Recruiting Rumor Mill: Latest buzz from Navy National Combine registration
SAN ANTONIO — Registration day for the Navy National Combine was held Thursday and many top prospects came through the hotel. Here is the latest on what Rivals national recruiting director Adam Gorney heard throughout the day:
Indiana is going to play a big factor in Baldwin’s recruitment and he’s planning to visit Bloomington this offseason as the Hoosiers have made the 2027 receiver from Chandler (Ariz.) Basha a top priority. Baldwin has also hit it off with offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan so that relationship will be one to watch. Penn State and Pitt are two others early on that have Baldwin’s attention as his father played for the Panthers.
Iowa State is recruiting Carr the hardest and the Cyclones definitely have his attention as well as they’re considered the top team right now. The 2026 quarterback from Saline, Mich., has a great relationship with position coach Mike Waters in Ames and Carr is watching closely the reports of coach Matt Campbell interviewing with the Chicago Bears. His older brother, CJ, is at Notre Dame and his grandfather is former Michigan coach Lloyd Carr.
Michigan and Tennessee are battling it out for the high three-star linebacker from Barnesville (Ga.) Lamar County as Carter loves both programs and it could be tough to pick which one has the edge right now. One thing to watch: If Georgia offers (and he thinks it could be coming because the Bulldogs were a little late to offer former teammate CJ Allen) then it would definitely be something to watch but might not be a total game-changer in his recruitment.
Florida State, Syracuse and Auburn have jumped out early on Fielder’s radar as the 2028 offensive lineman could be one of the next top recruits to come out of Carrollton, Ga. Fielder loves coach Mike Norvell and is getting to know new position coach Herb Hand in Tallahassee so that’s one to watch. The Syracuse coaching staff led by Fran Brown has blown him away and Fielder has a great bond with Auburn position coach Jake Thornton. Teammate Zykie Helton has taken Fielder under his wing so how Helton’s recruitment shakes out could be interesting for Fielder as well.
UCF, Kentucky and Tennessee are the three early standouts for the 2027 cornerback from St. Simons Island (Ga.) Frederica Academy but things could change soon. Georgia Tech is showing a ton of interest in Gibson and could offer as Gibson – and his family – go to Atlanta often so
Cal and Tennessee could battle it out until the end for the high three-star defensive end from Harbor City (Calif.) Narbonne and the Golden Bears could have a slight edge since it’s closer to home and he’s loved his time in Berkeley. SMU, Miami and others are involved but this is shaping up to be a two-team race right now for the barrel-chested defensive end.
Washington is going to be a mainstay in Loumoli’s recruitment because it’s down the road for the 2027 linebacker from Bellevue (Wash.) Eastside Catholic but Oregon is right there as well and Loumoli had an awesome time inside Autzen Stadium for the Ducks’ win over Ohio State early this season. BYU, Ohio State and USC are three others to watch as Loumoli could end up being a national recruit.
Baylor and Houston have jumped out to an early lead for the 2027 athlete from San Antonio (Texas) Johnson as he loves the coaching staff at both places but it feels like the Bears might have a slight advantage at this point. SMU and Stanford have been showing more interest so those two could be interesting if an offer comes through as McCreary’s recruitment continues.
His big brother, Dominick, plays at LSU and that is a massive draw to the four-star defensive end from Lafayette (La.) Acadiana as the Tigers are considered the front-runner – maybe by a wide margin – in his recruitment now. The two might only get one year of playing together in Baton Rouge but even that is big for McKinley, who is also serious about Tennessee, Florida and Oklahoma right now.
With a dozen offers already, the 2028 quarterback from Naples (Fla.) First Baptist Academy has Missouri, Nebraska and Miami as his three early standouts. There could be a lot of movement here though as Clemson is the dream school – he watched Deshaun Watson and Trevor Lawrence growing up – and then Florida, Florida State, Georgia and Virginia Tech are all showing interest.
Oregon and Arizona are two other main standouts for Thompson but Washington is going to be really tough to beat for the three-star cornerback from Sammamish (Wash.) Eastside Catholic. Thompson not only loves the Huskies and is comfortable there, plus he knows the defensive back tradition at Washington but he’s familiar with the coaching staff since they recruited him to Arizona before coming to Seattle.
Maryland, Virginia Tech and Liberty have offered so far but Tillman’s recruitment could come down to an in-state battle between South Carolina and Clemson – if those programs come through with an offer. Notre Dame is also high on his early list. The Gamecocks have really caught his eye but Clemson has been the dream school since he’s been going there in fifth grade as the 2027 defensive end from Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe has the highest regard for the Tigers.
Florida State could be really tough to beat for Winston not only because his older brother, Jameis, was a star for the Seminoles but because the four-star receiver has been around the program since he was a little kid and he’s so comfortable with everything in Tallahassee. The Seminoles look best for the Hoover, Ala., standout but Auburn especially and maybe others will be involved, too.
