The Inside Scoop: Three schools trending with 5-star ATH Nyckoles Harbor

Five-star Archbishop Carroll (D.C) athlete Nyckoles Harbor is a unique recruit in every sense of the word.

Despite being considered one of the country’s top football prospects in the 2023 class, much of Harbor’s time is spent focusing on the track. Which, when you consider that he is also one of the best amateur track athletes in the country, makes a lot of sense.

But his approach to the recruiting process has been different from most other prospects as well. He’s made very few visits because of his track schedule, and the things away from the football field (including the track and field program) might be even more important in his decision process. He has let very few hints slip about which schools are standing out to him, only naming his top seven schools back in late May.

Trio of programs standing out for Nyckoles Harbor

But as recruiting crunch time rolls around, three schools have the most buzz around them right now, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons.

“There’s really three schools I’m hearing the most about right now; South Carolina is one of those, and I think the other two are Michigan and LSU,” Simmons said during On3’s The Inside Scoop recruiting show.

… Michigan has really set the bar high when they had him on campus. His mom’s been there. The mom is super high of course, like all moms, on academics, setting her son up for life after football. And LSU, he has a connection with the track coach there. So obviously that plays a role as well as that he loves Jamar Cain, who recruiting him during his time at Oklahoma before going to LSU. There’s some relationships there in Baton Rouge.”

The school that will have him on campus for his first official visit this weekend is South Carolina, though. The Gamecocks have been a contender ever since getting him on campus last summer, and head coach Shane Beamer has made a strong connection with Harbor and his family.

“I think after visiting Columbia again this July, this has put the Gamecocks, I think, as a serious contender,” Simmons added. “And now getting him back for an OV. [Defensive ends coach] Sterling Lucas is involved on the defensive side, [tight ends coach] Jody Wright is involved on the offensive side.

… And of course, Shane Beamer is involved telling him, ‘Hey come here and you can play whatever you want. You can play stand up tight end, special teams, run track, whatever fits you. We want to put you in the position to be as successful of a South Carolina Gamecock, and they made a really big impression on his family in July. This is a big weekend.”