Simmons Scoop: Latest intel on some of the nation’s top uncommitted targets

With the summer rapidly approaching, top prospects in the 2024 cycle are locking in official visits, narrowing their lists and making important decisions in their recruitment. June is expected to be an active month on the recruiting trail with a flurry of possible commitments.

On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons gives you the latest intel on some of the best prospects in the country as things begin to heat up.

5-star QB Dylan Raiola

The buzz: All is quiet around Dylan Raiola. After visits to Georgia, Nebraska and USC in March, April is still looking like a quiet month on the recruiting trail for the Five-Star Plus+ quarterback in Arizona. With all the commitments at his position, all eyes are on Raiola. He was set to be at numerous spring games this month, but he will be back in Los Angeles this weekend training with QB3D and he has no visits on his calendar this month. Raiola has locked in an official visit with Georgia for the first weekend in Georgia, and the buzz around the Bulldogs is still strong. On my end, Georgia has been trending for over a month and nothing has changed. USC is still very much in this and you can never rule out Nebraska with his connection to Lincoln.

5-star EDGE Eddrick Houston

The buzz: Eddrick Houston is working to narrow his list down and lock in official visits later this spring. Over spring break, he took visits to Alabama, Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State. All four have a very good chance of making his cut and receiving official visits, based on what I am hearing. Oklahoma is the school he visited early in March, and the Sooners are still fighting to be in this race. Numerous national programs are in this, but based on intel, Alabama, Clemson and Georgia are fighting for that top spot heading into the summer. The schools “closer to home” are high on Houston’s list right now, a source said. Houston is still working to finalize his official visits as he prepares for a late summer decision.

5-star DL Williams Nwaneri

The buzz: Williams Nwaneri has been busy with visits the last 6-7 weeks. It started out with a visit to Oklahoma early in March and the Sooners are trending. Georgia had him on campus for the first time last month and the Bulldogs are now in line to receive an official visit. LSU, Missouri and Tennessee are three more SEC schools in this race. He will visit Arkansas this weekend. I continue to hear Brent Venables and the school in Norman will be tough to beat. Nwaneri is expected to take his official visits over the summer and make a decision.

4-star OT Marques Easley

The buzz: Marques Easley is working toward trimming his list down to around half a dozen schools. He has official visits locked in with Georgia, Oklahoma and Tennessee the first three weekends in June, so those three are locks. Numerous other schools are in the mix, but there is one school trending for the four-star offensive tackle in Illinois. That is Oklahoma. The Sooners have not only impressed him, but his mother as well. Bill Bedenbaugh and Brent Venables have put the soon-to-be SEC program in a great spot heading into the spring. Easley is not expected to name a leader until he commits, but Oklahoma has moved to the top of his list after all of the visits over the last six weeks based on intel.

4-star LB Joseph Phillips

The buzz: Joseph Phillips is planning to narrow his list down to five schools this week, but there are two schools battling at the top of his list. He visited Auburn and Georgia last week and those two SEC programs are high on his list. Phillips has visited Auburn three times and Georgia two times this year. He has gotten close to each coaching staff and this is expected to come down to the Tigers and the Bulldogs. You can’t sleep on schools like Clemson and Tennessee, but Auburn and Georgia have created a gap between them and the rest of the field. A decision is expected to be made later this summer and Phillips is expected back in Athens and on the Plains multiple times between now and then.

4-star QB Michael Van Buren

The buzz: The quarterback dominos are falling. Judd Anderson to Miami. Michael Hawkins to Oklahoma. Air Noland to Ohio State. KJ Jackson to Arkansas. Who’s next? Michael Van Buren is set to commit on July 8, so others will announce before him, but is his mind made up? He is set to return to Oregon this weekend after visiting Penn State last week. The Ducks are in this. Maryland is another one to watch. He was back in College Park on Tuesday. But the buzz is around the Nittany Lions. Oregon is trending for another quarterback (below), and Oklahoma has their signal caller for this cycle and the next. That is expected to make Maryland and Penn State the major players in this race in the coming months. An official visit with Penn State is set for June 16 and the Big Ten program in Happy Valley is trending. Mike Locksley is expected to get Van Buren on campus at least once more between now and the decision date.

4-star WR Jerrae Hawkins

The buzz: Jerrae Hawkins will be back at Penn State this weekend for the spring game. Hawkins is still a ways away from a decision, but after his visit to Florida last weekend, this is shaping up to be a battle between the Gators and the Nittany Lions. He is from West Virginia, but recently moved down to Florida to attend IMG Academy. The Mountaineers are involved as well. This weekend will be the fourth time he has visited Penn State. He is more familiar with their program and coaching staff. Florida made a very strong first impression though and he has locked in an official visit to the Swamp for June 9-11.

3-star LB Tristan Jernigan

The buzz: Tupelo (Miss.) linebacker Tristan Jernigan named his top three of Georgia, Oregon and Texas A&M earlier this week. He has visited Athens and College Station already and he will visit Eugene for the first time at the end of the month. He grew up a big fan of the Ducks. Early on, it looked like Oregon would be tough to beat. Based on intel though, the Aggies have made a big push this spring for Jernigan. One source said, “It is really 50-50 between Oregon and Texas A&M.” The visit for Oregon’s spring game on April 29 is expected to have a major impact on Jernigan’s decision.

3-star QB Luke Moga

The buzz: A decision date has been set for Luke Moga. The three-star quarterback out of Phoenix Sunnyslope will announce his commitment on April 28. Numerous spring visits were set, and he has visited half a dozen schools in 2023. He is ready to make a decision. Miami made a strong push, but with Anderson committed to the Hurricanes, this one looks to be trending toward Oregon. In-state schools, Arizona and Arizona State are in this, as are schools like TCU and Utah, but keep an eye on the Ducks.

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