Ten biggest visits on tap for this weekend
There are so many massive visitors at both Alabama and Auburn this weekend that this entire list could be comprised of those but many other top recruits are hitting the road elsewhere, too. Here are 10 visits that Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney is watching closest over the weekend.
LANDON DUCKWORTH – UCF
After backing off an earlier pledge to South Carolina, Duckworth came back on the market in June and the word is that UCF has been by far showing the most love and attention.
This could be a major visit for the 2026 four-star quarterback from Jackson, Ala., since so many players in his class at the position are coming off the board. It just feels like the Knights could be lining up their 2026 QB pledge.
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MADDEN FARAIMO – Notre Dame
Texas, Washington, USC and Notre Dame are the four front-runners for Faraimo but the feeling has been for a while that the Irish could be tough to beat in his recruitment. And now the San Juan Capistrano (Calif.) JSerra Catholic standout, who’s serious about both academics and athletics, will be in South Bend this weekend for the Louisville matchup.
From the linebacker tradition, to the classwork to the challenge of excelling at Notre Dame, a lot is drawing Faraimo to the Irish so this weekend could be big.
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ELIJAH HAVEN – Alabama
It’s so early in Haven’s recruitment and so much could still happen with him and all the coaches around the country that could impact things but right now LSU is the team to beat – probably by a mile.
But the 2027 five-star quarterback from Baton Rouge (La.) Dunham, who was at LSU last weekend, is headed to Tuscaloosa for the biggest game yet this season and the environment should be amazing.
All sides should have a better read on Haven’s recruitment following this trip.
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JAEDON HARMON – Alabama
A report came out Thursday that Harmon would be heading to Alabama this weekend and that definitely caught my interest. The four-star linebacker from Rome, Ga., was committed to the Crimson Tide until mid-August when he flipped his pledge to Tennessee.
Maybe Harmon is eyeing a great game in Tuscaloosa but maybe Alabama is working on flipping him back. If he shows up at the game, that’s definitely of interest.
JAVION HILSON – UCF
There was some talk about Hilson going to Texas this weekend but the latest word here is that the five-star defensive end who backed off his commitment to Florida State recently will be at UCF’s game against Colorado.
The Longhorns among others are still very much involved here but UCF could be making a serious move since it’s less than an hour from home in Cocoa, Fla., his teammate Jayvan Boggs flipped there and the coaching staff is making him a big priority. If he shows up, that could be very big for the Knights in the end.
ANTHONY JONES – Alabama
“Tank” is expected to roll into Tuscaloosa this weekend. The five-star edge rusher from Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul’s has Alabama and Auburn basically as his two favorites right now and while the Tigers could have an edge it’s interesting that he’s headed to Tuscaloosa for this game.
Georgia and LSU are two others to watch as well.
DEUCE KNIGHT – Auburn
By our count, the high four-star Notre Dame quarterback commit will be making his fourth appearance at Auburn this season for the big showdown against Oklahoma on Saturday. He still has not flipped his pledge to the Tigers – which has been expected for a while now – but it has to be a great sign for Auburn that the Lucedale (Miss.) George County standout continues to show up nearly every single week.
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NA’EEM OFFORD – Auburn
Offord is expected to make a return trip to Auburn as well as the Tigers keep working to flip the five-star cornerback from Birmingham (Ala.) Parker even though he remains committed to Ohio State. Despite its 2-2 start and a disappointing showing last week against Arkansas, Offord continues to show interest in the in-state program and while some believe he could end up sticking with the Buckeyes, it cannot be a bad sign that he keeps coming to games as the Tigers are clearly trying to flip him.
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DERICK SMITH – Alabama
Oh really? The former Alabama commit who flipped to Auburn in late July is expected at the big Alabama-Georgia showdown and this one is especially interesting as the Crimson Tide have not given up on the Selma (Ala.) Southside standout.
Smith has not done a lot of national events but he has incredible film and is definitely a wanted man by both programs. If Auburn struggles this weekend and Alabama beats Georgia, is there something to watch here?
MADDEN WILLIAMS – Penn State
In a little under-the-radar big-time visit, Williams has been incredibly productive at Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco and the top target in that offense. Penn State has shown him love since before he was a national name and that has gone a long way with the 2026 four-star receiver.
Ohio State has been the team to watch early on but Penn State, Texas, Oregon, Florida State and others are involved for the UCLA legacy.
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