logo
Quotables: The 12 best quotes from a massive visit weekend

Quotables: The 12 best quotes from a massive visit weekend

Yahoo3 days ago

Nick Lucero/Rivals.com
Hundreds of top prospects were on the road for the first weekend of official visits and school camps going on around the country. Here are a dozen quotes that stood out most.
MORE GORNEY: Ten biggest pledges from the weekend
CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker
RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info
TYLER ATKINSON ON CLEMSON
'The overall visit was incredible and more than welcoming. It was the meaning of priority. There were a lot of highlights this weekend. The way they plan on playing me in the AtkNup packages on defense really stood out.
Advertisement
'I really loved the family vibes and the way my family felt there. Also, the potential class of teammates is really strong. The message to me was very clear: They genuinely want me to be there. Not just because of the way I play the game but because of the type of person I am, too.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM
ADAM BALOGOUN-ALI ON NORTH CAROLINA
'What stood out most was how much coach (Bill) Belichick believed in my body frame and potential. Hearing that from the greatest coach of all-time definitely gives you crazy confidence.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT TARHEELILLUSTRATED.COM
DORIAN BARNEY ON GEORGIA TECH
'The comfortability I have when I go there every single time and it was no different this time. The message is that they need and want me there, I could be the face of Georgia Tech when I get there. They are still in the race with all my other schools. Let's find out July 5.'
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA TECH FANS AT JACKETSONLINE.COM
DEVIN CARTER ON GEORGIA
'Still committed to Auburn but I for sure was impressed this visit with (UGA's) detailed way of showing the guys they have developed there and are currently developing was a thumbs up and something to look at. Also, the statistics on the offensive side of the ball surprised me and the main message from coach (James) Coley is that he wants me in that wide receiver room no matter how or when we make it happen.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT UGASPORTS.COM
LANDON DUCKWORTH ON AUBURN
'The environment. Auburn is like a family and in-state feel. Coach (Hugh) Freeze's message was he really wants me there to be a part of that culture he's building. Having Jackson (Arnold) and Deuce (Knight) in the room doesn't hurt. I can learn from those guys and competition will make me better.'
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT AUBURNSPORTS.COM
DAVERIN 'DEUCE' GERALDS ON LSU
'I think about the possibilities of me returning to my place of birth and coming home and possibly leading them to another championship in Baton Rouge. It's easy and just feels like home as it was for half of my life.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT DEATHVALLEYINSIDER.COM
XAVIER GRIFFIN ON OHIO STATE
'Being developed and coached by one of the best linebackers (James Laurinitis) to ever wear the scarlet and gray excites me. Knowing coach (Matt) Patricia has coached and been a GM in the NFL, so he has the blueprint to get me there. Being down to the top four, they are still in good standing. Gave me a lot to think about and I'm still excited about them.'
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT DOTTINGTHEEYES.COM
MAXWELL HILLER ON TENNESSEE
'Flat out, this was one of the best visits I've had and was huge for Tennessee on my list. I will definitely be back sooner than later. How welcoming the whole staff was and I really enjoyed catching up with coach (Glen) Elarbee and it was great to see how he coached me and we had a personal meeting which was great.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TENNESSEE FANS AT VOLREPORT.COM
BRODY JENNINGS ON MIAMI
'The visit was great. I love it a lot. The highlights were how much coach (Mario) Cristobal is big on family, not just him, the coaches. Not just that, the amount DBs coach (Zac) Etheridge and coach (Will) Harris develop. Also, how much love they showed me and my family. I spent lots of time with coach Cristobal. He told me I can be very successful anywhere I go but I'll be successful in a special place. They're a school that me and my family will look into a lot.'
Advertisement
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT CANESCOUNTY.COM
ZADEN KREMPIN ON LSU
'The attention to detail stood out the most. LSU's staff made me and my family feel right at home. Hanging out with the Bordelon and Weeks brothers was a blast. LSU is the team to beat right now. I love everything about this program.'
JAKE KREUL ON OHIO STATE
'This was a really great official visit. Just seeing how they set their level for the OSU Standard is at such a high bar. They expect to be the best in the world at everything they do. I really like that because it drives you to be the best.
"After spending a lot of time with coach (Matt) Patricia and coach (Larry) Johnson it is very hard to not see yourself getting developed into an NFL edge rusher.'
BLAKE STEWART ON CLEMSON
'From the second I stepped onto Clemson's campus, I could feel it — this place is different. There's a real sense of purpose, a culture that pulls you in and makes you feel like you belong. The energy was authentic, from the coaches to the players to the support staff, everyone was welcoming, everyone was real. It wasn't just about football; it was about who you are and who you're becoming.
Advertisement
'Coach (Dabo) Swinney and his staff had a powerful message: Development isn't just about the game, it's about leadership, about becoming the best version of yourself. They're going to push you, challenge you, but they're gonna support you while they do it. The culture they've built is about more than wins; it's about legacy, about accountability, about doing things the right way. Clemson is a place where you grow as a player and as a person, and that stuck with me.'
SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT TIGERILLUSTRATED.COM

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks
Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks

