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Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ACC Spotlight: Five programs that need a big June
Jeff McCulloch/ June has become arguably the most important month in the recruiting calendar, with prospects crisscrossing the country on official visits and lining up announcement dates. Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. looks at five ACC programs that need to capitalize in the coming weeks. Advertisement MORE JUNE PREVIEWS: SEC programs that need a big June | Big Ten programs that need a big June | Biggest storylines this 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 CLEMSON More than 30 recruits will trek to Clemson to kick off the official visit season this weekend, and as per usual under Dabo Swinney, it is the combination of top targets and more than a dozen already on board as CU verbal commitments. The Tigers march to the beat of their own drum on the recruiting trail and they have front-loaded visit slates in the past with the hopes of grabbing new commitments and having them shut down the process all in one motion. We wouldn't rule it out this weekend with so much attention in Death Valley. Advertisement Among the elites expected to kick off the month of June include five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and fellow blue-chippers such as defensive linemen Bryce Perry-Wright, defensive backs Joey O'Brien and Blake Stewart along with offensive linemen Carter Scruggs and Cannon Pickett. Running back Jae Lamar has the Tigers on top heading into his trip while the program looks to make up ground with other elites such as the nation's top interior offensive line projection Darius Gray and NFL legacy Devin Fitgerald, son of legend Larry Fitzgerald. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT FLORIDA STATE As things currently stand in the ACC, the Seminoles are looking at a ceiling of No. 3 in the conference for the class of 2026 behind Clemson and Miami – two programs ahead of the Seminoles on the field but not always on the recruiting trail. On top of that, Mike Norvell's program is working on serious commitment list maintenance in the month ahead, as most of its top commitments will take multiple official visits to other programs in addition to returning to Tallahassee themselves. Advertisement On the flip side, Florida State is also courting plenty of talent with another logo attached to their name at this time. Several are notable in the month to come relative to proximity to Tallahassee, initial FSU fandom or in some cases both. Cal pass rusher commitment Camron Brooks plays just over the Georgia border and has long been a top target. Oregon defensive back pledge Xavier Lherisse came up with the Seminoles as his team. Mississippi State offensive line pledge Jakobe Green is a Panhandle native just now earning the push from the program he has long felt he deserves. Can the 'Noles win in the flip game? Outside of that element, landing a quarterback has to be a priority and blue-chippers Landon Duckworth and Jaden O'Neal are each scheduled to make the trip. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FSU FANS AT GEORGIA TECH There won't be a shortage of talent traveling to downtown Atlanta in the coming weeks, many from the metro area itself, and it's great news for a Georgia Tech program sitting with just four verbal commitments entering June. The program has just four pledges on board, a number that has to change in short order to match the momentum many feel around the program's on-field chances heading into the fall. Only Virginia Tech (two) and Wake Forest (one) have a smaller commitment list as May comes to a close. Advertisement GT is set to bring back each verbal pledge during this stretch, but also many Peach State natives currently committed to other programs such as Bubba Frazier (Notre Dame) and Jordan Smith (Georgia). Those on the ascent among the uncommitted, including cornerback Dorian Barney, safety Lasiah Jackson, wide receiver Craig Dandridge, offensive linemen Ben Mubenga as well as Zykie Helton along with tight end Heze Kent, each hold four-stars and in-state addresses to their name as well. Several other blue-chippers will make the trek to Atlanta before the end of next month, too, as will a potential quarterback fit in Louisiana native Cole Bergeron. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA TECH FANS AT MIAMI Nick Lucero/ Advertisement Recruiting success is all relative, right? If so, Miami's push this summer is in hopes of closing the gap Clemson has created thus far in 2026 – one we can see widening sooner rather than later with what CU has on tap this weekend alone. The U has claimed each ACC recruiting crown since Mario Crisrtobal took the head gig at his alma mater and it is in striking distance once more following the commitment of No. 1 overall recruit Jackson Cantwell to headline the month of May. June will be about hitting a certain ceiling for Miami, landing the can't-miss talent close to home combined with national wins against bluebloods can help to close the gap with Clemson and others near the top of the national rankings. More than a dozen blue-chippers will help The U kick off the June slate this weekend, from top two-way lineman Lamar Brown to can't-miss five-star and the No. 1 recruit in South Florida in Derrek Cooper. Among the flip targets Miami will soon host, SEC wide receiver pledges Tristen Keys (LSU) and Vance Spafford (Georgia) are the most fascinating, but prospects currently committed to Texas, Alabama, Auburn and Michigan