Rivals.com – Recruiting Rumor Mill: Southeast standouts shine as camp season heats up
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Following time in the state of Georgia, which included Under Armour’s Atlanta camp on Sunday, Rivals.com national recruiting analyst John Garcia has the latest chatter on many of the best prospects in the Southeast.
Georgia was the most recent program to host the top-10 junior and the in-state program is definitely one to watch. Auburn, also close to home, has Atkinson’s attention and Alabama is working on getting him on campus for a first impression of the new staff in Tuscaloosa. The versatile defender has already racked up most of the national offers he could covet, so he’s not ruling out an early verbal commitment.
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The semi-local commitment to the Auburn Tigers remains firm with Hugh Freeze’s program even after some changes to the defensive coaching staff. In the meantime Florida and UCF are trying to make a play to get official visits out of the 300-pounder. Each program has increased the pressure, but trips to either aren’t quiet yet set. Autry is building a relationship with the re-built Tiger staff.
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The Notre Dame legacy recruit is so familiar with South Bend that he could probably end up there without another visit, but he’ll return for the spring game most likely. As some programs have bowed out assuming the son of the legendary Irish running back is headed there for college, others like Texas A&M, Duke and Cal continue to prioritize Bettis. The big wide receiver wants to come off the board fairly early in the off-season if he can take enough trips to solidify the pick.
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It’s early for the sophomore but there is a progression with the programs in the running for his services. In-state Georgia looks like it will remains a factor for the pass-rusher, especially after getting him on campus during the 2023 season. Auburn, Mississippi State and Texas A&M are among the newest offers for Carter, who doesn’t appear to be in a rush to make an early verbal commitment.
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The one-time Georgia commitment has been busy on the visit trail, with many places making an impression on the multi-sport standout. Of the group, it looks like Auburn, Ohio State and LSU are making a move up the tackle’s list. The Tigers are in-state, DeBose has family ties to the Buckeyes and LSU is among the closest campuses to home. Georgia and Alabama remain in the mix, too, though they may be a step behind if a commitment is to come sooner rather than later.
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A commitment could be coming as early as the early summer for the Peach State prospect, who will have several hats on the table come that day. If it comes to one program perhaps positioning itself as well as anyone in a loaded field, Auburn could be that destination. Few programs have hosted Dice like AU has, even getting him on campus to kick off the month of February.
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Though it’s early for the 2026 talent, the initial commitment to Freeze and Auburn may have some staying power. Other programs continue to inquire about his commitment status and he doesn’t budge on his plan to play on the Plains. Ellis isn’t even truly considering visits to other campuses at this time, instead only committing to return to Auburn when his schedule opens back up.
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Favorites are beginning to take shape for one of the tallest offensive line recruits in the land, with in-state Georgia, South Carolina and Oregon among those high on his list. Official visits to each are being ironed out, but programs like Tennessee and Florida State could get trips out of him during spring practice windows in an unofficial capacity.
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At this point it continues to look like Glover will play his college football beyond state lines. The one-time Alabama commitment was recently in Tallahassee and he began to talk about narrowing his list following the unofficial visit. It would be safe to expect him back in Tallahassee at some point soon, though Tennessee could be a program making a run at the interior projection before all is said and done. Expect a fresh list from Glover soon.
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From the time he backed off of his commitment to Alabama following Nick Saban’s retirement, Georgia has looked like the potential favorite for the pass-rusher and the buzz remains with Kirby Smart’s program at this time. It doesn’t mean a commitment is coming soon, as the new Alabama staff and certainly in-state Auburn work to continue to contend, but Grady already has a return trip to Athens set in the form of a June official visit.
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There are still many programs prioritizing and trying to zero in on the ultra productive running back, but Florida State and Auburn continue to come up as much or more than the rest. Georgia, Miami and droves of others continue to keep tabs on Henderson, but the relationships and effort from the Seminoles and Tigers are holding his attention. Plenty of visits are to be had moving forward, however.
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The impressive young cornerback recruit has a national offer list and a big cut should be coming up after spring football wraps up. Beyond that summer visit will play a big role for Hicks, who wants to commit sometime this offseason. Ohio State, Auburn and Miami are in great shape to make the cut at this point. Clemson is likely to soon get a visit, so the Tigers have staying power for the top-100 talent as well.
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As versatile a prospect as there is in the class, many programs are looking into the Dodge County talent a bit more as the offseason rolls on. Among those already with an offer on the table, it’s Alabama, Florida State, Tennessee and UCF doing the most consistent work with the junior. Johnson is likely to return to each of those campuses in an official capacity but the team worth potentially watching is Georgia. The relationship between he and the Bulldogs is increasing in consistency and he admitted an offer there could change plenty.
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The longtime Notre Dame verbal commitment says he remains solid to the Fighting Irish and he has no plans to visit any other campus at this time. Communication is another thing, though, as many programs continue to inquire about the lefty’s college prospects. In-state Ole Miss has been mentioned consistently, but it appears as if Alabama could emerge as the top threat to Marcus Freeman’s program as the new staff in Tuscaloosa continues to push for its first traditional quarterback recruiting win.
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The longtime Texas commitment is locked in with Steve Sarkisian, AJ Milwee and company, continuing to communicate regularly. At least two more trips to Austin are set to go down this spring, including a return for the Longhorns’ spring game as Lacy continues to recruit top targets like Dakorien Moore to the 40 Acres. Still, in-state Auburn, as well as Ole Miss and Oregon continue to stay in touch with the state champion. While Auburn has hosted him plenty, Oregon and Ole Miss are trying to get him on campus for an official visit. Lacy hasn’t committed to any dates just yet.
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The most talked about prospect in the state, Lewis remains on board with Lincoln Riley and USC. However, many programs closer to home continue to work on flipping him, and he’ll take trips to several in the coming months during spring football. Georgia and Alabama each hold considerable buzz if a change of heart is to go down, though Auburn, Colorado and others could also get him on campus.
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Official visit season is coming around the corner and Georgia will get the first trip out of the Alabama native, though the trip has yet to be set. In-state Alabama and Auburn continue to push to keep him within state lines, but Tennessee and others are also heavily involved for the tall pass-rusher. Smith will look to invest in the trips ahead of what is expected to be a summer decision, in order to focus on his senior season and not the recruiting process.
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The tall wideout recently dropped a top eight, but it appears as if his list could even be a bit narrower than that. Official visits are to be set up, but spring practice trips to Georgia Tech, Clemson, Ole Miss and Auburn are next on the docket. Georgia losing wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon was a big blow, as Smith admitted it was probably the best relationship he had with an individual position coach.
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Vanderbilt, Cincinnati and Purdue are beginning to position themselves for official visits when the time comes for the productive pass-catcher. Taylor still feels like he’s in the early stages of the recruiting process following the head-turning 2023 he had, so there could be plenty of twists and turns ahead. He does not anticipate making a decision any time soon.
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The five-star remains rock solid in his verbal commitment to the in-state Bulldogs, but other programs continue to push to stay relevant. Terry said Alabama is as consistent as any other threat, especially since it retained defensive line coach Freddie Roach through the transition from Nick Saban. Auburn and others are competing for spring visits, but nothing is set beyond getting back to Athens next month.
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A trio of programs seem to be positioning themselves for the breakout wide receiver prospect — Auburn, Florida and Miami. Each of the three have hosted him on campus of late and figure to get an official visit before all is said and done. Upshaw is looking to make a decision before the 2024 season begins, even as new programs potentially enter the mix.
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