Latest news with #AdamGorney
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Predictions: Where the top five uncommitted LBs will land
The big visit month of June is coming up so before all of that happens, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at the top five uncommitted prospects at each position. We move to the linebackers: THIS SERIES: Commitment predictions for top QBs | Predictions for top RBs | Predictions for top WRs | Predictions for top TEs | Predictions for top OL | Predictions for top DL 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 The five-star linebacker is at Clemson this weekend and the Tigers have always been right toward the top of his recruitment but it would take some cajoling to get Atkinson to commit there. Advertisement Georgia remains the team to beat and Ohio State is definitely right at the top as well with Alabama, Auburn, Oregon and others heavily involved. The Buckeyes and the Tigers could have an argument here but Georgia remains the top team for the Loganville (Ga.) Grayson standout. Prediction: Georgia The former USC commit is visiting Ohio State this weekend and that could change things with Texas heavily pushing and Florida State very involved as well but Alabama is the team to beat here. The Alabama legacy shortly after his decommitment from the Trojans announced his new visits and his commitment date of June 29 which makes one wonder if he already has an idea of what he's planning to do. Alabama has surged to the top here and while his upcoming visits are crucial, the Crimson Tide will be tough to beat. Advertisement Prediction: Alabama As Ili's recruitment has come more into focus, USC and UCLA have emerged as the front-runners. Oregon and many others are not eliminated or counted out yet but even as Ili decided to play his senior season at Kahuku, Hawaii, the former Orange (Calif.) Lutheran standout has his sights set on Southern California. A recent visit to UCLA could not have been better. Ili is related to Nico and Madden Iamaleava, who both transferred to Westwood for this season, and the staff was awesome there. But USC has been a front-runner basically from the beginning and that has not changed. It could be tough to beat the Trojans. Advertisement Prediction: USC Others will host the four-star linebacker from Marietta (Ga.) Kell this month as he's at Alabama this weekend and then Michigan and Texas before returning to Tennessee to close out the month. Rouse was just in Knoxville for the 865 Live event and in a few short weeks he'll be back which could close out his commitment with the Vols leading. At this point, as visits are just getting underway, it would be a shocker if he didn't end up at Tennessee. Prediction: Tennessee Alabama, Penn State and Ohio State are the three front-runners for the four-star linebacker from Cleveland (Ohio) Glenville and while he's in Tuscaloosa this weekend, this very much feels like a two-team race. Advertisement The Buckeyes are considered the leader - and have been for a long time - but Penn State is making this one really tough especially because Johnson likes coach James Franklin, has a longstanding relationship with defensive coordinator Jim Knowles (from his time at Ohio State) and he loved his visit to Happy Valley recently. But we're still going to lean half-heartedly on history here - Ohio State doesn't let too many elite in-state players go. Prediction: Ohio State
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Predictions: Where the top five uncommitted OL will land
The big visit month of June is coming up so before all of that happens, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at the top five uncommitted prospects at each position. We move to the offensive line. THIS SERIES: Commitment predictions for top QBs | Predictions for top RBs | Predictions for top WRs | Predictions for top TEs 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 Oregon has set the pace in Iheanacho's recruitment and the Ducks could be tough to beat regardless, but a big visit is coming up this weekend. Advertisement The five-star offensive tackle from North Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep is heading back to LSU and the Tigers are a very serious threat in his recruitment especially because of his relationship with position coach Brad Davis. Texas A&M has an outside shot as well, while Maryland and Penn State haven't been eliminated yet. Prediction: Oregon The five-star offensive tackle from Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge has had an interesting official visit schedule with Colorado, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Florida already done and this weekend is a major trip to Ohio State. If there is a major threat to Texas, it would be the Buckeyes so his weekend trip to Columbus will be crucial over the next few days. But the Longhorns still have the lead, Austin is less than three hours away and his relationship with position coach Kyle Flood are all playing significant roles here. Advertisement Prediction: