Whether it’s the Cold Summer Cookout at Alabama, Big Cat Weekend at Auburn, Grille in the Ville at Florida, Seminole Showcase at Florida State, Bayou Splash at LSU, Notre Dame’s Grill and Chill, or Saturday Night Live at Oregon, it’s the last loaded weekend of visits on tap.
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at 10 of the biggest visitors hitting the road one final time this summer.
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TRADARIAN BALL – Oregon
Texas, Texas A&M and others have been the mainstays in Ball’s recruitment but the word now is that Oregon could be the team to beat for the 2026 four-star standout and he’ll be in Eugene this weekend.
The Texarkana (Texas) Texas standout has not been to Oregon yet but after getting his offer in May he said if he has a good visit it would be “icing on the cake” for how he feels about the Ducks.
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FAIZON BRANDON – Tennessee
A lot of talk around Brandon’s recruitment centers around Tennessee as the Volunteers have made him a top priority. Nico Iamaleava is wrapping up his career in Knoxville, so Brandon could be stepping into a welcoming spot there.
Alabama and LSU are the other main contenders right now so it will be huge if the 2026 four-star from Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley has a great time at Tennessee and it takes a lead in his recruitment.
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JACKSON CANTWELL – Alabama, Georgia and LSU
It’s a massive weekend for a massive offensive lineman. The 2026 five-star from Nixa, Mo., will be venturing to the SEC to see Alabama, Georgia and LSU as Cantwell takes a thoughtful, methodical approach to his recruitment.
He’s a Missouri legacy and both of his parents were Olympians in track and field so the Tigers could be battling hard here but it will be interesting to see if Cantwell’s thinking changes in his recruitment after these visits. Oregon is also playing a role here as well among many others.
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JAIME FFRENCH – LSU
It looks like the high four-star receiver from Jacksonville (Fla.) Mandarin is choosing LSU over Miami for his weekend visit and that could definitely be telling as the Tigers continue to play a key role in his recruitment.
Ffrench has family in the area, he clearly knows the wide receiver tradition there and so those are major considerations.
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ELIJAH GRIFFIN – Georgia
Georgia has been the program to beat forever when it comes to the five-star defensive lineman from Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian Academy so does this visit finally put the Bulldogs over the top toward a commitment?
USC is battling and other Southeast teams are staying in the picture but it would be a shock at this point if Griffin doesn’t end up in Athens.
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RYDER LYONS – Alabama, Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas A&M
This is a major visit weekend for the 2026 five-star quarterback from Folsom, Calif., as Lyons will get to see the SEC powers recruiting him all in one shot. The thinking has been that USC and Oregon are battling it out for him but now with Lyons taking a swing through the Southeast, this will be the time to determine whether USC and Oregon solidify their spots or if others seriously join the race as well.
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DERICK SMITH – Alabama and Auburn
It sounds as if Smith is going to see Alabama and Auburn this weekend and then make a final decision. Over the last few weeks, there has been a lot of talk that the four-star athlete from Selma (Ala.) Southside could end up flipping to the Tigers so this weekend could determine a lot in his recruitment.
Smith doesn’t talk much about recruiting so there is still a little guessing game here as the in-state programs battle it out.
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JAHKEEM STEWART – LSU
Over the summer, there was a lot of talk around Ohio State, USC, Oregon, Texas and many others for the No. 1 player in the 2026 class but LSU remains a real contender for the New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine standout.
Stewart was once again impressive at the Rivals Five-Star and most No. 1 prospects in Louisiana play in Baton Rouge. The Tigers might have some room to make up here but Stewart is definitely worth all the effort.
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JUSTUS TERRY – Georgia
There was some talk that Terry would end up in Athens this weekend and then one person close to him was unsure if he’d make the Georgia trip. If the five-star defensive lineman from Manchester, Ga., who has already been committed to the Bulldogs and USC, ends up visiting Georgia it would be a step in the right direction to get him back in the class as Alabama and Florida State are staying involved as well.
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JONAH WILLIAMS – LSU and Texas
Williams is expected at both LSU and Texas and it’s become more interesting in his recruitment as Texas A&M seems to have taken the edge. But the Tigers have surged recently and now the Longhorns are involved as well. At one time, it looked like the Galveston (Texas) Ball standout was a lock to Oklahoma.
