Recruiting Rumor Mill: Reactions roll in after big visits

There was so much news coming out of another busy recruiting weekend that a second Recruiting Rumor Mill was needed. Here’s the latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney:

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MORE: Five-star David Sanders Jr. to visit Ohio State on March 30

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Although he’s not coming out and saying Ohio State is his leader, Alford has shown many times just how much interest he has in the Buckeyes especially after his most recent visit where he loved being around the people and seeing the “legacies former players left.” The four-star linebacker from Vero Beach, Fla., is planning to commit somewhere on Saturday and the word is Ohio State is “definitely one of the top programs.”

After a visit to Miami, the message was made clear to Balogoun-Ali that he’s a “huge priority” in the 2026 class and the Hurricanes are definitely one of the top programs for the North Palm Beach (Fla.) Benjamin School standout especially because he likes position coach Derek Nicholson so much. The four-star linebacker was born in Oklahoma so the Sooners also have his attention with Kentucky, Tennessee and Penn State high on his list as well.

The four-star defensive end from Country Club Hills (Ill.) Hillcrest wants to visit Illinois soon but Notre Dame is now considered the team to beat after Blade recently landed an offer from the Irish and then loved his visit to South Bend. The message that a Notre Dame degree will carry him for the rest of his life along with just a great time on the trip is pushing the Irish high on his list.

Miami and Ole Miss are the two front-runners for the high three-star tight end from Buford, Ga., but the word is the Rebels could start pulling away soon especially after a great visit. Bradley rated the visit a “10 out of 10” and loved the coaches, how they see using him in the offense and how much attention he was paid during his time in Oxford.

“Ole Miss definitely wowed me,” Bradley said.

A very busy spring schedule is coming up for Buchanan but the high three-star offensive lineman from Sanford (Fla.) Seminole had another great visit to Florida State where the players welcomed him “with open arms” as the Seminoles continue to look strong here. Visits to Miami, Ole Miss, UCF, Clemson, Florida, back to Miami and Penn State will happen before the end of June and while things could change, FSU looks strong.

Auburn and Georgia could battle it out for the 2026 four-star safety from Newnan, Ga., and his visit to The Plains recently really blew him away. Colton had a lot of time with the coaches, who told him to surround himself with like-minded people who want to succeed, and then he was going over plays in the meeting room and getting the right answers. Colton “loved” his visit to Auburn as an SEC battle is shaping up here.

Ohio State, Oregon, Maryland and Virginia Tech were the four standouts for the high four-star safety from Olney (Md.) Good Counsel but there is now a new addition to his top list. Delane believes the new defensive staff at LSU is going back to the old ways of having that program be DBU and the message during a recent visit was that he’s needed more than anybody to get that going.

“LSU is definitely in there,” Delane said.

Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri and others have made the longest-lasting impression on the five-star offensive tackle from Lewisville, Texas but Texas A&M could be surging up the list. Fasusi had a phenomenal visit with coach Mike Elko, position coach Adam Cushing and others over the weekend, the word is he’ll be back in College Station this weekend and then a June official visit is expected.

“The energy was there and you could see what they got brewing,” Fasusi said.

The list for the high four-star receiver from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin is seeing some major changes especially after a visit to Miami in recent days went really well. The love and attention Ffrench received on the visit and how the offense will work moving forward stood out to the in-state prospect as Miami joins the top list with Ohio State (believed to be the leader), LSU, Texas and Tennessee. Florida State has been up there but was not mentioned by Ffrench this time.

Ohio State is going to stay high on Fordham’s radar as the 2026 four-star tight end from Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles especially after a great visit where he loved the competitiveness of spring practice and the message that the coaches loved his film. Early on, the Buckeyes are up there with Georgia, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

A visit to Georgia early this week could change things up but the four-star defensive back from Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington could still be leaning to Miami in a big way. Florida, Louisville, Syracuse and Florida State have also piqued his interest but another visit to see the Hurricanes where he loved the atmosphere and the energy along with the physical style of play during practice all points to Miami leading here.

After backing off his Alabama pledge, Georgia has been the main program coming after the 2026 interior offensive lineman from Carrollton, Ga. Helton loved watching the Bulldogs’ spring practice recently and he cannot wait to get back up there as it looks like Georgia is the new front-runner in his recruitment. NC State and Appalachian State have been involved but since his decommitment it’s been surprisingly quiet.

After backing off his pledge from Wake Forest earlier this week, the three-star quarterback from St. Augustine, Fla., has been hearing the most from South Florida and Pittsburgh so far. Hewlett is keeping everything open especially since his decommitment is so fresh but the Bulls and the Panthers have caught his attention the most.

