The final weekend leading into the three-day Early Signing Period beginning on Dec. 21 is upon us and some of the nation’s top prospects are taking visits as they shore up their college plans before putting pen to paper.
247Sports takes a look at where some of the biggest names are headed.
Touted prospects coming to check out Coach Prime and Colorado
New head coach Deion Sanders and a few staffers will be coaching in the Celebration Bowl and putting the finishing touches on a terrific chapter at Jackson State before jetting back to Boulder to host some ballyhooed recruits.
Lincoln (Neb.) East Top247 athlete Malachi Coleman canceled his visit to Michigan in favor of Colorado as the Buffaloes battle Nebraska four the unique athlete recruit with blazing speed. Coleman could blossom into an outstanding receiver, tight end or linebacker/edge on the next level and ranks as the nation’s No. 63 overall prospects regardless of position.
Carrollton (Ga.) Central Top247 athlete Vicary Swain is a player this new Colorado staff covets. The South Carolina verbal scored touchdowns three different ways as a senior, seven receiving, two pick sixes and one return for a score. He was one of the first players Sanders offered.
Murfreesboro (Tenn.) Blackman receiver Jacob Page was offered by Colorado this week as things pick up fast between the two parties.
This is a list that we expect to grow.
Nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle at Alabama
As BamaOnLine first reported, Des Moines (Iowa) Southeast Polk five-star offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor will return to Tuscaloosa to visit Alabama as the Iowa commit deliberates on sticking with the Hawkeyes or flipping to the Crimson Tide or Oregon who’s also been strongly in the mix down the stretch.
Proctor has been in the fold for Iowa since June and folks around Iowa City believe they’ll hold on to the Top247’s No. 5 prospect overall, but there is confidence around the other two contenders that Proctor could sign with them as well.
Proctor will play in the All-American Bowl on Jan. 7. He is the jewel of an Iowa class that ranks No. 24 nationally. Nick Saban and his staff are putting the finishing touches on a class currently ranked No. 1 while Oregon is in the mix for several blue-chippers including Proctor, holding strong at No. 12 with a lot of runway to make a major move upwards.
Auburn hosting a big crop
Hugh Freeze and the new staff on The Plains will see many of their favorite prospects including 247Sports Composite five-star edge Qua Russaw and defensive lineman James Smith. Alabama is the 247Sports Crystal Ball favorite for both, but Russaw and Smith have shown great interest in the Tigers with Zac Etheridge leading the charge for both.
UCF defensive back committed Braden Marshall and Arkansas defensive line commit Stephen Johnson took their officials. Western Kentucky receiver commit Eric Singleton Jr. is another they’d like to flip.
Two other key names, running backs Jamarion Wilcox who is high on Kentucky and JUCO offensive lineman Izavion Miller who is a verbal to Ole Miss.
Miami working to get two key targets back
The Hurricanes have the nation’s No. 4 recruiting class and Mario Cristobal and his staff are trying to get two of their top remaining high school targets back in Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) American Heritage teammates at cornerback Damari Brown and running back Mark Fletcher. Brown is also high on Alabama and Florida State while Fletcher is strongly considering Florida alongside the Hurricanes.
LSU looking to add to a top five class
The Tigers are holding strong with 247Sports No. 5 class with defensive back a major need at the end of the cycle. They hit big securing a verbal from Top247 cornerback Javien Toviano on Thursday and two more prized DBs are in town this weekend in 247Sports Composite five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks and four-star safety Isaac Smith. Both are trending towards LSU on the 247Sports Crystal Ball, but Alabama and Florida also received officials from Ricks and Smith has given a lot of time to Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Florida State.
Big weekend at Texas A&M
Five-star commits Reuben Owens and David Hicks headline a strong group heading to College Station. Jimbo Fisher and his staff would like to add defensive back Tony Mitchell, tight end Jaden Plattquarterback Marcel Reedoffensive tackle Caden Jones and linebacker Taurean York to the fold as well.
Mitchell is a long-time commit to Alabama that has been to Texas A&M several times and has given the Aggies and Auburn reason to believe they’re in it late. Platt is a Stanford commit who also visited Florida last weekend. Proximity is one factor that could really help Texas A&M there. Reed is an Ole Miss verbal that was at Auburn last weekend. Jones is currently trending to Florida on the Crystal Ball and Duke is another program in the mix for York who recently decommitted from Baylor.
Michigan has a few officials
The Wolverines are in a battle with Wisconsin for the coveted Chicagoland defensive tackle Jamel Howard who takes his official visit a weekend after returning to Madison.
Linebacker Hayden Moore is one Michigan would like to flip from Nebraska late in the cycle.
Defensive back D’Juan Waller will be back in town. His recruitment is tight with Kentucky the other contender.
New and notes around the nation
Texas has the 247Sports No. 3 ranked recruiting class and they’ll bring in Top247 athletes Jelani McDonald and defensive back Tyler Scott. I think Oklahoma State is positioned well to get McDonald back in the fold and TCU is in it as well, with Auburn probably the one to beat for Scott as it stands now.
Four-star defensive lineman Ashton Porter visits Oregon this weekend and the Ducks are trending on the 247Sports Crystal Ball. Louisville commit Jamari Johnson is also expected back and Oregon is in good position to flip the Inglewood (Calif.) High product as well. They’ve been trying to get five-star safety Peyton Bowen to campus as well.
A big recruiting weekend at South Carolina includes tight ends Reid Mikeskaa Miami commit the Gamecocks have looked they would flip for months now.
It’s another strong list at Nebraska including Top247 edge Princewill Umanmielenelen, NC State running back/defensive back commit Kyron Jonessafety Rahmir Stewart and in-state offensive tackle Mason Goldman.
Talented defensive back Amare Snowden and Cincinnati offensive tackle commit Joshua Gregory head up to Wisconsin