Recruiting Rumor Mill: News Flying Fast And Furious After Big Junior Days

Spring games around the country and endless visitors at big junior days means a second Recruiting Rumor Mill was needed this week. Here’s the latest from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney:

If the three-star safety from Orange (Calif.) Lutheran ends up committing to Cal it will be because of the coaching staff. Alefaio hit it off with position coaches Terrence Brown and Tre Watson during his weekend visit to Berkeley and loved how they said they’re the same guys on and off the field. The Golden Bears look strong here but SMU, Arizona State and Kansas also stand out.

The four-star defensive tackle from Melbourne (Fla.) Eau Gallie has been committed to Texas since December and remains locked in with the Longhorns but a weekend visit back to Miami definitely has him thinking. The Hurricanes’ coaching staff continues to have a strong relationship with the local four-star and the word is Brown is “taking things one day at a time.”

“The love at Miami is there,” Brown said.

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The four-star receiver from Woodberry Forest (Va.) Woodberry Forest School loved the fan support at Tennessee this past weekend and also really liked how much the offense was passing the ball but an interesting question from the coaching staff caught his attention. They asked Carter if he preferred receiver or defensive back because he could also play there for the Vols so now he could consider going both ways. Penn State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Rutgers are four others to watch in his recruitment.

Wisconsin made a major move over the weekend for the three-star athlete from Baltimore (Md.) Perry Hall especially since he loved the energy and the competitiveness at practice. The coaches talked a lot about hard work and player development and that meant a lot to Costner, who likes the Badgers, North Carolina, Pitt, Penn State and Virginia most.

Auburn has been the program to watch in Davis’ early recruitment and the Tigers are still among the favorites but landing an offer from Ohio State on his weekend visit definitely pushes the Buckeyes higher. The 2026 four-star linebacker from Loganville (Ga.) Grayson loved “everything” about the trip to Columbus especially the coaching staff and how he felt at home there. Ohio State, Auburn, Oregon, Michigan, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Colorado round out the long list.

Notre Dame is definitely catching Dunham’s eye early on as the 2026 four-star defensive end from Charlotte (N.C.) Myers Park loved meeting the coaches and spending time with them and then the academic and athletic mix in South Bend is going to be a major draw. Duke, USC and Florida State are the three others to watch at this point but many more schools could get involved.

The 2027 athlete from Crowley, Texas has seen his recruitment take off in recent months but Texas A&M will definitely be a program to watch especially after he hit it off with the coaching and recruiting staffs in College Station over the weekend. Ellis is developing a strong relationship with new receivers coach Holmon Wiggins and that could pay off down the road. SMU, Oklahoma, Nebraska and Arkansas are others to watch.

One of the top 2027 prospects nationally, Feaster already has more than 40 offers but already a handful are standing out as the DeSoto, Texas receiver moves forward with his recruitment. The word is that USC, Texas, LSU, Oregon and Texas A&M are the programs to follow most closely although Feaster isn’t narrowing anything down this early.

While Finch remains open to other programs, the 2026 three-star defensive tackle from Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central has Notre Dame ahead in his recruitment and one of the big reasons is because of position coach Al Washington. Finch loves how Washington coaches and is handling the relationship although the three-star wants to learn more about Jackson State, Ohio State, Florida and USC. He’s also taken multiple trips to Indiana and Louisville.

There is still a long list for the 2026 four-star defensive tackle from Suwanee (Ga.) Collins Hill but Ohio State is setting the bar high. From the talent of the players to the coaching staff to how position coach Larry Johnson works his guys out to so much more, the Buckeyes are definitely one of the main contenders for the Ole Miss legacy who was born in Baton Rouge, La. The current players and coaches also made it clear to Geralds that he’s a high priority and needed in Columbus and that stood out as well.

After being committed to Alabama for about eight months, the four-star offensive guard from Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes is back on the market and Georgia is definitely one to watch especially after his weekend visit. A big draw to the Bulldogs is coach Kirby Smart and what he’s done there and how he’s developed players. Florida State, Auburn and others are very much in this but Georgia could be surging pretty hard for the four-star.

