Florida who is racking up offers at the game’s most important position, Hart is looking to again hit the road for closer looks at several stops. That list includes LSU, Miami, Notre Dame and Ole Miss, the most recent program to jump into the race for the Cocoa High School standout. An early decision would be a bit of a surprise here.
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The emerging quarterback recruit holds double-digit offers as his recruitment gets going. Arkansas and Miami have gotten him on campus but he is planning to expand his experiences at Ole Miss and Virginia Tech as soon as he can.
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Nearly 20 programs are in on the pass-rusher as of the New Year and the communication is picking up with several. Oklahoma, Duke and UCF are building early relationships with the sophomore, and he’s already taken time to visit Norman in particular. Duke’s new staff has done a good job sharing its message and the hometown program continues to show consistency with his status.