Yahoo

time36 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks

Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There could be a change for the Atlanta Hawks this offseason after missing the NBA playoffs for the second straight year. The Hawks haven't been competitive, despite having Trae Young, the league's leader in assists per game. With the lack of a competent roster, it could be time for Atlanta to trade Young. Advertisement Last season, the Hawks had a 40-42 record and lost in the Play-In Tournament. The organization hasn't been in the conversation of being a playoff team for a while. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey suggested that it's time for the Hawks to consider trading the All-Star guard. Given that the front office hasn't been able to give Young enough help to contend, Bailey suggested that a fresh start with a different franchise could be the next step. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is guarded by Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images According to Bailey, the team that would benefit from Young would be the Orlando Magic. In the postseason, it became clear that the Magic need a point guard who's capable of being an elite floor general. Advertisement The blockbuster trade idea would send Young to the Magic in exchange for Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Jett Howard and a top-10-protected 2027 first-round pick. Acquiring the three former lottery picks could be the perfect fit for what Atlanta is trying to do. "The Hawks have never been able to figure out how to surround him with a workable defense that can cover for his shortcomings on that end," Bailey argued. "And they're brewing their own little positionless philosophy that could benefit from Jalen Suggs' defense and a few more on-ball opportunities for the likes of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher." The Hawks have a promising young core in Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels. Young is the only player who doesn't fit the Hawks' timetable. With the Hawks, Young has developed into a four-time All-Star and one of the best facilitators in the NBA. He has averaged 25.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists in seven seasons. Related: Hawks Legend Speaks on Kevin Durant's Legacy This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

Storylines to follow during June's second huge visit weekend
Storylines to follow during June's second huge visit weekend

NBC Sports

timean hour ago

  • NBC Sports

Storylines to follow during June's second huge visit weekend

Editor's Note: This article first appeared on the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here. It's the second massive weekend of official visits and camps across the country. Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at 12 major storylines to watch. MORE: Several elite quarterbacks hitting the road for pivotal official visits RECRUITING RUMOR MILL: Latest buzz on nearly three dozen prospects | June kicks off with a bang | Baltimore | Detroit NEW RIVALS250 RELEASED: Ranking | Top storylines | Ten prospects who could rise with a big June CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info It's a big weekend at Alabama with a handful of top targets that the Crimson Tide should close on in town as well. Five-star safety Jireh Edwards was at Auburn last weekend but the chatter is that Alabama is out front in his recruitment. Former USC four-star linebacker commit Xavier Griffin, an Alabama legacy, will also be there. He's coming off a phenomenal Ohio State trip but the Crimson Tide have the edge there, too. Four-star QB Matt Ponatoski, who wants to play baseball and football in college, is visiting as Alabama, Oregon and others are involved. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT Auburn has another big weekend as coach Hugh Freeze has the recruiting train rolling strong on The Plains but the biggest outcome of this entire week could be the Tigers making a serious move with 2027 five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. The Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham standout made his first visit to Auburn this week and already said he plans to be back because he loves Freeze and position coach Kent Austin. LSU is considered the front-runner and could be tough to beat but Haven has some thinking to do now. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT Auburn defensive end commit Hezekiah Harris is coming to Gainesville as he's more seriously looking at some others. Michigan defensive back pledge Brody Jennings and Florida State receiver commit Darryon Williams will be there, too. On top of some major flip candidates, Florida will also have four-star edge rusher Jake Kreul there and while Oklahoma might have the edge and Ohio State blew him away last weekend, the Gators are making a serious move for him. High three-star offensive lineman Chancellor Campbell is coming, too, as Florida and Georgia are engaged in a major battle. Five-star receiver Cederian Morgan is expected and while Florida is a long shot, it gets its chance this weekend. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA Vodney Cleveland. Dre Quinn. Kendall Guervil. PJ Dean. Ebenezer Ewetade. It's a loaded defensive line list coming to Athens this weekend and it wouldn't be a shock at all to see coach Kirby Smart and his staff close on some of those big names down the stretch. There are some others that Georgia has some work on. Four-star running back Savion Hiter is expected as Ohio State, Tennessee and others are involved there. Four-star, long, athletic defensive back Tamarion Watkins is also expected in Athens as South Carolina could have the edge there. Smart is the best recruiter in college football, though, so another big weekend awaits in Athens. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT One of the last uncommitted quarterbacks in the class is Luke Fahey as Stanford and Indiana are the two front-runners pending a visit to Ohio State later this month. The Mission Viejo, Calif., standout had an excellent visit to Stanford last weekend and it's tough to beat sitting down with general manager Andrew Luck. But there is serious intrigue in the Hoosiers and the opportunity there. Of course, this could all collapse later this month if Ohio State offers but until then it's really a two-team race. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT Landing a commitment from four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla was a massive recruiting win for Iowa State in April. Keeping him will now be the challenge. The Omaha (Neb.) Millard South standout visited Alabama this weekend and the Crimson Tide want him to return for another trip soon. In between all this, Thomalla will be back in Ames this weekend. Alabama is Alabama and the Crimson Tide need a quarterback so that's tempting. But Iowa State recruited Thomalla so well. How this plays out down the stretch will be interesting. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT There has been a serious influx of tight end talent from small-town Kansas the last two recruiting cycles. Last time, four-star Linkon Cure from Goodland chose Kansas State over Oregon and others. This recruiting class, Ian Premer from Great Bend (population 14,000) has Kansas, Kansas State, Iowa State, Michigan and Notre Dame as his favorites. The talk, though, is that Iowa State has a slight edge over Kansas right now. This will be a crucial weekend for the Jayhawks to turn that tide ever-so-slightly in their favor to keep the talented 6-foot-5, 225-pound tight end home. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH KANSAS FANS AT A better understanding of where everything stands with four-star quarterback Bowe Bentley should occur after this weekend. The Celina, Texas, standout was at LSU last weekend and had a fantastic visit with offensive coordinator Joe Sloan and many others. But the word has been that the Sooners hold the edge in his recruitment so it's a big weekend for new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle and others. The feeling is that Arbuckle wants Bentley in this class so it's a big early test for him in Norman this weekend. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS AT It's been written enough that Oregon has had a tough couple weeks losing quarterback Jonas Williams to USC, five-star quarterback Jared Curtis to Georgia and five-star offensive lineman Jackson Cantwell to Miami. Now is the time for another major recruiting weekend in Eugene where the Ducks could load up. It's a huge list. Five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson is coming back. Five-star defensive end Richard Wesley, who was committed to the Ducks but backed off since those close to him didn't sign off, will be back and that could be huge. Five-star athlete Brandon Arrington will be there as Texas A&M and others battle for him. Coach Dan Lanning is one of the best and weekends like this are becoming the norm. Last weekend, four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth went to Auburn and got a massive recruiting pitch from coach Hugh Freeze. That could be compelling and the Jackson, Ala., standout didn't seem fazed by having Jackson Arnold and Deuce Knight in the QB room. There appears to be enough NIL money to go around. There has been some chatter that South Carolina is once again very much in this recruitment (he was committed to the Gamecocks earlier) but Ole Miss is not going away easily. This is a crucial weekend for coach Shane Beamer and his staff. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA FANS AT It's not a massive list but an important group is heading to Texas this weekend and even though there are some long shots, coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff know how to take a big swing. No. 1 running back Ezavier Crowell is coming and even though Alabama will be tough to beat and Georgia is pushing, Texas has always been held high by him. Texas A&M and LSU lead for five-star OL/DL Lamar Brown so it's crucial to get him in Austin and see what they can do. Four-star edge rusher Jamarion Carlton is a big visitor along with four-star cornerback Davon Benjamin among others. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS FANS AT It's a huge weekend at Texas A&M with a ton of opportunities to woo recruits. Fresh off working out at Ole Miss, five-star LSU receiver commit Tristen Keys will be in College Station. So will four-star nickel Bralan Womack, four-star offensive lineman John Turntine, Tank Jones, Tank King and many others. Some big targets such as five-star Lamar Brown are visiting elsewhere but the Aggies have a huge opportunity this weekend with so many big names. Coach Mike Elko and his staff appear to be on the verge of really turning this thing around. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT

Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement
Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement

Auburn Sends Message to Bruce Pearl Assistant After Big Career Announcement originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Under Bruce Pearl's guidance, the Auburn Tigers finished with a 32-6 overall record and a 15-3 mark in Southeastern Conference play last season, earning the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and reaching the Final Four for the second time in program history. Advertisement Along the way, Auburn captured the Maui Invitational title, secured its sixth SEC regular-season crown and was ranked No. 4 in the AP poll by season's end. As the team prepares for another deep run in 2025-26, Pearl announced on Friday that Ian Borders, a key member of his staff since 2018, would be elevated to assistant coach for the men's program. Shortly after, Auburn took to X to celebrate the milestone, posting simply, "Much deserved 👏" in recognition of Borders's steadily expanding role. Borders arrives at his new role with a well-rounded resume. A 2007 graduate of the University of Louisville, Borders added two more degrees from Western Kentucky (2010, 2015) and completed a master's in sport management at Florida State in 2017. Advertisement He started in coaching as an assistant at South Oldham High School (2010-15), then moved up to the Division I ranks as a graduate assistant under Leonard Hamilton at Florida State (2015-17) before taking on video coordination duties at Little Rock (2016-18) and Auburn (2018-23). In his first season on The Plains, Borders oversaw video operations during Auburn's magical run to the 2019 Final Four, where the Tigers became the only school to knock off Kansas, Kentucky and North Carolina in consecutive NCAA Tournament games. Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Donnan-Imagn Images He then transitioned to Director of Scouting and Recruiting, where he helped Auburn compile three straight 25-win seasons (2018-2021). Advertisement In his new capacity as assistant coach, Borders will add player development, scouting and recruiting duties to his portfolio. By rewarding a coach who has labored behind the scenes for seven seasons, Pearl reinforces a culture of loyalty and earned opportunity. Related: UConn Makes Announcement About Dan Hurley's Wife on Thursday Related: Duke Announces Exciting News on Cameron Boozer's Dad This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store