— Ahhh, the QBs are in the news. Shocking right? I’ll start with North Carolina’s Jadyn Davis, who will choose between Michigan, Clemson, and UNC Friday. This is all Michigan I’m hearing after a great visit to Ann Arbor and his long-standing relationship and inking to choose the Wolverines. UNC made the best run here but fell short, I hear, while Clemson was always a secondary contender. The Vols and Buckeyes will have hats on the table as well, but for no reason. Harbaugh finally gets his 2024 QB, and a 5-star at that.
— The Vols should land 4-star QB Jake Merklinger from Georgia this week as he decides on Thursday between Tennessee, UNC, Georgia, and Michigan State. UGA isn’t pushing as hard as the others as they are focused on Dylan Raiola (more below), and Michigan State has been an outlier. He’s been a Vols lean for some time now, and while UNC did a nice job pushing as they did for Davis, losing Phil Longo as their OC to Wisconsin hurts. I expect Vols fans to be happy Thursday.
— Alabama 5-star commitment Julian Sayin is as locked in as ever after his latest visit. He knew new OC Tommy Rees from when he was recruiting him while at Notre Dame, so all is well there. Ohio State has been pushing for a visit, but I just don’t see him budging off this commitment.
— And rounding out the QBs is Raiola, who took another visit to Nebraska. The 5-star QB has obvious family ties with his dad and uncle, but this has become about Matt Rhule and how much they click. Rhule has done an amazing job here, and let’s admit it, he was part of why Raiola moved on from Ohio State. USC wowed him on a recent visit, and if he takes his official Georgia visit in June, that could close things out, as the Dawgs have led before and want him badly. His latest visit to Athens was his seventh, and he’s now taken eight to Nebraska. And the more visits to Lincoln he takes, the better this gets for the Huskers. I had them at a low percentage last time I wrote, but it’s rising. I’d still say USC and Georgia each have around a 40% chance to land him, but the Huskers are up to 20% and climbing. The Oregon Ducks, I feel, are out.
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— Keep an eye on Wisconsin in the battle for DT David Stone. Oklahoma is the leader for the IMG 5-star, as that’s where he hails from, while Michigan State, Ohio State, Tennessee, and others are in the mix. Why the Badgers? There have been rumors from solid sources that Stone’s mom would like him out of the state of Oklahoma as there is a bit of a bad element he could avoid there. And mom has family there as Stone has an uncle and an aunt living in Wisconsin, and his uncle Marcus Landry played basketball for the Badgers as well. Where better to send her son than away from home to family? I still say Oklahoma in the end here, but the Badgers are now No. 2 for me after some coaching changes at Michigan State that have hurt their chances.
— The Sooners might have had the edge for LB Payton Pierce before his weekend visit to Ohio State. But now I have the Buckeyes ahead for the 4-star Texas standout. Texas A&M, Notre Dame, and others are in there as well, but Ryan Day and company set the bar very high.
