B/R Recruiting Notebook: 5-Star LB to Visit Bama; 5-Star CB's Play Goes Viral
October was anticipated to be a month that had a lot of pertinent recruiting news, and it hasn't disappointed—and the month is only 10 days old.
Texas A&M, North Carolina State, Maryland, Pitt, Air Force, Temple and Wyoming all picked up commitments since Friday. Keep an eye on additional commitments, as athletes nationwide have had the chance to mull over official visits from the past weekend.
Here are a few updates from some of the top names in college football recruiting.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Browning ready to see Alabama, watch coaches
With Dylan Moses, the nation's top-ranked outside linebacker, committed to Alabama on Oct. 2, it further put Kennedale, Texas, 5-star Baron Browning in the spotlight. All eyes are on where the nation's No. 2 outside linebacker, who has 40 offers, ends up.
Alabama fans—as well as head coach Nick Saban and his staff—are hoping Moses and Browning can call themselves teammates, and the Crimson Tide will have their shot at making that a reality. Browning reconfirmed to Bleacher Report on Sunday that he will take an official visit to Alabama the weekend of Oct. 21 and will be in Tuscaloosa for the Tide's big clash against Texas A&M.
It's a trip he's looking forward to, he said, as both SEC West teams are expected to enter the game undefeated. Alabama, the nation's top-ranked team, must first beat Tennessee on the road this weekend. Texas A&M is idle this weekend.
"This will give my family a chance to meet with the staff and see the school," Browning said. "I want my parents to meet Coach Saban and get a feel for the rest of the staff."
Browning, who will commit on Nov. 29, said he'll take the trip—and ultimately make a decision—focused on three bullet points: A quality strength and conditioning coach, a solid position coach and a reliable defensive coordinator. The time spent with Saban, Browning said, will be valued, but he will be paying close attention to how strength and conditioning coach Scott Cochran and linebackers coaches and co-defensive coordinators Tosh Lupoi and Jeremy Pruitt interact with the players.
"Of course you want to get to know [Saban]," Browning said, "but those three coaches will be the ones I'm with the majority of the time. The relationships with those guys have to be great."
5-star CB Wade talks 1st official visit, new viral video
Clairton, Pennsylvania, 5-star athlete Lamont Wade will kick off his official visit schedule this weekend at Tennessee. The Volunteers will host Alabama, and Wade said the visit can set the tone early with what is expected to be a busy six-week span.
"[The Volunteers] play Alabama, so I know how the environment's going to be," said Wade, who is planning to announce his verbal commitment on Dec. 17. "There will be a lot of people who are really rowdy. I'm looking forward to getting there and spending time with the coaches and players."
Wade's appearance may garner a little more fan attention than normal after what he did last Friday. Against Aliquippa High, Wade made arguably one of the best football plays of 2016 and helped Clairton High score a big win.
The play did two things. First, it became a viral highlight that, according to WPIAL Insider, accumulated 1.3 million impressions in a 24-hour span. Second, and perhaps more importantly, it showed Wade's versatility. Considered a cornerback at the next level, Wade was playing running back when he made the play.
"My friends have always talked to me about that," Wade said when asked about playing on offense in college. "One friend asked if I still wanted to play defense, because I do like having the ball in my hand, whether I'm at running back or slot receiver."
That's the luxury of having a player like Wade, an athlete with more than 20 reported offers. Although his worth may be in the secondary in college, he's shown that he's quite comfortable as an offensive threat.
Schools like Ohio State, Tennessee, West Virginia and in-state schools Penn State and Pitt are teams to watch as Wade inches closer to his decision date.
Penn State visit successful for 3-star DT Hutch
Louisville and Texas A&M are two schools considered front-runners for Nashville, Tennessee, 3-star defensive tackle Ben Hutch. After a weekend trip to Penn State, Nittany Lions fans are hoping to put their team in the race.
Hutch took his first official visit to State College, Pennsylvania, and watched Penn State take out Maryland on Saturday. He gave the visit a nine on a 10 scale and spoke highly about the experience.
"I got to be around a lot of great people," Hutch said. "They really respected my mom, as well. That was big to me. I'm her firstborn, so the ones who show my mom love, that's what matters to me."
Penn State was Hutch's first official visit since he had to reschedule an earlier visit to Nebraska. He's looking to make the Nebraska visit happen soon, and schools like Texas A&M, Louisville, Missouri, Memphis and Georgia Tech are in the running for future official visits.
Hutch said his winning school must have a solid communications program in addition to having a football program on the rise.
"Education is No. 1 on my board," he said. "It's a four-year deal, and I can only play football for so long before I have to hang up my cleats. All of the schools I'm looking at have a decent communications program."
Top 4 still intact for 4-star WR Sanders
Hogansville, Georgia, 4-star wide receiver Braylon Sanders has yet to take an official visit, but he knows the schools that will be in the running when it's time to verbally commit, and he also knows two schools that definitely will get visits.
"As of right now, I'm being patient and seeing how things go with my senior season," Sanders said. "I have Ole Miss, Colorado State, Mississippi State and Georgia as my top four. I plan on committing sometime after the season."
Sanders, whose top four hasn't changed since the summer, said he will take official visits to Ole Miss and Colorado State. Dates, however, have yet to be determined. All four schools on his list could see him on an official (the Georgia campus is a little more than two hours away from his home), and schools like Illinois, Cincinnati and Southern Miss could be in the running for that fifth and final visit—if Sanders chooses to use it.
Choosing a school, Sanders said, won't be as difficult as some may assume. He has an idea of what he's looking for and is hoping one school will push itself to the top of the list.
"It has to be somewhere I feel at home," he said. "It has to be a place that has a good educational program, and it has to be a good fit for me to come in and contribute to the team."
Can the last official visit sway 4-star WR Hodgins?
Official visits this month to Nebraska and Oregon State have been great for Walnut Creek, California, 4-star wide receiver Isaiah Hodgins. As he prepares for his third visit the weekend of Oct. 29 at Oregon, the question is posed: Can the Ducks close the deal?
Oregon is a school Hodgins speaks highly of, and it's a school that can benefit from having a 6'3", 190-pound option in a pass-happy offense. Hodgins on Sunday told Bleacher Report that the Oregon visit will be his last before making a decision.
"I am an early enrollee, so I have to decide in November," Hodgins said. "After this Oregon visit, it will be close to decision time."
Hodgins returned from an Oregon State official this past weekend and took in Nebraska the first of the month. Oregon's home game against Arizona State could be the perfect setting in swaying an athlete with 18 reported offers.
Nebraska and Oregon State are hoping they did enough to win Hodgins over, but the final decision, he said, won't be an easy one. Hodgins said he will use the rest of the month to further do research and make the right decision for him.
"I want to go to a school that can help me get to the NFL and a school I can play early at," Hodgins said. "Education is important, and [I want] a school I overall feel comfortable with. I want to make an impact and get along with the players and coaches, and I want to enjoy my time there aside from football."
Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. All player ratings are courtesy of Scout.com. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles
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