Another loaded weekend of news and rumors and so another Recruiting Rumor Mill is here. The latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney below.
MORE: It’s been a rough college start for the five-star QBs from 2023
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If Ohio State can win out for the five-star linebacker it will be because of Atkinson’s great relationships with defensive coaches Matt Patricia and James Laurinaitis.
The Buckeyes are definitely up there and the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout had a great visit to Columbus but it still feels like Georgia, Clemson, Auburn and others have the edge.
During a recent visit to Tennessee, Baker clearly got the family vibe as both Lance Heard and David Sanders Jr. shared some helpful tips which meant a whole lot to him.
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The Vols are definitely a front-runner with Penn State, NC State and Arkansas standing out as well.
Auburn made not only an impressive pitch to Crowell during a recent visit but one that might shoot the Tigers way up his list. Alabama, Texas, Florida and others are right there as well.
The four-star running back from Jackson, Ala., was taken by “how real” everything felt and how the love came from the coaches, the staff and even fans around town. They want him to not only be a contributor in the backfield but a difference-maker for the Tigers as Crowell, who will announce on New Year’s Eve, loves coach Hugh Freeze and position coach Derrick Nix.
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But he was back at Alabama over the weekend and the Crimson Tide still look strongest.
USC has emerged as a top-five contender for the four-star receiver from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei but it’s unclear how high the Trojans can move after getting involved maybe too late in his recruitment.
Ohio State and Oregon – in that order – are standing out the most but USC has become much more aggressive recently and it could make waves.
As of just a couple weeks ago, Texas A&M had the edge for the five-star safety from Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances but that’s no longer the case. The word is that Edwards had a phenomenal visit to Georgia over the weekend, seeing the defense flying around, seeing freshmen make a bunch of plays.
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Now the Bulldogs, Alabama and Oregon are the three front-runners for him.
Visits, visits and more visits for Greene yet the four-star offensive tackle from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei remains steadfast that it’s near impossible to flip him.
USC is trying very hard as is Texas and now Greene will visit Washington on April 18. He was recently back in Eugene and it only reinforced why he committed to Oregon in the first place but he is keeping the door open by taking these trips.
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Harrington – and his father – loved the visit to Alabama recently and while it’s early for the 2027 high three-star defensive back from Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel, the Crimson Tide are standing out most.
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His dad loved the facility and the entire trip to Tuscaloosa and Harrington got offered by coach Kalen DeBoer himself, which was a big deal to the 2027 standout.
Lherisse wanted to see the new defensive staff at Florida State and its message to him was that the best in Florida stay in Florida and and that he’s one of its top targets.
That meant a lot to the four-star defensive back from Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie but his Oregon commitment remains very firm as Eugene “is still home.”
The four-star linebacker from Miami (Fla.) Central has been committed to Florida State since February but after another weekend visit to Miami, the Hurricanes “stand at the top” of his recruitment now.
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The message from the Miami coaches was that he could be playing right now and that if he flips to the Hurricanes he has to be ready to play early.
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The message from Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy to Miles when he was in Stillwater was, “You can get a lot of what we have at other schools but you won’t get more than what you get here.” That and the talk from Gundy and position coach Theron Aych was that Miles fits perfectly into what the Cowboys are looking to do on offense.
Oklahoma, SMU and others are involved but the word is Oklahoma State moved “much higher” for the four-star WR from Kaufman, Texas.
LSU and Florida State could end up battling it out for the four-star offensive tackle from Buford, Ga., and a recent visit to Tallahassee definitely stood out. Mubenga is impressed “every time” he’s in Tallahassee and the new offensive staff really appeals to him.
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The Seminoles and Tigers are high on the list along with NC State and Arkansas.
The four-star quarterback has been committed to Oklahoma since June 2024 and is still locked in with the Sooners but he’s going to take a round of official visits as OU goes after QB Bowe Bentley as well.
Florida State will be one to watch especially after O’Neal recently took a visit to Tallahassee and he hit it off with the coaching staff but other trips – including back to Norman – will happen.
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Notre Dame has been pegged as the front-runner for the four-star receiver from Red Oak, Texas, and the Irish could have extended their lead over the weekend. Robinson loves the people in South Bend, their vision for the program and how he feels like a major priority in that recruiting class.
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Notre Dame and Miami are standing out most for the speedy four-star receiver.
Oregon is the early leader for the 2027 high three-star running back from Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon and the Ducks could be difficult to beat – especially if position coach Ra’Shaad Samples stays on staff.
Stokes loved “everything” about his recent visit to Eugene and all the amenities afforded to the Oregon players. He also hit it off with coach Dan Lanning so the Ducks are the team to beat.
Many others are involved but Ohio State “definitely separated themselves in a great way” during a recent visit for the four-star cornerback from Oradell (N.J.) Bergen Catholic. Thomas loved the competitiveness and energy of practice in Columbus. It was made clear to him that he’s a top priority for the Buckeyes.
Auburn continues to be the front-runner for Toothman and another visit to The Plains recently solidified the Tigers at the top. The Vancleave, Miss., offensive lineman spent an entire day hanging out with the offensive line and the coaches feel he fits in very well with the program.
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He was told he could have a “strong impact” at Auburn in the future.
A visit to Alabama recently stood out for the 2027 receiver from Leesburg (Ga.) Lee County as he loved the competitiveness across the board and he had great talks with position coach Ja’Marcus Shephard but there are many others still involved.
The word is Tennessee, Florida, Florida State, Auburn and Ole Miss also are standing out early on.
Vaughn was struck by the amount of attention he was receiving by offensive coordinator/tight ends coach Freddie Kitchens during his trip to North Carolina as the Tar Heels remain the front-runner in his recruitment.
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North Carolina is definitely high on the list especially after meeting with coach Bill Belichick.
Virginia Tech and Boston College are the other top teams for the three-star tight end from Kings Mountain, N.C.
Oregon is a front-runner with USC trying but the word is that Alabama is “definitely the top of the top” after Washington visited this past weekend.
The message to the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman four-star safety was that the development and history in Tuscaloosa is like no other. It’s a major selling point in his recruitment.
A lot of talk has centered around Oregon and USC early in his recruitment and then Texas has absolutely become a major player for the five-star defensive end from Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon.
After visiting Ohio State and hitting it off with position coach Larry Johnson, the word is that the Buckeyes are “for sure” one of his front-runners now.
