Week 10 Recruiting Winners: LSU, Georgia make key moves with top prospects

With visit season back in full force, some of the country’s top 2023 and 2024 prospects were back on the road this weekend attending games across the country. Dozens of programs hosted players either on their own campuses or as guests of the school at neutral-site games. A few programs, though, had a chance to move the needle and make a significant sway in those recruits’ decisions. There are ultimately all kinds of factors, especially in the NIL era, that go into where recruits commit and sign to. But make no mistake, these games will have an impact on the recruiting trail, and On3 breaks down the recruiting winners of Week 10 here:

LSU

It’s hard to overstate what Brian Kelly has done both on the recruiting trail and the field in his first full year at LSU. The Tigers control their own destiny in the SEC West after a thrilling 32-31 win over Alabama at Tiger Stadium, and they look to be on pace for what could be a top-three recruiting class by the time things are said and done.

A number of elite 2023, 2024 and 2025 prospects were in Baton Rouge over the weekend, none bigger than four-star Arlington (Texas) Martin safety Javien Toviano and five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks.

The Tigers have been significant favorites for Toviano for a few months now, but following his unofficial visit Saturday, two more picks went in for LSU in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. It will be a tall task for anyone to pry him away from Kelly. At the same time, Ricks got a chance to see the Tigers take down arguably their biggest competition for him in person. He still has official visits to LSU, Alabama and Florida scheduled before a Dec. 23 commitment, but the Tigers are now trending in a big way in the On3 RPM.

READ ABOUT RECRUITS’ REACTIONS TO LSU’S HUGE WIN OVER ALABAMA

Georgia

The only atmosphere this weekend that could rival the one in Baton Rouge was Georgia’s for its decisive win over No. 1 Tennessee. The Bulldogs had a trio of major official visitors with five-stars Samuel M’Pemba and Daevin Hobbs, as well as four-star Louisville wide receiver commit DeAndre Moore Jr.

Hobbs has been high on both Tennessee and Alabama, but saw exactly what Georgia’s defensive front can produce with the ‘Dawgs sacking Hendon Hooker multiple times and harassing him all day. As for Moore, he told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons that his visit was “unbelievable,” with Georgia seeming to make a massive advance in its work to flip him.

With all of that said, it’s hard to understate what this game meant in the recruitment of five-star Venice (Fla.) EDGE Damon Wilson, who came to Athens on a last-minute unofficial visit. The Bulldogs have been battling Ohio State for On3’s No. 4 overall prospect, and Wilson’s father said the visit went “very well.” A decision could be coming in the next weeks.

TOP PROSPECTS SOUND OFF AFTER GEORGIA KNOCKS OFF TENNESSEE

Notre Dame

No program needed some on-field momentum more than Notre Dame did after a slow start to Marcus Freeman’s first season at the helm. The Fighting Irish lost five-star commitment Keon Keeley in August when he decommitted, and they’ve been working to keep five-star safety commit Peyton Bowen in the fold.

Freeman and Co. not only beat Clemson in dominating fashion, but they did it with Bowen and a number of other commits in the house in front of a huge crowd. This one result likely won’t decide things for Bowen, but the Fighting Irish are back to trending upward, while the two teams looking to flip him — Texas A&M and Oklahoma — have struggled mightily this season.

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Florida State

It’s probably time to take back the previous statement. There was a team that needed positive momentum on the field more than Notre; it was Miami. And in front of dozens of elite recruits at Hard Rock Stadium, including Ohio State commits Brandon Inniss and Mark Fletcher, Florida State delivered a crushing 45-3 defeat to the Hurricanes.

FSU isn’t likely to start flipping a bunch of Miami commits, though it’s certainly not impossible. But a dominant win like that, which pushes the Seminoles to 6-3, is exactly what recruits needed to see from Mike Norvell and Co. this year after consecutive below .500 seasons. Florida State sits just outside the top-15 of the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings, but don’t be surprised to see them make some moves over the next six weeks prior to the Early Signing Period.