Latest news with #RivalsFive-Star
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Key DL storylines to follow heading into Indianapolis
The Rivals Five-Star is being held June 23-24 at the Indianapolis Colts' practice facility. Here are four defensive line storylines we're following heading into the biggest event of the summer. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | ACC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | SEC programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Key TE storylines | Key OL storylines | Key Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State ALL EYES ON RICHARD WESLEY Not only has Richard Wesley reclassified to the 2026 group, but he made a brief commitment to Oregon and enters the event as the sole uncommitted five-star along the defensive front set to participate. Advertisement Wesley is a dynamic pass rusher who thrives in all settings, but this will of course be his most stout test yet given both the top-end talent and depth set to line up against him next week. His recruitment will also play as its own storyline in Indianapolis, fresh off of an official visit to Texas as the Longhorns attempt to close the gap with Oregon for the top-10 national recruit. JAKE KREUL'S ENCORE Jeff McCulloch/ Jake Kreul flashed on the regional scene as an underclassman but he truly broke out at last year's Rivals Five-Star event in Jacksonville. He was one of the recruits who stole the show with his combination of flash, technique, effort and overall success against another loaded field of blockers – with most already in college at this point. Advertisement Kreul has arguably the deepest set of pass rushing traits of any competitor set to work out, but now he is as well-known a recruit as there is in the trenches simultaneously. Will the uncommitted star follow up the breakout with a five-star stamp? SEC IS WELL-REPRESENTED Nick Lucero/ The future trench stars of America's top conference are spread throughout the defensive line group, with Texas A&M sporting two commitments in Samu Moala and Jordan Carter. Recent Florida commitment JaReylan McCoy is back at the Rivals Five-Star for the second year in a row. South Carolina commit Aiden Harris is also scheduled to attend. Even the uncommitted recruits up front have an SEC feel in blue-chippers Jake Kreul, KJ Ford, Deuce Geralds, Landon Barnes and Nolan Wilson on the roster as well. PAIR OF 2027 PROSPECTS WILL BE HARD TO MISS The defensive line group for the Rivals Five-Star is primarily rising-senior laden, but the two 2027s set to work out bring a combination of star power and physical prowess to the showcase. Advertisement KJ Green is a top-10 national recruit in the class, incredibly tall, lean and twitchy coming off the edge to the point he'll touch 40 scholarship offers sooner rather than later. On the interior, 6-foot-5, 315-pound Kasi Carrie already looks like he is on a college roster and the offer list backs that up as Oregon leads the race for the California native early on. The Rivals Five-Star always lifts an underclassman to new heights, so don't count out either prospect already tabbed top-three at his position at this stage.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Predictions: Rivals Five-Star, Illinois, Oregon
Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith has predictions on next week's Rivals Five-Star event, a wave of commitments coming for Illinois and good news on the way for Oregon. MORE: Breaking down the 10 biggest commits from the weekend CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State KHALIEF CANTY JR. WILL BE THE TALK OF THE RIVALS FIVE-STAR Every year there is a prospect that comes to the Rivals Five-Star who is still a little unknown but by the time he leaves the event everyone knows his name. Last year, a strong candidate for that honor was Michigan commit Avery Gach. The offensive lineman was great at camp and had everyone buzzing. Advertisement This year I believe that player will be Khalief Canty Jr. He has a real mean streak on the field and a powerful punch to keep defenders at bay. He'll get to show his stuff against some of the best defensive linemen in the nation. He will also decide between Michigan State and Missouri with us at the event so we'll see who wins the Big Ten versus SEC battle. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | SEC programs in the spotlight | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy ILLINOIS WILL HAVE A BIG WEEK The Illini have already nabbed a pair of commitments this week with the additions of Jaylen Stewart and Kayden Bennett but more could be on the horizon. Advertisement Nick Hankins announces on Thursday and it seems to be down to Illinois versus Missouri for his pledge. There could be a late surprise but the Illini should feel confident here. Kai Pritchard, the offensive tackle from New Jersey, could come off the board on Wednesday. He'd be a great addition to the nice offensive line class that coach Bret Bielema is putting together. Another prospect to keep an eye on is nickel Isaiah Williams. The versatile defensive back out of Texas racked up 34 scholarship offers and the Illini have locked in on him to be part of their future defense. Commitments have come in waves for Illinois this cycle and another big one could be coming to Champaign. