The Early Signing Period is coming and with it are always incredible rumors and lots of movement in the Rivals250. This year could be particularly crazy with the transfer portal ramping up and NIL dollars being thrown around all over the place.
In today’s Tuesdays with Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney breaks down what he’s hearing among the five-star prospects and offers some insight as well:
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At the top there is nothing new with Manning. He’s having a great senior season, proving some naysayers wrong and the New Orleans (La.) Isidore Newman prospect could definitely make an argument to keep that No. 1 ranking.
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Where it gets interesting is at No. 2 with Moore as there are some significant Michigan State rumblings. The Oregon commit from Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King did not respond to a question about the validity of those reports - maybe he’s busy, maybe he doesn’t want to say much - but some are still skeptical that the Spartans have a real shot here.
Some of this could also be cover if Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham takes another job, most likely it would be Arizona State, since Dillingham and Moore have been close for years.
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Arguably the biggest surprise so far in this recruiting class was when McClain picked Miami over especially Florida but also Alabama. According to a source, as of that afternoon, the Gators were still relatively confident that they were getting the Lakeland, Fla., standout but then he put the Miami hat on. A lot of credit goes to Miami assistant DeMarcus Van Dyke, who’s developed a strong relationship with McClain.
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Nothing really new on Iamaleava as some programs might still be throwing interest his way but after talking to him recently at Downey (Calif.) Warren, he seems locked in with the Vols. Despite Tennessee’s loss at Georgia this past weekend, the offense has looked unstoppable and Iamaleava has all the tools, plus a well-known NIL deal in place, to go star in Knoxville.
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After talking to some people and seeing this play out, it would now be a stunner if M’Pemba didn’t end up at Georgia. The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout was in Athens this past weekend to see the Bulldogs dismantle Tennessee as the Vols have also made a run at M’Pemba but they’re not there yet.
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There was so much talk over the summer after Nelson visited Texas A&M that he was going to flip and how no one was thrilled about the move to the Big Ten. But that chatter has almost completely stopped and the Los Alamitos, Calif., standout looks locked in with USC. What has probably made this decision easier is that Texas A&M’s offense has been pitiful this season as quarterbacks are flip-flopped as well.
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A few weeks ago there were renewed rumors about Tate and Tennessee and even some chatter that he would visit again. The five-star has made it no secret he enjoys it there. But that seems to have also settled down as he’s locked up with Ohio State.
With the exception of the Georgia loss, Tennessee’s offense has been playing incredibly well but so have the Buckeyes and they pump out NFL receivers regularly.
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There is some interesting chatter around Inniss – and now it’s just a question of whether you want to buy it or not. The five-star receiver from Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage has been committed to Ohio State since June and it would all make sense if he ended up with the Buckeyes.
But the South Florida star receiver was reportedly at Miami this past weekend and despite the massive loss to Florida State, coach Mario Cristobal is selling the rebuild and the future of the program hard.
Cristobal has pulled off some big recruiting wins in his time and so it’s not out of the question that Miami is in this one.
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Michigan and South Carolina are still the front-runners for Harbor and he almost visited Ann Arbor again for the Michigan State game but couldn’t make it happen. Official visits to LSU, Maryland and Miami are coming up in December although the one to Baton Rouge might have to be rescheduled because of the SEC Championship Game. Harbor could wait until February to sign which means so much could still happen in his recruitment. In a great sign for the Gamecocks, Harbor is trying to get to Columbia this weekend for the Tennessee matchup.
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LSU, Alabama and Florida are the three favorites for Ricks, who reclassified from the 2024 class recently, and was in Baton Rouge this past weekend. The feeling after that visit - and it might not just be a post-trip high - is that the Tigers are completely in the driver’s seat for his pledge now as he plans to make his choice Dec. 23. I still think Alabama could very much be in the picture as Ricks said this summer it would be hard to turn down playing for Nick Saban but LSU has blown him away and this past weekend certainly helped.
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Originally from the Orlando area, Shanahan moved to Austin (Texas) Westlake and then committed to Texas A&M over Texas and some SEC programs in early September. Georgia looked like the main competition for the five-star offensive lineman and his play style matches with the Bulldogs but Shanahan loves coach Jimbo Fisher, offensive line coach Steve Addazio and so much more about the Aggies. Despite their struggles, there’s been no indication of a flip.