The high three-star offensive lineman from North Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep recently visited Auburn, Alabama and Georgia and now all three are the early front-runners in his recruitment. Iheanacho likes all three SEC programs but there are still more visits to take before an official list can be figured out. A new offer from Texas immediately moves the Longhorns up as well so those four should be watched.

Ole Miss has moved way up after a visit there, talking with numerous coaches and seeing the hospitality in Oxford. The Rebels were not really high on Jimcoily’s list because the staff was not really prioritizing him but since they started they’re definitely moving up. Still, it might not be high enough as the four-star safety from Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy was absolutely blown away by his visit to LSU as the Tigers could still have the edge.

An offer from Georgia is “very big” and will definitely give McCloud something to seriously consider but the word right now is he remains locked in with Mississippi State. The four-star defensive tackle from Havana (Fla.) Gadsden County has moved the Bulldogs to one of the top teams in his recruitment but hasn’t made any changes yet to his pledge.

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The message from coach Ryan Day and position coach Larry Johnson was that Odom was their guy at his position in the 2025 class and that definitely resonated with the high three-star defensive end from Matthews (N.C.) Weddington. Odom watched Johnson closely through spring practice and loved the way he coaches so the Buckeyes are “for sure” high on his list. Oregon, USC, Georgia, LSU, UCLA and Colorado are also up there.

After nearly seven months of being committed to Arkansas, Parker backed off that pledge in recent days and now two teams have emerged as serious contenders for the St. Louis (Mo.) Cardinal Ritter four-star all-purpose back. Nebraska and TCU are the teams to watch and Parker has already booked an official visit to Lincoln for June 21-23.

Perlotte “loved” his weekend visit to Alabama as getting around that new coaching staff and seeing them put in work was special for the four-star linebacker who’s been committed to Georgia since 2022. Open throughout his recruitment about taking other visits, the Buford, Ga., standout is being pushed most by the Crimson Tide now along with Ohio State, Miami and Auburn to flip.

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The word coming from Sanders after his visit to Alabama is that the standard in Tuscaloosa has not changed but it’s presented in a new and exciting way. That really appealed to the five-star offensive tackle from Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day as Georgia seems to have the edge in his recruitment with Clemson and others right there but the Crimson Tide are in striking distance as well. Sanders got one-on-one time with both coach Kalen DeBoer and position coach Chris Kapilovic and that went well so if Alabama continues to trend up here then there’s a real shot for the Tide with the five-star but fending off others will also be tough.

A visit to Texas A&M went well over the weekend but the Aggies have not yet offered the four-star tight end from Leo, Ind., as there are some other targets on their board as well. That means Schott cannot get too serious about A&M yet especially as Miami and Ohio State have absolutely blown him away in recent months. The Hurricanes and the Buckeyes would be the top two followed by Michigan State, Florida State, Louisville and others.

Arizona State has been recruiting Stewart the hardest and then UCF, Utah, Florida State and Texas A&M rounded out his top five but after landing an offer from USC over the weekend the Trojans “for sure” are now in his recruitment. The Long Beach (Calif.) Millikan standout has been waiting for the USC offer since 10th grade and “it means a lot” as a summer commitment is still planned.

Michigan, Notre Dame and Ohio State are all very real possibilities for the high four-star receiver from Geneva, Ill., but Georgia continues to impress him especially after another great visit to Athens. Taylor loves the “highest standard” of everything the Bulldogs do, how they practice, the physicality and the leadership. He also loves that the coaches see him as an elusive playmaker and someone they need at receiver.

From the second Thatcher and his family got to Missouri, the coaches were there to greet him and the four-star linebacker from Las Vegas (Nev.) Arbor View felt like a major priority. That stood out through the entire trip as the Tigers and position coach D.J. Smith definitely made the trip to Columbia worthwhile. Missouri is now one of the front-runners along with Washington, USC, Oregon, Utah, Kansas and Colorado.

After a weekend visit to Texas A&M, the Aggies are “definitely” in Toodle’s top three along with Ohio State and South Carolina as two other programs that have really caught his eye so far. The 2026 four-star linebacker from Mobile (Ala.) Cottage Hill Christian Academy also had a great visit to LSU and hit it off with defensive coordinator Blake Baker but others have a slight edge right now.

A lot of programs remain in the mix with Wimberly but in recent months, Oklahoma and Arkansas have really taken the next step with him. That remains the same but now Alabama can be added to that top list as the Crimson Tide “definitely do” move up after a recent visit and offer. The Bauxite, Ark., standout has already been committed to Arkansas but backed off that pledge as it now looks like a three-team race for his pledge.