Rivals Roundtable: Big visits and even bigger games on deck for Week 2

The second major college football Saturday of the season is upon us and our recruiting analysts discuss its impact on recruiting.

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1. What is the biggest recruiting visit this weekend?

Friedman: Miami getting DJ Pickett on campus this weekend is huge. It doesn’t matter that the Hurricanes are playing Florida A&M. The five-star LSU commit was at Florida last weekend and saw how dominant Miami was. At the end of the game Miami players were seen talking to Pickett and other recruits as they left the field. Now they’ll get to spend more time with him and work to flip him from the Tigers.

Garcia: DJ Pickett’s visit to Miami. The Hurricanes legacy recruit, who nearly picked the program when he made his verbal commitment in the summer, is already planning on getting back to The U to spend more time with the family he has on campus. The program hosts Florida A&M, so this trip could be critical for the time spent overall more than how good the ‘Canes may look on the field. After all, Pickett was in Gainesville to see the demolition of the Florida Gators, so that proverbial box is already checked relative to UM.

LSU is still his collegiate plan for now, but the familiarity and proximity to Miami has combined with the family ties to form quick the contender should the door remain even slightly open. This trip will offer face time with Mario Cristobal and assistant coaches, perhaps most importantly, as we know Miami isn’t going to give up on arguably their top overall class of 2025 target.

Gorney: DJ Pickett was a late add to the Miami list and that is definitely one of the biggest to watch. The five-star LSU defensive back commit was front row in The Swamp last weekend to see the Hurricanes dismantle Florida and now he’s going to Coral Gables for an expected blowout win against Florida A&M? Pickett told me months ago before his commitment to LSU that Miami was the front-runner so there is serious interest there and now the five-star will see the Canes in back-to-back weekends.

Levenson: Jackson Cantwell. For the No. 2 overall prospect to be visiting anywhere is noteworthy, but Cantwell is heading to Nebraska for the Huskers’ biggest visit weekend of the season as they take on Colorado. With an influx of talent under Matt Rhule, the Huskers are looking to add marquee talents such as Cantwell. A big game that will bring a prime college football environment, it is hard to think Cantwell won’t have positive things to say after his visit.

Smith: Jackson Cantwell’s visit to Nebraska. If Nebraska is going to become a national power under coach Matt Rhule it’s going to be in large part because he figured out how to improve the trenches in Lincoln. Prospects like Cantwell don’t come around very often, much less in the Huskers’ footprint. The five-star has family ties to the Huskers and they are battling the likes of Georgia, LSU, Alabama and Missouri for his eventual signature.

Spiegelman: Joseph Mbatchou‘s visit to Auburn. The Florida verbal from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson High School was in the Swamp to open the season, now heads to the Plains after collecting an offer from Auburn and the rest of the SEC since starting his first varsity season last month. Over the past few weeks, the three-star defensive lineman — who checks in at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds — has collected offers from the Tigers as well as USC, Texas, Georgia, LSU, Tennessee and others.

Auburn has come on strong for Mbatchou, who started playing football in the spring. No program in the country is recruiting at a higher clip since the summer than these Tigers with another huge target set to visit.

2. Which program can do most to help its recruiting efforts with a big win this weekend?

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Friedman: It’s crazy to think the reigning national champion needs a win to get its recruiting efforts on track but that’s exactly where things stand with Michigan. The Wolverines take on Texas today in the biggest game of the weekend. Walking out of the Big House with a win should do wonders for Sherrone Moore and his team after their recruiting momentum stalled.

Garcia: Nebraska. The Cornhuskers have a star-studded list of recruits expected in Lincoln this weekend for the Colorado game, set for a primetime national television kickoff at that. It not only could serve as the first true indication that NU is back, should Dylan Raiola and company pull off the victory, but doing so with instant-impact freshman who has stepped into and embraced the spotlight CU has occupied for more than a year could flip perception with targets in the stands and potentially well beyond. Matt Rhule can sell the NFL angle and development on top of it, so if there is any ‘sleeping giant’ momentum we could see it translate on the trail in a hurry.

Gorney: NC State has a massive opportunity this weekend and a lot of top prospects will be on campus to see its big matchup against Tennessee. It should be an awesome environment in Raleigh as top targets Jordan Young, Thomas Davis Jr., Ekene Ogboko and many others will be there to witness it. The Vols have come into North Carolina for top talent – most recently five-star offensive lineman David Sanders Jr. – so this will be a major opportunity for coach Dave Doeren and his staff to have a statement win over an SEC team with a star quarterback. It’s a risky non-conference game since Tennessee has so much firepower but I credit NC State for scheduling it.

Levenson: Nebraska. Just as I feel Nebraska has some of the most impactful individual visitors, that in turns makes them the most important visit location this weekend. Matt Rhule is trying to prove that this is a new and improved Nebraska program. Taking care of Deion Sanders and Colorado would help do that. The Buffaloes are not ranked but they are certainly one of the most watched and talked about teams in the country, which means all eyes will be on the game. The trio of premier visitors in Michael Terry, Dawson Merritt, and Jackson Cantwell make for a massive opportunity for Matt Rhule and his staff.

Smith: Nebraska. There are some good options here. But coach Matt Rhule wants to announce to the country (and recruits) that the Huskers have real momentum. What better way to do that than to win a primetime game on national television against a hated rival? The Huskers have the biggest recruiting weekend on tap, even better than defending champion Michigan who is hosting Texas. This is a massive opportunity for Nebraska.

Spiegelman: Texas. There’s no bigger game on the schedule this weekend than Michigan and Texas squaring off in a matchup of college football bluebloods. Both are top-10 teams and both are recruiting the best prospects in the country. Texas made a statement last year knocking off Alabama in Tuscaloosa and then followed it up with a College Football Playoff run. The Longhorns were flying last week, and putting together a performance on both sides of the ball like that in a primetime game will definitely grab the eyes of recruits in attendance and watching from home.