Recruiting Rumor Mill: Activity heating up as early period approaches

As the Early Signing Period nears, there are lots of news and rumors especially as top prospects take some visits and hear from coaches. Here’s all the latest in this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill:

After backing off his Utah commitment, Blocker has Alabama, USC, TCU, Kentucky and the Utes as his favorites. A new offer from the Crimson Tide “does make things a little more complex with my decision” especially after he visited Tuscaloosa and loved it along with landing one of his newest offers.

“Those Bama fans are something else,” Blocker said.

One of the fastest risers in the 2023 class is the defensive tackle from Harrisburg (Pa.) Central Dauphin East as Georgia and Florida are his newest offers. The offer from the Bulldogs came after he and assistant coach Fran Brown had some talks and then the Gators followed. Penn State has not offered yet but the word is the Nittany Lions are “very involved” and could make his recruitment even more interesting.

Coleman’s recruitment is fast-moving and constantly changing since the Lincoln (Neb.) East four-star athlete backed off his pledge but there are some programs who have made an impression. He has already had a meeting with new coach Matt Rhule in which Coleman was told he needs to be a building block to make Nebraska special again. It’s a compelling case but a visit to Michigan is also being planned and then Georgia, Miami, LSU and Texas A&M “a little bit” have been in touch among others.

Florida State is making a big early impression on the 2025 four-star receiver from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin and after another recent visit there French “feels the love every time I’m there.” The Seminoles are definitely one of the early front-runners but the list remains quite large with Alabama, Florida, Texas A&M, Pitt and Georgia as some other programs recruiting him hardest.

The four-star receiver from Atlanta (Ga.) Kennesaw Mountain who had a huge senior season thinks Auburn getting coach Hugh Freeze is a “really big hire especially after how good he won at Ole Miss” but the Tigers are not one of the team recruiting him hardest yet. That list includes South Carolina, Georgia, Ole Miss, UCF, Oklahoma and Tennessee for Lee, who had 74 catches for 1,101 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.

There has been a lot of talk that South Carolina could flip the four-star safety from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes but the word now is that Love is “locked in” with his Tigers pledge and not looking around any longer. The hiring of Hugh Freeze seems to have solidified Love’s pledge to Auburn and no other programs are going to flip him now.

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Fresh off his Nebraska decommitment, the four-star receiver from Vivian (La.) North Caddo has Arkansas, LSU, Auburn and Oklahoma pursuing him the hardest. Miller had been committed to LSU early in his recruitment and the Tigers are back in his recruitment but it could be an interesting few weeks leading up to signing day.

The four-star defensive back who’s committed to Alabama did not know much about Hugh Freeze but knows he wins a lot and could get the players on The Plains to turn Auburn into a winning program again. While Mitchell remains committed to Alabama, he’s taken numerous visits to Auburn this season as the Tigers and Texas A&M remain heavily involved in trying to flip him.

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The hiring of Matt Rhule at Nebraska definitely interests Nwaneri as the 2024 four-star defensive end thinks he could move the Huskers in the right direction but they’re not one of the top teams showing the most interest in his recruitment yet. Missouri, Oklahoma, Oregon, Michigan State, Tennessee and Alabama are showing the most love to the Lee’s Summit (Mo.) Lee’s Summit North standout.

The atmosphere at Ohio State “gets crazier every time I’m there” as the Buckeyes are definitely one of the clear front-runners for the 2024 four-star cornerback from Springfield, Ohio. In the end, Ohio State might be tough to beat but Penn State, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Pitt, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Kentucky and Wisconsin have also been coming after him.

Ohio State has impressed the 2024 four-star linebacker especially after a recent visit and the Buckeyes’ staff is showing tons of attention as they’re one of two teams most involved in his recruitment. Here’s the catch: The other team is Tennessee where his brother, Edwin, is committed in the 2023 class. Those two teams are recruiting Spillman the hardest so he’ll have to determine whether to follow his brother to Knoxville or do his own thing.

The four-star defensive end Auburn commit doesn’t know too much about new coach Hugh Freeze yet except for his reputation as a winner “any any school he goes to” but more important to Williams is how the rest of the Tigers’ staff fills out. Keeping his options open, the Zachary, La., standout has Washington and Tulane reaching out consistently and then Penn State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State reaching out as well.

Arizona, Ole Miss, VIrginia Tech, UCLA and Michigan State have been recruiting the 2024 four-star quarterback from Chandler (Ariz.) Basha hardest but there could be another school to keep an eye on. Williams is intrigued by Arizona State’s hiring of former Oregon offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham and now he’ll give the Sun Devils a “closer look” as well especially after Bo Nix’s success in Eugene.