Latest news with #CrystalBall
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Elite LSU football recruiting target reveals decision day
Four-star defensive lineman and LSU football recruiting target Deuce Geralds has locked in a decision date. According to Rivals' Hayes Fawcett, Geralds will commit on August 2. LSU is a finalist alongside Michigan, Oregon, Ohio State, and Ole Miss. ESPN and Rivals both rank Geralds as the No. 2 defensive tackle in the class of 2026. On3 and 247Sports aren't quite as high, but both slot Geralds as a top-200 prospect. On3's Industry Rankings place Geralds No. 95 overall and No. 6 at his position. Geralds is a Georgia native, playing his high school ball at Collins Hill. But UGA is out of the race for the blue-chip defensive lineman. There's no clear front runner for Geralds and there's yet to be a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction. LSU has been recruiting Geralds for some time now. He's a Baton Rouge native and Geralds father has ties to LSU running backs coach Frank Wilson. Geralds doesn't count as a "Louisiana recruit," but we've seen LSU have success landing recruits who were born in the Boot before moving away. Before Geralds commits next month, LSU will learn the fate of five-star defensive tackle Lamar Brown on Thursday, July 10. If LSU misses on Brown, the Tigers could turn up the heat on Geralds.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Everything LSU fans need to know before five-star Lamar Brown reveals commitment
LSU football's top 2026 recruiting target will commit on Thursday. Five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown is set to decide between LSU, Texas A&M, Texas and Miami. Brown is a Louisiana native who plays high school football in LSU's backyard at University Lab. This is a big one. Brown is among the top recruits in Baton Rouge history. According to 247Sports' historical ratings, Brown is the best defensive line recruit to come out of Louisiana in the modern recruiting era. He sits just a sliver of a percentage point ahead of Marcus Spears, who excelled at LSU before a lengthy NFL career. Overall, Brown is Louisiana's No. 12-ranked recruit of the modern era. ESPN considers Brown the No. 1 overall recruit in the country, putting the Louisiana product in rare territory. LSU typically doesn't miss on Louisiana recruits of Brown's caliber. Brown's commitment is slated to be televised on ESPN2 at 12:15 p.m. CT. Here's everything LSU fans should know before Brown goes public with his pledge. LSU and Texas A&M are considered the favorites These days, there's no shortage of insider scoops in the recruiting world. Beat writers are pretty good at gauging where a prospect will go, but there's legitimate suspense with Brown. There are predictions, but nobody is confident. However, insiders do feel LSU and Texas A&M are the clear favorites. Miami and Texas are both included in Brown's finalists, and Miami was well-positioned at one point, but for most of the recruitment, this was a race between LSU and A&M. The Tigers and Aggies have been here before. Every year, several elite prospects in between New Orleans and Houston narrow the race down to LSU and Texas A&M. In the class of 2024, LSU got the best of A&M after five-star Louisiana DL Dominick McKinley decommitted from the Aggies in favor of LSU. On3/Rivals Prediction Machine: LSU has the edge According to the Rivals' prediction page, LSU has an 86.5% chance of landing Brown. Texas A&M sits No. 2 at 11.1%. 247Sports Crystal Ball: A&M is the favorite On June 16, the 247Sports Staff entered a Crystal Ball prediction for Texas A&M. So far, their predictions are 55/57 in the 2026 cycle. That's a strong hit rate and potentially bad news for LSU fans. Brown is projected to play defensive line at the next level Brown is a two-way star on the high school field and for much of his recruitment, sites listed him as an interior offensive lineman. But over the last six months, Brown has expressed a preference to play the defensive side of the ball. Brown now projects to be a defensive tackle in college. What does the scouting report say? Here's what scouts in the industry have to say about Brown. "Initial suddenness and heavy-handedness translate to defense, where he's experienced inside and on the edge. Shows surprising pursuit range thanks to excellent functional athleticism," Gabe Brooks wrote. Brooks added that Brown could be a "high-impact player" on offense or defense and has "legitimate high-round NFL Draft potential." Here's what On3's Charles Power said: "Shows disruptive ability as a big defensive end. Has the power to hold his ground and sift through the trash to make plays in the backfield. Can close quickly on the quarterback," wrote Power. Brian Kelly and LSU can't afford a miss here No recruit is bigger than the program and the term "can't miss prospect" is overused. But Brown is close to it, especially for a non-quarterback. Brown attends University Lab High School, just miles away from