Mid-South Rumor Mill: Latest recruiting buzz from the region

Recruiting is heating up across the country with junior days being held and the beginning of the camp and 7-on-7 circuit. Here’s the latest chatter from the Mid-South from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney.

The only five-star left in the 2024 class to make his final decision, Bussey will take his final official visit to Texas A&M this weekend and the feeling is that the Aggies are in strong shape to keep him in the class.

LSU is the other main competitor after the five-star athlete from Timpson, Texas, visited in recent days. Georgia also is very much in the mix.

But if things go well in College Station this weekend, Bussey is expected to stick with his initial decision.

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There is growing confidence that Mississippi State is the front-runner for Cunningham especially after recently visiting Starkville again and hitting it off with the new coaching staff. The Bulldogs loaded up at receiver in the 2024 class but that won’t scare off the Ackerman (Miss.) Choctaw County standout who lives only about 30 minutes from campus.

Cunningham is expected at Florida this weekend with LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss and others involved but playing down the road is a plus and playing in that offense could be a huge deal.

His older brother, Nick, flipped from Florida to Oklahoma late and has since transferred to Wisconsin but Evers’ recruitment might be a little calmer.

First, the 2026 offensive tackle from Flower Mound, Texas, had a tremendous recent visit to Texas A&M to meet the new coaching staff and he loved everything about it. He also has numerous connections to Texas A&M since both of his parents, his two aunts and an uncle went to school there. The Aggies are considered the early front-runner – maybe by far – here.

Texas A&M is still going to push very hard and Ohio State is a major contender with Texas surging in Williams’ recruitment. However, Oklahoma could be the team to watch.

The five-star safety, who could move to linebacker in time, had a great visit to Norman, had some exceptional talks with coach Brent Venables and the Sooners have made a move up for the five-star from Galveston (Texas) Ball.

The conventional thinking when it comes to a five-star from Louisiana is that LSU is a lock but the whispers I’m hearing is that’s not the case. USC, Texas and Oregon stand out most right now for the No. 1 prospect in the 2026 class.

That can certainly change with so much time left in his recruitment and with defensive line coach Bo Davis back in Baton Rouge, but those three others could have the edge now.

This could end up being a Texas-Oklahoma battle with TCU, Kansas and Texas A&M all involved. After a recent visit to Austin, Wormley said the Longhorns will definitely be in his “top three.”

But another team could definitely be emerging here and that’s Oregon after a recent trip.

The Southlake (Texas) Carroll standout had an “unbelievable” trip to Eugene last weekend. He used the word “amazing” to different aspects of the visit and he loves the coaches there.

Georgia recently offered in recent days and that could change everything when it comes to Ferguson’s recruitment but relationships are going to matter most when the Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall reaches a decision.

Prior to the Bulldogs getting involved, Tennessee and Oklahoma jumped out as the favorites mainly because Ferguson had such great relationships with position coaches Kelsey Pope and Emmett Jones, respectively.

His brother, Jake, recently transferred to Oklahoma and the four-star tight end from Washington, Okla., lives less than a hour away from the Norman campus. But the feeling here is that Ohio State should still be confident in landing him.

The former Notre Dame pledge has hit it off with the Buckeyes’ staff. There is some healthy wondering, though, why the four-star tight end hasn’t made his pledge yet if he’s so high on the Big Ten powerhouse.