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ILLINOIS FANS AT OREGON WILL HEAT UP ON THE TRAIL SOON AP Take a snapshot of the recruiting standings right now because you aren't likely to see it again. Oregon is sitting in 12th place in the Big Ten with just eight commits for the 2026 class. But that could all change soon. Oregon has had some high-profile misses this cycle that isn't like coach Dan Lanning and company. But there are some blue-chip talents that could have decisions soon that the Ducks are heavily involved with. Five-star quarterback Ryder Lyons is still out there and the Ducks are in a battle for his pledge. Five-star Alabama edge defender Anthony Jones could combine with five-star Richard Wesley for a dynamic pass rush duo. That's if the Ducks can also get Wesley back in the class. California four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin is leaning toward the Ducks. Advertisement Oregon is a finalist for elite defensive lineman Deuce Geralds but players of his caliber are so hard to pull out of the South. I'm predicting that Oregon will go on a big run to close the month. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OREGON FANS AT
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nebraska quarterback commit Trae Taylor to participate in Rivals Five-Star elite event
Nebraska quarterback commit Trae Taylor to participate in Rivals Five-Star elite event A Nebraska quarterback commit will compete in one of the top recruiting camps in the country later this month. Trae Taylor is confirmed to participate in the 2025 Rivals Five-Star elite event in Indianapolis on June 23 and 24. Taylor is the fifth overall quarterback in the 2027 class and the third overall player in his class from the state of Illinois, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Last season, he threw for 3,061 yards, 20 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, per statistics from MaxPreps. He also carried the football 41 times for 342 yards and four touchdowns while leading Carmel Catholic High School to a 4-7 record. The 2025 Rivals Five-Star elite event will feature 104 high school football players gathering in Indianapolis at the Colts' practice facility. The two-day event will see a media day held on June 23, with the on-field competition taking place on June 24. Since committing to Nebraska back in May, Taylor has been active on social media, peer recruiting other top talent in the 2027 class. Now that all the talent is gathering in one place, it should provide Taylor with an excellent opportunity to make new connections and create opportunities for Nebraska's coaching staff to take advantage of in the future. Contact/Follow us @CornhuskersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Nebraska news, notes, and opinions.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Five SEC programs in the spotlight
The Rivals Five-Star, the marquee football event of the offseason, is less than a week away. We continue a conference-by-conference look at which programs should be paying the closest attention to the results from Indianapolis next week. Next up is the SEC. Advertisement RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten programs in the spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy BEST OF RIVALS CAMP SERIES: The five best QBs of the 2025 Rivals Camp Series regionals | Five best RBs | Five best WRs/TEs | Five best OL | Five best DL | Five best LBs | Five best DBs CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TEXAS A&M FLEXING ITS MUSCLE Texas A&M leads all SEC programs with five verbal commitments competing in the Rivals Five-Star. Clemson is tied with the Aggies for most involved in the event. Advertisement Future Texas A&M QB Helaman Casuga, WR Aaron Gregory, CB Victor Singleton and DL Jordan Carter and Samu Moala will all be in Indianapolis. The Aggies hold a top-10 class in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings for 2026 and have several more targets competing in the event such as four-star safety Tamarion Watkins, four-star EDGE KJ Ford and both WR Tristen Keys and Jase Mathews. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT TIGERS FLAUNTING FUTURE BIG THREE LSU is notorious for producing elite receiver talent and all three of the Tigers' blue-chip wideout commitments are set to compete in the Rivals Five-Star. Advertisement Five-star Tristen Keys, the No. 1 receiver in the Rivals250 out of Hattiesburg (Miss.), is one of the overall headlining talents competing in Indy. He will be joined by top-100 receiver Jabari Mack and Rivals250 receiver Kenny Darby, both out of The Boot. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT NEWEST GATORS ON DISPLAY Nick Lucero/ Billy Napier and the Gators are catching steam on the recruiting trail as the summer heats up and several of Florida's newest verbal commits will be on hand competing in Indianapolis. Rivals250 prospects JaReylan McCoy, Kaiden Hall and Carsyn Baker will all be working out at the Rivals Five-Star. Advertisement Hall pledged in-state to the Gators after his official visit at the start of June. McCoy, who was also a visitor that same weekend, followed suit after a second visit to The Swamp in a three-week stretch. Baker committed last week after logging another visit to Gainesville. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA SEVERAL DAWGS TO WATCH ON OFFENSE Georgia produced 13 NFL Draft picks this spring and some of the next wave of elite Dawgs will be on hand in Indy for the Rivals Five-Star. Georgia will be well-represented on offense in particular with electric receiver commitment Vance Spafford and blue-chip tight end Lincoln Keyes set to compete. Advertisement Four-star athlete Ryan Mosley is also set to work out in Indianapolis, primarily as a wide receiver though the Dawgs love his skill-set at safety as well. Jordan Smith, one of the nation's best safeties who committed to Georgia at the top of the month, will also be represented in the annual event. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Recruiting Rumor Mill: Latest chatter from huge June visits