will also soon see Coral Gables in person. RELATED: Miami's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT NORTH CAROLINA Advertisement Bill Belichick and company have seen the 2026 commitment list boom beyond a dozen with a lot of spring verbal commitments, but the depth of the staff has shown itself in how much talent is still yet to see Chapel Hill for an official visit in the month of June. As we've come to expect under this new staff, geography won't be an issue when looking at potential Tar Heel targets. Just this coming weekend the group will be comprised of natives of seven states, from former Alabama secondary commitment Jamarrion Gordon to two-sport star Adam Balogoun-Ali out of the Sunshine State, Midwest offensive lineman Mason Wilhelm and Colorado native Tripp Skewes. As with the best in the league, North Carolina will look to change the minds of intriguing prospects on board with other programs. Auburn linebacker pledge and top-100 recruit Shadarius Toodle may be the most fascinating, though early official visitor and current blue-chip Ole Miss pledge Izayia Williams may be planning a return trip to Chapel Hill before summer's end as well. Vanderbilt defensive line commitment Daryl Campbell is on the official visit schedule in June as is Georgia junior college pledge Seven Cloud. Prized quarterback Travis Burgess, who just popped for the program, will be back in mid-June along with top pass-catcher target and four-star Jayden Petit out of Southwest Florida. The No. 3 class in the ACC won't be an easy spot to secure, but achieving that status is possible with the talent expected to soon experience Chapel Hill. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ACC Spotlight: Five developing recruiting storylines
Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. examines five developing recruiting storylines in the ACC as June visits loom. THIS SERIES: Five developing recruiting storylines in the SEC 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 CANTWELL WILL BE CATALYST FOR MIAMI'S NEXT TOP CLASS Reinhold Matay/USA Today Sports Images Advertisement It doesn't get much bigger than the nation's top prospect making his college decision, and it just went in favor of Miami for the first time in the Rivals era. Jackson Cantwell had long been high on The U, but buzz had shifted among the Hurricanes, Oregon Ducks and Georgia Bulldogs through most of the process. He was in Athens over the weekend spending time with Kirby Smart and fellow five-star Jared Curtis, so the Bulldog momentum was at an all-time high entering the week – only for Mario Cristobal and Alex Mirabal to win another battle at the eleventh hour. With the top priority on board, Miami's class vaulted into the top 10 nationally as Cristobal's crew looks for a fourth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference recruiting crown. There is no doubt the top-ranked talent will help Miami not only round out another elite offensive line class, with blue-chippers like Cannon Pickett, Breck Kolojay, Johnnie Jones and Ryan Miret among the top remaining targets up front, but the profile (and reassurance of Miami's strong NIL positioning) will inevitably impact elite targets at other positions led by the top local recruit and five-star running back Derrek Cooper. Cantwell is an all-business type of prospect, who has altered visits and pushed back his decision timetable to ensure confidence in his college pick, so he fits the mold of the type to push his peers to Coral Gables the rest of the way. MORE CANTWELL: Miami pulls off a stunner | How badly does this sting Georgia, Oregon and Ohio State? | How often do No. 1 prospects flip from their original commitment? | coverage SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT CAN CLEMSON HOLD OFF MIAMI FOR THE ACC CROWN? As Miami charges, it has yet to take the top spot in the conference rankings for 2026, a slot currently held by Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. That race just became neck-and-neck with Tuesday's development, but each program still has plenty ahead as classes look to balloon during official visit season the rest of May and throughout the month of June. The Tigers sit at No. 4, with Miami at No. 8 nationally, as of this writing. It appears there is considerable room on the commitment list for each program going forward. Advertisement Among the highest on CU's board includes key blue-chip secondary recruits Samari Matthews, Joey O'Brien and Blake Stewart, each very high on the Tigers. The state of Georgia will play important for Swinney's program down the stretch with prospects like five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson and four-stars Bryce Perry-Wright, Carsyn Baker very involved. The offensive line group can still work towards one of the best in the class with elite recruits like Darius Gray, Carter Scruggs, Ekene Ogboko, Cannon Pickett and Leon Delaney among those still undecided at this time. Miami is involved for some of the same targets, particularly Stewart, Baker and Pickett, so the way some of these recruits decide could push the conference crown one way or the other in the end. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT SYRACUSE IS SETTING UP SHOP IN FLORIDA Whether looking at the current roster, the 2026 class or even the early returns in 2027, there is a Sunshine State emphasis in Central New York. Syracuse's current class is strong across the board, sitting at No. 13 nationally and No. 3 in the league behind Clemson and Miami, and the five Floridians already on board are a major reason why. That group includes the only blue-chippers currently on the commitment list in offensive tackle Javeion Cooper and pass rusher Kamron Wilson. Advertisement The Orange is not done in the state, either. Six prospects from the state signed with SU in 2025 and the 2026 crop may produce even more from the state. It's not reserved for just the uncommitted recruits, either, as it is charging for trips from those committed elsewhere like Florida State commitments Tedarius Hughes and Xavier Payne. Among those yet to decide, SU is high on the list for blue-chip wide receivers Calvin Russell and Larry Miles, among others like emerging tight end Julius Miles. Elite defensive tackle recruit James Johnson is sky high on the program, too, as Georgia and Miami battle for the big man -- and it's similar for blue-chip cover corner CJ Hester. Running back Brogan McNab, linebacker Justin Williams and two-way talent David Aboya are also in the mix with Fran Brown and company. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SYRACUSE FANS AT FLORIDA STATE IN SEARCH OF A FUTURE QB1 Jeff McCulloch/ Advertisement Somehow quietly, Florida State has a rock solid foundation for its 2026 class with a top-25 group littered with in-state recruits. While holding onto the bulk will be a key measure of how the class finishes, similar to last cycle, the current group is very talented and skill-laden. It means there will be quite the emphasis on the trenches for Mike Norvell's program, but there is also a gaping hole at the quarterback position relative to the rest of the top classes in the league. It's not for a lack of effort or top targets on the verge of making their choices known. The Seminoles have been in the thick of it for a group of passers at different points, but the buzz has centered on a couple at this stage between Alabama native Landon Duckworth and Oklahoma commitment Jaden O'Neal. Either would be viewed as a blue-chip boon and stabilizer in the class. The former has long been courted by offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who nearly snatched up Duckworth's commitment while he was the head coach at UCF. The push for O'Neal has been more active since Malzahn made it to Tallahassee, where he helped to flip Sooner commitment Kevin Sperry last cycle. Should it go down for a second-straight year, with O'Neal jumping in, Malzahn would deserve the bulk of the credit once again. Each passer is expected to return to Tallahassee this summer. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FSU FANS AT SMU HEATING UP IN A HURRY The month of May has already seen five new recruits jump into SMU's class of 2026, including athlete Markel Dabney just on Tuesday. It's a far cry from looking like a bit of a disappointment from a volume perspective early in the New Year. Then came spring visits, where the time back in Dallas seemed to reignite Rhett Lashlee and company from the commitment perspective. Eight pledges have joined the rising-senior haul since April 25 alone. Advertisement As one may expect, the skill positions are especially strong with the Mustangs current haul. Six of the 11 pledges have earned blue-chip status on Rivals, with all but one expected to work skill positions at the next level. It's also shaping up to be another strong wide receiver group at SMU led by Jakai Anderson, a massive flip from local program LSU over the weekend. Fellow four-stars Xzavier Barnett and Aljour Miles II should make things that much better for the future of the quarterback room, which of course is represented by NFL legacy Cole Leinart in the 2026 class. SMU is up to No. 18 nationally and No. 6 in the ACC, each marks much higher than where the 2025 group fell despite the Mustangs reaching the conference title game in December. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH SMU FANS AT
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
ACC Spotlight: Programs on a roll in recruiting
Nick Lucero/ The calendar has turned to spring and there are several programs across the country that are riding a wave of momentum in recruiting. Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. looks at four such programs in the ACC. THIS SERIES: Big Ten programs on a recruiting hot streak | SEC programs on a recruiting hot streak MORE ACC: 2026 conference recruiting rankings 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 Nick Lucero/ While Clemson has been an elite program under Dabo Swinney, the Tigers aren't usually sitting as high in the national team recruiting rankings as they are now at No. 2. The month of March has been the turning point for the program, able to host visitors for its 'Elite Retreat' event, and the pledges have been rolling in ever since. Clemson added a staggering seven commitments since that weekend began, with all but one holding blue-chip status. On top of the boon, Clemson's foundation already included a rare two-quarterback haul and an offensive line pledge. Now it boasts four projected to play up front, led by a pair of top-100 Floridians in Grant Wise and Chancellor Barclay. Fellow Sunshine State native Naeem Burroughs, the Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles wide receiver, may have been the best of the batch of commitments with his truly explosive speed and national offer list. Clemson was in the thick of it for all who jumped in, but not necessarily alone at the top, proving those exclusive and intentional spring recruiting weekends continue to resonate even in the NIL era. MORE TIGERS: Clemson's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH