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Weekend Visit Preview: 5-stars galore at Miami and Georgia, key targets headed to the SEC and B1G

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by:Keegan Pope•06/08/23•

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Following up on the slate of official visits that happened last weekend will be tough, but the Weekend Visit Preview is here to look ahead at another major college football recruiting weekend in the month of June. While official visits technically started May 1, most prospects have held off until June to head to college campuses. And they will be out in force over the next few days.

Florida, Georgia, Clemson and USC were the major destinations last weekend, while Miami, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State and more will be hosting major groups over the next few days.

Let’s get into it.

Miami

These next few days could very well be the biggest recruiting weekend in years at Miami and will play a pivotal role in how the 2024 class shapes up for Mario Cristobal and Co. The ‘Canes are expected to bring four five-stars to town, including No. 1 EDGE Colin Simmons, No. 1 cornerback Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia commit), No. 2 EDGE Dylan Stewart, No. 3 defensive lineman David Stone, and top-10 positional players Aydin Breland and Jerrick Gibson.

Miami has made up major ground for each of those listed above in the past few months but isn’t considered to be the leader for any at the moment. On-field play this fall will have a major impact on what this signing class ultimately looks like, but the groundwork will be laid this weekend if Miami is going to make a move into the top spot with any of the above.

For full coverage of the weekend, visit CaneSport.

Georgia

The first big recruiting weekend of the month was a mixed bag for Kirby Smart and Georgia. The Bulldogs hosted half a dozen five-stars in Athens, and made strong moves with some of its top targets, according to On3’s Chad Simmons. But UGA also lost out on in-state five-star linebacker Sammy Brown, who committed to Clemson immediately after his official visit. It’s far from ‘woe is me’ for the ‘Dawgs, but a big second weekend sure wouldn’t hurt.

Four-star quarterback commit Ryan Puglisi will be in town as the lead recruiter, and joining him will be Five-Star Plus+ safety target KJ Bolden, five-star wide receiver Mike Matthews, five-star defensive lineman Eddrick Houston, and elite EDGE Jordan Ross, among others.

UGA is considered the odds-on favorites for Bolden and Houston, but still has some work to do to hold off programs like Clemson and Ohio State. With Matthews, Tennessee is thought to be the trending program, but Georgia is pushing hard to keep the in-state star home. Ross is coming off a strong visit to Florida, and it’s shaping up to be a battle between SEC East rivals Georgia, Florida and Tennessee to land him.

For everything UGA, head over to DawgsHQ.

Ohio State

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more pivotal official visit for a committed recruit than that of Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Jeremiah Smith visiting Ohio State this weekend. Schools like Georgia, Florida, Miami and Florida State have been pushing to flip him for months, but last week, he tweeted that he was locked in with the Buckeyes.

However, a final decision on his recruitment isn’t expected until December, and none of those programs are going to let up. He has a rock-solid relationship with offensive coordinator Brian Hartline, so this weekend will be a chance to reaffirm him in the Buckeyes’ class. Brandon Baker, the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle, will be in for his official visit, as will coveted four-star EDGE Marquise Lightfoot, top-150 wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, and a host of other commits and targets.

Check out Lettermen Row for the latest.

Florida

The visitor list in Gainesville won’t be quite as stacked as last weekend when Florida hosted three five-stars, but there’s plenty of major targets headed to see Billy Napier and his army. Top-10 tight end Walter Matthews is among the headliners, and he is coming off a very strong visit to USC, according to Chad Simmons. This looks to be a two-team race between the Gators and Trojans, and UF will look to grab back some momentum this weekend.

Miami four-star wide receiver commit Chance Robinson is expected in, as the Gators continue to work on flipping him from their in-state rivals. Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland four-star safety Zay Mincey has been considered a lean to the Gators for a few months, and Napier and Co. will look to lock him into their class over the next few days. Keep an eye on speedy four-star wideout Jerrae Hawkins out of IMG Academy as well, as UF is in his top three, along with Miami and Penn State.

Subscribe to GatorsOnline for more.

Notable college football recruiting visits around the country

  • Alabama’s two major visit weekends will come later in the month, but a handful of coveted four-stars will be in town this weekend, including offensive tackle Jordan Seaton, cornerback Corian Gipson, offensive lineman Daniel Calhoun, Georgia cornerback commit Demello Jones and wide receiver Aeryn Hampton, who the Crimson Tide are trending heavily for.
  • Five-star defensive lineman Justin Scott has been thought to be leaning to Notre Dame, Miami and Georgia at different points in the past six to eight months, but Michigan also remains in the mix. They’ll get a crack at him this weekend in Ann Arbor, along with five-star wideout Ryan Wingo. Coveted defensive backs Bryce West, Jordon Johnson-Rubell and Boo Carter will all be in town as well, with Michigan needing to make up some ground with each.

    However, a few prospects the Wolverines are trending with are also expected in, including four-star EDGE Elias Rudolph, wideout I’Marion Stewart, defensive lineman Owen Wafle and more.
  • More than a dozen blue-chippers will descend upon Auburn in the next few days, with one wave set to arrive on Friday and another on Monday. Four-star quarterback commit Walker White will put his recruiter cap on as top offensive targets Daniel Hill, Caleb Odom and five-star wideout Cam Coleman come to The Plains. On the defensive side of the ball, top-100 defensive lineman LJ McCray, elite Georgia linebacker commit Demarcus Riddick and four-star cornerback Jalyn Crawford highlight the official visitors.
  • The next two recruiting weekends will be massive for Penn State, which will bring more than 20 official visitors to campus in the next few days alone. Four-star commits Quinton Martin, Jon Mitchell and Donovan Harbour will be among a big contingent of Nittany Lions pledges there, but they’ll also be hosting a few top targets as well. Four-star wideout Nick Marsh, a former Michigan State commit, is high on Penn State and has become a top priority. Others expected in include four-star tight end Caleb Odom, top-100 linebacker Jamonta Waller, coveted defensive lineman Nigel Smith and top safety target Vaboue Toure.
  • Oklahoma has a number of big targets on the defensive line this cycle. But few if any are more important than Williams Nwaneri. After a strong visit to Georgia, the Bulldogs are right in the mix with the Sooners and Tennessee at the top of his list. Nwaneri isn’t planning to take his decision past the summer. And this could be OU’s last chance to get him on campus and make a final push.
  • Official visits are the flavor of the summer, but Florida State will host one of the country’s best wide receivers this weekend in Joshisa Trader for a multi-day unofficial visit. Miami has long been considered the leader for the Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna stud, but FSU has been pushing hard in recent months. This might be their best chance to lock in a fall official visit and move to the top of his list.