Whispers from out West: ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC visits resonate with several from the region
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Several of the West’s top 2028 recruits hit the road this past weekend for some of the key clashes nationally including ones in the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and the SEC…
With the calendar flipped to October, key unofficial visits are being taken all over and several of the West’s top 2028s and 2029’s are back from the road.
Aggies Impress Arizona 2028 Standouts
The presence of a number of players from out West at Texas A&M is pretty eye-opening for a program that sits on such fertile recruiting grounds.
But the Aggies, who have signed a player from Arizona in each of the last two classes, aren’t slowing down in focusing on players from out West and had the top two players from Arizona’s vaunted 2028 class in College Station this weekend.
By all accounts, Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton 2028 cornerback Keaton Fields, the No. 1 recruit in the state in the class, loved his time in College Station, his second trip of the season (having previously visited USC) and a week before his trip to Alabama.
Chandler (Ariz.) Basha 2028 edge Landen Wade had nothing but high praise for his trip to College Station as well as his time with head coach Mike Elko.
“The atmosphere inside Kyle Field was really impressive,” said Wade. “You could feel the energy from the crowd the whole game, and it was a great experience being able to see it in person. What continues to excite me about A&M is the opportunity to play for coach (Mike) Elko and be part of a program with that kind of passion and support behind it. I’m really enjoying getting to know the coaches and learning more about what they’re building here.
Buffs Host No. 1 2028 in State
The last head coach to grace the Colorado sidelines at Folsom Field before Deion Sanders was Mike Sanford Jr., who was the interim coach when Karl Dorrell was fired.
Sanford is now the head coach at the No. 2 prep program in the state, Highlands Ranch (Colo.) Valor Christian, and he has a loaded roster with the Eagles, including the No. 1 player in the state in 2028, quarterback Titus Huard.
Valor had a number of players in Boulder on Saturday when Colorado hosted Texas Tech, including Huard, offensive lineman Davis Moon and 2029 running back Kashus Clarvoe.
Huard is one of three in-state 2028 quarterbacks the Buffs have offered and while fellow Big 12 program Kansas State may be in the pole position, they’re certainly trying with Huard.
Moon is part of a talented offensive line crop for the Eagles and he enjoyed his return trip to Boulder.
“The environment was special to see,” said Moon. “I talked with coach (Gunnar) White (Colorado offensive line coach) for a while pregame and said he likes what I am doing on tape and is seeing some improvement, which is a step in the right direction. Coach (Rashad) Rich (Colorado director of recruiting) and coach Darrius Darden-Box (director of player personnel) both talked to me for a while too and talked about how they like the physical aspect to my game. “
Badgers Continue Western Surge
Last week, Wisconsin landed their highest rated player in seven classes when Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge 2028 edge rusher Jalanie George committed to the Badgers on the Rivals’ YouTube Channel.
He’ll join two of his Desert Edge teammates, Yahzeen Zion and Nathan Jones, in Madison plus another in-state recruit in Chandler (Ariz.) athlete Jai Jones.
But Luke Fickell, on a heater since their season-opening loss to Notre Dame, isn’t sitting idle.
The Badgers had another key Arizona target in Madison over the weekend, Gilbert (Ariz.) Perry 2028 receiver Amos Augustine.
“The visit was great,” said Augustine. “They really went out of their way to welcome me. I had some amazing meetings with coaches and I really felt a connection with them. Overall, Madison seems like a wonderful place. The energy and excitement about football was off the charts.”
To add to the momentum, they also had the No. 1 recruit in Oregon, Lake Oswego (Ore.) 2028 four-star tight end Presley DeLance in town for a visit.
“There are a lot of amazing and wonderful people and the coaching staff and the players have a very strong connection,” said DeLance. “And the offense utilizes the tight ends a lot from the past couple of games. And I’ve got to mention that Madison is a beautiful part of Wisconsin.”
Finally, they also had the No. 5 recruit in the state of Colorado, Boulder (Colo.) Fairview tackle Colton Ott in town for a visit and the Badgers also impressed the 2028 standout.
Wildcats Wow Many After Blowout Win
The return to Tucson for their Big 12 home opener gave Arizona a chance to host a number of in-state targets and they witnessed a 34-7 blowout out of Cincinnati.
While most of their heavy lifting with the 2027 class is done, the Wildcats are still taking a long look at Scottsdale (Ariz.) Desert Mountain edge Davian Whitener.
