Latest news with #Moala
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
3-star DL Viliami Moala announces decommitment from Oregon Ducks
Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks got some unfortunate news on the recruiting trail on Monday afternoon, with 3-star defensive lineman Viliami Moala announcing his decommitment from the 2026 class. Moala had been committed since October of 2024, but he announced this week that he wanted to open up his recruitment once again. Moala is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 451 player in the 2026 class, and the No. 51 DL, standing at 6-foot-3, 340 pounds. The announcement comes as a bit of a surprise, seeing as Moala was enrolled at Willamette High School in Eugene, teammates with fellow Oregon commit Tony Cumberland, a 4-star DL. Moala announced that he would be transferring to Thompson High School in Alabaster, Alabama. With the decommitment, Oregon now has 13 members of the 2026 class, which now ranks No. 14 in the nation. That should improve in the near future, though, with 4-star WR Jalen Lott expected to announce his commitment on Tuesday, and potentially more big names to come in the near future. ongoing coverage of Oregon Ducks news, notes, and opinions.
USA Today
24-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 4-star Edge shuts down his recruitment, explains why he committed to Texas A&M
Texas A&M coach Mike Elko has built an incredible foundation heading into this second season at the helm, as he has continued to prove that he is as good, or even a better recruiter compared to former head coach Jimbo Fisher this offseason after landing five elite commitments over the past week in the 2026 recruiting class. Leading into this week, nearly half a dozen of the program's 19 commits have shut down their recruitment, including five-star edge Tristian Givens, who committed to the Aggies on Saturday. This trend started with four-star running back Jonathan Hatton, followed by four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory, and four-star tight end Caleb Tafua quickly following his lead. Since then, one of the program's earliest commits, four-star edge Jordan Carter, also shut down his future visits. On Monday, fellow four-star edge/linebacker Samu Moala became the next important defender in the cycle to shut things down, as he will sign with the Aggies as soon as the Early Signing period on December 4. Moala has been the subject of several potential rumors over the last couple of weeks, as UCLA and Washington have attempted to flip the versatile prospect. During his recent interview with Rivals recruiting insider Adam Gorney at the Rivals Five-Star event in Indianapolis, Moala explained why he chose to shut down his recruitment and stick with Texas A&M: "Very hard decision, but I committed there because I want to play with the best and play against the best in the SEC" Moala stated. "It felt like home; I went there (College Station) this past weekend, and they made it feel like home, they answered all my questions that needed to be answered, and I'm fully committed." Moala also revealed that staying at edge with the Aggies was a big part of his decision, as UCLA wanted him to play linebacker at the next level. After praising Texas A&M's culture during his official visit, Moala also stated that he is expected to play the Jack position on defense, with an emphasis on rushing the passer and dropping back in coverage to blanket tight ends. Here is the full interview: Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
West Spotlight: Five committed prospects on flip watch
Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney takes a look at five West commitments that could be at risk to flip their pledges before the end of the year. THIS SERIES: Five committed Southeast prospects on flip watch | Midwest prospects on flip watch | Florida prospects on flip watch MORE GORNEY: QB dominoes | Biggest storylines heading into huge recruiting weekend | Finalists beginning to crystallize for top prospects CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info Texas A&M landed a commitment from Moala in late October and the four-star edge rusher from Lawndale (Calif.) Leuzinger has shown no significant signs he's considering a flip other than taking a bunch of visits to other schools. Advertisement Washington got him on campus recently and Moala loved the NFL-style environment in that program. UCLA, Michigan and Notre Dame are working hard to flip him as well while Texas should get a visit before all is said and done. A good sign for the Aggies, though, is that after all his visits this month, Moala closes things out from June 20-22 in College Station. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT Oklahoma landed Odom's commitment in January as the four-star receiver from Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco has a phenomenal relationship with position coach Emmett Jones and others in Norman. He feels very supported there, plus he loves the Sooners' history of throwing a lot to their receivers. Advertisement But Washington is pushing very hard. Florida State, Miami and Texas are all involved. In Seattle, position coach Kevin Cummings is like an 'older brother or an uncle' to Odom and Bosco alum Jaleel Wadood is on staff as well. Oklahoma coach Brent Venables has two 6-7 seasons in his first three years. If the Sooners struggle again – or Venables is clearly on the hot seat – that could be a major concern for Odom down the stretch. