Nebraska’s grip on Timi Aliu looks solid for now, but Alabama is making a real run at another Peach State defender.
Aliu, a Nebraska offensive line commit from Locust Grove, Ga., took a Week 0 game day trip to Florida State and told 247Sports that the Seminoles are still recruiting him as normal. Even with that visit, he remains fully locked in with Nebraska, and sources around the situation say there’s little concern on the Cornhuskers’ side. The trip was viewed more as a chance for Aliu to catch a Week 0 game with teammates and coaches than as a sign of movement.
A different committed prospect is drawing much more attention. UConn cornerback commit Preston Glasco of Grayson, Ga., keeps coming up in SEC conversations, with Georgia and South Carolina most often tied to him.
Alabama has now entered that picture in a serious way. Glasco is set to be in Tuscaloosa for the Week 1 season-opener, and a potential offer is something to watch closely.
The Crimson Tide have been quietly involved at a level comparable to Georgia and South Carolina, and this visit suggests Alabama has a real shot if it decides to push.
Stanford commit Marquis Fennell is also set for a game day visit, with Georgia Tech hosting the Valdosta, Ga., athlete on Thursday for the standalone opener. Fennell was considering Georgia Tech, Colorado and Florida State when he committed to Stanford, and while other programs are still keeping him warm, none appear to be pressing hard enough to shake him from Stanford right now.
West Virginia athlete commit Jacobi Pasley has one major visit lined up as well. He’s scheduled to be at Florida on Sept. 26 for the Ole Miss game. The Gators are the team pushing hardest at the moment, though Georgia and Vanderbilt have stayed in regular contact.
There’s also a full slate of 2028 recruits across Georgia mapping out fall game day trips, starting with running back Isiah Nalls of Calhoun. His schedule runs from Minnesota on Sept. 12 through Virginia Tech on Nov. 28, with stops at Virginia, Florida, Georgia Tech, Duke, Auburn, Tennessee and Louisville in between.
Central-Carrollton running back Jacez Walton has one of the busiest calendars in the group. His visits include Tennessee, Auburn, Notre Dame, LSU, North Carolina, Ohio State, Miami, USC, Florida and Virginia Tech, with two separate trips to Tennessee and Notre Dame already on the list.
Holy Innocents wide receiver Brayden Bailey, the son of Champ Bailey, has started to firm up some plans too. He hasn’t locked everything in yet, but South Carolina, Kansas State, Kansas, Cincinnati, SMU and Texas A&M are among the Power 4 programs he’s discussed visits with.
So far, he has Cincinnati on Sept. 26, Wake Forest on Oct. 3 and South Carolina on Oct.
Dalton wide receiver Havyn Searels has visits set for Georgia Tech, Georgia, West Virginia, Auburn, UCF and Wake Forest. Griffin tight end King Fuller has trips scheduled to Georgia Tech, Florida State and NC State.
Alpharetta offensive lineman Calvin Landy is set for Georgia Tech, Auburn and Georgia. Northside offensive lineman Jeremiah Rozier has visits lined up with USF, Auburn and Florida State.
On the defensive side, Carver-Columbus lineman Kingston Brown has a run of heavyweight stops scheduled: Alabama, Tennessee, Missouri, Auburn, Notre Dame and Florida State. Lanier lineman Bajani Jones is planning visits to Georgia, Wake Forest, Georgia again, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, Kansas State and Georgia once more.
McEachern edge Marley Underwood has already locked in two in-state trips, to Georgia Tech and Georgia, and is still working to add Washington. Cartersville cornerback Kaiden Kent’s schedule includes Duke, Wake Forest, Purdue, Tulane and Boston College.
Langston Hughes cornerback Dale Perry has Georgia Tech, Nebraska, Tennessee and Missouri on the books, while Ole Miss and Auburn are battling for the Sept. 19 weekend. Dalton cornerback Franck Atangana has not set exact dates yet, but Clemson, Louisville, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas State, Duke, Florida and Nebraska are all in the mix.
Douglas County cornerback Caleb Ivey has visits planned to South Florida, Kansas, Auburn, Virginia Tech, Auburn again, Wake Forest, Texas Tech and Arkansas. East Coweta safety Delbert Freeman is set for Georgia, Auburn and Tennessee.
In Other News...
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Reports have pointed to Oklahoma transfer Michael Hawkins Jr. as the likely choice over returning quarterback Scotty Fox Jr., which would give West Virginia a different look at the games most important position. Coastal Carolina is dealing with its own quarterback puzzle under new coach Ryan Beard, with five players in the mix, but for the Mountaineers the wait feels especially significant because Rodriguezs second year is supposed to bring more clarity and progress. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Buzz Is Rising Fast But Two Roster Calls Loom Large
West Virginias preseason buzz is building quickly under Ross Hodge, and it is easy to see why. The Mountaineers bring in a young roster, plus transfer and high school recruiting classes that have given the program a fresh look, while former player Emmitt Matthews Jr. has already added to the optimism around what this group might become.
The schedule will not give the Mountaineers much room to settle in, either, with a demanding non-conference slate waiting before league play fully takes hold. For all the promise around the roster, the biggest questions still sit in the frontcourt picture, where the team is waiting on two important names to sort out their status and help determine just how far this early momentum can really go. [Read more 🡒]