Official visits in June are now halfway done with two weekends down and there have been plenty of programs that have set themselves up for future success. Others have current success loading up with commitments so far this month.
In today’s Tuesdays with Gorney, Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney looks at 10 teams that have a phenomenal jumpstart in recruiting so far this month.
RUMOR MILL: Top prospects return home from big visits
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1. RUTGERS (12)
The Scarlet Knights have had an incredibly busy first two weeks of June as they have 20 total commitments now, most in the Big Ten, and rank third in the conference team rankings.
It was an incredible haul over the first weekend of official visits and while Rutgers didn’t land any four-star commitments yet this month there are some high-level three-stars who have joined up including DB Tariq Hayer, WR Jourdin Houston, OL N-Kye Wynn, DE Chase Linton and DB Michael Clayton, none of whom are from the state of New Jersey.
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2. MINNESOTA (11)
Minnesota is rowing the boat – fast. The Golden Gophers have wasted no time in June putting together more than half of their recruiting class and currently sitting a very respectable sixth in the Big Ten team rankings. What has also been impressive is that Minnesota is loaded up with talented players including mid-level three-stars Nelson McGuire and Zac Stauscausky, defensive tackle Abu Tarawallie and others. Four-stars QB Jackson Kollock and LB Emmanuel Karmo still lead the way.
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3. GEORGIA TECH (9)
Prior to June, Georgia Tech had only three commitments. Now the Yellow Jackets have a dozen as the last two weeks have been incredibly productive for that program and there have been some major recruiting wins as well.
Four-star athlete Dalen Person was a big win over the weekend but the biggest so far this recruiting cycle was landing four-star WR Samuel Turner, who was also serious about Georgia and others.
If coach Brent Key and his staff are to make more waves in the ACC, wins like Turner are needed.
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4. VANDERBILT (6)
The SEC is such a cutthroat conference and getting tougher with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma that Vanderbilt needed a spark like it received to start the month of June. The Commodores are not landing elite four-star prospects but massive offensive lineman Matthew Parker is a nice addition and Tallahassee (Fla.) linebacker Josiah Broxton could be a sleeper in this class.
Maybe the biggest thing, though, this month was when The Undertaker stopped by coach Clark Lea’s office in recent days. That kind of buzz can’t hurt.
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T-5. PITTSBURGH (5)
Pitt is not necessarily known for big splashes in recruiting but five of the Panthers’ commits came in just the last few days and they might not be done yet. Olney (Md.) Good Counsel linebacker Justin Thompson is the highest-rated three-star and the Panthers also went to Florida for two pass-catchers as speedster Ja’Kyrian Turner and tight end Max Hunt have hopped on board as well.
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T-5. WISCONSIN (5)
There have definitely been some Midwest commitments for coach Luke Fickell and his staff in the early part of June, led by high three-star tight end Nizyi Davis from Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central.
But the Badgers have gone to Florida and Arizona for four-star players as well. DB Rukeem Stroud from Tampa (Fla.) Tampa Bay Tech and Logan Powell, a four-star OL from Phoenix (Ariz.) Brophy Prep, are big-time pledges.
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T-7: LOUISVILLE (4)
The Cardinals have been incredibly busy in the transfer portal, landing at least 30 players that could further build an ACC contender and the last couple weeks on the recruiting trail have been really good as well.
Landing local prospects such as high three-star receiver Lebron Hill and in-town three-star DB Antonio Harris were big. The Cardinals also went to Florida for two commitments, too.
Coach Jeff Brohm took Louisville to the ACC title game last season, reworked the roster through the portal and is now off to a good start in June.
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T-7: STANFORD (4)
Second-year coach Troy Taylor is known as an offensive-minded coach but the Cardinal have done a great job landing top defensive players so far this month. Four-star DT Kole Briehler from Princeton (N.J.) Hun School and high three-star DE Adam Shovlin from Oakdale (Conn.) St. Thomas More (two great academic institutions) lead the way.
High three-star linebacker Landon McComber from powerhouse Las Vegas Bishop Gorman could be a true sleeper.
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T-7: ARIZONA STATE (4)
Second-year coach Kenny Dillingham went hard into the transfer portal landing nearly 30 players from there to revitalize a roster that had lots of holes last season. That was a great start for the Sun Devils and then they have had a strong start to June landing four prospects so far led by Albuquerque (N.M.) La Cueva high three-star athlete Cameron Dyer, who could be a massive steal since he has excellent junior tape.
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T-7: WEST VIRGINIA (4)
It’s been a good month for coach Neal Brown and his staff – especially in the Southeast. Four-star running back Deandre Desinor was a huge pickup for the Mountaineers in recent days and landing high-end three-star edge Romando Johnson on Monday was big as well.
West Virginia also went to South Carolina for three-star DB Elgin Sessions and it flipped three-star ATH Teriq Mallory from Wake Forest already this month.