There is so much happening through June that a second Recruiting Rumor Mill was needed this week, if not a third, fourth and fifth. Here's the latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney. RIVALS FIVE-STAR EVENT: Roster | Big Ten teams in spotlight | Key QB storylines | Key RB storylines | Key WR storylines | Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy MORE GORNEY: Elite 11 opening night | Breaking down the 10 biggest commits from the weekend CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State Alabama linebackers coach Chuck Morrell had a detailed plan from the second Abrams stepped in the door over the weekend in Tuscaloosa and it was the best visit he's been on through his recruitment. The four-star linebacker from Owings Mills (Md.) McDonogh isn't giving away any hints and still says each of his finalists – Alabama, Georgia, Michigan and Oregon – have a 25 percent chance of landing him. Advertisement But the Crimson Tide, from the staff to the players to the development, made a big impression on him and that could help as decision gets draws near. The three-star tight end has been taking important visits and landing offers as the Agyemang has more than two dozen offers now but three programs are in the running ahead of his July 1 commitment. NC State, Duke and Georgia Tech are the standouts for the Marietta (Ga.) Kelly standout with days before he commits. The 2028 offensive tackle from West Des Moines (Iowa) Dowling has a ways to go in his recruitment but Iowa is already shaping up to be tough to beat. Barrett has 'very high' interest in the Hawkeyes after another great visit there where he talked to position coach George Barnett about what Iowa looks for in its offensive lineman and he spent time with the players, too. Advertisement Iowa State, Nebraska, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Notre Dame and Alabama are others involved but Iowa is setting the pace. Alabama, Michigan and Oklahoma are the three standouts for the 2027 three-star receiver from Belleville, Mich., and maybe it will be nearly impossible to beat the Wolverines for him, but the Crimson Tide are trying. Britton loves how position coach JaMarcus Shephard coached him during summer camp and an offer from the Crimson Tide is big as he's already planning a return trip to Tuscaloosa. But Michigan kids often end up in Ann Arbor and the Wolverines are another one of his three favorites. His dad by the same name played at Nebraska so if the Huskers offer it would be something to monitor but right now the four schools standing out to the 2027 four-star running back from Colleyville (Texas) Covenant Christian Academy are Iowa, Ole Miss, SMU and Arkansas. Advertisement A recent visit and offer from the Hawkeyes was huge as he sees the entire program as a 'brotherhood' and that made a big impact early on. The 2027 athlete from Buford, Ga., just landed an offer from Georgia after summer camp and the Bulldogs could already be tough to beat although there will be other serious competition. Florida is definitely a team to watch with Cantrell along with Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Indiana. But Georgia is the 'hometown team' and if the Dawgs keep up the momentum in recruiting him then they will be tough to beat. The No. 1 running back from Jackson, Ala., had an excellent visit to Auburn over the weekend where he learned new things about the offensive scheme and how they use running backs in the passing game but it still might not be enough. Advertisement Alabama has led for a long time and it still feels like the Crimson Tide are edging out others in his recruitment. Florida State and Georgia have been the mainstays in Fielder's early recruitment and now Alabama will be watched closely by the 2028 offensive tackle from Carrollton, Ga. Fielder loved his interactions with coach Kalen DeBoer and especially position coach Chris Kapilovic as Alabama becomes a major contender in his recruitment. The Seminoles and the Bulldogs lead but now Alabama, Nebraska, Miami and Ohio State are under watch. Fleming lined up visits to Oklahoma, Auburn and Alabama and landed offers from all of them as the 2028 offensive tackle from Huntsville, Ala., sees his recruitment take off early on. There are other programs that Fleming is interested in seeing but first he's going to focus on his season as the Crimson Tide could have an early edge. He loved working out at camp and the 'entire coaching staff' was hands-on in Tuscaloosa. Maybe Ohio State is too far ahead or the pull from Ole Miss or LSU keeps Geralds in the South but Oregon blew away the high four-star defensive tackle. It was a 'crazy experience' for Geralds in Eugene as he loved talking with coach Dan Lanning at his place as the consideration has to come 'from a football side and a business side' when it comes to the Ducks. Advertisement Being coached by Lanning, Tosh Lupoi and Tony Tuioti is very tempting and has given him something serious to consider. Georgia 'definitely moved up' and 'it's really close' in his recruitment with