Tiger Stadium. LSU has recruited Brown for years. LSU already missed on one five-star this cycle when safety Blaine Bradford committed to Ohio State. Losing Brown would be a tough look for this staff. LSU has a chance to finish with No. 1 overall class Brian Kelly and LSU have a chance to finish with the No. 1 overall-ranked recruiting class, but to do that, LSU must land Brown. LSU sits No. 8 right now, according to Rivals' rankings. But LSU's average recruit rating of 92.07 ranks No. 2 nationally. Once LSU has the volume to match other top classes, LSU will be in the thick of the race for No. 1. LSU's defensive tackle class can be elite LSU already has one five-star defensive tackle committed in Richard Anderson. Signing Brown would make this LSU's best defensive tackle haul in some time. Kyle Williams has only been LSU's defensive line coach for a few months. With this being Williams' first collegiate coaching job, there were questions about how he'd fare as a recruiter. Signing Anderson and Brown is one way to answer that.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mizzou Becomes Favorite to Land Top-5 Class of 2026 Recruit
Mizzou Becomes Favorite to Land Top-5 Class of 2026 Recruit originally appeared on Athlon Sports. A new report from Joe Tipton of On3 has the Missouri Tigers suddenly at the front of the race for one of the nation's top basketball prospects. Advertisement Five-star shooting guard Jason Crowe Jr. is now projected by multiple insiders to commit to Mizzou. The 6-foot-3 rising senior, ranked No. 5 nationally in the Class of 2026 by 247Sports, would be Missouri's highest-ranked commitment since Michael Porter Jr in the class of 2017. The Tigers entered the picture late in the recruiting process, but they're now considered the team to beat for the California native. Crowe is known for his elite scoring ability, deep shooting range, and confidence as a three-level scorer. He has a smooth stroke, thrives off the dribble, and brings an advanced offensive package that is rarely seen at the high school level. Advertisement For months, the Kentucky Wildcats had been the frontrunner for Crowe. In a recent interview, he referred to Kentucky assistant Jason Hart as "like an uncle" and mentioned he trained him when he was younger. Despite the connection, Crowe never took an official visit to Lexington, leaving the door open for other programs. Missouri Tigers head coach Dennis Bush-Imagn Images According to Tipton and other recruiting analysts, Missouri has 'quietly gained serious momentum' and currently holds the Crystal Ball prediction on 247Sports. While Crowe hasn't released an official list of finalists, schools like USC, Texas, Baylor, UCLA, and Arkansas have all remained involved. Advertisement He is set to announce his decision on July 18th, and with less than two weeks to go, Mizzou fans have good reason to be excited. A commitment from Crowe would not only be historic, but it could signal a new era for Dennis Gates and the future of Tiger basketball. Related: Mizzou Hoops Lands Commitment of 2027 Top-30 Recruit This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 8, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Four-star running back skips over Texas visit
The Texas Longhorns have lost out on an opportunity to host one of the nation's top running back prospects. Four-star recruit Amari Latimer, a standout from Tyrone, Georgia, has canceled his official visit to Texas, opting instead for a trip to Georgia Tech next weekend, according to 247Sports' Evan Flood. Latimer, ranked as the No. 32 overall recruit in Georgia and the No. 17 running back nationally by 247Sports, was expected to visit Austin as part of his recruitment process. His decision to remain in-state for his next visit is not entirely unexpected, given his Georgia roots, but it's a setback for the Longhorns, who have been active in pursuing elite talent at the position. Advertisement The Georgia Bulldogs remain in the mix for Latimer, with an official visit to Athens scheduled for June 20. While Georgia is considered a strong contender, 247Sports' Crystal Ball currently predicts Latimer will commit to Wisconsin. The running back took an official visit to Wisconsin on May 30, and instead of traveling to Michigan the following weekend, he chose to return to Madison for an unofficial visit. Wisconsin, coming off a 5-7 season, is pushing hard to add Latimer to its 2026 recruiting class. The Badgers may have an edge, as Latimer's brother transferred to Wisconsin from Jacksonville State during the winter offseason. Latimer is still set to officially visit Georgia Tech and Georgia before making a final decision. His recruitment is expected to intensify following these trips, as programs vie for his commitment and the impact he could bring to their backfields. For now, the Longhorns seem to be an odd-ball for the 6-foot running back. This article originally appeared on Longhorns Wire: Four-star Georgia running back skips out on Texas visit
CNN
