Rivals Roundtable: Top weekend visits
The Rivals.com national recruiting team debates the most important weekend visits as the college football regular season inches toward its conclusion with National Signing Day coming down the tracks.
RELATED: Gorney’s top 10 visits
PREDICTIONS FROM …. Garcia | Gorney | Smith | Spiegelman
1. What is the most important recruiting visit this weekend?
John Garcia Jr.: QB Carter Smith visiting Wisconsin. The quarterback dominoes are still in motion very late in the 2025 cycle and Smith is on both ends of the pendulum. He and Michigan parted ways just as the hype with top in-state recruit and five-star QB Bryce Underwood reached its apex, and many programs have looked into the dual-threat from Florida since. Wisconsin was among the first and the Badgers have the ball in their court with Smith and family expected in Madison for the first time. Obviously, Smith was already on board with Big Ten ball and the chip on his shoulder with the Underwood hype would make for its own storyline should he eventually face Michigan on Saturdays. On the other hand, there is a lot of buzz for Florida State since Tramell Jones backed off of the FSU commitment on Thursday, and the Seminoles are trying to lock the Smith camp down for an even later official visit. Can UW build a big lead and make it interesting come signing day?
Adam Gorney: Deuce Knight to Auburn. After being committed to Notre Dame for more than a year, Knight flipped his commitment to Auburn and it looked like his recruitment was finished. But Ole Miss was always hanging around with the high four-star lefty quarterback from Lucedale (Miss.) George County and the Rebels got him on campus last weekend, along with four-star receiver Caleb Cunningham, who has since flipped from Alabama to Ole Miss. Knight is back at Auburn this weekend and coach Hugh Freeze can get a little bit of the last word with him and try to lock him into the class since the Tigers desperately need QB help. But Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin visited Knight’s school this week and Kiffin wouldn’t waste that time if he didn’t think there was a chance of flipping him.
Greg Smith: Julian Lewis going to Georgia this weekend could provide a seismic shift in the quarterback recruiting landscape. The five-star prospect has been committed to USC since August of 2023 but that hasn’t stopped him from flirting with several programs along the way. It felt like Colorado would flip him if anyone had a chance but Georgia has emerged as a threat. Coach Kirby Smart is dangerous when he wants to flip a player so USC should be concerned here.
2. Which program can help itself out the most on the recruiting trail this weekend?
John Garcia Jr.: Florida. The combination of Florida’s stability with the vote of confidence for Billy Napier‘s staff and the descent of rival Florida State on the field and on the recruiting trail has led to quite the weekend setup in Gainesville. Droves of top recruits are expected, perhaps headlined by now-former FSU QB commitment Tramell Jones among many other blue-chippers. Prospects committed to Oregon, LSU, Ole Miss, FSU and others will be in Gainesville for this one, in addition to several Gator commitments other programs have been working on such as Vernell Brown III, Jalen Wiggins and Jeramiah McCloud. The path toward a stronger finish than initially expected is becoming the baseline for what Napier and company can accomplish on the trail in the coming weeks. If it reaches a bit closer to the ceiling, then this weekend’s atmosphere and visitor list would have played a large part.
Adam Gorney: Florida. It looks as if Florida coach Billy Napier will survive in Gainesville for at least one more season which is great news for recruiting and a whole host of elite players are coming to Gainesville this weekend. This is another massive opportunity to show a lot of top recruits that the Gators are trending in the right direction even if it’s been way slower than anybody wanted. From Tramell Jones to Solomon Thomas to Na’eem Offord to DJ Pickett and so many others, Florida has a big opportunity to impress them against LSU, especially with five-star QB DJ Lagway expected to play. Florida has the most to gain and in some ways the most to lose this weekend.
Greg Smith: Florida. The Gators have become a sudden destination visit for blue-chip prospects across the South. That has a lot to do with a renewed NIL commitment made by the program after deciding to retain coach Billy Napier. They have a great visit list this weekend headlined by wide receiver Jaime Ffrench, quarterback Trammel Jones and five-star athlete DJ Pickett. Several other elite prospects will be in Gainesville to see the Gators take on LSU. An upset win would be massive for Napier.