Texas Ohio State offered but it might be too late. Brown will be at Miami this weekend and that could get interesting fast. But this still feels very much like a two-team race between LSU and Texas A&M and heading into June, the Aggies hold the lead. Brown is from Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab, literally on LSU's campus, so the Tigers are not going to give up easily especially after losing five-star safety Blaine Bradford from Baton Rouge (La.) Catholic to Ohio State. But it seems as if Texas A&M has taken the lead for Brown – selling him on playing on the defensive line – and that could be a big factor. Advertisement Prediction: Texas A&M A whole bunch of visits have already happened and many more are to come but LSU is believed to have turned the corner here and is now the team to beat in Gray's recruitment. South Carolina will battle until the end and will be right there until decision day for the four-star from Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher's. Ohio State, Tennessee and others will be in the mix as well. This is a tough call because so much could still happen and he loves the coaches in Columbia, but LSU seems to have a little more pull. Prediction: LSU A battle between Texas and Texas A&M is raging for the four-star offensive lineman from Fort Worth (Texas) North Crowley but the Longhorns are leading right now. Advertisement That could continue even if Texas keeps Maximus Wright and Nicolas Robertson (which is expected) and even adds five-star Felix Ojo. But if Ojo jumps on board then that might help the Aggies with Turntine, too. That's a wait-and-see game but right now the Longhorns are looking strongest. Prediction: Texas
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Predictions: Where the top five uncommitted RBs will land
The big visit month of June is coming up so before all of that happens, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at the top five uncommitted prospects at each position. We move to running backs. MORE PREDICTIONS: Where the top five uncommitted QBs will land 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 Getting a great read on Cooper's recruitment is getting a little tougher as some major programs make a serious push. The five-star all-purpose back just returned from an excellent visit to Auburn as the Tigers are trying to push even higher in his recruitment. Advertisement The Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna standout heads to Miami this weekend and then goes to Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. Texas is working on getting a trip as well after a strong visit to Austin recently. An argument could be made in numerous ways here as former Chaminade Madonna standout Jeremiah Smith is starring with the Buckeyes, he continues to show significant interest in Georgia and Miami is going to do everything possible to keep him home. It seems like the Hurricanes have a slight edge heading through this month. Prediction: Miami It would be an absolute shocker if the four-star running back from Jackson, Ala., does not commit to Alabama on his June 26 commitment date. Advertisement Texas has worked hard to stay involved with Crowell. Auburn keeps working on him and his teammate four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth. Georgia is also in the picture. But the Crimson Tide have led for a long time here and that has not seemed to change in recent weeks. Crowell reclassified from 2027 to 2026 and Alabama has always led. That should remain the same heading into his decision. Prediction: Alabama Texas remains the front-runner in Edwards' recruitment but things have gotten much more interesting for the four-star running back from Carthage, Texas, in recent weeks. Edwards replaced two seemingly throw-away visits to Baylor and SMU (he was never going to either of those programs) with Alabama and LSU. Texas A&M is still battling for the East Texas standout but his relationship with new Texas running backs coach Chad Scott is growing all the time and the Longhorns remain the team to beat – maybe by a wide margin. Advertisement Prediction: Texas There is a little opaqueness in Hiter's recruitment as Michigan had been the front-runner for a long time and it looked like things were heading in that direction with Georgia very much involved with the four-star from Mineral (Va.) Louisa County. Tennessee is now surging in this recruitment and while the Volunteers might not be the clear front-runner things are definitely trending in that direction. Ohio State is getting more in the mix as well so things could keep changing. But Tennessee is starting to take a lead in his recruitment, overtaking Michigan and others. Prediction: Tennessee Auburn and Florida State are making this interesting and Clemson seems to be surging a little bit for the Moultrie (Ga.) Colquitt County standout, but it would still be a shocker if Lamar doesn't end up at Georgia. Advertisement The Bulldogs have made him a priority for the longest time. Georgia position coach Josh Crawford used to coach at Colquitt County and the SEC power has the edge in his recruitment. Clemson could make this super interesting especially since he's visiting there this weekend. Florida State is less than 90 minutes away with former teammate Landen Thomas there. But the Bulldogs are the favorite. Prediction: Georgia
