Most Important College Football Recruiting Visits of Week 4
The final Saturday of September promises to provide plenty of college football storylines on and off the field. Recruiting visits again command attention, as top-tier prospects log miles to check out campuses in every corner of the country.
Showdowns are sure to draw significant talent into the stands, including a matchup between SEC rivals the Mississippi State Bulldogs and Auburn Tigers that's expected to feature appearances from top-rated offensive tackle Greg Little and coveted junior linebacker Markail Benton.
Here's a closer look at those visits and a few others as we get set for another frenzied weekend of football.
Auburn Tigers: 5-Star OT Greg Little
1 of 5
Class: 2016
High School: Allen (Allen, Texas)
Size: 6'5 ½", 305 lbs.
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 offensive tackle; No. 2 overall
Dominant bookend Greg Little initially came off the board before his junior season, pledging to follow former Allen High School quarterback Kyler Murray to the Texas A&M Aggies. That verbal commitment remained in place for more than a year, but things changed this summer when he reopened his recruitment.
Several SEC suitors are fighting for position in this pursuit, and Auburn appears to be a true top contender. The Tigers are lined up alongside the Aggies, Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss and LSU for Little's signature.
The Lone Star State standout proved his prowess in July at The Opening, an elite invite-only prospect showcase held at Nike's world headquarters. Little looks like a plug-and-play talent along the offensive front and carries tremendous potential as a lock-down left tackle.
Washington Huskies: 4-Star CB Byron Murphy
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Class: 2016
High School: Saguaro (Scottsdale, Arizona)
Size: 5'11", 160 lbs.
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 9 cornerback; No. 112 overall
Byron Murphy is the latest dynamic athlete to emerge in the Scottsdale area, following 5-star 2015 recruit and Saguaro High School teammate Christian Kirk. He released a top-eight list earlier this season, naming Arizona, Arizona State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Texas, Texas A&M, USC and Washington his favorites.
The Washington Huskies have a shot to impress this weekend when he comes to town for a matchup against the California Golden Bears. There are at least four Pac-12 programs in contention for Murphy, so it's a pivotal step of this recruiting process.
He caught 65 passes for 1,348 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, per MaxPreps, tallying 53 tackles and six interceptions on defense. Murphy could ultimately excel on either side of the ball in college but projects most favorably at cornerback, where he provides outstanding range and recovery speed.
Florida Gators: 4-Star DE Terrell Hall
3 of 5
Class: 2016
High School: St. John's College (Washington, D.C.)
Size: 6'5", 250 lbs.
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 8 weak-side defensive end; No. 102 overall
The Florida Gators aim to remain unbeaten under new head coach Jim McElwain as the Tennessee Volunteers travel to Gainesville for an early-season rivalry game. Former Ohio State Buckeyes commit Terrell Hall, who visited the Alabama Crimson Tide earlier this month, is expected to spend his weekend on an official visit in The Swamp.
He's expressed plenty of interest in Florida's fresh regime, including defensive line coach Chris Rumph.
“I like the way Coach Rumph coaches, and I know they want to use my versatility as an athlete so I can drop back or come off the edge—kind of like I do in high school,” Hall told Hank South of 247Sports. “I like the versatility they show in their defense.”
Hall is quite scheme diverse himself, presenting promise off the edge at defensive end or outside linebacker. He collected 19 tackles for loss as a junior and added approximately 30 pounds to his frame this past offseason.
Michigan Wolverines: 5-Star DT Rashan Gary
4 of 5
Class: 2016
High School: Paramus Catholic (Paramus, New Jersey)
Size: 6'4", 311 lbs.
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 1 defensive tackle; No. 1 overall
The Michigan Wolverines welcome Rashan Gary to Ann Arbor yet again, beginning what is likely to become a five-school official visit tour. The Wolverines hold a slight advantage in his 247Sports Crystal Ball, claiming 47 percent of experts' predictions, but Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, LSU, USC, Ohio State and Notre Dame have also played a part in this high-profile recruiting process.
The nation's top overall prospect has a strong personal connection to Michigan. He previously played for Wolverines recruiting coordinator Chris Partridge at Paramus Catholic High School.
“They treat us like family. Coach Partridge knows how my mom is and knows how I am, so our visit was smooth," Gary told Bleacher Report after an early summer visit to Ann Arbor. "He showed us everything we needed to see.”
Head coach Jim Harbaugh and company hope to show him enough positives to eventually secure his pledge. Michigan already plucked three 4-star commitments from New Jersey on the 2016 recruiting trail, and Gary is clearly the program's most important target at this stage.
Auburn Tigers: 5-Star LB Markail Benton
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Class: 2017
High School: Central (Phoenix City, Alabama)
Size: 6'2", 227 lbs.
247Sports Composite Ranking: No. 2 outside linebacker; No. 26 overall
Auburn currently has sights set on 5-star in-state linebacker tandem Ben Davis and Lyndell Wilson leading up to national signing day, but Markail Benton might already be the best overall prospect among Alabama defenders. He was simply a beast as an underclassman, exhibiting a blend of athleticism and violence you don't often see from young defenders.
He's been high on Auburn's list under the direction of two defensive coaching staffs. Coordinator Will Muschamp leads the charge now, but the Tigers began heavily recruiting him before making major staff changes.
Benton landed a Tigers offer before his sophomore season. Fellow SEC member the Kentucky Wildcats were first to extend a scholarship when he was just a freshman, setting the stage for a crowded recruitment.
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