Florida Spotlight: Five biggest June recruiting visits
June has become arguably the most important month in the recruiting calendar, with prospects crisscrossing the country on official visits and lining up announcement dates.
Rivals national recruiting analyst John Garcia Jr. looks at five Sunshine State prospects who are taking key visits this month.
BIG RECRUITING WEEKEND AHEAD: Top storylines | Five biggest Southeast visits in June | Biggest Midwest visits
CJ BRONAUGH – Nebraska, June 6
One of the nation’s fastest prospects and fastest risers this spring, Bronaugh has been committed to Nebraska since the fall and has always confirmed a solidity to the Cornhuskers despite adding plenty of offers and taking previous visits to other programs.
In that time, however, Florida has emerged as arguably the top contender to NU and the Gators are fresh off of hosting the top-100 in-state star. By all indications, including from Bronaugh himself, the trip went well and Billy Napier spent considerable time with the defensive back while in town.
Nebraska has long held the ball in its court, but it feels more literal right now, as Bronaugh is scheduled to return to Lincoln this weekend. Matt Rhule and company have a chance to reiterate elements that led to the two-sport star picking the program in the first place, mainly a tangible belief that preceded the more high-profile programs now on his list.
Florida State, Penn State and others are working to jump to the top of the list with Bronaugh, and official visits are still to be taken, but Florida and Nebraska back to back feels like a tale of a top two at this stage of the game.
DERREK COOPER – Georgia, June 13
The five-star running back heads to Alabama this weekend and while there is considerable interest both ways, it would project as a major surprise should the South Floridian end up in Tuscaloosa for good. His next scheduled trip, however, could not bring on the same reaction by any stretch.
Cooper is expected at Georgia beginning June 13, the first time in Athens since he celebrated his birthday there in the spring. Also a one-time Bulldog commitment, however brief it was, there is plenty of love from the Cooper camp and the Bulldog program.
For the last year or so since that quick commitment and reset, Georgia looked like the most likely program to bring Cooper in when it counted most. Miami has closed that gap better than most others with the local recruit, and he is fresh off of a detailed return to campus for an official visit.
Since even before that point, confidence in him potentially staying home for college has increased, so it’s only been reinforced with the official visit in the books. Even if that is the case, Georgia’s culture, tradition and sale of development is a tough pitch to overlook, something Cooper has all but admitted at different points in the recruiting process.
If UGA has a chance to swing momentum back its way, next weekend will play a critical part.
KENDALL GUERVIL – Texas, June 20
The combination of how relatively quiet the big man has been through the recruiting process and how coveted he is within a not-so-strong defensive tackle class nationally has made every recent step of this one interesting. Guervil was at Florida State last weekend and admitted the Seminoles came from the back-end of his list all the way near the top.
Florida, Georgia and Texas have occupied those coveted spots to this point, so a return to Austin for the last official visit of the month of June seems like a key trip if a preseason decision continues to be under consideration.
DANNY ODEM – Ohio State, June 13
When Odem picked up the Ohio State offer, a lot of movement was created nearly instantly. The Buckeyes pushed out a Florida official visit for mid-June and the intrigue to get up to Columbus plays as a legitimate wrinkle in the plans of one of the nation’s fastest-rising recruits.
Odem was at Clemson last weekend and the Tigers look like a major contender for the Orlando-area standout at the moment, and that trip was put together without much time. OSU will be in the thick of the race to try and close that gap along with Penn State, Nebraska and Oklahoma in the coming weeks.
IZAYIA WILLIAMS – Ole Miss, June 6
One of the most athletic and coveted recruits in the class is set to return to the campus he is currently committed to. On the surface, it doesn’t appear to be a big deal, but considering Williams has been committed to a handful of different programs to date, every trip he works in should be under higher consideration than conventional thought.
We hear this will be Williams’ parents first time at Ole Miss, too, which could prove critical should Lane Kiffin and company hold on to the Floridian fresh off of a strong official visit to Georgia and ahead of potential trips to Florida State, Florida and Texas in the future.
