With so many top prospects at Battle Vegas this weekend, a second story was needed for intel on a lot of the elite recruits. The latest is here:
Ace Alston: The four-star cornerback from Cincinnati (Ohio) Anderson committed to Notre Dame in early December but since then position coach Mike Mickens left for the NFL. Miami, Virginia Tech, Missouri, USC and Indiana all jumped in and are trying to flip Alston, who said he’s still strong with the Irish and looks forward to building a relationship with new assistant Aaron Henry, who came to Notre Dame from Illinois.
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Ja’Hyde Brown: Brown committed to Indiana in January and he’s happy with his pledge but a bunch of programs told the four-star receiver “they’re going to fight to the end.” Ole Miss, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Purdue, Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and Nebraska are all coming after the Louisville (Ky.) Christian Academy standout.
Bubba Brown: Tennessee, Florida State and Georgia are the three standouts for Brown, who loved visits from all those schools in January as the 2028 receiver from Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes definitely has a Southeast feel to his recruitment so far. South Carolina also made a major impression on him in January but he isn’t planning a trip to see the Gamecocks yet.
Quentin Burrell: Arizona State continues to impress Burrell especially after a recent visit to Tempe and his connection to position coach Hines Ward definitely makes the Sun Devils stand out. But there is also a significant push by Missouri, Michigan, Oklahoma, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame for the four-star receiver from Chicago (Ill.) Mount Carmel.
Tristin Gaines: January was big for the 2028 three-star quarterback from Waller, Texas as tons of programs stopped by to see him with Houston, Baylor, TCU, Tennessee, Texas Tech and Arizona standing out most. Gaines’ visit schedule this spring will be important as he plans to get to Tennessee, Texas Tech, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame for starters.
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Bayon Harris: Arizona State and UCLA are battling it out for the Fresno (Calif.) Central East receiver who caught 86 passes for 1,768 yards and 26 touchdowns in his junior season. The Sun Devils have had the edge for him but after a recent visit to Westwood where he hit it off with the new UCLA coaching staff, the Bruins are right in this recruitment as well.
Jordan Hicks: Oregon, Florida, Ole Miss and USC are standing out the most for the 2028 safety from Mission Viejo, Calif., as a recent visit to Gainesville definitely stood out a lot. A school visit from Oklahoma also made a big impression on Hicks as this could end up an Oregon/USC battle unless those SEC schools stay heavily involved.
Malik Howard: Miami, Tennessee and Alabama are the three programs standing out most to the four-star tight end from Oak Ridge, Tenn., but he “still has a while” before making a decision. The Volunteers and Alabama both made a massive impression in January by visiting with him twice and Notre Dame came by Oak Ridge two times as well as the Irish try to get more involved in his recruitment.
Sheldon Isaac: Mississippi State could have the edge for the three-star receiver from McComb, Miss., but Ole Miss is battling as those two programs along with Tennessee stand out the most in his recruitment. Those three programs are expected to get visits from Isaac in the spring along with Utah and Texas A&M but an in-state battle would not be a surprise.
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Romel Koon: A three-team race has shaped up for the three-star cornerback from Brentwood (Tenn.) Brentwood Academy as Kentucky, Florida State and Virginia Tech are the teams to beat in his recruitment and the ones that impressed him the most during January visits. A trip to North Carolina could also happen during the spring but the Wildcats, Seminoles and Hokies have separated themselves.
Seager Milholen: Cal, Arizona and Washington State should battle it out for the Portland (Ore.) Central Catholic tight end as those three stand out most and those programs impressed him the most during January visits. Stanford, UCLA and UNLV are also poking around but this appears to be a three-team battle right now.
Kingston Preyear: Florida is the team to beat for the 2028 four-star quarterback from Montgomery (Ala.) Benjamin Russell as the Gators impressed him in January and he’s planning a visit to Gainesville in the spring as well. Tennessee and Alabama are the other standouts right now and Preyear will visit both of those programs soon along with a trip to Vanderbilt, too.
Ryan Rakowski: Arizona continues to set the pace in Rakowski’s recruitment because of his great relationship with offensive coordinator Seth Doege and how the Wildcats have utilized Noah Fifita. UNLV also impressed the Palos Verdes, Calif., quarterback in January but a lot of programs came through to watch him throw which could spark new interest as Washington, UCLA, Northwestern Kansas State and Washington State stopped by recently.
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Xavier Sabb: His brother, Keon, has been on Alabama’s roster and his other brother, Amari, signed with the Crimson Tide so it sounds like a potential lock for the four-star athlete from Glassboro, N.J., to follow his family to Tuscaloosa. Sabb said he’s “excited for” his brother and Alabama is a major consideration for him but Oregon, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia, USC and Texas A&M are heavily involved, too.
Christopher Vargas: While there isn’t a clear frontrunner for Vargas yet, the 2028 four-star quarterback from Lawrence (Mass.) St. John’s Prep was taken by Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Michigan and Stanford during January visits. Those four are making an impression on Vargas, who plans to visit some West Coast schools this spring.
Mekhi Williams: Williams’ commitment to Florida State is “strong still” but the four-star safety from Ruskin (Fla.) Lennard said his recruitment is still 100 percent open. Miami, Florida and Auburn are all trying to flip Williams and along with Wisconsin and Maryland as his recruitment heats up.
More recruiting news from players at Battle Vegas can be found here.
