It is the final official visit weekend before the early signing period, and schools across the country are making their last pitches to top prospects. With the dead period starting on Monday, this weekend is make or break for several programs.
PREDICTIONS ON TOP PROSPECTS: Midwest | Southeast | Mid-Atlantic | West
COLORADO
Mel Tucker has officially been the head coach at Colorado for just over a week, but the former Georgia defensive coordinator - one of Rivals.com’s Top 25 recruiters in 2018 - has hit the recruiting trail running. Colorado has been able to take advantage of a recent NCAA rule change that allows prospects who have already officially visited a school to make a return official visit to that school in the case of a head coaching change without affecting their max of five official visits. Several of this weekend’s expected visitors fall into that category.
The list of expected visitors in Boulder this weekend continues to grow and is already approaching double digits. It includes a pair of four-star prospects in Jaren Mangham and Braedin Huffman-Dixon who committed to the previous staff, but Colorado would love to keep on board. Several non-Colorado commits are also expected in, including Detroit-area three-stars Darius Robinson and Marvin Ham. Robinson officially visited Colorado in September, while Ham is currently committed to Boston College.
>>For a full list of Colorado’s visitors, check out CUSportsNation.com<<
FLORIDA
The highest-ranked official visitor in the country this weekend will be down in Gainesville. Five-star running back Trey Sanders, the No. 2-ranked prospect in the Rivals100, already has the inside track on what it is like to be a student-athlete at the University of Florida because his older brother, Umstead Sanders, is a junior on the Gators' roster. Getting Sanders on-board would give a huge boost to a Florida 2019 recruiting class that currently sits outside the top 20 nationally.
While Sanders is the headliner of Florida’s official visit weekend, he is not the only top target expected in town. In-state offensive lineman Deyavie Hammond and Salt Lake City defensive tackle Siaki Ika are also headed to Gainesville. Both are four-stars who remain uncommitted. Members of the current Florida class including official visitors Chester Kimbrough and Dionte Marks, will be there to welcome Sanders and Co. this weekend.
>>Check out GatorsTerritory.com for a breakdown of the weekend visitors<<
GEORGIA
Several of Georgia’s highly-ranked committed prospects will be taking their official visits to Athens this weekend, but the focus will be on a pair of offensive skill position prospects not currently committed to the Bulldogs. Five-star wide receiver Jadon Haselwood was committed to Georgia at one point, but backed off that commitment in October and has since taken official visits to Miami, Auburn and Florida State. He left his last official visit for Georgia, though, and Kirby Smart’s staff is looking to reel the No. 4 ranked player in the 2019 class back in before his planned announcement on Jan. 5.
The other official visitor expected this weekend who is not currently committed to Georgia is running back DJ Williams, an Appalachian State commit out of Florida who landed an offer from the Bulldogs last month. Five-star offensive tackle Darnell Wright was also expected to officially visit this weekend, but at press time it sounds like he will forego this trip. Representatives of Georgia’s second-ranked recruiting class who are expected to officially visit Athens this weekend include four-stars Zion Logue, Ryland Goede, Rian Davis and Trezman Marshall.
MIAMI
It is the biggest recruiting weekend of the year in Coral Gables, and may end up being the best collection of talent anywhere in the country. Mark Richt is bringing in a group that could number more than 20 prospects when all is said and done, and it comes at a key time for the Hurricanes with defensive coordinator Manny Diaz departing earlier this week to take the Temple head coaching job. This Miami class has just 13 commitments a week out from the Early Signing Period and ranks eighth in the ACC and just inside the top 40 nationally.
Securing commitments from some of their top visitors this weekend would help the Hurricanes shoot up the team rankings list in short order. Among the highest-ranked non-Miami commits visiting this weekend are local cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, Rivals100 defensive end Khris Bogle, four-star tight end Keon Zipperer and Penn State commit John Dunmore. Additionally, Miami is expected to host Auburn running back transfer Asa Martin and offensive tackle Tommy Kennedy, a grad transfer from Butler.
>>For the full list of expected Miami visitors see CaneSport.com<<
OREGON
We go from the extreme southeast corner to the extreme northwest corner of the Continental United States to find another long list of recruiting visitors. The vast majority of Oregon’s recruiting visitors this weekend are already a part of the Ducks' top-10 ranked 2019 recruiting class, but a couple of big unofficial visitors are also headed to Eugene to make up group that could top out at 15 or more total prospects.
The biggest uncommitted official visitors – both physically and by ranking – is five-star Louisiana native Ishmael Sopsher. It has long thought to be an Alabama vs. LSU battle for Sopsher, but Oregon is going to try and pull a stunner with this weekend’s visit. There will be 11 members of their 2019 class there to greet Sopsher, including fellow Rivals100 prospects Sean Dollars, Mycah Pittman, Mase Funa and Mykael Wright. Other uncommitted official visitors include Rivals250 defensive back Jeremiah Criddell and JUCO safety Quandre Mosley.
>>For a full breakdown of Oregon’s recruiting weekend visit DuckSportsAuthority.com<<