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OKLAHOMA FANS AT The high four-star slot receiver from Mission Viejo, Calif., has been committed to Georgia since November and he loves the program and its development. However, this weekend's trip back to Athens is crucial in his recruitment. Advertisement Washington loves Spafford and is working to flip him. UCLA is another program involved but that seems like a longer shot. The biggest threat to Georgia is Miami as Spafford loves the offense, the surroundings in South Florida and seems to fit with the culture there. Georgia has some work to do this weekend to keep him in the class and he'd be a perfect slot in that offense, too. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT Terry committed to Michigan State super early as the 2027 four-star safety from Tustin, Calif., picked the Spartans on Dec. 1. There have been a lot of changes since then. Close friend and position coach Demetrice Martin departed for UCLA. And Terry has landed nearly every offer in the book. Advertisement It's actually a surprise Terry has stayed committed this long as it's a testament to the job the rest of Michigan State's coaching staff has done. But now with lots of other major Big Ten offers and SEC looks – along with the idea of playing for Martin in Westwood – it would be a major surprise if Terry lasts with the Spartans until signing day for the 2027 class. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN STATE FANS AT Washington and Florida State are the biggest threats to flip Williams, who committed to Texas A&M three days after Christmas and has given no serious signs that he's heavily considering a flip just yet. Advertisement The Seminoles feel like a long shot as USC, UCLA, Colorado and others have poked around. The one to watch here would be the Huskies as they had him on campus recently along with many other top prospects. He'd get to stay closer to home, play in the Big Ten, come back to Southern California and play some games, and he has a great relationship with that staff.
USA Today
07-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2026 4-star Edge and Texas A&M commit is visiting Washington
2026 4-star Edge and Texas A&M commit is visiting Washington Texas A&M's 2026 recruiting class is on track to see a significant boost this summer, especially this weekend, as coach Mike Elko and his staff are currently hosting 18 prospects from the 2026 class, including six commits, led by four-star wide receiver Aaron Gregory. However, five-star wide receiver and LSU commit Tristen Keys is also on campus. After hiring former Miami Recruiting Director and assistant WR coach David Cooney, the Aggies have a very good chance to flip the elite pass catcher soon. However, according to Rivals recruiting insider Adam Gorney, four-star edge Texas A&M commit Samu Moala could be the Aggies' first realistic flip candidate, as the California product will reportedly visit Washington this weekend. The Huskies, like Oregon, focus on California for the bulk of the program's recruiting and have done a solid job this offseason of hosting several elite 2026 prospects. However, after committing in late October of last year, Texas A&M will be the final team to host Moala on June 20, meaning the Aggies are still in the driver's seat to keep him committed ahead of Early Signing Day in early December. On the field, there's a reason Moala is highly sought after, as he has improved every season, recording 52 tackles, three sacks, two tackles for loss, an interception, and nine hurries during his 2024 junior season. On offense, Moala hauled in five receptions for 86 yards and one touchdown. According to 247Sports, Moala is currently positioned as the 27th-ranked Edge and 26th-ranked prospect in California. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
NBC Sports
20-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Recruiting Rumor Mill: Programs jockeying for position with top prospects
Editor's Note: This article first appeared on the leader in college football and basketball recruiting coverage. Be the first to know and follow your teams by signing up here. An incredibly busy June is right around the corner but there is still a ton going on with high school showcases and official visits still happening. Here's the latest in this Recruiting Rumor Mill from Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney. MORE FROM ATLANTA: Ranking the QBs | Recruiting intel | Position MVPs | Top performers from Saturday's Rivals Combine Series event BEHIND THE COMMITMENT: Five pivotal moments that led Cantwell to Miami CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker A new offer from Ohio State defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is interesting because he told Brown that the Buckeyes should have already offered and he wanted to make it happen. But we'll just see about timing. Texas A&M and LSU continue to battle it out for the high four-star two-way lineman from Baton Rouge (La.) University Lab. It will be up to Brown's mom if he visits as there is a feeling he could be in the final innings of his recruitment now. Stanford and Indiana could battle it out until the end for the four-star quarterback from Mission