Recruiting Rumor Mill: Class of 2023 standouts making the rounds
National recruiting director Adam Gorney is back with his Recruiting Rumor Mill, which features recruiting chatter and news from around the country.
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The 2023 four-star offensive guard from Ramsey (N.J.) Don Bosco Prep has nearly 40 offers so a lot of programs are going to be involved in his recruitment but the chatter is that his visits to Ohio State, Notre Dame and Alabama stood out most this summer. His trips might not be over, either, as Bisontis is considering a visit to Rutgers to end July.
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The chatter is that Notre Dame is the early front-runner for the four-star linebacker from Merrillville (Ind.) Andrean and the Irish were one of his standout visits in June along with Tennessee, Clemson and Auburn. Good news for Notre Dame, too, as Bowen plans to take his only visit to South Bend to close out July as he’s also planning to play in a baseball tournament so no other visits except Notre Dame will be possible.
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Texas A&M, Ohio State, Georgia, Maryland and Clemson were the best visits for the 2023 four-star linebacker who is arguably the top player at his position in the country. There were rumors that Georgia was the best of the best but there were definitely others through the month of June. Bryant is planning to visit Miami in the last weekend of July as it’s rumored to be one of his top schools.
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Alabama and Auburn are going to play key roles in the recruitment of the great-looking four-star defensive end from Gardendale, Ala., but the rumor is his best visits this summer were to Clemson and Georgia. The proximity of everything on Clemson’s campus plus the family feel of the coaches and players stood out there. A scavenger hunt at Georgia stood out big-time to Collins as the Bulldogs make a major run at him.
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Visits to Texas, Texas A&M and Alabama stood out the most to the 2023 four-star receiver from DeSoto, Texas, this summer as they all felt like home, Cook loved the facilities and the coaches and his talks with the players definitely stood out. The next consideration is that playing for the Longhorns or the Aggies would mean he’d stay close to home but the rumor is he’s also swayed by Alabama being an “NFL factory.”
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The four-star tight end definitely noticed South Carolina coach Shane Beamer’s comment at SEC Media Days that the Gamecocks will throw to the tight end and want to recruit the premier players at that position nationally. Without saying Delp’s name, it was clear Beamer meant the comment about him (and others) and the rumor is South Carolina is making a serious move in his recruitment. Georgia has been the frontrunner and might still hold a slight edge but the chatter is that the Gamecocks are making up big ground.
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After Oklahoma's ChampU BBQ earlier this summer, the Sooners are definitely a major contender for the 2023 four-star offensive lineman from Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Lee’s Summit North but the chatter is others stood out as well including Missouri, Georgia and Notre Dame. Green will also get a feel for two other schools at the end of July as he’s planning to visit Iowa and LSU.
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Oklahoma has been the front-runner for the 2023 high four-star receiver and the Sooners are still right there but it cannot be discounted how impressed Hale was with his LSU visit this summer. The Tigers are making a major run for the Longview, Texas, standout but Hale is taking his time and wants to see Clemson, Alabama and USC if possible through the fall.
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A workout with Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs especially stood out to Harris this summer, a conversation with coach Ryan Day stood out and there’s no doubt the Buckeyes made a really major impression. Ohio State should remain high on the list for the 2023 four-star CB from Phenix City (Ala.) Glenwood but Alabama and others will be there as well. It’s possible Harris could visit Florida or LSU by the end of July.
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Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Texas were the best visits for the high 2023 four-star linebacker from Denton (Texas) Ryan and that’s no surprise since those three programs have remained high on his list for a long time. More visits could be coming in the fall as Alabama, Miami and Ohio State could get trips. The Hurricanes are a new team on his list to watch although it would be a surprise if they win out in his recruitment right now.
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The 2023 four-star running back from Farmerville (La.) Union Parish did not take any visits in June, a rare prospect who was off the road while most everyone else was crisscrossing the country, but the fall could be busy. Holly is looking at trips to Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Texas and Arizona as his recruitment picks up even more.
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Miami has surged for the four-star receiver from Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland and his commitment is planned for July 28 but there are a lot of rumors when it comes to his decision. Tennessee is still trying to get him on campus the day before his choice but he’s unsure if that will happen so that leads one to believe the Vols don’t lead. Florida already has two receivers committed with probably one spot left and an impressive group of names on the board so the Canes definitely have to be watched leading up to decision day.
