Recruiting Rumor Mill: First big visit weekend is just days away
Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
The first big visit weekend of late May and early June is only days away but there is still a ton going on across the country. Here's the latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney in this Recruiting Rumor Mill.
Advertisement
MORE: Ohio State QB commit Brady Edmunds has some big targets
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
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info
The high three-star defensive back from Pembroke Pines (Fla.) West Broward committed to Toledo last June but now Akande has a full visit schedule this month and there's a big threat that he could flip.
Akande is at UCF this weekend and that will definitely be one to watch before he sees South Florida, Toledo and FIU to close out the month. Minnesota, Kentucky and NC State are also big threats to flip him.
Tennessee remains at the top of the list for Anderson and with a limited amount of other Power Four offers it would be very surprising if he didn't end up with the Volunteers if they have room in this recruiting class.
Advertisement
Cincinnati, Memphis and others are involved but after a recent return trip to Knoxville where he got to know the staff even better, Tennessee is the front-runner.
There is a strong feeling that Miami is the front-runner for the four-star edge rusher from Venice, Fla., and it could help the Hurricanes even more since he's taking his final official visit there at the end of the month.
But others are going to throw their hat in the ring as Florida gets its shot this weekend. He'll also see Louisville, Kentucky and Missouri before wrapping up the month in Coral Gables.
Texas is in very good shape with the 2027 four-star defensive back from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco.
Advertisement
Texas A&M, Colorado, Cal and BYU round out his top five, as Davis looks to a busy round of visits. He's expected to visit the Longhorns this weekend, then head to Boston College, Arizona State and Sacramento State by the end of the month.
Georgia has emerged as the front-runner for the five-star safety but Alabama is right there in his recruitment with Oregon rounding out his favorites. Texas A&M had been at the top but seems to be sliding for the Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances standout.
A new visit to Florida on June 3 will be one to watch as there is a significant SEC feel now to his recruitment.
Michigan is trying to make a serious run at the five-star LSU cornerback commit and while the family is listening, his commitment to the Tigers has not swayed. The Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout has only been committed for weeks and he was already back in Baton Rouge in recent days to firm things up even more.
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT DEATHVALLEYINSIDER.COM
The four-star defensive tackle from Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill is kicking off his official visit schedule this weekend at LSU as the Tigers remain one of four front-runners in his recruitment.
It was thought that Oklahoma might have had an edge but the Sooners have fallen off a little.
LSU, Ole Miss (where he's a legacy), Oregon and Ohio State have emerged as the four to watch.
The 2027 three-star running back from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman is now up to 20 offers with more very possibly on the way but so far Arizona, Notre Dame, BYU, Cal, Washington, UNLV and Arizona State have been in touch the most.
Advertisement
Grant is still in the early stages and doesn't want to name leaders yet, especially with Oklahoma, Oregon, USC and UCLA asking about him.
Matthews has a list of favorites but this could be boiling down to a two-team race with South Carolina in the lead but Texas is making a major play for the four-star cornerback from Cornelius (N.C.) Hough.
Matthews will be in Miami this weekend and that could get interesting. Some believe the Longhorns have the momentum, but South Carolina remains very appealing.
Alabama, Michigan and Texas will host the four-star linebacker from Marietta (Ga.) Kell in the coming weeks before Rouse heads back to Tennessee and the Vols could be really tough to beat.
Advertisement
Rouse had a trip 'different from any other visit' last weekend in Knoxville that only strengthened his relationship with the coaching staff and pushed the Vols even higher among his favorites.
After official visits to Washington, Stanford and UCLA, the high three-star defensive end from Seattle (Wash.) O'Dea will return home and work through a decision with his family. Washington is 'home' and that could be playing a big role in his thinking but all three schools are basically even heading into visits.
The four-star Tennessee tight end commit was back in Knoxville over the weekend and he had a great time as the coaching staff is recruiting him like he hasn't made his pledge yet.
Advertisement
The Nashville (Tenn.) Donelson Christian Academy standout has dropped his Miami visit and has Florida, Ole Miss and a return trip back to Tennessee on the calendar. If the Vols throw more to their tight ends, then Sneed might be locked in as that has been a concern while looking at other programs.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT VOLREPORT.COM
Theodore feels like a priority every time he's on Tennessee's campus and the Vols are very high on his list especially after being at their 865 Live event over the weekend. Tennessee looks very strong for the three-star cornerback from Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School with Wisconsin, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Louisville, Vanderbilt, Duke and Virginia also there.