02-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Youngkin wrote a GOP playbook for winning Virginia. Republicans hope Earle-Sears can follow it
On a Tuesday evening in northern Virginia, Republicans on edge across the state finally got their wish: a campaign event featuring gubernatorial nominee Winsome Earle-Sears, backed by incumbent Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who beat a Democrat four years ago. A racially diverse crowd was packed into a firehouse waving signs that read 'Axe the Tax,' a nod to an Earle-Sears campaign pledge to eliminate the state's car tax. Youngkin lauded Earle-Sears' biography and work as the state's lieutenant governor. At the end, he appeared on stage with the entire GOP ticket, clapping along to the tune of the classic disco song 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now.' 'We haven't come this far to only go this far,' Earle-Sears told the crowd. But things are much different from four years ago, when Youngkin beat Democrat Terry McAuliffe as a businessman and first-time candidate tapping into voter frustration with the Covid-19 pandemic and the handling of race and diversity in schools. Earle-Sears faces headwinds caused by some of President Donald Trump's policies – and concerns among some in her own party about whether she's running an effective campaign. 'The environment is just different and the things that are outside of a candidate's control are worse for Republicans in 2025 than they were in 2021,' said Kyle Kondik, managing editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia. Earle-Sears is facing Democrat Abigail Spanberger, a former congresswoman who has outraised her so far. Kondik also cited Earle-Sears' lack of personal wealth to self-fund her campaign as Youngkin did and her past comments minimizing the impact of these federal cuts as potential drawbacks. Lining the sidewalk outside of the firehouse Tuesday night were demonstrators calling attention to the proposed federal cuts to Medicaid. The US Senate just hours earlier had passed Trump's far-reaching domestic policy bill that could cause millions of people to lose coverage. 'I cared for a lot of people and now I'm in a situation where I may not have a roof over my head,' said Laura Lynn Clark, a 62-year-old former home care provider of Richmond. Earle-Sears' response to these critics sounded a more sympathetic note than what she previously said about federal workers and suggested a shift in her approach. 'What I love about America, as an immigrant, that people can protest and let their government know how they feel about everything,' she told CNN. 'Whatever comes down, we're ready. We have the ability. We're going to make sure that people are made whole,' she added. Earle-Sears, 61, was born in Jamaica and immigrated to the United States when she was six. She later served in the U.S. Marine Corps and directed a Salvation Army homeless shelter. Core to Earle-Sears' election argument is that she is part of a winning team that has delivered the past four years in Virginia on everything from pro-business deregulation to reopening schools after the pandemic. In her allies' telling, she would be an extension of the state's prosperity. That's despite Virginia being one of 17 states with separately elected lieutenant governors. 'We have a winner. We have a Marine who knows how to fight, who understands what America is about, because she understands that everything that she values today, everything she thanks an almighty God for, came from this country. Winsome Sears loves America,' Youngkin told the crowd Tuesday night. But Earle-Sears has been intentional about drawing contrasts with Youngkin during her time as his deputy, tacking to the right of him on everything from same-sex marriage to access to abortion. She has also held few public events, particularly compared to Spanberger. Instead, she's mostly gone to private events that have been closed to the media. Some chairs of county parties have publicly questioned whether she's doing enough, particularly in a state that leans Democratic in national elections. Trump lost Virginia by nearly 6 points last November, an improvement from his 10-point defeat in the state four years earlier. 'Every single soul can look and see all the places I have been,' Earle-Sears told CNN in a recent phone interview as she was driving between campaign stops. 'I used to have to drive myself to every place, racking up miles here and there, because I do not get a driver. The governor does. I don't get security. The governor does. And so I've been doing a lot of it myself.' 'I don't know what other people are seeing, but it's going to be all right,' she said. Ken Nunnenkamp, executive director of the Virginia Republican Party, defended Earle-Sears and said it would take time for her to reach all parts of the state. He also argues Earle-Sears' candor would be appreciated by voters. 'Whether or not you agree with Winsome, you sure as heck know where she stands,' he said.
