Recruiting Rumor Mill: Flips coming into focus

It was another busy week of news and rumors so there’s no better time than another Recruiting Rumor Mill as national recruiting director Adam Gorney shares everything he’s hearing on top prospects.

The 2026 four-star quarterback from Ashland, Ohio, loved how Louisville’s offense looked this past weekend and the Cardinals are definitely one of the front-runners in his recruitment Indiana and Iowa State so far. Missouri and Ohio State have also been poking around with Bernhard and he feels if he has a big season those offers could be coming as well.

A former Texas Tech commit, Burns committed to Baylor in late July and he’s happy with his pledge to the Bears but now Ole Miss has come in with an offer and the Rebels’ pitch to him has been compelling. They are telling the high three-star linebacker from Houston (Texas) Cypress Falls that he’s a guy “they missed out on before” and that they love him tape. The word is Burns is planning to go to Oxford for a game but he’s still locked in with Baylor since it has recruited him “the whole time.”

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Texas A&M is just one of eight programs on Casuga’s top list along with Arizona, Auburn, BYU, Nebraska, USC, Utah and Washington also high up there but the Aggies could have taken a step ahead in his recruitment after being in College Station for the Notre Dame game. The 2026 four-star quarterback from Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon had an “unbelievable” visit to Texas A&M and the loss to the Irish doesn’t scare him “one bit” as he loves the atmosphere and the coaches there.

The 2026 four-star safety from Newnan, Ga., remains happily committed to South Carolina but a weekend visit to Georgia has made things interesting and he’s developing very strong strong bonds in Athens – on and off the field. The recruiting staff has gotten very close with Colton over the last many months, he has a special bond with staffer Blaine Miller and the four-star had a heart-to-heart with defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann this past weekend. There is no flip yet but Georgia is on his list “if something does happen.”

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In back-to-back weekends, the standout 2027 running back from Jackson, Ala., visited Alabama and Auburn and those two programs will be in it until the end. Texas is also very much involved and right at the top with UCF and Ohio State. Crowell loved the atmosphere at Auburn and the message from those coaches was that they love his film and that he’s a top target in 2027.

The 2027 athlete from Harper Woods, Mich., has a really close relationship with Michigan receivers coach Ron Bellamy and Guerrant loved the atmosphere in the Big House Saturday but felt the Wolverines didn’t pass the ball enough. And if they did it was to a tight end. Michigan is going to be a big-time player in Guerrant’s recruitment but Ohio State, LSU, Tennessee and Alabama also have his attention a ton.

With nearly 20 offers, there are four programs that have made the biggest impression so far on the 2026 four-star safety from Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall. Maryland (no surprise), Minnesota, Rutgers and Penn State are the four early standouts and his only scheduled visit so far is to see the Golden Gophers when they host Iowa in a few weeks. This could end up as a classic Penn State/Maryland battle though.

The 2026 three-star safety from South Dade (Fla.) Homestead committed to Florida State in July and is “not too worried” about the Seminoles’ 0-2 start although one team has been trying to flip him especially hard recently. About 30 miles away is Miami and the Hurricanes have made Hughes a priority in the 2026 class although as of now Hughes is “locked in” with the Seminoles.

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If the 2026 four-star linebacker from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran doesn’t stay home at play USC or possibly UCLA then Nebraska, Oregon and Alabama are the three programs most involved in his recruitment. His teammate, four-star quarterback TJ Lateef, is committed to the Huskers and so there is interest there, he has some great relationships at Alabama as well but the Ducks could be the one to watch with tons of connections there as well. If USC’s defense keeps playing well, though, the Trojans could shoot right to the top.

The 2026 four-star quarterback who committed to West Virginia in June was at Nebraska over the weekend and the atmosphere, the fan base and the convincing win over Colorado all stood out. The message from the coaches was to trust coach Matt Rhule because he’s the guy to get the Huskers back to national relevance. Despite all of that excitement, the Kingston (Ga.) Cass standout has only reinforced his West Virginia pledge as his trip to Nebraska was more a family obligation than a recruiting trip.

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Georgia could be in line to flip the high three-star offensive lineman from Cincinnati and while Medlock remains committed to the Bearcats, there are going to be some serious talks coming up with family. The Bulldogs offered the Riverdale (Ga.) Charles Drew standout in recent days and it’s a “great opportunity” for him as Georgia stands “pretty high” in his recruitment right now as he remains pledged to Cincinnati.

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Nebraska has been considered a front-runner for a while with Parliament and Saturday night’s showing could make the Huskers really tough to beat. The four-star offensive lineman from Brandon (S.D.) Brandon Valley had never seen anything like that in person as the crowd was bananas and the Huskers dominated Colorado and it was made clear to him he’s a top priority as other Midwest programs have made a big impression, too.

The Irmo (S.C.) Dutch Fork defensive end who committed to Coastal Carolina in April just landed an offer from Ole Miss and it’s definitely one he will seriously consider. Smith has not visited Oxford yet but he certainly plans to because it’s a “great opportunity” to get an SEC offer and it’s something he will watch closely moving forward especially if the Rebels keep making a run at him.

An early Minnesota commitment who flipped to Washington after the Huskies offered this summer, the three-star from Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic just landed the biggest offer of them all: Georgia. The word is Stacausky will “definitely be taking a visit” to Athens and that there is definite interest in the Bulldogs so this will be something to watch if the UGA coaches keep the hammer down in recruiting him.

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Michigan is one of the programs to watch for the 2027 quarterback from Mundelein (Ill.) Carmel Catholic but he didn’t get to talk much with the coaches on Saturday other than staffer Josh Sinagoga who talked about not giving up on the team and how he believes the Wolverines could still be great. Others are definitely majorly in the running for Taylor with LSU, Oklahoma, Purdue, Ole Miss and Illinois standing out.

One of the top 2027 receivers nationally, Warren was one of many recruits at USC’s win over LSU in Las Vegas and he was highly impressed by the Trojans’ overall performance. The Las Vegas Arbor View standout has USC very high on the list early with Utah, Tennessee and Alabama pushing the hardest but the Trojans greatly impressed him.

After an early Florida State commitment didn’t work out, Waters pledged to Florida this summer but another in-state program is coming after him. The Seffner (Fla.) Armwood standout was at Miami over the weekend and “totally loved” his experience there. The Hurricanes just whipped Florida in the season opener and are now making a big move for the four-star commit.

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Ohio State has been pegged as the team to beat for the 2026 four-star safety from Brandon (Miss.) Hartfield Academy but after a weekend visit to Alabama the Crimson Tide are definitely surging here. The “genuine love” that Alabama has shown Womack through his recruitment has made a major impact so if Womack is staying in the South then Alabama would be the team to watch.