Florida Spotlight: Interesting recruiting battle between two teams
The time has come when the commitment dominoes begin to fall and the offer list begins to dwindle. This situation is as old as recruiting and tends to result in a lot of two-team races.
The 2025 cycle is true to history in this respect, with several major national outlooks recently narrowing their focus to two options.
Today, Rivals National Recruiting Analyst john garcia jr. Even if some candidates are dangling other programs on the list as window dressing, we’ll ignore the noise and examine the four Florida recruitments that have essentially become a two-team race.
Ben Hanks: Florida vs. Miami
Almost all potential customers floridaclass has been targeted by other programs, and Hanks is no exception. The three-sport star has long been a target of the Hurricanes, especially since then. mario cristobal He took over because where he would sit on the board was an issue as the program went through changes in its defensive staff each of the past few seasons. The group of assistants seems more settled now and returned to the flashy cover corner again during the season. Meanwhile, in Gainesville, Hanks has said the right things about the program he leaves behind, but many expect Florida’s staff to change before it’s all said and done.
In other words, the possibility of converting from Florida to Florida is miamiHanks’ hometown program may not be as pressing as other prospects on the flip watch this time of year. But Hanks is scheduled to return to Miami Gardens for Saturday’s game against Miami and Florida State, and the Hurricanes’ momentum for the 2024 season shows no signs of slowing down. Hanks’ transfer may not be a direct correlation, but winning and long-term priorities for top local players will continue to be a theme throughout the season and beyond.
London Merritt: Colorado vs. Ohio State
He is from the Peach State. ohio He has been on the pledge for about seven months now, and there may be no program that would remove him from the pledge. However, if there is one that has an outside shot, it is colorado. The Buffs welcomed Merritt to campus two weekends ago for an official visit and piqued his interest enough to actually consider flipping him late in the game. At this time, the senior has no other programs under consideration and is focused on completing his high school season before the holidays and signing date.
Merritt credits Colorado with exceeding his expectations in every aspect, from the campus atmosphere to the culture and especially the locker room. The large number of high-profile targets with slow buff attacks also plays a role here. There’s a sense that the Buffs will turn their attention to a group of ready-to-play recruits with all the expected transitions in the coming months, and once again withdrawing from the IMG pipeline (Jordan Seaton’s last cycle). could become a trend in Boulder.
Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
On the other hand, Colorado and texas Despite the delay in getting official visits and first impressions from the NFL’s traditional five-star teams, the top two teams in this race have felt relatively safe since the summer months. Of course, Owusu-Boateng remains connected to the Fighting Irish, where his older brother (Jeremiah Owusu-Koramola) starred before his current NFL run, and he shows no signs of slowing down. I am planning another trip to South Bend for an unofficial visit in November.
Meanwhile, no program has been more popular at the top of the list than Michigan in recent months. He traveled to Ann Arbor in June, and the defending champion’s confidence has only grown since then. Owusu-Boateng has since returned to campus and continues to evaluate the Wolverines’ defensive style as one of the key factors in his decision-making process. Could a late swing by the Buffaloes or Longhorns impact the race? Time will tell, but when it comes to the top of the ticket for the most available linebacker in the class, we wouldn’t bet on it.
DJ Pickett: LSU vs. Miami
July’s promise is LSU Over Oregon and Florida, georgia It was clear that Miami would continue to push for a top-ranked Floridian and a legacy player. More than three months later, that still holds true, and Pickett has already appeared in two games with Miami this fall. This weekend will be another one as the potential for the flip reaches its peak as the second half of the college football season begins. Nothing has been made public about Pickett’s position on LSU to suggest there is any significant vulnerability at the position, but few believe the fight is over.
Miami has become one of the specialists in the latter half of the recruiting cycle under Coach Cristobal, and in 2024 he has what he relies on most in his flip game to make a difference in his college prospects: buzz. It’s not just on the trail, it’s living and breathing on the field for the U’s for the first time in Cristobal’s tenure. That means that top-class players are coming together and achieving results on the field. For Pickett, that emphasis will be on top of family ties and the typical messages Cristobal’s staff sends to five-star recruits. LSU hosts home games on three of the four November football weekends, including on Nov. 30, just five days before National Signing Day on Dec. 4, so the pushback and A possible visit is anticipated. brian kellyBefore it’s all over, take a look at our program.
Ivan Taylor: Alabama vs. Michigan
Ahead of Taylor’s senior season, he made a spectacular flip from. notre dame cathedral The move was expected as the decision drew closer. After the fact, he felt a huge sense of relief in settling into a program he truly considers his future home, not just the weight of his NFL accomplishments moving from one blue blood to another. “It’s over,” Taylor told Rivals in late July.
This was before the Orlando area star was considered for a mid-season visit. Alabama brought him in early. karen deboer His official visit came during the summer, when the first murmurs of opposition from the Irish were palpable. But a trip back to Tuscaloosa for a famous game against Georgia gave the Crimson Tide even more momentum as a program ready to take on Michigan at home. UM plans to have Taylor back on campus this weekend before he fully enters decision-making mode.
