Tuesdays with Gorney: Rivals250 predictions for the Late Signing Day
The vast majority of Rivals250 prospects signed in the December signing period but there are still a decent amount of top players who will come off the board Wednesday - or maybe later. Here’s the latest on those unsigned recruits in today’s Tuesdays with Gorney:
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After one of the most incredible recruitments in Rivals' history dating back to 2002, McClain flipped from Miami to Colorado following a January visit to Boulder where he met with new coach Deion Sanders and others. Nothing with McClain is final until he signs but it looks like the five-star cornerback is finally done.
Gorney's Prediction: Colorado
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Georgia and USC are the main programs battling it out for the five-star tight end with Texas and Oregon scoring late in-homes, but it looks like a two-team race. The bigger question here is whether the Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle standout will announce Wednesday, which is still undetermined, especially because he’s also an MLB Draft prospect and he’s trying to juggle both situations at the same time. It looks like the Bulldogs hold a slight edge heading into Wednesday.
Gorney's Prediction: Georgia (but not on signing day)
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Not much solid information is coming out from Harbor – which makes Wednesday’s decision even more intriguing especially after a late visit to Oregon could have propelled the Ducks way up his list as decision day approaches.
South Carolina, Maryland and Michigan are the other contenders and as of this writing there is absolutely no clear front-runner or glaring hint as to where the five-star tight end is going. The Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll product is also juggling a possible run at the Olympics in track that could play into his decision as well.
In the end, though, this feels like a decision between the Ducks and Terrapins.
Gorney's Prediction: Oregon
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The four-star all-purpose back from Montgomery (Ala.) Montgomery Catholic has been committed to Auburn since July 1, stayed with the Tigers through a coaching change and remains in the class through what feels like a major upswing with coach Hugh Freeze.
So unless a huge surprise is in store, Cobb is expected to sign with Auburn on Wednesday. The four-star has said all along he wants to sign with his teammates and Cobb hasn’t been one to play the recruiting game much.
Gorney's Prediction: Auburn
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By all indications, Pleasant will end up at USC. Gardena (Calif.) Serra has been a pipeline over the years for the Trojans, it’s right down the road from USC’s campus and he’s spent a lot of time there. He hangs out regularly with players who are in the Trojans’ recruiting class, especially at events, and USC has been a front-runner for some time.
Oregon has made every attempt possible to stay involved in Pleasant’s recruitment and if he wants to pull a major surprise then the Ducks shouldn’t be counted out. But all signs are pointing to Pleasant staying home.
Gorney's Prediction: USC
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Because Lyons is planning a Mormon mission, the four-star tight end from Folsom, Calif., doesn’t necessarily feel rushed into making a decision. This could also be a situation where Lyons can be patient and see where Duce Robinson ends up before making his final choice.
The former Stanford commit is once again considering the Cardinal especially since new Cardinal coach Troy Taylor likes to throw the ball so much and he used to be the head coach at Lyons’ high school prior to the four-star playing there.
Utah is in the mix as well for sure but Georgia is the team to watch. Kirby Smart traveled to Northern California along with position coach Todd Hartley recently to pitch Lyons and they’re smart enough to not waste that valuable time in the final weeks unless they felt they had a real shot. A decision might not be coming Wednesday, either.
Gorney's Prediction: Georgia (but not on signing day)
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Cormani McClain’s recruitment was one for the books. Rashada’s was right there with him and it still appears like it’s not done. After flipping from Miami to Florida, it looked like the four-star quarterback from Pittsburg, Calif., was all set to enroll in Gainesville following the Under Armour Game but of course it wasn’t that easy. Instead, there was a lengthy and convoluted dispute over an NIL deal.
In the end, after lots of back-and-forth between both sides, Rashada was released from his national letter of intent to Florida. Arizona State and TCU have received visits over the last few weeks and it looks like a two-team race with no date determined for a final decision.
Gorney's Prediction: Arizona State
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The four-star defensive end from Macon (Ga.) Tattnall Square Academy did not sign with South Carolina in December despite being committed there since August. Hardy has been telling people he still plans to sign with the Gamecocks but there have been whispers that Hardy could be heading to junior college unless something has completely changed in the last few weeks.
By no means are the Gamecocks out of this and things could be cleared up soon but if Hardy doesn’t sign Wednesday then the junior college route is a possibility.
Gorney's Prediction: South Carolina
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The Ashdown, Ark., four-star tight end has been committed to Arkansas since August 2021 so why not sign during the early period? That usually can be a significant red flag but according to a source Easter still plans to sign with the Razorbacks on Wednesday and just wanted to wait until the February period to make it official. If that day comes and goes with no signature, then concerns should be raised.
Gorney's Prediction: Arkansas
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There don’t seem to be any surprises here. The four-star receiver from Temple, Texas, waited until the All-American Bowl in San Antonio to announce his commitment to Houston, where his father also played, and now it’s fully expected he signs with the Cougars. No drama is expected after Harrison-Pilot’s recruitment went in numerous directions over the last couple years.
Gorney's Prediction: Houston
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Over the last few weeks, the four-star defensive tackle from Indianapolis (Ind.) Cathedral has taken visits to Purdue to meet with first-year coach Ryan Walters and his staff. He also went to Kentucky, which has long been considered a real threat to flip Gilbert at some point.
For his part, Gilbert has stayed quiet about his plans and whether the Boilermakers can keep him or whether the Wildcats will flip him at the end. My guess would be that Gilbert flips to Kentucky but the Wildcats have tried and failed before to get him so the confidence level is low.
Gorney's Prediction: Kentucky