re: Class of 2026 Football Recruiting

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A MUST SEE!!!

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Justice Haynes

When I saw Haynes in person for an interview at his gym this offseason, he looked like a potential five-star – big, ripped, physical and grown up from the previous summer when he performed well at the Rivals Underclassmen Challenge.

The Alabama commit is also putting together a great season at Buford, Ga., and comes from an NFL pedigree as his father, Verron, played in the league. But the question remains: How far out do we want to go with five-star running backs considering NFL trends?

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James Smith

Wright’s take: Breaking it down to the play on the field snap after snap, James Smith is a force of nature. The defensive tackle out of Carver High School is one of the most highly sought-after prospects in the 2023 class listing six favorites. Of his top schools, official visits have been taken to Georgia and Auburn with Florida hosting him on Oct. 14. Multiple unofficial visits have been made to Auburn giving the Tigers a bump in the prediction.

For months Georgia has felt good about their standing with Smith, but the weekend visit to Florida can change everything. The chatter is Smith is an Alabama lean. Smith’s final decision still seems uncertain, but the pick is the Crimson Tide.

Prediction: Alabama

Williams’s take: The No. 54 prospect in the 2023 class currently has a top-six that includes Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Ohio State, and Alabama State. Auburn, Alabama, and Alabama State have received recent visits this fall and an official visit to Florida is on deck this weekend. This seems like it's trending towards your classic Georgia-Alabama battle for Smith and in the end, I think he'll stay in-state.

Prediction: Alabama

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Qua Russaw

Wright’s take: The packaged deal of Carver teammates Jaquavious Russaw and James Carter continues. Adding to the take on Smith, the odd part of the recruiting process for both, the duo has yet to take an official to Tuscaloosa. Word is one is ready to commit waiting on the other to come around.

Prediction: Alabama

Williams’s take: The No. 64 player in the class makes up the other half of Carver's dynamic defensive line duo along with Smith. The same top schools and same visits apply to Russaw as they do to Smith, as both are seen as a legit package deal. The Florida Gators will get a chance to host both again this weekend for officials, but in the end where you pick one to go, you must pick the other.

Prediction: Alabama

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Well this blew up in Hayes Fawcett's face.

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Coming into this summer, Concord (N.C.) Robinson defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs was undoubtedly a coveted recruit, holding offers from the likes of Auburn, North Carolina, Penn State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Missouri and more.

The in-state Tar Heels had developed a long-standing relationship with him and were in the driver’s seat through most of the summer months, according to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM). Hobbs himself said he was ready to commit on Aug. 1, with UNC being the strong favorite to land him. But his performances in a handful of college camps opened some eyes, including those of On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power.

In On3’s July rankings update, Hobbs jumped 117 spots from No. 200 overall to No. 83. His early-season senior film only cemented his meteoric rise, with On3 the first of the four major recruiting services to move him into five-star status.

“You can see him starting to tap into all of that as a senior,” Power said this week. “Of the 2023 prospects we’ve seen, few have made more of a positive impression as an upward mover. That’s one of the reasons we made him a five-star because you can just see the potential really starting to manifest. I think we’re going to look up in a couple years — after he’s in a college strength program and focusing on being a defensive lineman — and think he’s one of the best overall prospects in this class when it’s said and done.”

Daevin Hobbs’ athleticism jumps off the screen

At 6’4 and north of 270 pounds, Hobbs was clocked running multiple 4.7-second 40s at college camps this summer. He boasts an 80-inch wingspan and doubles as a jumbo wide receiver/tight on the offensive side of the ball. On tape, he regularly pulls away from chasing defensive backs as a pass-catcher and dominates offensive linemen as a pass-rusher.

“A 270-pounder that is pulling away from defensive backs, you just don’t really see that very often,” Power added. “And he is showing some really good progress as a technician as a defensive player. Probably more of a developmental prospect than some others, given that he has really not been a football-first athlete at any point in high school to date.

… But he has one of the higher upsides among defensive linemen, and perhaps overall defensive prospects, in the 2023 cycle. He’s just extremely athletic; maybe the best athlete among the defensive line group, which we think is a strong group nationally.”

That projectable skill set, combined with with the raw athleticism and ideal frame for top-end defensive line prospect, has made him into a budding star on the recruiting trail.

Recruitment is just getting started

Prior to postponing that August 1 commitment date, Hobbs hadn’t gained much interest from programs at the upper echelon of college football. But those camp performances, combined with what he has put together halfway through his senior season on the field, have made him one of the country’s most-wanted prospects.

Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee have quickly ascended to the top of his recruitment, according to On3 Director of Recruiting Chad Simmons, with Ohio State and Michigan also involved.

“His recruitment has gone to a whole different level from the summer,” Simmons said. “Tennessee hung around, and they’ve become a major factor in this race. He’ll be back at Tennessee this weekend; he’s already taken his official visit there and been on campus a handful of times. And it’s not just him; his sister is a big-time basketball prospect in 2024, and she’s a major Tennessee target as well in basketball, and she has major interest in the Vols, too. So it’s not just him, but the family that likes Tennessee.”

Continued Simmons: “Alabama and Georgia have gone all in this fall. He’ll be back at both schools for official visits in the coming weeks, and we’ll see have to see how it plays. He took somewhat of a surprise trip to Ohio State and Michigan, and they’re still trying to get him to change his schedule around and maybe take an OV to their school. Right now, the plan is still the same for him to officially visit Alabama and Georgia and maybe try to get back to Ohio State and/or Michigan for a second visit.

As it stands now, a commitment is expected from Daevin Hobbs around Thanksgiving — right around the time of his mother’s birthday. The buzz, Simmons says, continues to be around the three SEC schools, as they each work to add him to their classes.

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3. How should the OT rankings finish?

Eight of the current top 25 offensive tackles reside in the Midwest and there are still a number of questions as to what order they should be in. Outside of No. 1 overall offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor there is plenty to debate. Both Cayden Green and Luke Montgomery should remain in the top five, and with each of them having different playing styles, it is hard to determine which of the two should be ranked the highest as we aren't exactly comparing apples to apples with them.

Following the current top three is where things get interesting. No. 7 overall offensive tackle Logan Reichert is massive and has a chance to be a bully at the college level, but he may also be better suited for the interior early on in his career. No. 8 offensive tackle Charles Jagusah may have the highest ceiling out of them all, but at the same time he still has some developing to do. Myles McVay comes in at No. 11 and while he will need to continue his physical development when he arrives at Alabama, I'm not quite sure that he isn't better than some of the guys rated in front of him. No. 21 offensive tackle Chris Terek will likely play guard at Wisconsin, and should we switch his position prior to the final rankings, he could potentially make an upward move as an interior offensive lineman. Iowa commit Trevor Lauck comes in at No. 25 and has a chance to be a special player at the next level. I would be shocked if he doesn't have a stellar career for the Hawkeyes which makes him a player that we must consider for an upward move heading forward.

There are no shortage of questions with the Midwest offensive tackles and we will likely see some movement before this rankings cycle is complete.

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