The four-star offensive tackle from New Albany, Miss., has been committed to Mississippi State since February but Tucker will be at Ole Miss this weekend followed by LSU and then close out the month back in Starkville.
Advertisement
The word is that LSU is recruiting him the hardest so that trip to Baton Rouge will be one to watch closely and Oxford is less than an hour away.
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MISSISSIPPI STATE FANS AT BULLDOGBLITZ.COM
Auburn will host the four-star edge rusher from Wadley, Ala., this weekend and the Tigers are definitely one of the front-runners. Texas A&M could be sneaky here and might have the advantage right now in his recruitment with Miami and the Tigers involved.
This trip to The Plains could settle things for Auburn but the Aggies are a major player in his recruitment for sure.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox Sports
14 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Lefty Shota Imanaga Will Rejoin Chicago Cubs Next Week in St. Louis
Left-hander Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Chicago Cubs early next week in St. Louis following a sharp Triple-A rehab start on Friday, manager Craig Counsell said Saturday. Counsell wasn't sure when Imanaga would be slotted into Chicago's rotation but said before the Cubs' game against the Seattle Mariners that the 31-year-old "is gonna make his next start in the big leagues." Imanaga, who was 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA as a rookie last season, is coming back from a left hamstring strain. He got hurt covering first base during the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on May 4. Imanaga is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts for the Cubs this season. His return is expected to provide a lift for the NL Central leaders, who entered Saturday 4.5 games in front of Milwaukee and St. Louis. Imanaga tossed 4.1 scoreless innings of two-hit ball for Triple-A Iowa at Nashville on Friday night. He struck out eight and walked two. "Everything went great," Counsell said. "Did what we hoped he would do. He's in a position to be ready. So he's going to join us in St. Louis and we'll figure out the next steps." Before the transition to Iowa, Imanaga pitched six scoreless innings over two rehab starts in the Arizona Complex League. He had a bullpen session in Arizona last Tuesday. Imanaga signed a $53 million, four-year contract with Chicago in January 2024. He often dazzled in 29 starts last season, making the National League All-Star team and finishing fourth in balloting for the NL Rookie of the Year. Also, on Saturday, the Cubs recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Iowa and designated lefty Genesis Cabrera for assignment. Pearson is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 19 appearances since he was optioned to Iowa on April 15. Cabrera had an 8.68 ERA in nine games with the Cubs. He signed with Chicago on May 29 after being designated for assignment by the New York Mets. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience Major League Baseball Chicago Cubs Shota Imanaga recommended Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
19 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
Lefty Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Cubs next week in St. Louis
Eric Samulski explains why the Rafael Devers trade could accelerate Masataka Yoshida's return, arguing that he could offer some fantasy value in the middle of the Boston Red Sox's lineup. CHICAGO — Left-hander Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Chicago Cubs early next week in St. Louis following a sharp Triple-A rehab start on Friday, manager Craig Counsell said Saturday. Counsell wasn't sure when Imanaga would be slotted into Chicago's rotation but said before the Cubs' game against the Seattle Mariners that the 31-year-old 'is gonna make his next start in the big leagues.' Imanaga, who was 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA as a rookie last season, is coming back from a left hamstring strain. He got hurt covering first base during the sixth inning of a 4-0 loss at Milwaukee on May 4. Imanaga is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts for the Cubs this season. His return is expected to provide a lift to the NL Central leaders, who entered Saturday 4 1/2 games in front of Milwaukee and St. Louis. Imanaga tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings of two-hit ball for Triple-A Iowa at Nashville on Friday night. He struck out eight and walked two. 'Everything went great,' Counsell said. 'Did what we hoped he would do. He's in a position to be ready. So he's going to join us in St. Louis and we'll figure out the next steps.' Before the transition to Iowa, Imanaga pitched six scoreless innings over two rehab starts in the Arizona Complex League. He had a bullpen session in Arizona last Tuesday. Imanaga signed a $53 million, four-year contract with Chicago in January 2024. He often dazzled in 29 starts last season, making the NL All-Star team and finishing fourth in balloting for the NL Rookie of the Year. Also Saturday, the Cubs recalled right-hander Nate Pearson from Iowa and designated lefty Génesis Cabrera for assignment. Pearson is 3-1 with a 2.22 ERA in 19 appearances since he was optioned to Iowa on April 15. Cabrera had an 8.68 ERA in nine games with the Cubs. He signed with Chicago on May 29 after being designated for assignment by the Mets.
Fox Sports
29 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Stenhouse has vowed retaliation on rival Carson Hocevar. Will NASCAR payback be delivered at Pocono?