Viejo, Calif., as he loves everything – on and off the field – with the Cardinal and with general manager Andrew Luck there, but the Hoosiers are battling hard. A visit there in June will be huge as he gets to know that staff led by coach Curt Cignetti with Oklahoma State, Ohio State and Colorado also involved. Even before the news broke Friday night that Missouri defensive line coach Al Davis was stepping down, Kennedy's commitment to the Tigers was slipping and it seemed like he was going to back off his pledge. That happened late Friday and the word is that the high three-star defensive tackle from Little Rock (Ark.) Central is wide open in his recruitment. Georgia is making a serious push right to the top. A new offer from Ole Miss is definitely interesting to the 2027 defensive tackle from Poplarville, Miss., especially because of its recent defensive line play. The Rebels are near the top, but Notre Dame is the team to beat. Tennessee, Florida State and Arkansas rounding out the favorites. What Moala saw at Stanford and UCLA really impressed him, but it might be a little too early to name those his front-runners. Before Moala goes down that road, he has a big visit planned to Arizona State in June as those three programs have piqued his interest the most so far. An offer from Stanford on Thursday is a game-changer for the rocked-up three-star running back from Los Angeles Loyola and the Cardinal could have surged right to the top of his list. Northwestern is also a main player in Morris' recruitment but it wouldn't be a shock if Stanford is now considered the team to beat. SMU and Washington seem like the two front-runners for the four-star receiver from Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne but there could be a surprise in his recruitment as well. Both those programs should get official visits and he loves the receiver history with the Mustangs and the Huskies. Colorado State could be one to watch as well. Position coach James Finley has a ton of Los Angeles connections and Owens has a lot of comfort with him. UCLA was the dream school growing up and now that the Bruins have offered and an official visit is scheduled for June, they could move up very quickly for the four-star quarterback from Downey, Calif. But Arizona is definitely one to watch and might have a slight edge with Kentucky and Oklahoma State rounding out the top four. A trip to Colorado could also happen, too. USC has shot to the top of Sorensen's list with Miami, Ole Miss, UCLA and others, but a new offer is definitely interesting. Notre Dame came through with an offer in recent days and Sorensen clearly knows the NFL history for tight ends coming out of South Bend and it will be something he considers seriously moving forward. The four-star receiver from Mission Viejo, Calif., has been committed to Georgia since November and he continues to have an excellent relationship with the coaches but there is going to be some serious competition until the end. Miami is the main one to watch (and Spafford wore Miami gloves at a 7-on-7 on Saturday) along with Washington, UCLA and USC. Colorado is in this after a great visit there, too. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT The four-star quarterback from Omaha (Neb.) Millard South committed to Iowa State over Missouri and many others in April but now a new offer from Alabama will be one to watch. No date for a visit has been set, but Thomalla is planning to visit Tuscaloosa. He's struck up a great relationship with position coach Nick Sheridan. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA STATE FANS AT After backing off his pledge to Missouri in recent days, Tims was at Georgia over the weekend and landed an offer from the Bulldogs which 'stunned' the three-star safety from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood. Tims has a great relationship with safeties coach Travaris Robinson and that pushes Georgia right into Tims' top five. Louisville and Vanderbilt are the other favorites. The top list has changed a few times for the four-star running back from Peculiar (Mo.) Raymore-Peculiar but Kansas State, Kansas and Nebraska are three regulars that have stayed right at the forefront. A new offer from Oklahoma is intriguing as the Sooners now join the top four as well. Miami, South Carolina, Texas A&M and Georgia are the four front-runners for the four-star defensive back from Rock Hill (S.C.) Northwestern. The other three programs are clearly in his recruitment but the Gamecocks have done well in Rock Hill before and it wouldn't be a surprise if they still lead for Watkins, especially with campus just an hour away. There is no clear leader yet for the four-star linebacker from Jackson (Miss.) Jackson Academy but Auburn has looked strong in White's recruitment. There are definitely others, though, as Florida State, Tennessee, Mississippi State and North Carolina are also high on the list. The 2027 five-star cornerback from Gardena (Calif.) Serra has been to LSU, Miami, Texas A&M, UCLA and USC recently. A ton of visits are coming up as Williams is looking at Ohio State, Georgia, another trip to Texas A&M, Tennessee, Florida State and Auburn. There could be something that really piques Williams' interest but the word is that it's still going to be very tough to beat USC in his recruitment – and Serra has been a pipeline there over the years.