Although he’s committed to Hawaii, the Wildcats are keeping tabs on Whitener as a potential late add to the class.
“The Arizona game day visit was a great experience,” said Whitener. “I was able to spend time with both coach (Ronnie) Palmer and coach (Joe) Salave’a. For me, I’m very appreciative that my continuous development is being noticed.”
They also had two key in-state 2028 targets in town, headlined by Peoria (Ariz.) Liberty safety Kadin Young.
“I love the coaches and the defense showed out,” said Young. “They really put up a shut out, the backups let up a touchdown late, but they dominated the game. The atmosphere was amazing.”
The group also included their top in-state quarterback recruit, Chandler (Ariz.) Hamilton 2028 passerJaxson Sculley.
“I liked it a lot, the atmosphere was insane, it was under the lights and it was really cool,” said Sculley. “The coaches walked up to me and talked to me for a while. I really liked talking to the head coach, coach (Brent) Brennan and the offensive coordinator Seth Doege.”
He was joined by two of his 2029 teammates who also boast Wildcat offers, receiver Roman Oliver, who has been his go-to receiver this season and safety Preston DeGraffenreid.
“I enjoyed being able to go the game and seeing the good atmosphere out there,” said Oliver. “All the staff was cool to talk to and it was nice getting to talk to coach (Bobby) Wade for a little and seeing the team celebrate after the game.”
DeGraffenreid was offered by the Wildcats in the summer and they’ve quickly established themselves in his recruitment.
“My visit this weekend was a great experience,” said DeGraffenreid. “I really enjoyed the atmosphere in Tucson and could feel the energy from the fans and the team, no matter what the score was. It was exciting to watch the defense play in person and see how physical and aggressive they were, especially after holding Cincinnati to just seven points.”
Another in-state 2029 there was Scottsdale (Ariz.) Horizon running back Dylan Brush.
“I loved the atmosphere, especially how the fans were all into it,” said Brush. “The team played really well too, and getting to be in the locker room after the game and experience that was really cool.”
And its never too early to target 2030’s, especially from prominent programs making an impact, so Chandler (Ariz.) 2030 back James Jones was in Tucson.
“I really enjoyed myself at Arizona,” said Jones. “It was good to see the coaches that I met at the summer camp. You can tell that they really care about making true connections with you. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming.”
Kansas Welcomes Back Familiar Face
The Kansas Jayhawks figure to be a factor in the race for Bakersfield (Calif.) Garces Memorial 2028 four-star safety Jackson Parker until the very end.
While he’s now living in California, he spent much of his childhood, and his first two years of high school, in Kansas and his sister attends KU.
So getting Parker to Lawrence over the weekend was big for Kansas, who has constantly mentioned them on his short list.
“I loved how Kansas was this weekend,” said Parker. “I really enjoyed how my talks with coach (Lance) Leipold, coach (Brandon) Shelby and coach DK (McDonald). I enjoyed the atmosphere in Lawrence and it really gave that college town feel. A lot of talking with the staff after the game.”
Next up for Parker is a visit back to the Midwest when he checks out Nebraska on Saturday when they host Indiana.
Trip to Death Valley Wows 4-star All-American
A week after a visit to Alabama, Graham (Wash.) Kapowsin 2028 four-star Navy All-American Jayce Halasz was back down South, this time, checking out Death Valley and Clemson for their primetime game against Miami.
“Clemson surprised the heck out of me in every way,” said Halasz. “The visit was great, the staff took great care of me, separated me from the rest of the recruits and gave me some great facility and campus tours. I had one of my favorite meetings with ex-NFL scout Kevin Kelly, who is now the director of player personnel! The atmosphere was tremendously good, the crowd was active and that part where they walk down the hill was my favorite part atmosphere-wise. I’ll throw in that was probably a top three campus that I’ve viewed.”
Halasz is waiting for a Clemson offer but the visit could help expedite that.
Now he heads to Oregon this weekend when they host UCLA.
Loss to Buckeyes Doesn’t Spoil Trip to Iowa
Windsor (Colo.) 2028 offensive tackle Kaden Myers, the No. 4 recruit in Colorado in 2028, got out to Iowa for their clash with Ohio State.
There was a buzz in Iowa City all week and it ramped up on Saturday with ESPN College GameDay live.
And while the Buckeyes ultimately pulled away from the Hawkeyes, it didn’t damper the visit for Myers.
“I loved Iowa,” said Myers. “It was a great visit, the culture and atmosphere was electric, with great people and great energy. The offense is really good and it was good to reconnect with the offensive line coach (George Barnett).
