Weekend Visit Preview: Loaded slate for the Longhorns, 5-stars making final June trips

The dog days of June are upon us, as only one college football recruiting visit weekend remains this month.

Hundreds of prospects have come off the board in the past few weeks, and we expect the rest of this month and July to be even busier. With that being said, the Weekend Visit Preview is back again one last time this month to look ahead at another major recruiting weekend. While official visits technically started May 1, most prospects have held off until June to head to college campuses. And they will be out in force over the next few days.

Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio State, and Alabama were major hubs for the country’s elite recruits last weekend. But this weekend, all eyes will be back on Texas, as well as Georgia, South Carolina, Miami and more.

Let’s get started.

Texas-sized recruiting weekend in Austin

The heat around this weekend cooled a bit on Tuesday night when InsideTexas.com’s Gerry Hamilton reported that Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver and top Longhorns target Micah Hudson wasn’t coming for his official visit. And while that undoubtedly puts a little bit of a damper on things, Texas still has a massive recruiting weekend ahead.

The list starts with Five-Star Plus+ EDGE Colin Simmons, who is undoubtedly Steve Sarkisian’s top remaining target in this class. Depending on who you talk to, Texas is either at the top alone or at the top with some combination of Texas A&M and LSU for Simmons. There’s no timetable for a decision, but there’s a good chance this is the last time the ‘Horns will get him on campus this summer.

Simmons isn’t the only five-star expected at the Forty Acres, as elite athlete Terry Bussey, cornerback Kobe Black and Louisiana-based defensive lineman Dominick McKinley are also on the list. The Longhorns are considered the significant favorites for Black, but are battling Texas A&M, LSU and others for both Bussey and McKinley, the top prospect from the Boot.

Sarkisian and Co. also have a major opportunity to close with the likes of four-stars Jerrick Gibson, Corian Gipson and Selman Bridges, all of whom are considered Texas leans at this point.

For full coverage of Texas’ big weekend, visit InsideTexas.

Pair of five-stars highlight the list at Georgia

The Bulldogs have the No. 1 class in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings by a decent margin already, but they’re looking to add onto it as June winds down. Among the key names in town this weekend will five-stars Justin Williams and Brandon Baker. The uber-athletic Williams has been considered an Oregon lean for some time now, but the Bulldogs have been chipping away this spring and would love to showcase him as their next great ‘backer.

That brings us to Baker, who is the nation’s No. 1 offensive tackle and a frequent flier this spring and summer, making visits across the country. Oregon and Texas have been the two names bandied about the most with the elite big man, but Georgia again gets a chance to make a strong impression as a decision looms before his senior season.

The Bulldogs are in great position with On3 top-40 prospect Joseph Jonah-Ajonye, who could be the most likely out of this group to commit either on or soon after his visit. Two more to watch are talented in-state EDGE CJ Jackson, a top-75 prospect in the On300 rankings, and four-star Nashville-area linebacker Edwin Spillman.

For everything Georgia, head over to DawgsHQ.

South Carolina gets it shot with On3 No. 1 Dylan Stewart

It was around this time last summer than South Carolina made its big move with five-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor, who ultimately signed with the Gamecocks in February. Shane Beamer, Sterling Lucas and Co. are looking for a similar move with the DMV’s best player this cycle. Lucas has inarguably the best relationship of any coach with Dylan Stewart, who On3 ranks as the No. 1 player in the country.

But the Gamecocks will have to fight off Miami, Georgia, Ohio State and more to land him. Stewart will be surrounded by nearly all of South Carolina’s commits this weekend, and as On3’s Chad Simmons reported on Wednesday, Stewart could be looking to make a decision sooner rather than later.

To get the latest on South Carolina, subscribe to GamecockCentral.

Alabama looking to make a mark with elite prospects

It’s been a quiet month on the trail for the Crimson Tide, who landed an early June commitment from offensive lineman Joseph Ionata but have otherwise been silent. After an impressive list of visitors last weekend, Alabama brings three five-stars to town: safety KJ Bolden, cornerback Ellis Robinson IV (Georgia commit), and defensive lineman Eddrick Houston.

Houston is seen as significant Ohio State lean at this point, but the Tide are still in it ahead of his August 22 commitment date. Bolden, meanwhile, is largely seen as two-team battle between Ohio State and in-state Georgia. Robinson, though, is an interesting one. He committed to Georgia back on Feb. 1, but has taken official visits to Miami and now Alabama. He’ll be a very tough one to flip, but Nick Saban, Travaris Robinson and Co. will get their shot.

Along the offensive line, On3’s No. 1 interior lineman Casey Poe will take his official visit, and the Tide are seen as the leaders in that recruitment.

To get the latest on the Crimson Tide, check out BamaOnLine.

Other notable college football recruiting visits to watch this weekend

• This weekend is the last expected official visit for five-star Parkview (Ga.) wide receiver Mike Matthews, and Tennessee will get a chance to make another big move. The Vols are trending on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) but have a tough battle with USC on their hands. Josh Heupel and Co. will also host two of the country’s best edge rushers with Vestavia Hills (Ala.) top-35 prospect Jordan Ross and Salpointe (Ariz.) Catholic star Elijah Rushing coming to town.
  
• Missouri’s start to the 2024 class has been slow, but the Tigers will host a pair of in-state five-stars this weekend when wideout Ryan Wingo and defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri come to town. Tennessee, Oklahoma and Georgia are thought to be the trending schools for Nwaneri, but Eli Drinkwitz and Co. are hoping for a little Missouri magic the next few days.
  
• Five-star Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius defensive lineman Justin Scott will head to Ohio State as the Buckeyes to look to make up some ground on Miami, Georgia and Notre Dame. Ryan Day and Co. will also host top-100 cornerback Bryce West out of Cleveland Glenville, and he’s down to the Buckeyes and Michigan with a decision expected soon.
  
• Speaking of the Buckeyes, Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith will take an official visit to Miami this weekend. The Hurricanes, along with Florida State, Florida and Georgia, are pushing hard for a flip. But the Buckeyes and Brian Hartline will be tough to beat.
  
• Elsewhere in the Sunshine State, Florida State will host On3 five-star offensive tackle Jonathan Daniels, who they’ve been considered a leader for most of the spring. Both Kentucky and Georgia got official visits earlier this month, and LSU is also in the mix. But the Seminoles have laid a lot of groundwork here.
  
• As rumors loom about SMU and a potential invitation to the Pac-12, the Mustangs are looking to build a Power Five-level class in 2024. Only four commits are currently on the board, but they’ll lost a huge visit list this weekend that includes four-stars Frankie Arthur, Dakyus Brinkley, Ka’Davion Dotson-Walker, and Peyton Morgan.