5 teams that could climb during recruiting’s final stretch

The Early Signing Period is behind us and most of the nation’s elite talent is already signed and sealed. But there are still some key names left on the board and unsigned targets that are quickly becoming hot commodities on the recruiting trail. On3 takes a look at five teams that could climb during recruiting’s final 20 days.

Oklahoma could climb toward top 5

The Sooners currently have the No. 8 recruiting class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank. OU is also working the transfer portal hard for top players like former USC quarterback Jackson Dart and former Florida State signal-caller Chuba Purdy. But the Sooners are also still on the hunt for top high school talent, and that list goes beyond five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell.

Another big name to keep an eye on for the Sooners is five-star offensive tackle  Josh Conerly Jr. He is scheduled to be on campus this weekend in Norman. The Sooners are battling Michigan, Oregon, USC and Washington.

On3 Consensus three-star DL Ahmad Moten out of Ft. Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons has also developed into a top target for the Sooners. He’s scheduled to visit on Jan. 21, and the Sooners are the team to beat, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Another name to watch from the same school is four-star EDGE R Mason Thomas. He, too, is set to visit on Jan. 21, but Miami is a real threat for Thomas, who says (for now) that he’s committed to Iowa State.

Miami could climb into top 10

Miami has a lot of big-timers left on its board – and we mean a lot. This includes Five-Star Plus+ linebacker and Texas A&M commit Harold Perkins and five-star defensive lineman Shemar Stewart.

Perkins to Miami is a possibility with the Canes and LSU perceived as the biggest threat to the Aggies. But there’s concrete smoke between Stewart and Miami. New Canes coach Mario Cristobal has made Stewart a personal target, and Miami is a real threat to the Aggies.

Miami is also expected to get visits from Conerly, four-star running back Trevonte’ Citizen, four-star DL Christen Miller, four-star DB Jahlil Florence and four-star DL Gracen Halton.

There’s also Thomas and other local uncommitted South Florida three-star targets that make Miami one program that could climb up the charts in the coming weeks.

Florida will make move, too

Much like Miami, the Gators’ new coaching staff is working to make up for lost time with top unsigned prospects and are primed to climb some spots in the rankings.

Florida is set to host Perkins on a visit – a trip scheduled for this weekend. Again, like Miami, the Gators are also in the hunt for Citizen.

Florida is also a major factor for four-star safety Jacoby Mathews. The Gators will have Matthews on campus this weekend, and his connection with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond is real.

Four-star DL Omari Abor committed to Ohio State at the Under Armour All-America game but he is a February signee. With that, nothing is final, and he’s talked about taking a visit to Florida and Texas. Also, keep an eye on four-star running back and UGA commitment Jordan James. He’s talked about visiting Gainesville and his recruitment is another one to monitor.

Four-star DL Caden Story is a longtime Auburn commit, he is still considering signing with the in-state school, but this is one where Florida is also a player. The same is true with four-star EDGE and Michigan commitment Kevonte Henry. A visit this weekend to Gainesville could greatly shape where he lands.

All in all, there are so many moving pieces with the Gators’ final few weeks. But it’s pretty clear UF is in a good spot with a number of targets and could be a team that jumps into the top 20 if things go right.

That’s especially true if the Gators do well this weekend with the double-digit visitors expected on campus.

LSU could move into top 15

Along with a long list of transfer targets, LSU is also targeting a lot of the same names that Miami and Florida are in the high school ranks.

That, combined with some other top unsigned targets high on the Tigers, make LSU a team that could also climb quite a bit from their current No. 17 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank.

As mentioned above, the Tigers are in the hunt for Perkins, the Five-Star Plus+ linebacker. The Tigers are also still viewed by many, including On3’s Chad Simmons, as the favorite for Mathews. LSU is also working hard to convince Citizen, a one-time Tiger commitment, to stay home.

If any of the names come through, then LSU will definitely climb some in the rankings. And don’t be surprised if Brian Kelly and Co. pull off a few surprises down the stretch, too.

One name to watch out for is Dallas Highland Park WR John Rutledge, a name shooting up the charts with recruiters. He picked up an LSU offer recently.

A lot still left for Washington

While the Washington Huskies aren’t expected to host official visitors this weekend, the new coaching staff in Seattle is working overtime to get recruits on campus on the final two visit weekends of the cycle.

If they can shift some momentum, there’s no question the Huskies can climb from their No. 70 spot in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank.

One big area of focus for the new Washington staff is finding a quarterback to complement Michael Penix, who transferred from Indiana. A name to watch out for is in-state quarterback and Eastern Washington commit Joshua Wood. The Huskies are expected to watch him throw this weekend and could go all-in on him.

The Huskies are also keeping tabs on Central Michigan quarterback commitment Max Brown. The three-star signal-caller out of Tulsa Lincoln Christian didn’t sign early and is getting renewed interest from Washington (Jan. 28 visit), Florida and Temple.

The Huskies are also battling Florida for Oregon EDGE decommitment Emar’rion Winston out of Portland. The three-star prospect is set to visit Florida this weekend and Washington on Jan. 28.

Washington isn’t out in the race to land Conerly, but the Huskies do have some decent ground to make up. The good news is that he’s waiting until March to decide. That’ll give UDub plenty of time to try and climb up his list.