Weekend Visit Preview: Marquee groups at Texas A&M, Auburn, South Carolina

The Weekend Visit Preview is back again for Week 3, breaking down which top prospects will be on what campuses for games over the next few days. After an eventful first few weeks of the season, which have included a number of key official and unofficial visits, some of the the biggest names in the 2023 class will be out and about again this weekend.

Watchful eyes College Station, where Miami takes on a stumbling Texas A&M squad in desperate need of momentum on and off the field. But Aggieland isn’t the only hotspot; Auburn, South Carolina, LSU, Michigan, and USC also await key visitors.

As always, these will be updated as more information becomes available.

Massive few days on tap at Texas A&M

Calendars in College Station were circled for the weekend of Sept. 17 a while ago. The Aggies’ showdown with Miami was an important one, not only for the progress of Jimbo Fisher‘s program but also because it was a marquee night game that would draw a plethora of recruits.

But after the Aggies’ shocking loss to Appalachian State last weekend, this will be a critical one as Fisher and Co. look to close strong in the 2023 cycle. And there will be no shortage of elite-level talent in town. The receiver group alone will feature three players ranked in the top 10 at the position in the On3 Consensus: Longview (Texas) four-star Jalen Hale, Miami (Fla.) Gulliver Prep four-star Jalen Brown and Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Stranahan five-star Hykeem Williams.

With Hale, it looks to be down to a two-team race between Alabama and Texas, but the Aggies are hoping to make a huge move with him. Brown is an LSU commit who will be on an official visit to Kyle Field — never a bad sign. Of the group though, Williams is the highest priority and the one A&M stands in the best position with. The On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM) favors the Aggies heavily, but Florida State has made a big move in recent weeks. With Williams’ scheduled to commit next week, a strong showing — especially on offense — will be paramount for the Aggies.

Four-star San Diego (Calif.) running back and UCLA commit Roderick Robinson, who rushed for an eye-popping eight touchdowns last weekend, will also be on an official. A&M doesn’t currently have a back committed and has its sights set on Robinson, four-star Jeremiyah Love and five-star Louisville commit Rueben Owens. The latter was expected to make an unannounced visit, but said Tuesday he had canceled it after news of the plan broke.

A week after visiting Oklahoma, five-star Notre Dame safety commit Peyton Bowen will take an unofficial beginning Saturday, as will Alabama five-star safety pledge Tony Mitchell. The Aggies have been in relentless pursuit of both and at least have their ears right now. A new addition to the list, according to Aggie Scoop’s Tim Verghese, is four-star Georgia wide receiver commit Raymond Cottrell. The No. 101 prospect in the On3 Consensus, Cottrell was a one-time Florida pledge before flipping to the Bulldogs this summer.

Back for the second consecutive weekend is five-star Katy (Texas) Paetow defensive lineman David Hicks, who is thought to be down to Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Alabama at this point. The Sooners are expected to receive an official visit later this season and are considered the strong favorites by the On3 RPM.

Last but certainly not least is five-star linebacker commit Anthony Hill, who joined the Aggies’ class in late July. He’s given no indication that his commitment is wavering, but as the nation’s top ‘backer, his recruitment isn’t going to end until he signs on the dotted line.

Key targets headed to Auburn

Much like his counterpart in the SEC West, Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin could use some good news on the recruiting trail. The Tigers currently sit at No. 36 in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings. Taking average rating into account though, they move up to No. 16.

With Penn State making its way down south to The Plains, Auburn has all the ingredients for what could be a season- and program-defining weekend. More than two-dozen 2023 and 2024 prospects will be inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday, with none bigger than five-star defensive linemen and high school teammates James Smith and Qua Russaw. Alabama and Georgia are thought to be the two programs to beat with both — who plan to be a package deal — but Auburn has remained in it, and this will be their second visit to Auburn since the summer.

Among the official visitors are mostly current commits, but three-star offensive lineman Gernorris Wilson (considered a heavy Auburn lean) will also be on hand. Among the notable 2023 unofficial visitors:

• 4-star DL Darron Reed, Columbus, Ga. (Carver) – LSU commitment

• 4-star OL D.J. Chester, Conyers, Ga. (Eagle’s Landing)

• 4-star OT Bo Hughley, Fairburn, Ga. (Langston Hughes) – UGA commitment

• 4-star TE Jelani Thurman, Fairburn, Ga. (Langston Hughes) – Ohio State commitment

• 4-star DB DaKaari Nelson, Selma, Ala. – Penn State commitment

• 3-star DB Tyler Scott, Mableton, Ga. (Pebblebrook) – Arkansas State commitment

• 3-star OL Paul Mubenga, Buford, Ga. – LSU commitment

Other notable visits around the country

• No single official visit this weekend might be more important than five-star Archbishop Carroll (D.C.) EDGE Nyckoles Harbor heading to South Carolina. The Gamecocks have owned the DMV area in this cycle, taking multiple blue-chippers from the likes of Ohio State and Michigan. But Harbor is a game-changing athlete who could end up on either side of the ball at the next level. The On3 Consensus No. 10 prospect also visited at the end of July, and the Gamecock are very much in the mix, along with LSU, Michigan and a few others.
  
• LSU isn’t expected to host any major 2023 visitors on Saturday when Mississippi State comes to Baton Rouge, but they’ll have the top uncommitted 2024 prospect in the country in town. Five-star cornerback Desmond Ricks announced earlier this week that he would visit the Tigers, who have become a legit contender in his recruitment. On Tuesday top-10 prospect Ellis Robinson IV, a teammate of Ricks at IMG Academy, will be joining him on the trip. Not to be overshadowed, four-star 2024 defensive back Kaleb Beasley is expected in as well.
  
• Michigan has long been one of the biggest threats to Georgia for four-star cornerback Chris Peal. On3’s No. 70 prospect in the 2023 class is heavily favored to the Bulldogs by the RPM, but one source told On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons that they see the Wolverines as the favorites. A decision is expected as early as October, so this visit could ultimately be the last visit Peal takes before a commitment.
  
• Florida hosted its two big 2023 visit weekends earlier this month, but the Gators will have four-star UCF defensive tackle commit John Walker back on campus for the third consecutive weekend. He is considering an official visit later in the season, according to GatorsOnline, and Florida is all in on flipping him. The Gators will also have a pair of elite 2024 prospects in Gainesville, with top-15 prospect Jerrick Gibson and top-25 cornerback Charles Lester III also expected in.