Alabama, Oregon Lead Critical Visitor Slate on Biggest Spring Game Weekend
Easter weekend is being paired with the biggest college football spring game slate of 2022 and top prospects are set to hit the road in the process.
While difficult to narrow, Sports Illustrated looks at 10 of the biggest names expected to be on the move over the holiday weekend in the upcoming recruiting class of 2023, with one well-known rising-junior also among the most important to track this weekend.
QB Jaden Rashada - Arkansas
As the quarterback dominoes continue to work nationally, Rashada has more and more attention surrounding his name and his game. The Californian has no list of top options, but recently took in Miami while Oregon, Ole Miss, LSU, Florida, BYU, Cal and many others continue to push to get him on campus. Miami just did and Oregon is likely to do so next, but it's Arkansas that gets Rashada on campus this weekend. The feel has been around the emerging recruit's game has been thought to be stronger in the Oregon, Ole Miss and Miami camp of late, but there is no timetable to wrap up the process as several visits are likely between current interest and a verbal commitment, though Rashada would like to wrap things up before the 2022 season begins. Sam Pittman, Kendal Briles and company may have some work to do, but getting the hottest quarterback on campus is a strong start.
"Arkansas has been on me pretty tough," Rashada recently said of programs working to get him on campus.
QB Eli Holstein - Alabama
Visit No. 3 to Tuscaloosa this spring tells you much of what you need to know of Holstein's recruitment, though the former Texas A&M verbal commitment is hearing from a plethora of programs. A&M, Florida, LSU and others are working to get him on campus, with UF looking relatively likely as far as what's next, but Alabama has been near the driver's seat here since even before Holstein elected to back off of Jimbo Fisher's program. The state champion Louisianan of course has to be aware of the most famous Louisianan in the recruiting game, Arch Manning, having a major impact on all other uncommitted quarterbacks at this point -- and Alabama remains in the thick of that race. We believe Nick Saban has the NFL legacy as his top option for the class of 2023, but Holstein continues to be courted on a consistent basis and the visits are adding up here should the legendary coach be ready to wrap up his quarterback recruiting for the cycle.
OT Kadyn Proctor - Oregon
The most coveted offensive lineman recruit in the class to date had to move an Alabama visit to June (it will be an official), but the Oregon trip long planned for this weekend remained in place. In fact, the Iowan tells SI he will be in town throughout the weekend, giving the Ducks another chance to impress after making him a priority since Dan Lanning's coaching staff came together. This will be Proctor's first visit to Eugene under the current staff, so the potential to gain clarity on the direction of the program beyond how much he likes the food on campus relative to nearly all other options on his current list of schools. In-state Iowa won't be easy to unseat and as recruits often say, Alabama is Alabama, but the Ducks have had footing here for some time. Proctor is also in no rush to make a decision, something we would assume to be welcomed news for all outside of the Hawkeye state.
QB Dylan Longergan - South Carolina
The wildcard among high-level quarterbacks yet to make a decision because of his prowess in baseball as well as at football's most important position, Longeran has begun his SEC visit swing of late. He has seen Florida and Alabama and will now venture to South Carolina, where Shane Beamer and company will unleash Spencer Rattler for the first time in front of a public audience on Saturday. Showcasing a potential NFL talent at the position, who is theoretically out the door following the fall, isn't the worst of pitches for an aspiring quarterback recruit. Expect Longergan to take in some baseball experience in Columbia while in town, too, as has become standard with all of his visits. What separates USC, potentially, is that the Gamecocks can sell him on being atop the quarterback board while the others in contention continue to court other passers simultaneously.
WR Johntay Cook - Alabama
Among the fastest wide receiver recruits nationally, Cook has been busy on the visit front and went semi-viral for his comments while visiting Texas A&M last weekend. He commented on the lack of football trophies in College Station, prompting one former Aggie player to request him to take off the jersey before Texas players reminded Cook of Longhorn history. Of course in trekking to Tuscaloosa this weekend, as Cook was told by plenty of UA fans upon announcing the visit plans, will provide plenty of chances to see football hardware while on campus. Jokes aside, Cook is a critical SEC recruiting battle to be had nationally in the class of 2023 so every visit feels relatively big.
RB Rueben Owens - Michigan State
The Spartans have not been linked to Owens until recently, even after not making the Texas running back's top five schools, but getting an unofficial visit that far from home has to be a reciprocation of interest. Owens will take a slew of official visits and could have waited to set this up on MSU's dime, but instead he will make the trek to East Lansing on his own. The heavyweight battle for the Texan is relatively clear beyond the Spartans, with Georgia, Alabama, Texas A&M, Texas and USC among his top options, so there is clear ground to make up for Mel Tucker's angle. Selling Owens on being the next Kenneth Walker III before and after Saturday's spring game can't hurt the chances of the top 2023 back potentially returning for an official visit. Fellow Texan DJ Hicks will also be making the trip to town.
WR Jalen Brown - Miami
Explaining the importance of Brown being courted by Mario Cristobal and Miami is simple. He's an elite, local recruit -- the type the program has not been able to reel in on a consistent basis while Georgia, Alabama, Ohio State and others continue to pluck coveted recruits out of the area. It's the first order of business from the recruiting perception department for the new Hurricane staff, so Brown becomes one of the most important recruits for the fan base to track. Also an elite sprinter, UM will look to hold off programs like Notre Dame, Texas, Florida State, Florida and many others when all is said and done. The Canes hold more buzz for Brown since the coaching change was made and now he'll see a sold out spring game as the fan excitement for the future of the program ratchets up.
CB Kayin Lee - Oregon
Georgia had Lee on the commitment list when Dan Lanning was an assistant to Kirby Smart and now the Peach State defensive back will see Eugene for the first time with quite the familiarity on the coaching side while he's in town. Lee has been busy on the trail since de-committing from the national champions in late February, visiting Florida State, Ohio State and Nebraska most recently. The trip to Oregon, though, carries additional weight because of the ties to the championship staff he once verbally committed to. The Ducks have spot recruited down south over multiple coaching staffs and the Lanning administration will of course be no different.
RB Richard Young - Alabama
The Sunshine State running back dropped a top seven during the week, with Georgia, Ohio State, Florida, Texas A&M, Oregon and Oklahoma flanking Alabama on the list. The Crimson Tide gets the first trip after the contenders were named, but it's not Young's first time in Tuscaloosa. Between he and Owens, the Crimson Tide have been able to get multiple priorities at the position on campus of late and figure to play in the mix for each until the recruitment is set to come to a close. For Young, that appears relatively far off but there is some momentum for the Crimson Tide at this stage as the program is still searching for its initial offensive commitment in the class of 2023.
2024 QB Dylan Raiola - Ohio State
The only rising junior on the list gets a spot because of the 2023 quarterback dominoes. Not only are there rumblings of a potential reclassification to the senior class, but Raiola has become arguably the most coveted quarterback in the 2024 class since the fall anyway. Ohio State has already hosted him on campus before and the Buckeyes also have the most recent buzz around potentially landing the Arizona standout despite his recent trips to Nebraska, where his father Dominic was an All-American offensive lineman. Texas has been efforting a visit here, too, but the Buckeyes appear to be positioning to stay in the Raiola sweepstakes for the long haul.
