Recruiting Rumor Mill: Prospects hitting the road
There is a non-stop flow of recruiting news especially with prospects back on the road following February’s dead period. Here’s the latest in this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill.
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MORE: Four-star LB Jordan Lockhart talks backing off SEC pledge
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A routine FaceTime turned into something completely different as Armstrong and his brother, Deontae, thought it was just a follow-up call from Ohio State but instead it was an offer for each from the Buckeyes. Ohio State is going to be a key player in the Armstrong Bros. recruitment going forward and now a visit is being planned with Penn State, Michigan and others also high on the list.
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The 2025 defensive end lives down the road from Auburn and so it made sense that the Opelika, Ala., standout made an early pledge to the Tigers especially after hitting it off with the new coaching staff. But on a weekend visit to Tennessee, the Vols coaching staff was pushing the message that Autry should, ‘Get out of town,’ and see something new. Autry is not flipping at this point but Tennessee is working on him.
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It’s always interesting when a Georgia commit visits Alabama or vice versa - and it gets even more intriguing when the player is an in-state recruit. That was the case with Debose, who pledged to the Bulldogs in January but decided to visit with the Crimson Tide over the weekend. The Prichard (Ala.) Vigor 2025 offensive lineman was getting the flip talk from Alabama’s coaches but the day was about so much more as he remains committed to Georgia but definitely has coach Nick Saban and others in his ear.
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An offer from LSU is “one that I’ve been waiting for” so Gibson is going to take a much closer look at the Tigers now that they’ve offered. Trips to Baton Rouge and Ohio State are being planned and that’s definitely something to watch out for with the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star running back but Texas is still widely believed to be the team to beat.
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The message from the Tennessee staff over the weekend was that Gilbert was wanted in its defense, needed in the Vols’ defense and that they’re going to do everything to flip him from Ohio State. Whether that happens or not is yet to be determined but the 2025 four-star safety from Atlanta (Ga.) Douglass does remain open to all schools although he’s still locked in with the Buckeyes.
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Maybe no prospect has blown up in the last few months like Jackson and now the four-star athlete from Portal, Ga., is ready for some visits. Auburn, Georgia Tech, Florida, Georgia, Florida State, Alabama and Troy should all get Jackson on campus soon and while the Bulldogs might have an edge, those trips are going to be crucial.
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A trip to Missouri over the weekend could make things even more interesting in Jimcoily’s recruitment and he definitely remains open to all programs but Auburn, Michigan, Oklahoma, Kentucky, Miami and Tennessee have made the biggest impression so far with the 2025 safety from Nashville (Tenn.) Lipscomb Academy.
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Oregon and USC could be the main teams to watch for the Fairfield (Calif.) Armijo defensive tackle since location could be a consideration and proving things on the West Coast could play a role in Johnson’s thinking. But there is going to be significant pull elsewhere as Alabama, Georgia, Oklahoma, Michigan and others will be in the mix, too. Visits should be coming up shortly which could give Johnson even more perspective in his recruitment.
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Oatis expected to have a good time at Alabama since the program has such a strong reputation and the 2025 defensive tackle from Hattiesburg, Miss., was definitely not disappointed. He loved how the coaches interacted with the recruits and how the current players answered questions and gave their perspective on playing there. Mississippi State, Alabama and Ole Miss have all made a huge impression on Oatis early on but more visits are coming up.
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Auburn has to love where it’s sitting with the four-star linebacker from Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington which is only about 30 minutes down the road especially after a recent visit where the new coaching staff stood out most to Phillips. But Georgia is definitely a school to watch because he loved how the coaches and players interacted and how advanced the players were in understanding the defensive concepts. Alabama is the third team to watch right now with upcoming trips to Florida and Florida State.
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The four-star running back from Sacramento, Calif., is focused mainly on rehabbing from a knee injury but he’s seen Washington, USC, Utah and Arizona still recruiting him the hardest over the last few months. This spring, Radcliffe plans to visit those four schools and trips to Washington State and Cal could happen as well.
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A recent transfer from East St. Louis, Ill., to DeSoto, Texas, Reyes visited Texas in recent days and loved the coaching staff, how well they know each other and the chemistry on the staff. The Longhorns have definitely become a major contender for the 2025 four-star safety with Colorado and Oklahoma as the other two standing out.
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LSU will “definitely get a look” from the four-star running back from Northport (Ala.) Tuscaloosa County but a massive round of important visits are coming up in the next few months. Riley lives minutes from the Alabama campus so that’s going to play a considerable factor with a visit coming up in mid-March but first he will see Georgia in about a week. Tennessee, Miami and Auburn will also get trips and it will be interesting if any traction comes with LSU.
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Could Miami be out of it now for Rushing, who plans to have his decision made by the end of the spring? The high four-star defensive end from Tucson (Ariz.) Salpointe had originally planned to visit there this past weekend but former defensive ends coach Rod Wright wanted to reschedule - and then left for the Houston Texans. With club track going on and Arizona, Texas and Tennessee visits also being scheduled, a trip to Miami is still to be determined.
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A new LSU offer is definitely a huge deal for the 2025 running back from Shreveport (La.) Calvary Baptist Academy because he grew up loving Leonard Fournette but Simon moved around too much to have a dream school. The Tigers are definitely a top school to watch in Simon’s early recruitment but watch out for Notre Dame as a standout program especially if the Irish offer.
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Florida is one of the early schools to watch and a weekend trip to Gainesville could further move the Gators up his list but Florida State, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Michigan and USC are the early standouts with the 2025 safety from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin. Stubbs remains wide open though and also has his eye on Virginia Tech, Penn State, Miami, Ole Miss and Wisconsin as no clear favorite has emerged yet.