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Florida still has the commitment of the four-star cornerback from Houston (Texas) Clear Lake but there’s going to be competition. Humphrey is planning a complete round of official visits with Alabama, Texas A&M, Georgia and LSU planned. The idea that Humphrey only goes through the recruiting process once is driving him to see other schools so the Gators don’t have him totally locked up yet.
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Auburn has to still be considered a major contender for the three-star running back from Pike Road, Ala., but there is more competition and some new teams involved. Judkins will visit Ole Miss at the end of July and an official visit to Notre Dame is expected in the fall. No commitment is expected until the three-star standout takes all his trips through the season.
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Ohio State, Texas A&M, Miami and Clemson were the four trips that stood out most to the four-star defensive end from Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola. The Buckeyes seem to have a slight edge in his recruitment but things are still just getting underway and more visits are coming at the end of the month as LeBlanc will see Notre Dame, Michigan and Ohio State again before his junior season.
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After camping at Alabama and working out with new offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, Lonergan raved about his experience with the Crimson Tide and they’re expected to be one of the top schools on his list. But there are two other schools that Lonergan loved this summer in North Carolina and South Carolina as both are expected to be major contenders once he focuses on a decision.
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The massive 2023 offensive lineman from East St. Louis, Ill., visited Ole Miss, Michigan State, Northwestern, Clemson, Missouri, Alabama and Florida in June and all stuck out for different reasons as McVay wants to get a feel for the culture of a program, the coaching style of all the staffs and the schools before narrowing anything down. McVay has one more trip to LSU at the end of the month before focusing on his junior season.
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The 2023 four-star defensive tackle from Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha has major offers from some national powerhouses but he only had time to visit Maryland this summer and the Terrapins have gotten a jumpstart on his recruitment. The rumor is Moore had an excellent time there as the hospitality was great, he loved the new facility and felt there were significant changes being made for a brighter future. Does Maryland land the stud 2023 prospect? Too early to know but the coaching staff did a great job on his visit.
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There are still a lot of schools involved with the four-star defensive tackle from Kansas City and his top list has changed around a couple times but Iowa State remains a top contender especially after his June visit to Ames. It was the one that made the biggest impression as Orange loved the hospitality there and so the Cyclones remain a serious contender for his commitment.
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The 2023 four-star all-purpose back from El Campo, Texas was committed to the Longhorns for about four months but backed off that pledge in June as visits ramped up and he saw places across the country. According to a source, Owens liked his trips to USC, LSU, Alabama and Texas A&M the most, a guidepost for maybe where his recruitment could be headed going into his junior season. The 2023 four-star is planning to see Georgia, Oregon and SMU before the end of July.
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Arguably the top 2023 offensive tackle, the top visits for Proctor were Notre Dame, Ohio State, Iowa, Iowa State and Alabama. There is a Midwest feel to Proctor’s recruitment right now but the Crimson Tide will definitely be seriously considered and the rumor is the Alabama coaching staff absolutely loved Proctor when he worked out in Tuscaloosa. No other July visits are planned at this point.
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This rumor has not been independently confirmed but the five-star cornerback and Ohio State commit could be visiting Georgia by the end of July. That would obviously be big news for the Bulldogs, who can recruit anybody from anywhere but especially because they’re not giving up on the Buckeyes’ pledge. It’s something to monitor but Singletary has connections to Ohio State and so a visit to Athens doesn’t guarantee a flip.
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Alabama is going to be one of the top schools for the 2023 high four-star from Tacoma (Wash.) Lincoln because Wayne loves position coach Freddie Roach and how he coached at the camp, he received some really positive words from Nick Saban and one thing Wayne wants out of his college football experience is the chance to win a title. Oregon, Georgia, Miami and USC were other standout visits in June.
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Clemson, Alabama and UCF were the three visits that stood out most to the high four-star defensive end in the 2023 class and the Tigers and Crimson Tide could be shaping up for an epic battle for Woods’ pledge. The hospitality and family environment was big for Woods at Clemson, the home feel at Alabama was great and the energy and vision at UCF under first-year coach Gus Malzahn left an impression.
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Notre Dame, Ole Miss, TCU and LSU were the top visits for the 2023 four-star cornerback from Denton (Texas) Guyer although others impressed him as well but those were at the top because of the personal connection he got at each school. Yaites actually went to TCU twice, once with his mom and once with his dad, he spent time with Maason Smith at LSU, watched an entire practice at Ole Miss and the mix of academics and athletics at Notre Dame stood out.