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Tuesdays with Gorney: Ten recruiting storylines to follow this weekend
The first massive official visit weekend of June kicks off in only a few days and Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at 10 storylines he's following. RECRUITING RUMORS: Pivotal weeks on deck for 2026 recruiting cycle 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 THOMALLA ON FLIP WATCH Four-star quarterback Jett Thomalla committed to Iowa State in mid-April but less than a month later, Alabama came through with an offer and now the Omaha (Neb.) Millard South standout is headed to Tuscaloosa this weekend. Advertisement Thomalla loves coach Matt Campbell and the opportunity in Ames and there is some consideration that Alabama just landed five-star quarterback Keelon Russell last recruiting cycle but the Crimson Tide could be tough to turn down. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ALABAMA FANS AT CAN ALABAMA MAKE A MOVE WITH TOP RECRUITS? Nick Lucero/ Beyond Thomalla's visit, it's a huge weekend in Tuscaloosa. Four-star defensive end Nolan Wilson will be there and Alabama is the front-runner. Four-star safety Jett Washington has Alabama and Oregon battling it out. Four-star running back KJ Edwards changed his visit schedule to get to Alabama before a decision although Texas could be tough to beat. Advertisement Five-star receiver Boobie Feaster will be in town as Texas A&M has surged to the top with LSU. A whole host of elite defensive linemen will be headed to Alabama, which has only five commitments right now but this weekend could go a long way to adding some elite names. DUCKWORTH ON THE PLAINS Last recruiting cycle, Auburn beat Ole Miss and others for five-star quarterback Deuce Knight as the Rebels tried everything down the stretch to land the in-state standout. Ole Miss leads for four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth but Auburn, South Carolina, Florida State and others are battling and it will be coach Hugh Freeze's opportunity this weekend to get the Jackson, Ala., standout thinking. It could be tough because of Duckworth's relationship with Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin but it will be a crucial visit. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH AUBURN FANS AT CAN CLEMSON CONVINCE TARGETS TO COMMIT? Clemson is not the type of program to bring in dozens of recruits every weekend so when a big visit weekend happens, you should pay attention. This will be one of those and now the question will be whether these next few days is when the Tigers landed some of the elite players throughout the Southeast. Four-star running back Jae Lamar will be there as Georgia seems to have a slight edge now. Same on both fronts with five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson. The Tigers lead for four-star OL Carter Scruggs so this will be a crucial trip. Bryce Perry-Wright, Zavion Griffin-Haynes, Joey O'Brien and other elite defensive players will meet with coach Dabo Swinney, too, so a productive weekend should be ahead. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT MOMENTUM, FLIP WATCH AT FLORIDA A big group is coming to Gainesville - all with a different story. Florida is working to flip Nebraska speedster pledge CJ Bronaugh from the Orlando area. The Gators are looking to possibly extend a lead for four-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy and stave off Ohio State and others for four-star safety Bralan Womack. There is also flip watch beyond Bronaugh as well as Florida State linebacker commit Karon Maycock and four-star Syracuse offensive line pledge Javeion Cooper from Melbourne (Fla.) Central Catholic will be on campus. Coach Billy Napier only has two pledges so far in the 2026 class, some things need to start breaking the Gators' way. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT 1ST AND TEN FLORIDA GEORGIA MAKES RUN AT ALABAMA LEANS Rarely does Georgia play from behind in recruiting but this weekend will bring a few high-level players who are probably leaning someplace else. Let's start with No. 1 running back Ezavier Crowell, who has Alabama as the leader, but is coming back to Georgia and that is always worth watching. Five-star receiver Cederian Morgan, who is also high on the Crimson Tide, will be in Athens and it will be interesting to see if the Georgia coaches pitch a George Pickens-esque future for him. You want to talk flip watch? Four-star Ole Miss linebacker commit Izayia Williams has already made five pledges and he'll be at Georgia to hear out the coaches this weekend, too. