Recruiting Rumor Mill: August is heating up
The season is around the corner so we’ve hit a relatively quiet patch in the recruiting world but there is still plenty of buzz for this week’s Recruiting Rumor Mill.
The four-star linebacker from Vero Beach, Fla., has been committed to Ohio State since late March but two programs have not given up one inch in trying to flip him.
Alford continues to hear the most from Florida State and Illinois and while the word is the four-star remains “locked in” with the Buckeyes, neither the Seminoles nor the Illini have stopped recruiting him.
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With the expectation that four-star quarterback Deuce Knight flips to Auburn at some point (although the word is that Ole Miss isn’t giving up either), Notre Dame is reaching back out to Bachmeier, a former target who has since committed to Stanford.
Prior to that pledge, the four-star QB from Murrieta (Calif.) Murrieta Valley flew to South Bend with the intention of a possible commitment but the Irish took Knight’s pledge right before.
Bachmeier remains “just locked in” with the Cardinal now but it’ll be worth watching Notre Dame’s pursuit.
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Alabama is making a run at the four-star cornerback from Baltimore (Md.) St. Frances who’s been committed to Indiana since April.
The word is that Baldwin is “definitely entertaining” the Crimson Tide’s flip proposal right now and hearing everything the coaching staff has to say as the Hoosiers landed a big commitment early but will have work to do to hang on.
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Auburn has claimed the top spot in Bowden’s recruitment after the 2026 four-star tight end from Panama City (Fla.) Bay loved his visit for Big Cat Weekend but the Tigers will have a battle on their hands especially from Georgia.
The Bulldogs have been an early main contender as the two SEC programs and Miami stand out most with Missouri and Colorado also high on the list.
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Auburn is definitely the program to watch for the 2026 four-star receiver from Tuskegee (Ala.) Booker T. Washington especially as four-star teammate Joseph Phillips signed with the Tigers last recruiting cycle but there are others to watch as well.
Florida, South Carolina and Louisville are the three others standing out early for Daniel in his recruitment.
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After decommitting from Ole Miss in late June, the word was that Dear might quickly flip to Alabama but we’re now through July and well into August and that hasn’t happened yet. The word is that the four-star running back from Quitman, Miss., has “gone quiet” but it’s still believed the Crimson Tide are the team to beat. That was reinforced Thursday when Dear popped up on Instagram with a video about his official offer from the Tide.
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The 2026 four-star running back from Aledo, Texas backed off his commitment to Texas in June and now a variety of programs have popped up in his recruitment. Michigan has definitely appealed to Guillory after a recent offer so he wants to get to Ann Arbor soon along with scheduling a trip to Ohio State.
USC, Georgia and Arkansas will be three others to watch heading into his junior season.
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Heading into his junior season, Helton’s recruitment is “still the same” which means Alabama and Georgia are battling it out for the 2026 center from Carrollton, Ga. Helton had been committed to the Crimson Tide but about two months after coach Nick Saban announced his retirement he opened his recruitment.
However, Alabama has made him a priority again so those two SEC powers are still after him.
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The 2026 five-star offensive tackle from North Bethesda (Md.) Georgetown Prep will soon have a top 16 which isn’t a dramatic cut of his list but still will give an indication of which teams intrigue him the most.
A recent visit to Oregon has definitely propelled the Ducks way up his list with Penn State, Ohio State, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Auburn, Oklahoma and Maryland among the early contenders.
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Three programs are standing out most to the four-star linebacker from Omaha (Neb.) Westside but really it could end up being a two-team race heading to decision time which could come in the first few games of his senior season.
Oklahoma and Nebraska are mainly battling it out for Jones who also has Miami high on the list but things are “up in the air” with the Hurricanes since Jones couldn’t make the end-of-summer BBQ in Coral Gables.
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USC has sent out feelers to stay in contact with the Texas A&M four-star quarterback commit from Corona (Calif.) Centennial.
Flipping Longstreet only becomes a top priority if five-star commit Julian Lewis flips away from the Trojans but it looks like the local four-star would become a top priority if a spot opens up down the road.
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After being pretty quiet on the recruiting front for a few months, three programs have emerged as the biggest contenders in the recruitment of the four-star defensive end from Detroit (Mich.) Martin Luther King.
UCLA, Penn State and Purdue are the three programs recruiting Newsom the hardest and seem to have taken an edge in his recruitment.
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Arkansas and LSU remain the two mainstays in Oatis’ recruitment as the Razorbacks and the Tigers have been involved for such a long time with the four-star defensive tackle from Hattiesburg, Miss.
Mississippi State and Texas A&M are the others to watch but this could end up being a two-team battle with Arkansas and LSU at the top.
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A commitment is still being planned for Aug. 19 as Louisville, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Arkansas are all involved with the 2026 four-star cornerback from Franklin (Tenn.) Battle Ground Academy but Purdue remains the team to watch.
The Boilermakers have been involved with Otey for a long time and the serious level of interest remains mutual.
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A commitment is expected in the coming days and two programs remain in consideration for the four-star receiver from Winston-Salem (N.C.) Mount Tabor.
NC State and Virginia Tech are the top two for Peterkin and the feeling right now is that the Wolfpack will continue to add to their elite receiving corps by adding another in-state prospect as well in Peterkin.
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It remains a very long list for Wise but after landing more than 30 offers there is definitely a select group of schools that look best so far in his recruitment.
Clemson has been a top program mentioned regularly with the 2026 four-star offensive guard from Pace, Fla., with Oklahoma, Miami, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Tennessee, Oregon, Alabama, Ole Miss and Penn State in that top group.