Associated Press LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Carson Hocevar walked around Pocono Raceway without a scratch on his face. His polo shirt looked more tailored than tattered and the Spire Motorsports driver was ready to race rather than rumble. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hadn't socked Hocevar with a right hook quite yet — hot on the heels of Stenhouse's threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend's race in Mexico City — leaving the next shot at any potential retaliation inside or outside the cars set for Sunday's NASCAR race. Hocevar should walk with his head on a swivel because Stenhouse can throw a right hook. Just ask Kyle Busch, who suffered a crushing TKO loss when he clashed with Stenhouse after last year's All-Star race. Get ready! The Pounding at Pocono could be just another round in the ongoing feud between Stenhouse and Hocevar. 'He probably will be looking over his shoulder for a long time,' Stenhouse said Saturday at Pocono. 'We'll see how that goes.' Hocevar has to look over his shoulder — and for that charging Chevrolet in his rearview mirror. 'The scorecard has it that I I'm getting something from the 47 at some point, right? And I think my team and everybody kind of knows that,' Hocevar said. Their beef has little chance of getting squashed any time soon, a dispute that started three races ago when Hocevar wrecked Stenhouse early at Nashville. Hocevar sent Stenhouse spinning last week in Mexico City, which ignited the postrace melee on pit road. Stenhouse seemed to grab at Hocevar as he spoke to him, then slapped at his helmet as Stenhouse walked away. Hocevar's in-car camera captured audio of the confrontation. 'I'm going to beat your (behind),' Stenhouse threatened. 'You're a lap down, you've got nothing to do. Why you run right into me? It's the second time. I'm going to beat your (behind) when we get back to the States.' Hocevar avoided a smackdown from Stenhouse but his Spire team hit him where it hurts — a $50,000 fine on Tuesday for derogatory comments he made about Mexico City on a livestream as NASCAR raced there last weekend. At just 23 and in his second full Cup season, Hocevar has whipped himself into a flurry of unwanted attention, continuing a trend that started last year when even veteran Denny Hamlin chimed in and said NASCAR had ' to do something to Carson.' Stenhouse might do it on behalf of the sanctioning body with his fist or even his No. 47 Chevrolet. Hocevar conceded, yes, payback may be imminent and the time to talk out their lingering issues is over. Yet, Hocevar pleaded: 'It's not an open hunting season on the 77 because of these incidents.' Hocevar stamped his own target on his back. With his aggressive racing. With his ignorant words. 'Just because I do something in the heat of the moment or maybe, you know, you do it two or three times, doesn't mean I'm not hard on myself for those mistakes because they are mistakes,' he said. 'It's just trying not to make that a pattern. But when you're constantly making aggressive moves like we're doing, it's balancing that fine line of, you know, you make a thousand moves a day. Just unfortunately, what people remember isn't always the good ones. You always remember the negative ones.' Case in point, Hocevar walked back his derisive comments about Mexico after he actually experienced the culture of the country following NASCAR's foray into a new Cup Series market. 'I didn't give it a shot. I didn't give it a chance,' Hocevar said. 'I didn't go walk around. I didn't go see it. When I did, you know, then hindsight's 20/20, then I have my own opinion. But I've already put it out there.' Spire also ordered Hocevar to attend cultural-sensitivity and bias-awareness training. He can be thankful he gets a shot at another race. Stenhouse's spotter, Tab Boyd, was fired this week by HYAK Motorsports in the wake of an unflattering social media post about his experience in Mexico. 'That's above my paygrade,' Stenhouse said. The biggest KO so far came in the standings, where Stenhouse has been flattened in just three weeks from 13th in points in the thick of playoff contention before Nashville to 21st entering Pocono. Hocevar is one point ahead of Stenhouse in the standings. 'That's the thing that hurts worse for our team is just where it's put us,' Stenhouse said. Stenhouse's trash talk more worthy of UFC hype could put him in hot water should he actually deliver on his vowed retribution and take out Hocevar. If it comes to a point where NASCAR dishes out a monetary punishment, it's OK, the 2023 Daytona 500 champion could afford his fine. He just sold his North Carolina estate for $12.2 million, the highest-priced residential sale ever recorded in the greater Charlotte metro area. 'It's been a big week. We've had a lot going on,' Stenhouse said, laughing. He'd rather talk real estate than about the space and time wasted thinking about Hocevar. 'I'm just honestly tired of talking about the kid,' Stenhouse said. Tired of the talk? Sure. Of the action? Not just yet. 'Eventually it'll all come together at some point,' Stenhouse said. 'I'm not sure when or how. But it will." ___ AP auto racing: recommended in this topic