the Bulldogs making a move on Florida, which has been considered the leader for a long time. The Gators probably close here and it would be a surprise if they don't. But the four-star cornerback from Cocoa, Fla., has now taken great back-to-back visits to Syracuse and Georgia. It should be a battle to the end for the four-star edge rusher as Oklahoma has led for some time but he had a great visit to Ohio State, Florida could be surging for the Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy standout and now Kreul is coming off a great visit to Texas. Advertisement The Longhorns are 'high on my list' because Kreul loves the energy and the super high expectations throughout the program. He believes it's a place that fits him well. After his weekend visit to Texas A&M, the Aggies will be 'battling for the No. 1 spot' in his recruitment. It was that good in College Station as everyone 'from the janitors to the head coach' brought him in with open arms. The four-star receiver from Leakesville (Miss.) Greene County also has Auburn, LSU and Ole Miss battling right at the top. The four-star cornerback from Cornelius (N.C.) Hough is highly complimentary of each visit but Texas has surged in his recruitment and is right there with South Carolina and Florida State atop his list. Advertisement There could be a significant NIL play here, too, but what Matthews likes most about Texas is this: He wants to be pushed to be the greatest he can be on and off the field and that's what coach Steve Sarkisian has promised he'd do. The high three-star receiver ended up not taking his Arkansas official visit last weekend and now Okwufulueze is preparing for his trip to TCU this weekend before decision time. The Horned Frogs are 'standing out the most for sure' so it wouldn't be a surprise if the Owasso (Okla.) Rejoice Christian School standout leaves Fort Worth committed. The four-star tight end from Great Bend, Kan., could 'definitely see himself playing' at Iowa State and that has been the rumor – that the Cyclones lead in his recruitment. But Notre Dame could be surging and Kansas is right there as well. Advertisement Premer feels really welcome in Ames. It reminds him of home a little bit and he spent a ton of time with the coaches and players, which was a big selling point as well. His brother, Gene, is committed to Iowa and now the 2027 prospect from Hinsdale (Ill.) Hinsdale Central just got offered by the Hawkeyes so that's a considerable deal as well. Riordan spent a lot of time with position coach Kelvin Bell and he loves the consistency of message from the Hawkeyes' staff about development, teamwork and community. There is a significant Big Ten feel to his recruitment with Iowa, Ohio State and Indiana leading the way with Illinois, Purdue and Minnesota visits coming up this fall. LSU is going to be a major player for the 2027 high four-star receiver from New Orleans (La.) Brother Martin especially as position coach Cortez Hankton hit Royal up right at midnight when coaches could reach out to 2027 prospects. Advertisement The Tigers are right there but the message from Texas was that they're the new WRU and that was clearly a message being sent to the Louisiana prospect as well. Louisville and Ole Miss are two others to watch early on. USC seems to have taken the lead for Stokes and his visit to campus earlier this week only solidified the Trojans at the top of the list. The Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout loved working with coach Lincoln Riley, doing film work with position coach Anthony Jones Jr. and having all those resources right in his backyard. Oregon would be the biggest threat to USC right now in his recruitment. The former Missouri commit visited Colorado over the weekend and he loved it as the Buffaloes have emerged as the top team in his recruitment. The coaches laid out that Tims could be an early contributor there and he loved how 'it's not just talk over there, it's action' as the three-star safety from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood looks at his recruitment. Advertisement Louisville, Georgia and Miami are the others to watch. Maybe South Carolina is too far ahead to be beaten as Georgia tries to land the four-star defensive back from Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern. That part of the state has been a serving ground for the Gamecocks so that will be something to watch but Texas A&M blew him away over the weekend. The Aggies made a 'big jump' for Watkins over the weekend but it's not clear if it's enough to take over South Carolina yet. Nebraska and possibly others are working very hard to flip the four-star edge rusher from Miami (Fla.) Southridge and it has looked like there is significant interest in making a change. Advertisement But Wilson was back at Syracuse over the weekend and that was crucial. The Cuse coaching staff made it clear he's a top priority and pushed for him to stay locked in and right now there have been no changes. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SYRACUSE FANS AT Miami was the first program to reach out to the 2027 five-star cornerback when coaches could text and call those players earlier this week. Penn State, Louisville, Auburn, Notre Dame, UCLA, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, Texas and so many others got involved shortly after. But USC remains the team to beat and could be very difficult to overcome as Williams, his father and others are very close with Trojans position coach Trovon Reed.