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Hill pulled a surprise Monday when he backed off his Texas A&M pledge. The Denton (Texas) Ryan standout has been talking so highly of the Aggies for so long and they’ve always been a front-runner in his recruitment so it was a major move when he reopened his recruitment. It might not be open for too long, though, as Hill plans to visit Texas again this weekend and the Longhorns were the other finalist when the five-star initially made his decision for the Aggies.
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When Branch visited Texas A&M and it looked like the Aggies could flip Malachi Nelson, this was definitely a recruitment to watch although there was still skepticism about Branch leaving the Trojans’ class. At this point, it would be a complete shocker since USC is playing so well, Branch’s brother, Zion, is already on the team and the five-star has given no indications that he’s looking around.
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Hicks surprised many people when he picked Texas A&M over Oklahoma in late September. For a long while, it felt like the Sooners had finally pulled away for Hicks even after he transferred from Allen, Texas to Katy Paetow and especially since the Aggies signed so many elite defensive linemen in the 2022 class but Hicks still picked A&M in another huge recruiting win. The Aggies have struggled this season in many ways but there are no signs - yet - that Hicks is looking around.
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Things got a little interesting at the end when it was Iowa and Alabama mainly for Proctor but it always felt like once Proctor was done playing the recruiting game that the Hawkeyes would end up on top.
Former high school teammate Xavier Nwankpa is there, the massive offensive lineman could be next in line among elite players at his position there and Iowa staff did a good job closing on him. There’s been no indication of second thoughts.
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If Okunlola ends up at Miami, which is considered the favorite at this point, then he and fellow five-star OL Francis Mauigoa could form a dynamic duo along the offensive line. The Hurricanes still look best for the Braintree (Mass.) Thayer Academy standout despite Miami’s struggles this season and despite Okunlola not talking a ton about his recruitment.
Florida is trying to make a major push and then Michigan, Oregon and Ohio State are on the fringes heading into late November.
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Texas A&M was considered the front-runner this summer for Williams but multiple trips to Florida State along with his own paid visit to New Orleans to see the Seminoles beat LSU early this season really sold the program on him.
The Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan standout is still being pursued heavily especially by Miami, which is trying to sell him on the rebuild under coach Mario Cristobal. That could be intriguing but it’s too early to say the Canes have much momentum.
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It’s all the way across the country since Wayne is originally from Tacoma (Wash.) Lincoln but he’s now been at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy for a while and he’s accustomed to being in Florida so his Miami commitment this summer made sense.
It feels like Wayne’s recruitment came down to following former Oregon coach Mario Cristobal to The U (which he did) or heading to Oregon and playing for Dan Lanning although Alabama was a very serious contender as well.
Since his pledge and despite Miami's 4-5 record, Wayne has shown no signs of backing off his pledge.
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Early in his recruitment when he had come from American Samoa and played at San Bernardino (Calif.) Aquinas, the word was that Mauigoa would stay West - either at USC or Oregon - so his family could see him play.
But when the five-star went to Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy that idea slowly went away as programs across the Southeast made a big impression. Tennessee was definitely a major player here but Miami did everything to get him locked up, it was a big win for coach Mario Cristobal and his staff and despite the Hurricanes’ struggles this year, not much has changed.
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Keeley decommitted from Notre Dame, the thinking was that he would eventually flip to Alabama and that it was only a matter of time. But as Keeley’s recruitment continued through the fall, Ohio State made a serious impression on the Tampa (Fla.) Berkeley Prep especially when he visited for the big win over Notre Dame and then he returned to Columbus for another trip. The feeling is that Alabama still holds a slight edge but an argument could definitely be made for the Buckeyes.
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Toviano was back at LSU this weekend, he looked thrilled when the Tigers won the game and it would be a shock if he didn’t end up playing in Baton Rouge. The one caveat here is that Toviano keeps his recruitment very close to the vest and Michigan, Texas A&M and others are still in the mix but this looks very much like he is LSU’s to lose - and the Tigers almost definitely won’t lose him.
