Three-Point Stance: TCU's potential, Notre Dame, LSU's headstart
Rivals national recruiting analyst Nick Harris takes a look at TCU's potential finish on the recruiting trail, the concern level for Notre Dame's recruiting efforts in Texas and LSU's potential in the 2024 class.
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STING FACTOR: Wesley Watson flips from Colorado to Kansas State
CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals100
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WATCH OUT FOR TCU ON THE TRAIL
TCU's 8-0 start to the season has left almost everybody, even some in the TCU locker room, stunned as we enter the latter stages of the season. The early success under Sonny Dykes has helped vault the Horned Frogs into the top 10 of the College Football Playoff rankings while also assisting the Frogs' efforts in some major recruitments.
TCU landed its second four-star prospect in the 2023 class this week when Red Oak (Texas) safety Warren Roberson committed to the Frogs on Monday, and it'd be safe to bet that he won't be the last four-star or higher prospect to pledge to TCU.
The Horned Frogs are working behind the scenes to flip four-star wide receiver Braylon James from Notre Dame and four-star running back Rueben Owens II from Louisville ahead of National Signing Day. As for a flip that could already be in motion, four-star athlete Randon Fontenette decommitted from Utah on Thursday amid a big push from TCU. Additionally, Temple (Texas) four-star wide receiver Mikal Harrison-Pilot is trending toward the Frogs with Texas, Cal and Houston pushing.
We've talked a lot about TCU's potential down the stretch ahead of signing day, and that potential is starting to manifest. I know the saying goes "don't look now"', but maybe go ahead and look now before you look up and see TCU threatening for its highest-ranked class in program history.
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MIGHT BE PANIC TIME FOR NOTRE DAME IN TEXAS
We already talked about the rumors around four-star Notre Dame wide receiver commit Braylon James in the previous section, but to re-emphasize, there are rumors with all but one of the Lone Star State commits for the Fighting Irish down the stretch.
The class is headlined in part by four-star safety Peyton Bowen who will almost certainly have one of the bigger rankings rises next month when that time comes around, but can Notre Dame do anything to hold onto his pledge? Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Alabama have all been pushing hard, and there is a level of expectation around DFW that Bowen will flip, the only question that remains is where.
Texas has missed out on a few wide receiver targets and circled back on four-star wide receiver Jaden Greathouse despite his pledge to Notre Dame in the summer. Of the three potential flips listed here, I'd put Greathouse third in terms of likelihood, but he's on the list.
What are some causes for this? I see it as circumstantial because of potential factors that want to keep these guys close to home in Texas, but it is something to watch in future classes as Notre Dame looks to cement its placement in the vast recruiting landscape in the Lone Star State.
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LSU WILL CHALLENGE FOR THE NO. 1 CLASS IN 2024
LSU got off to a hot start in the 2024 cycle this past summer when the Tigers landed four commitments in just a little over a month from solid prospects across the country.
It began when four-star safety Maurice Williams II committed to LSU while on campus for a camp visit, and he was shortly followed by three-star tackling machine linebacker Xavier Atkins, four-star athlete Joseph Stone Jr. and four-star tight end Tayvion Galloway.
That momentum in the current junior class has carried over into the season with an additional commitment from four-star defensive back Zion Ferguson in September, and that momentum could power on soon.