Tuesdays with Gorney: More chatter from a busy visit weekend
The Recruiting Rumor Mill covered some of what happened over the weekend and a lot of recruiting rumors out there, but there was so much more especially once top prospects returned home. In today’s Tuesdays With Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney breaks down more of what he’s hearing after a big visit weekend:
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... Oklahoma, Florida State and TCU are the three early front-runners for Gracen Harris and the 2025 four-star receiver from Ennis, Texas, was in Norman this past weekend. What he liked the most was the high intensity of practice and that the coaches were not only trying to build a relationship with him but also with his family and that could go a long way in his recruitment.
... Ricky Knight III entered the big leagues at the National Combine in San Antonio when he had at least six interceptions during 1-on-1s and completely dominated the event. His recruitment has taken off and now it’s basically a dogfight between Miami and Florida State to land the Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) Benjamin School four-star cornerback. He was at The U over the weekend and he heard a compelling case from the coaches. It could have moved the Canes right to the top.
“The coaches gave me one message,” Knight said. “They want to coach me, they want to be the guys who are going to develop me and get me to the league.”
... Auburn commit Jayden Lewis has his target list for top prospects he’s trying to get to join him on The Plains or flip from other schools. That list is led by four-star defensive end Jordan Ross from Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills and Alabama pledge Sterling Dixon from Mobile (Ala.) Mobile Christian but it doesn’t end there. The Anniston, Ala., four-star defensive back is also after Christian Peterson, Jamonta Waller, Martavious Collins and he’s trying to flip Demarcus Riddick from Georgia.
... Texas is already one of the top programs for 2025 four-star receiver Andrew Marsh and a weekend visit could put the Longhorns even higher - if that’s possible. The Katy (Texas) Jordan standout hit it off with receivers coach Chris Jackson and already had an outstanding relationship with assistant Jeff Banks so that should go a long way when it comes down to a decision. But Oklahoma, TCU, LSU and Oregon are some others to watch.
... Could Ohio State dip into the heart of SEC country and steal 2025 four-star athlete London Merritt from College Park (Ga.) Woodward Academy? Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Florida are the main players in the Southeast for Merritt. But he had a phenomenal time in Columbus this past weekend, hit it off with assistant coach Larry Johnson and was blown away by seeing Ohio Stadium. It’s tough to say ‘no’ to the Crimson Tide, especially when you’re from the Southeast, but the Buckeyes are a real player here.
“All I’ll say is my dad and I were really, really impressed with OSU,” Merritt said.
... Miami is waiting to see what four-star quarterback Air Noland is going to do with his decision coming in early April but the Hurricanes are also making Phoenix (Ariz.) Sunnyslope quarterback Luke Moga feel like a huge priority, too. On his weekend visit, Moga (who looked very good at the recent Rivals Camp Series in Southern California) had dinner twice with new OC Shannon Dawson and ate once with coach Mario Cristobal as well. Oregon, TCU and BYU are others involved but Miami might have a leg up now.
“I saw exactly what I wanted to see,” Moga said.
... Tennessee has made it clear that three-star offensive lineman Jesse Perry is a top priority and after spending time with coach Josh Heupel and position coach Glen Elarbee this past weekend, the Vols could be tough to beat now. Perry also got to chat it up with top lineman Darnell Wright a little bit during practice, which also stood out. North Carolina, Vanderbilt and TCU are other standouts and watch out for Notre Dame since those coaches have started to show more interest.
... It’s been rumored that Ohio State, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Oklahoma are some of the front-runners for Payton Pierce and the Buckeyes took a huge leap over the weekend as the Lucas (Texas) Lovejoy four-star linebacker loved his visit to Columbus. Everything seemed to fit incredibly well for Pierce at Ohio State. The bar is set really high for others to meet.
“The visit was as good as you can get,” Pierce said.
... Reggie Powers landed his dream offer from Ohio State over the weekend and it wouldn’t be a stunner if this one ended quickly. The three-star safety from Centerville, Ohio, was told the Buckeyes wanted to offer sooner but also wanted to wait until he and his family were on campus to do it, which ended up meaning a lot to Powers, who made it clear this one means a whole lot to him.
“OSU is my dream school and I’ve always wanted to be a Buckeye,” Powers said.
... What Jordan Ross loved most about Georgia was when coach Kirby Smart was calling out mistakes in practice and challenging his players to be better as the Bulldogs look to three-peat. That is the kind of coaching the Birmingham (Ala.) Vestavia Hills four-star defensive end is looking for and it’s why Georgia is one of his top teams along with Auburn, Alabama, LSU, Texas and Tennessee.
... Florida is considered the front-runner for Austin Simmons, the 2025 four-star lefty quarterback from Pahokee, Fla., and his weekend visit to Gainesville might have only reinforced those thoughts. Simmons spent a lot of time with staffer Ryan O’Hara and the quarterbacks on the team as he got to familiarize himself in team meetings and then see that carried out on the field. Louisville, Florida State, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Miami, Ole Miss, Arkansas and Tennessee are also up there but it feels like the Gators lead.
... No. 1 2025 receiver Ryan Williams is an Auburn legacy and Georgia is also trying to flip him hard but Alabama continues to do everything right in that recruitment and blew him away again this past weekend. The Saraland, Ala., standout was in Tuscaloosa with his dad, said the visit went great and that the message from the coaches was to just stay consistent because he’s already doing everything to be successful at the college level.
... Ohio State is making a bigger and bigger impression on Trent Wilson as the 2025 four-star defensive lineman from Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances just returned from a visit to Columbus. The Buckeyes’ coaching staff told Wilson they love his size and the 2025 four-star loves assistant coach Larry Johnson’s resume. Rutgers, Penn State and Texas A&M are the others to watch early but Ohio State is looking pretty good at this point.