Even with visits closed down for a few weeks during the dead period, there is still a ton going on in the recruiting world. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney has the latest in this Recruiting Rumor Mill.
MORE: Top recruits following their faith and putting college on hold
CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
The Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star defensive tackle who is originally from New York is still working toward a top list but Georgia will definitely be on it as he had another outstanding visit to Athens recently.
Carey was told by coach Kirby Smart, position coach Tray Scott and others that he could play early for the Bulldogs and during this trip he even got a chance to connect with New York Giants scout Marcus Cooper who was in town.
A long list still remains but Georgia is up there.
Texas was going to get Crowell on campus for an official visit but after position coach Tashard Choice left the Longhorns for the Detroit Lions, it’s unlikely the high four-star will head to Austin now.
This is great news for Alabama which was already the leader for the No. 1 running back from Jackson, Ala., as Auburn and others battle as well.
USC could be the early leader for the four-star offensive lineman from Folsom, Calif., but Dyakonov is just getting started with the recruiting process and hasn’t taken many other visits yet.
Still, the Trojans really impressed him during a recent trip there as the Folsom standout hit it off with position coach Josh Henson and others on the staff. Plus, if five-star teammate Ryder Lyons ends up there that could help land Dyakonov as well.
Texas A&M remains the front-runner in Ellis’ recruitment and the Aggies could continue to push ahead as the 2027 four-star receiver has a visit planned back to College Station in March.
Oregon, Ohio State, USC, Texas, TCU, Texas Tech and Tennessee are the other ones to watch but the Aggies look really strong now.
Fakatou is a 2028 prospect but he’s a superstar in the making and USC is now in his early top three especially after a great visit there recently.
The Orange (Calif.) Lutheran standout loves the changes and editions the Trojans have made across the coaching staff and while Oregon, Texas, Oklahoma, Notre Dame and others will push, staying home could be a draw as well to the 6-foot-7, 258-pound star defensive end.
Georgia and Auburn could be especially important as Frazier’s recruitment continues and things pick up after a great camp performance recently but Georgia Tech, Wisconsin and Clemson are also high on the list.
The Yellow Jackets could be moving up for the Savannah (Ga.) Benedictine Military School receiver especially after a recent visit where he loved the academic discussions there and he feels Georgia Tech is on the rise nationally.
After backing off his commitment to Texas A&M recently, the word is that Oklahoma could now be the program to beat for the high three-star nickel from Mesquite (Texas) Horn but others are definitely there as well.
Oregon was the first program mentioned by Gilbert recently so the Ducks are top of mind and then Ole Miss, Washington, Utah, SMU and Oklahoma State should be watched as well.
The four-star who’s originally from Washington state but is now playing at Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei has been committed to Oregon – his dream school – since August but in recent days there’s been some chatter that Texas is working hard to flip him and Greene could visit.
While that’s true, the word is that Oregon is still in a fantastic position to keep him and that it would be a massive surprise if the four-star offensive lineman ended up anywhere but Eugene.
Oregon could be really tough to beat for the four-star linebacker from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran and Oklahoma is definitely right there as well but USC is making major in-roads with Ili especially if he leans toward staying home as signing day gets closer.
A recent visit made it clear to the four-star linebacker that he’s definitely a top priority for the Trojans and meeting with new position coach Rob Ryan, who has tons of NFL experience, was a big deal as well.
During a recent visit to Ole Miss, coach Lane Kiffin and defensive coordinator Pete Golding broke down the Rebels’ defense point by point to the Tennessee commit and it definitely impressed Outlaw.
Will it be enough to flip him? That’s still unclear. But the high three-star linebacker seems to love how Ole Miss’ defense fits him and the Rebels will be under serious consideration now.
Miami and Florida could be battling it out until the end for the high three-star receiver from Coconut Creek (Fla.) Monarch and while the Hurricanes have maybe been highest on the list a recent visit to Gainesville has Riggins thinking a little more.
The Florida coaches made it “feel like home” there because they talked about football as much as non-football things. Kentucky is another one to watch but this feels like an in-state battle.
Arizona State, Tennessee and Nebraska are the three early standouts for the 2027 four-star running back from Chandler (Ariz.) Basha but that’s also the only three visits he’s taken so far. Nebraska’s coaches told Roberts that the Huskers haven’t had a great back in a while and he could be one of the greats but the Arizona State trip is one to watch.
The Sun Devils told the local standout that he’s “all they want in a running back” and the pitch to stay home – close to family – is a compelling pitch right now.
A battle between Ole Miss and Mississippi State is brewing early on for the high four-star defensive tackle from Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County - the home of high four-star receiver Caleb Cunningham, who flipped from Alabama to Ole Miss late last recruiting cycle.
The Rebels will definitely play a major role here but a recent visit to nearby Starkville also stood out because the coaching staff was not just loving up the recruits but showing them techniques to win at their position.
That might’ve been the most valuable part to Shumaker during that trip.
A recent visit to Ole Miss was the best Smith has been on so far as the Rebels have emerged as a top contender in his recruitment.
The four-star linebacker from Little Rock (Ark.) Parkview hit it off with defensive coordinator and position coach Pete Golding and others as they described the basics of the defense and Smith loved it.
Oklahoma, Arkansas, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Michigan are the others but Ole Miss is now the one to watch.
It was clear to the Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian offensive tackle that he was a top priority during a recent visit to USC because he was asked to come an hour early to spend one-on-one time with position coach Zach Henson.
The sense that USC is “building something special” and the campus really stood out to Smith, who has also been high on Michigan and Kansas State.
New offers from Oregon, Ohio State and Alabama cannot be ignored, either, so Smith’s recruitment is heating up even more.
The high three-star tight end from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes committed to Texas A&M over Auburn and others in the fall but by last weekend, Tiller was back on the board.
Many others could make a second run at him but the overwhelming feeling is that Auburn is absolutely the program to beat especially since he loves how the Tigers use their tight ends and he has a great relationship with position coach Ben Aigamaua.
Nebraska and UCLA are battling it out right now for the three-star offensive tackle from Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton as he likes the Bruins a whole lot and a recent visit to Lincoln definitely made a big impression.
The Nebraska coaching staff made it super personal and individualized for him on the visit and talked about how he could play a “big role” in the Huskers’ offense. It was a compelling pitch.
The four-star cornerback from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood has now backed off commitments to Florida State and Florida but there is one program that is absolutely leading in his recruitment.
After position coach Will Harris left the Gators for Miami in recent days, Waters now has the Hurricanes as the front-runner and is now clearly the team to beat in his recruitment.
The 2027 five-star defensive end had a “great visit” to Texas A&M recently as he loved the facilities, the talent at his position - both there and going to the NFL – and the coaches who have developed those players to get to the league.
That will all be a very serious consideration for the Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout as he looks at favorites. The word has been that this is locked in as a two-team race between USC and Oregon but the Aggies have Wesley thinking.
The four-star receiver from Tampa (Fla.) Plant recently did a shadow day at Florida where he basically spent the day as if he was on the team and it definitely has him thinking about the Gators.
The biggest highlight was spending time with quarterback DJ Lagway and the team as coach Billy Napier, position coach Billy Gonzales and assistant coach Jabbar Juluke spent a ton of time with him.
Williams remains committed to the Seminoles but Florida is absolutely pushing hard.
