Recruiting Rumor Mill: Latest buzz on two dozen Rivals250 prospects
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
The big visit weekends are coming up but there is still a ton of recruiting news with many of the top players in the country. Here’s the latest in this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill.
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Committed to USC since August, the five-star quarterback will have a busy month of June and while Indiana is a big long shot Lewis will still visit there. Auburn and Colorado have been coming the hardest trying to flip the Carrollton, Ga., standout as he’ll visit both of those schools in June as well along with another trip back to see the Trojans.
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After backing off his LSU pledge that lasted about nine months, Texas has emerged as the frontrunner for the five-star receiver and it could be an inevitability that he ends up with the Longhorns.
Ohio State and Oregon are trying hard to stay involved with Moore but the Duncanville, Texas, standout has his mother close and other family is in the area so Texas makes sense for numerous reasons.
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Other schools have reached out and shown interest especially because Houston (Texas) North Shore is such a hotbed of talent but I was told by a good source that the five-star cornerback is “1,000 percent” committed to the Buckeyes and is not focused on any other schools.
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LSU and Oregon are two schools to watch for the five-star athlete from Zephyrhills, Fla., and Florida position coach Will Harris is making a run at him. But the word is that Miami still has the edge in his recruitment.
The Hurricanes were the team to beat as of mid-April and with official visit season coming up things could change. But Miami is still in a very good spot especially with his cousin, Booker Pickett, already in Coral Gables.
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Ohio State landed a commitment from the five-star cornerback in February but there is a significant push from at least four programs trying to flip him, especially in the Southeast. He is hearing from Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Oregon. While the Buckeyes still feel confident in keeping Offord, it could get more interesting as signing day draws closer.
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The feeling now is that Texas A&M is the team to beat for the five-star from Galveston (Texas) Ball as there has been a lot of interest in his family being driving distance away for games plus the new Aggies’ coaching staff has made him a top priority.
Months ago, Oklahoma was considered the team to beat and might have even been expecting a commitment. Oregon, LSU, Texas and others in the mix, but A&M stands out most at this point.
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Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Oregon are the schools Haywood has mentioned most in his recruitment but the word is the Longhorns aren’t too involved and that this could be a battle between the Aggies and the Sooners down the stretch.
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There are some family connections to Texas A&M, while LSU has intrigued Lockett, especially after putting two receivers in the first round of the NFL Draft. But Texas could have a slight edge in his recruitment.
The Longhorns could be in line for five-star Dakorien Moore and others but that should not scare off the Sachse, Texas, standout as Texas has intrigued him for a long time and could be inching ahead.
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Texas, Florida, Oklahoma and Georgia are trying very hard to flip the five-star running back from Metairie (La.) St. Martin’s Episcopal but the word is he’s “locked in” with LSU and won’t be taking any other visits.
The top-rated player in Louisiana has ended up playing for the Tigers in almost every recruiting class in Rivals history and Berry looks to be following suit.
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Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas A&M and LSU are the five schools that should get official visits. Georgia and Oregon are also on the list as well but this could be shaping up to be a three-team battle with the Longhorns, Aggies and Sooners looking best.
The Aggies have surged some for the five-star offensive tackle from Lewisville, Texas, but the feeling is that the Longhorns still look strongest.
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An Oregon commit since mid-January, the four-star receiver from Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Bay Tech has three official visits planned this month. While it’s good news for the Ducks that they are getting the last shot late in the month, the other visits are definitely big. Wilson will be at UCF next weekend and then Florida in mid-June before heading to Eugene to close out the month.
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Following his de-commitment from Alabama, the feeling was that Ohio State would eventually land the four-star receiver from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin as the Buckeyes have had a lot of success with South Florida Express players. Now the word is that Texas is the team to beat. Tennessee, Florida State and others are involved, and the Buckeyes aren’t giving up, but the Longhorns look strongest at this point.
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It is nearly impossible to get the best read on Brew’s recruitment because the four-star cornerback from Conroe, Texas, rarely discusses his recruitment. But Texas, LSU and USC are going to be three to watch moving forward.
