Recruiting Rumor Mill: Trevonte' Citizen loading up on visits
National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney is back with his weekly Recruiting Rumor Mill with recruiting chatter and news from around the country.
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Alexander was committed to Alabama for more than seven months, but in October he backed off his pledge and reopened his recruitment. The four-star defensive end and No. 1 player in the state of Alabama has a visit scheduled to Clemson on June 1, to Georgia on June 3 and UCF on June 11, but the chatter is that the Crimson Tide are still very much in the picture. Alabama usually gets the top player in its state and the feeling is that Alexander could recommit at some point.
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Alabama, LSU, Miami and Florida State are four schools that have been mentioned constantly with the five-star offensive tackle from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas - but one might have a slight edge. LSU has been in constant communication with Armella and his family, and Armella’s father, Enzo, who played at FSU, was recruited by Ed Orgeron when he was a position coach at Miami. That connection could be huge for the Tigers as Armella’s father knows Orgeron and his coaching style well and Alabama has not been in contact as much. That is only one factor, and the five-star OL is going to make his own choice but it could be something to seriously consider.
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LSU offered Bell on Tuesday, and it’s definitely a big one for the 2023 cornerback from Houston (Texas) Kinkaid but Bell said he’s more focused on improving as a player than making a snap decision. Alabama, Auburn and Minnesota are three other programs showing the most interest, and more offers could come in soon now that LSU is on board.
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West Virginia will get the first crack at Bissainthe on that first weekend of June and then the four-star linebacker from Miami (Fla.) Central will see Penn State and Miami in the following weeks. Florida State is also seriously involved in Bissainthe’s recruitment, but the word is the Seminoles wanted him to push his visit to the fall.
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Brubaker is a Penn State legacy and he plays about two hours away at Denver (Pa.) Cocalico, but the chatter is that he’s also very serious and interested in the SEC schools he will be visiting through June. The Nittany Lions will get the first crack and then the four-star offensive lineman will visit South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. One source said if Penn State had an edge going into the visits, the others wouldn’t have been scheduled. Fit is going to be the most important thing in Brubaker’s decision.
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Citizen has official visits planned for Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Arkansas and all those schools have a legitimate shot at the four-star running back. But many still feel that LSU is way out ahead in his recruitment and he will end up with the Tigers. The bigger question is which change-of-pace back will LSU focus on, as Trevor Etienne has been on the list, but Le’Veon Moss is emerging as a possible top candidate
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The four-star running back only has one official visit scheduled so far - to Virginia on the last weekend of June - and the Cavaliers are among his five frontrunners. Virginia might not be right at the top with Purdue, Florida State, South Alabama and Tulane also very high on the list, but the visit to Charlottesville for the Baton Rouge (La.) Scotlandville standout could move Virginia up quickly.
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Harbor has quickly been landing offers from major national powers, including Georgia and LSU, and it was an offer from across the country that could change the scope of his recruitment. When Oregon offered, the 2023 athlete from Washington (D.C.) Archbishop Carroll said it was his dream school and the rumor is that the Ducks have jumped to the top of his list. Lots of schools could offer, but Oregon could be tough to beat.
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Tennessee has recruited Hayden very hard, especially since the new staff has taken over, but the rumor here is that Ohio State and Notre Dame have captured his attention the most and this pretty much still remains a two-team battle between the Buckeyes and the Irish. Official visits are going to be important over the coming weeks, and the Volunteers have definitely come on strong, but it looks like Ohio State and Notre Dame are battling it out for the four-star running back the most.
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Alabama, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, LSU and Ole Miss made the top six for Horton in December, but some things have changed in recent months as the Gators continue to be a frontrunner and now Miami has joined the top list as well. The Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Oakland four-star receiver will visit Florida on the first day of June and then head to Miami for a visit the first weekend of the month.