“I love that they have the best head coach in college football so if I choose to go there I feel like I’m in great hands,” Glover said.

The competitiveness on the field and the brotherly love off the field of Wisconsin’s offensive linemen definitely stood out to the three-star offensive tackle from Muskegon, Mich. Harris also loved how coach AJ Blazek coached the position and that could be a massive draw for Harris if Wisconsin wins out in his recruitment. Kentucky, Missouri, Cincinnati, Indiana, Ole Miss and Iowa State are also standing out at this point.

Tennessee’s culture and campus atmosphere definitely left an impression on Holloway but maybe more than anything how position coach William Inge works with the linebackers stood out to the Buford, Ga., standout. The Volunteers are definitely one of the top teams right now with Louisville, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Kansas atop the list.

North Carolina is leading the way for Kruah especially after his weekend visit to Chapel Hill went so well. The high three-star linebacker from Marietta, Ga., loves the university, the college town feel and from a football perspective he definitely has a close relationship with coach Mack Brown and totally likes that he brings back former players of his with NFL experience to be on his coaching staff. Auburn, Baylor, Boston College and Duke are others to watch but the Tar Heels are Kruah’s leader right now.

The pitch from the LSU coaching staff to Lockett over the weekend was that they’re building a dynasty in Baton Rouge and they want him to become a part of it. That’s definitely a compelling idea for the four-star receiver from Sachse, Texas as LSU, Florida State, Texas, USC and Texas A&M are recruiting him the hardest.

The four-star receiver from Katy (Texas) Jordan couldn’t make the Ohio State spring game because his sister was competing in track at the same time in Dayton but he did watch it online from her competition. There is definite interest in the Buckeyes especially since they produce receivers so much as Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, USC and Colorado have also caught his attention the most.

LSU has been one of the programs moving right to the top for the five-star athlete who could play either defensive back spot or even wide receiver and the message from the Tigers coaches over the weekend was that he “could be the one to bring DBU back” and that’s something that is really intriguing to the Zephyrhills, Fla., standout. The word is that Miami still has the edge in his recruitment but LSU and many others are still pushing.

The three-star athlete from Palm Bay (Fla.) Heritage committed to Syracuse in late March and he remains committed to the Orange but after a weekend visit to Miami it’s become “pretty clear” that the Hurricanes are going to put up a fight to flip him. Samuel remains locked in with his commitment but Miami is a clear second on his list now.

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The 2026 linebacker from Little Rock (Ark.) Parkview loves all the football stuff at Tennessee but what’s making the biggest impression on him is how he feels there and that it’s “more than football” for him in Knoxville. The Vols are definitely one of the top teams in Smith’s recruitment but Oklahoma, Alabama, Notre Dame, Florida State and Missouri are right there as well.

Tennessee could definitely have the edge in Sparks’ recruitment and it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Baylor School two-way standout end up in Knoxville but his recent visit to Miami definitely left a major impression. Sparks loved the Coral Gables campus and the message from the coaching staff was clear that they want him there to bring back the greatness to The U. Those two programs along with Florida State and Auburn are standing out most.

Utah has been the team to watch in Tenney’s recruitment especially since he moved to the state and Georgia has loomed large (especially if Elyiss Williams flips) but now Nebraska is a main contender after Tenney visited Lincoln. The coaching staff stood out, Tenney believes Nebraska has the best facilities in the country and he’s also super close with five-star QB Dylan Raiola.

“We’ve been in touch almost every day,” Tenney said.

Shortly after returning from Michigan, the five-star offensive tackle was back on the road to Ohio State for a multi-day visit that definitely left a great impression. The family loved the tradition, the competition level and the accountability inside the building there as the Buckeyes continue to be one of the frontrunners for the Las Vegas Bishop Gorman standout. Ohio State, Michigan, Alabama, Tennessee and Washington seem to have the edge now.