Other highlights for Myers were meeting former Hawkeye stars who played in the NFL like Dallas Clark and Casey Wiegmann.
Trojans Make Push With NorCal Prospects
While USC wants to dominate recruiting in Southern California, the Trojans aren’t ignoring Northern California, and they have a commitment from a 2027 four-star from the region in San Mateo (Calif.) Serra tight end Jace Cannon.
Playing Washington on Saturday, the Trojans had a trio of recruits from the Bay Area and another from Central California inside the Coliseum from the 2028 class.
That included the No. 1 offensive player in NorCal in 2028 (and No. 1 overall player in the state per Rivals) and the top 2028 defensive player in NorCal.
Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley 2028 offensive tackle Aden Owolabi loved his visit to the Coliseum.
“I liked USC a lot,” said Owolabi. “Their whole entire coaching staff was excited to have me down there and showed it. The stadium was rocking.”
Concord (Calif.) De La Salle 2028 linebacker Landon Miller had been anticipating this visit for some time and USC has been on his short list for a while.
“I had a great time and the coaches showed great hospitality just like last time,” said Miller. “Before the game I was able to go on the field with coach (AJ) Howard and coach (Mike) Ekeler for a little while and catch up and after the game I was in the locker room with the team.”
His Spartan teammate, 2028 receiver Damari Dean, joined him at the Coliseum, and while he doesn’t yet have an offer, he was encouraged by the conversations.
“USC was great, they have great people in the building,” said Dean. “I love how invested they are in their players with their new facilities.”
Both Miller and Dean will be at Oregon on Saturday when the Ducks host UCLA.
Coming down from Central California is fast-rising Tulare (Calif.) Western 2028 receiver Amarion Taylor, a newcomer to the recent Rivals300 update.
“The visit was nice, they gave me a tour of their facility and everything was brand new and nice,” said Taylor. “The coaches were cool as well, the fans were loud and into the game, and los Angeles was nice.”
Despite Loss, Sun Devils Still Move Needle with Targets
The return to Tempe after a month on the road, including a trip to London, didn’t go as Arizona State had planned.
What was a big recruiting weekend ended up being a blowout loss to Baylor in stunning fashion.
Still, it didn’t put a damper on the recruits who visited, which included several in-state targets plus one key out-of-state recruit.
Danville (Calif.) San Ramon Valley 2028 cornerback Dietrick Burks was one of them, and he looked past the game to the whole experience.
“I really enjoyed the visit to Arizona State,” said Burks. “The coaches were great and made it feel like they really care about developing players both on and off the field. Being around the team and experiencing game day in Tempe was definitely one of the highlights. The atmosphere was crazy, and you could feel how much energy there was around ASU football. One of the biggest things for me was getting to talk football with the coaches and hear how they see me fitting into their defense. Overall, it was a great experience and definitely gave me a better feel for ASU as a football program.”
Mesa (Ariz.) 2028 four-star edge Sione Taueli was one of their Golden Ticket recipients in June and it was his second game of the season.
“It was a good experience,” said Taueli. “The defensive line looked good emphasizing their heavy hands. The atmosphere was amazing too.”
Scottsdale (Ariz.) Horizon 2028 offensive tackle Liam McNeal was another in-state recipient of a Golden Ticker.
“ASU does a great job recruiting,” said McNeal. “They put on a great show on visits and the coaches have worked hard to build a strong relationship with me.”
Chandler (Ariz.) Basha 2029 safety Jayden Jamerson is one of the top sophomores in the state and has two teammates already committed to the Sun Devils in the 2027 class, Jake Hildebrand and Mikey Barth.
“I really enjoyed my visit to ASU this weekend,” said Jamerson. “The atmosphere in Tempe was out the roof. Experiencing that on game day and being around the fans was definitely special. I liked how all the coaches know me and how they interacted with me. It feels like it’s more personal. I also had the opportunity to meet with coach (Kenny) Dillingham, and that was definitely one of the highlights of the visit. We had a great conversation and he’s a pretty cool guy.
And Chandler (Ariz.) Basha 2030 athlete Ahmad Jones will be in the conversation for the top 2030 in the state, and he was another guest of the Sun Devils.
“I really enjoyed my visit to Arizona State this weekend,” said Jones. “The atmosphere in Tempe was awesome, especially being around the fans on game day. Being there for ASU game day with my Basha teammates and family was awesome.”
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