Ohio State has been considered a frontrunner for a long time and the Buckeyes are definitely still in this, but they’re also loaded at defensive back and that might make Brew look elsewhere.
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There has been a lot of chatter that Ohio State is a lock for the four-star safety legacy from Cleveland (Ohio) Shaker Heights but that might not be the case. The Buckeyes still look strong in his recruitment but there could be a long way to go as Georgia, Oregon, Texas A&M and others are making this more interesting than first expected.
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Despite really strong relationships with Georgia defensive backs coaches Donte Williams and Travaris Robinson, the feeling is that Alabama has the edge in Lee’s recruitment especially after a recent visit to Tuscaloosa.
Washington, Georgia, Texas and Texas A&M will get official visits in June from the high four-star DB from Mission Viejo, Calif., and then he’ll be in Tuscaloosa to close out the month.
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The four-star defensive end from Warner Robins, Ga., committed to USC on a visit in late March and he remains committed to the Trojans but that pledge is going to be thoroughly tested through the summer.
Gibson will visit Georgia the first weekend of June as the Bulldogs are the biggest threat to flip him with South Carolina, Auburn, Tennessee, Ohio State and Oklahoma getting trips to close out the month as well.
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A few months ago, the four-star defensive end from Humble (Texas) Summer Creek had Texas, Texas Tech, USC, LSU and Baylor as some of his favorites but as he enters June, the two teams standing out most are the Horned Frogs and the Tigers.
A July commitment could be coming with other schools involved but it might be a TCU-LSU battle down the stretch.
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The high four-star quarterback has been committed to Notre Dame since September and his only official visit is to South Bend in mid-June but three other schools are not giving up. Ole Miss, Alabama and Colorado are still heavily pursuing the Lucedale (Miss.) George County standout and there is still some consideration about taking an official in June to Oxford.
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Alabama is going to play a major role in Russell’s recruitment and the Crimson Tide are the biggest threat to flip the four-star quarterback who has been surging up the rankings through this offseason. His commitment to SMU still stands but is under pressure.
The Duncanville, Texas, standout will be in Tuscaloosa the first weekend of June as coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff look to land the marquee quarterback after a long commitment to the Mustangs.
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Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn are the four frontrunners for the four-star receiver from Atlanta (Ga.) Westlake and Smith has a commitment date set for July 13. The overwhelming feeling is that the Bulldogs have been the leader for some time and it would be a major surprise if he doesn’t pick the in-state team in the coming weeks.
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UCLA has been considered the main frontrunner in Iamaleava’s recruitment and new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy has spent a ton of time around Downey (Calif.) Warren in recent weeks whether meeting with the four-star quarterback personally or watching the college showcase.
There were some rumors the Bruins could land a commitment after a recent visit and while that didn’t happen they still look strongest with Nebraska and others involved. An offer from Oregon on Friday night could definitely be something to watch.
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Purdue, LSU, Georgia and Michigan are some others to watch for the four-star defensive end from Elkhart (Ind.) Elkhart Central, but Ohio State has to be considered the team to beat in his recruitment.
Dye will take his first official visit to Purdue the first weekend of June but it’s going to be tough to overcome his relationship with position coach Larry Johnson and all the Buckeyes have to offer.
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Texas A&M, Texas, Notre Dame, LSU and Alabama are the final five for the four-star running back from Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist Academy and Simon is planning to announce his commitment on Wednesday.
The strong feeling is that the Longhorns are the team to beat heading into his announcement, especially as LSU already has two running back commitments.
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Georgia position coach James Coley and others on the coaching staff have made it clear that Wiley is a top priority at receiver in the 2025 class and so the Bulldogs could be very tough to beat for the Alpharetta (Ga.) Milton standout.
Alabama, Florida State and USC will also get visits but the word is that LSU could be a sneaky contender here and that Georgia is watching them most closely.
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The four-star quarterback from Noxubee (Miss.) Macon County has been committed to Mississippi State since mid-October and is locked in even more with the new pass-happy offense under first-year coach Jeff Lebby but others are still pushing hard.
UCF and Texas A&M have been the main two coming after Taylor but it would be a surprise this point if he doesn’t stick with the Bulldogs.