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One of the best receivers at the recent Rivals Camp in Atlanta, Hyatt has some impressive offers already, but a big summer is ahead. The Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork four-star receiver in the 2023 class is definitely focused on hitting Georgia’s camp first in the middle of the first week of June and then heading to Alabama on June 5, Clemson on June 6 and South Carolina about a week later.
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The five-star cornerback has been committed to USC since January and the closeness of the program and his connection to position coach Donte Williams might be too much to overcome, but Jackson is seriously considering a visit to Alabama and one to Michigan could also happen. According to a source, the problem with the Wolverines is that Don Brown and Mike Zordich are no longer on staff and Jackson was close to those coaches. But his relationship with fellow five-star Will Johnson (when Johnson visited USC, he stayed with Jackson) could be enough to get him to Ann Arbor for a visit.
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Ohio State and South Carolina have been two visits planned for a long time by the four-star defensive tackle from Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy, but now another one is on the schedule and it could make things more interesting. LSU has stepped it up with James and he’s now planning to be in Baton Rouge on June 18. Others are involved, but these three schools definitely have caught James’ attention.
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A call from coach Nick Saban really left an impression with Little, and now Alabama is a clear top contender in the four-star’s recruitment. Saban talked to Little about Patrick Surtain and how he called Surtain on draft night and how that could be Little’s fate one day as well. Saban also complimented Little on a recent workout video and discussed when the four-star was going to visit officially and for an unofficial visit. LSU, Florida, Florida State, Miami and others remain involved, too.
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Marchiol has been committed to Florida State since late January, but the recent commitment of four-star QB A.J. Duffy - along with other factors - means the Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton four-star QB is planning a round of official visits. Michigan State will host Marchiol the first weekend of June and then he will be at West Virginia. Arkansas and Arizona State are also expected to get visits. Seeing other places is going to be a big key as Marchiol continues to work through his recruitment.
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Indiana has always been the school pegged most to Mullen since his brother plays for the Hoosiers, the two have talked about what a great experience it’s been at Indiana and the coaching staff is coming hard after the four-star cornerback from Coconut Creek, Fla. But the in-state schools are starting to really step it up in Mullen’s recruitment and visits are coming. Mullen is planning trips to Miami for its cookout, to Florida as well and a Florida State trip has been in the works for a while. The Hoosiers are still high, but there is way more local interest now than before.
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The four-star athlete from Niceville, Fla., has visits to Georgia Tech, Florida and LSU, but Thomas might have to rework his LSU trip so he can get to Oklahoma on the weekend of June 18. The Sooners are expected to get that visit, which means Thomas will have to figure out when he’s going to get to LSU, plus other visits could also happen. Are those four a real look into which schools stand out most? Not yet, but it could end up being a good indicator.
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The four-star receiver from Philadelphia (Pa.) Neumann-Goretti has stayed off the recruiting radar a little bit, but three visits coming up could provide some clarity as to which schools he’s most interested in right now. Thomas said he will see Penn State, Ohio State and Florida in June, and many feel Michigan State and West Virginia are also high on the list.
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Tolan has seen his recruitment take off in recent months, and he has nearly 40 offers, but his official visit schedule could provide a window into the schools he’s most serious about heading into the summer. The four-star linebacker from Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips will have a busy June with successive trips to Tennessee, Auburn, LSU and Miami as those four and others battle it out. Florida State could be in that top group as well.
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Auburn, Penn State, Kentucky, Stanford, Notre Dame and Ohio State made the top six for Wagner in March, but his official visits are telling as the four-star offensive lineman has booked trips to Ohio State, Kentucky, Notre Dame and Penn State through June. The chatter is that the Buckeyes are the frontrunner in a big way and it would be a major surprise if the in-state prospect ends up elsewhere.
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Woods is one of the more unsung prospects in the West, a rangy outside linebacker who makes a lot of plays and has a big impact for Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco. Now, he could be closing in on a decision. UCLA has the slight edge heading into a Mother’s Day commitment, but Arizona State, Boston College, Oregon, Miami and others have offered.