CLEMSON FANS AT The Cardinals currently sit at No. 9 nationally, more than 50 spots higher than they finished in the 2025 recruiting cycle. The group got off to a bit of an average start until four-star quarterback Briggs Cherry jumped in at the end of January. After the ensuing dead period, Louisville also found a hot streak in March in landing five of its current 11 pledges. Rivals250 defensive back Jaydin Broadnax, who had SEC and other ACC programs lining up several official and unofficial visits for him, was the headliner of the surge. The Louisville run has perhaps an expected splash in Florida, where three commitments hail, but it also has an in-state foundation with the strong local crop of 2026 players. Five Kentuckians are already committed to the Cardinals, already one more than Jeff Brohm and company brought in throughout the class of 2025. Maintaining the momentum will be key in not only competing to stick in the national top 10, but to hold onto some of the big early commitments on board all the same. MORE CARDINALS: Louisville's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH LOUISVILLE FANS AT Nick Lucero/ Three new Miami commitments have come in through the first two weeks of March or so, including a pair of nationally coveted cornerbacks in Jaelen Waters and Kenton Dopson III. The latter is in the class of 2027, but snagging the nation's second-ranked cornerback recruit this early despite so much turnover on the defensive side of Mario Cristobal's coaching staff says plenty. Waters also comes with a caveat considering his pledge was a flip from the in-state rival Florida Gators. The other Hurricane to have jumped onboard probably kick-starts one of the strongest position groups in every UM class, the offensive line. Ohio native Ben Congdon stands an impressive 6-foot-7, 280 pounds, checking some big boxes in the process. The recent run pairs well at Miami with dominant 2026 quarterback recruit Dereon Coleman onboard for nearly one year with no sign of considering other programs, despite considerable QB dominoes about to drop around the country. MORE CANES: Miami's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT The 2026 class is the first full view of what Bill Belichick's reign in Chapel Hill will look like on the recruiting front and the Tar Heels not only sit with an early spot in the national top 25, it is a national group capped most recently by a monster flip. In-state star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin had been on board with Texas A&M since the fall but one of the priority recruits in the junior cycle has been pressed by North Carolina since the NFL G.O.A.T. took over. The job was finished on Monday with the flip. Ruffin isn't alone in making national headlines with the decision, as a half-dozen additional 2026 recruits have popped for UNC since late January. The group also spans coast to coast, as one may expect under an NFL-style coaching staff, with California producing more Carolina commitments than the state of North Carolina to date. The program has touched New York, Massachuesetts and Maryland closer to home, too. MORE TAR HEELS: UNC's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UNC FANS AT
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Predictions: Chauncey Kennon, Nebraska, NFL Combine
Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. has three predictions on one of the top uncommitted prospects in Florida, a future Nebraska decommitment and the NFL Combine. MORE PREDICTIONS: Transfer portal, spring games, Heisman Trophy 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 Several official visits are on deck for one of the top prospects in the state of Florida, with trips locked in to Auburn, Miami, Georgia, Florida State and LSU. Despite the deep slate of visits, his familiarity with Florida State and Miami will be tough for other programs to overcome in the coming months. Kennon has all but named the Seminoles as his leader at different points of the process and sources indicate that there is some confidence down at Miami as well, so we'll project that to become one of the bigger battles between the ACC rivals. Florida State holds the edge now and Miami isn't going anywhere, so one of those two should win out against even the SEC heavyweights working on getting him to leave his home state. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FSU FANS AT SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MIAMI FANS AT Offers continue to roll in for the most talked about prospect in Florida. Nebraska got Bronaugh on board last fall in what was a great find by Matt Rhule's staff, but the rest of the sport is catching up on the recruiting front. Many programs have been pushing for visits, mainly Penn State, LSU, Florida State and Syracuse as of this writing, and Bronaugh has already announced his intention to take the trips. With the increased attention and what is sure to be a packed slate of visits, we'll take the field over Nebraska at this time. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Miami native is still just scratching the surface of his on-field potential on the defensive front, but Stewart will turn heads with his measurables, testing numbers and performance in drills. The former Texas A&M Aggie built some on-field buzz at the Senior Bowl despite a lack of elite production, but when he runs a 40-yard dash in the 4.50 range he should cement first round status as an outside-in project teams are willing to coach up and gamble on simultaneously. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT