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT BENTLEY HITS THE ROAD Bowe Bentley is down to LSU and Oklahoma and the four-star quarterback from Celina, Texas will be in Baton Rouge this weekend. Heading into the trip, the feeling is that the Sooners have the slight edge in his recruitment even though four-star QB Jaden O'Neal is committed because Bentley is super close with new OC Ben Arbuckle and Oklahoma had a jumpstart on Bentley's recruitment. But his relationship with LSU OC Joe Sloan is very strong and playing with all those elite receivers is compelling. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LSU FANS AT KEYS IN CORAL GABLES Five-star receiver Tristen Keys committed to his dream school, LSU, in March but other visits are happening and it's never unwise to watch Miami in recruiting especially as things get closer to signing day and there will always be a compelling NIL pitch made. Advertisement LSU got burned by five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood in part to an NIL deal last recruiting cycle and in part five-star OL Jackson Cantwell's decision to pick Miami over Georgia and others a few weeks ago was because of a deal his agent Drew Rosenhaus made. It will be interesting to see what the Hurricanes pitch to Keys especially during a weekend that's loaded with talent in Coral Gables. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT OJO HEADS TO OHIO STATE Texas is the front-runner for five-star offensive tackle Felix Ojo. Maybe nothing can change that. But Ohio State is bringing in an impressive group of prospects headlined by the Mansfield (Texas) Lake Ridge standout and the Buckeyes are in second place right now in his recruitment. After meeting with coach Ryan Day and new position coach Tyler Bowen, being around the national championship trophy and around the program for an extended period, that might change. Or it might not. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT MEADOWS MAKES TRIP TO COLUMBIA South Carolina went to Washington, D.C., in its 2024 class for five-star defensive end Dylan Stewart and he was a superstar for the Gamecocks this past season. It would be very surprising if the Gamecocks' coaching staff didn't pitch four-star defensive end Carter Meadows on being Stewart 2.0 and it would be very surprising if Meadows wasn't already thinking it. The Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga edge rusher plays with a different style but at 6-foot-6 and 225 pounds, Meadows has all the tools to be special and it shouldn't be a hard sell for the South Carolina staff to sell him on being the next great defensive end in Columbia. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SOUTH CAROLINA FANS AT
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals250 Update: Position-by-position breakdown of 2027 ranking
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney breaks down his thoughts position-by position as we release the new Rivals250 for the 2027 class. NEW 2027 RIVALS250: Ranking | Biggest decisions CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State 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 QUARTERBACK There is only one five-star quarterback so far in Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham's Elijah Haven, who is heavily leaning toward LSU with others involved, but over time we will move others to five-star status because the position is so valuable in the first round of the NFL Draft. Advertisement After Haven, though, there could still be a lot of movement. Considering college and draft trends where teams are looking for more mobile quarterbacks who can also throw there might be a ton of changes as well. Ohio State commit Brady Edmunds and Nebraska pledge Trae Taylor lead the way among four-stars and Taylor is the more mobile of the two but Edmunds has a ton of pocket talent. Colton Nussmeier, Garrett's brother, is a talented lefty. Gunner Rivers, Philip's son, is a really intriguing prospect for obvious reasons. Jayce Johnson, Kavian Bryant and Peyton Houston are three of the most interesting quarterbacks in the class because of what they can do with the ball in their hands. RUNNING BACK There is an abundance of talented running backs at the top but not one that has absolutely separated themselves from the pack. That means there could still be a good deal of movement as we see more of them to close out the offseason and into their junior years. Advertisement Brandon, Miss., standout Tyson Robinson leads the way but Chandler (Ariz.) Basha's Noah Roberts is incredibly smooth with the ball in his hands. The most interesting one to see in the coming months is Penn State commit Kemon Spell, who recently got offered by Ohio State, and could quickly shoot up the ranks. Dallas Rivals Camp position MVP Lathan Whisenton is a new four-star and moving up fast. The more coaches see of Gainesville, Ga., standout Nigel Newkirk the more offers he receives. WIDE RECEIVER There is a Midwest flavor to the top of the receiver rankings as Huber Heights (Ohio) Wayne's Jamier Brown is a new five-star. Brown has all the athleticism, speed, separation and playmaking ability of any receiver in the class. Advertisement But Harper Woods, Mich., standout Dakota Guerrant is not far behind and is now the No. 2 receiver in the class with definite five-star potential. New Orleans (La.) Brother Martin's Easton Royal moves to the third spot, another shorter receiver who produces, gets open and has game-breaking ability. Julian Caldwell and Quentin Burrell are two that have moved up quickly after big offseasons and Las Vegas (Nev.) Arbor View's Damani Warren is someone who could still shoot up the rankings once he's on the field more regularly. Dontay Tyson, Osani Gayles and Quentin Hale are three others on the watch list to move up for various reasons. Other than a freakshow like Tetairoa McMillan, the draft has favored smaller - and quicker, more sudden - receivers higher in the draft. Our rankings will consider that as we look at the best receivers in the class. TIGHT END We have been spoiled by some high-level tight end classes in recent years and while the 2027 class is excellent as well, it doesn't have the depth of others - yet. Advertisement Ruston, La., recruit Ahmad Hudson and Libertyville, Ill., standout Brock Williams lead the way but Milton, Ga., prospect Grant Haviland is moving up quickly and while he's third at the position it might not be high enough. Like the 2026 recruiting class, there is an incredibly strong Midwest presence for tight ends who could move even higher as Cleveland (Ohio) Villa Angela St. Joseph's D'Angelo White, Detroit (Mich.) Country Day's Anthony Cartwright, Norwalk, Iowa's Luke Brewer, Dexter, Mich., recruit Holden Niemi and Pierre (S.D.) Riggs' Cooper Terwilliger could all make moves higher OFFENSIVE LINE There is a new No. 1 offensive tackle in Kingwood, Texas, standout Kennedy Brown followed by Qua Ford, Mark Matthews, Kaeden Scott and Jake Hildebrand, a solid top five but no five-stars yet. When it comes to draft trends and offensive tackles, it almost doesn't matter about height as much as wingspan and that will be a massive consideration moving forward as we look at the position. It's not the most loaded class ever but there are always some first-round offensive tackles so we'll have to look deep. Advertisement We're still trying to figure out the interior offensive line as well. Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei's Lex Mailangi is the new No. 1 inside as he almost never loses a rep. Gilmer, Texas standout Ismael Camara has moved up to the second spot after a great showing at the Rivals Camp Series in Dallas but there could still be a ton of movement here. DEFENSIVE LINE No. 1 overall LaDamion Guyton is the lone five-star defensive lineman but that is almost guaranteed to change because there are so many talented edge rushers and interior guys with tons of potential in the class. New Orleans (La.) Jesuit's Zyron Forstall has some of the best film in the 2027 class regardless of position. Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson's KJ Green along with Chris Whitehead, Justin Weeks, Alabama commit Jabarrius Garror and others. It's a loaded edge group. Advertisement At defensive end, Roswell (Ga.) Blessed Trintiy's David Jacobs leads the way and we still like Recarder Kitchen from Muskegon, Mich., a whole lot but we just wish he would show up to a regional or national event so he can gauge himself against better competition. There is a lot to like at defensive tackle as the list is led by Jalen Brewster and Elijah Brown. After seeing Kasi Currie at a few events recently, the Chatsworth (Calif.) Sierra Canyon standout has the potential to be a future star. LINEBACKER Cooper Witten, Jason's son, is the new No. 1 linebacker in the country and there is a lot of talent at the top end here but the difficulty is that this position has been significantly downgraded in the NFL Draft. That means it will become even more difficult to achieve five-star status and to earn that level of ranking, the player almost definitely has to come down and blitz a lot as well. Advertisement Texas commit Taven Epps and Chicago (Ill.) Mt. Carmel's Roman Igwebuike are two that moved up. DEFENSIVE BACK The cornerback spot is so loaded it might be the best group in the 2027 class. Gardena (Calif.) Serra's Duvay Williams is the lone five-star so far but that will almost definitely change with John Meredith, Joshua Dobson, Kenton Dopson, Aaryn Washington and others leading the way. Ace Alston is a mid-level four-star who could surge much higher as well. Safety is an interesting group but still unsettled. Jayquan Snell leads the way and he's a special-looking kid followed by Corey Hadley Jr., Kamarui Dorsey and Jerry Outhouse, Jr., who could move even higher after a great offseason. ATHLETE As the 2027 class settles out, more of these players will be moved to a specific position but many of these players are legitimate two-way threats as well. Long Beach (Calif.) Poly's Juju Johnson has tons of speed and Sequel Patterson has had a great offseason. DeSoto, Texas standout Myson Johnson-Cook still leads the way.
