We'll have an insider today and tomorrow then a daily signing period updates Wednesday through Friday this week. Here's the latest I know:
From this weekend:
Nathan committed on Saturday night, flipping from Colorado State. He took the final linebacker spot, which worked out as word came out that Davion Taylor is going to sign with Colorado.
Jeffcoat has been committed to Missouri since late September, but told me yesterday which was his first public statement. At Jeffcoat's request, even though he said we could put him on the commitment list, we aren't plastering it on the front page or Twitter until Wednesday when he signs. He told me he is 100% signing with the Tigers.
Most expected Hansford to commit this weekend. There was some chatter that had happened. But when he got back home to Atlanta, he told us he is going to wait until February and take some more visits. Missouri is still pushing to get his signature this week. That could happen. If it doesn't, Missouri's chances to sign him go way down. He and Jeffcoat have been guys who Missouri has hoped to get in December all along because as time goes on and other schools have to fill spots, they've thought these guys would get late offers closer to home and be tougher to lock down. If Hansford sticks to his idea to wait until February, we aren't confident he'll be part of this class.
Coming into the weekend, the feeling was Brown was going to go to Illinois. Missouri made its final pitch and word is it went well, but the Illini are probably still the leader. He will commit on Friday at a high school outside of Chicago. Our Illinois site is going to be there. Missouri is possible, but we think Illinois is likely.
Badie did not make the trip. After it was scheduled, Memphis convinced him to stay home.
Bakare played in the Texas 6A state semifinals on Saturday at 2 pm. They lost to unbeaten Allen 28-7. Following the game, Bakare got on a plane and arrived in Columbia Saturday night. He was in town all day Sunday and is headed home today (because it's a dead period, Bakare had to line up and pay for his own flight home). All of that is a pretty big indication how much he wanted to make this trip. I'm supposed to talk to Bakare this afternoon when he gets home. It will surprise me if he doesn't say he's committed to Missouri at that point.
News on players who did not visit Mizzou this weekend:
Smith visited TCU this weekend...and subsequently decommitted
Smith told me last night he will wait until February to sign. It will be very surprising to us if it's not Missouri.
Gray has been a Mizzou commit for quite a while but has also planned to take other visits. He visited Iowa State and, reportedly, West Virginia this weekend. We do not expect him to sign early. Missouri is still very much in the mix and potentially the leader from what we hear. The Tigers have a great shot to get Gray in February. If that happens, that's five secondary players (including Smith). That would mean Missouri isn't going to take Cam Taylor. If Gray goes to West Virginia, Taylor could potentially be back in play.
As Frank Cusumano reported, Barry Odom visited Lutheran North on Friday. Depends on who you talk to what they think Perkins will do. But the kid himself has been all in on Oklahoma since he committed. That's where we expect him to sign on Wednesday. A last minute shock isn't out of the question, but we think Perkins will be a Sooner.
Thompson raised eyebrows tweeting about a commitment video last week. But there's no expectation he's signing anywhere early. A visit to Alabama is likely next month and he has two more he can take. But everyone expects him to sign with Missouri in February at this point.
These two are not necessarily a package deal, but there's a pretty good chance. The visited Tennessee last weekend. Here is an update on Johnson from Volquest, which makes it sound like Tennessee is in very good shape for him.
Mizzou's main pull here is the lifelong friendship with Yasir Durant. The Tigers have a shot. Tough to gauge how good that shot is right now.
Swinson visited Nebraska. The Huskers and Tigers are his top two. Stay tuned. A decision could come anytime.
Missouri's commitment list currently stands at 19. It is ranked No. 37 right now (and could go up because every commit after 20 will take the lowest ranked player out of the rankings equation). Add Bakare, which we expect, and it will be at 20. Other than Vincent Gray, we expect them all to sign this week. If you add Gray, Thompson and Smith in February, that puts you at 22.
The goal then is two more offensive linemen (Valentin and Johnson are the goal), a quarterback (what they do here all depends on Drew Lock...they don't have to take one, but they could), a tight end (if it's Swinson...if not, they skip this spot in all likelihood) and possibly a running back.
That's where we stand right now. Should be an interesting week.
From this weekend:
Nathan committed on Saturday night, flipping from Colorado State. He took the final linebacker spot, which worked out as word came out that Davion Taylor is going to sign with Colorado.
Jeffcoat has been committed to Missouri since late September, but told me yesterday which was his first public statement. At Jeffcoat's request, even though he said we could put him on the commitment list, we aren't plastering it on the front page or Twitter until Wednesday when he signs. He told me he is 100% signing with the Tigers.
Most expected Hansford to commit this weekend. There was some chatter that had happened. But when he got back home to Atlanta, he told us he is going to wait until February and take some more visits. Missouri is still pushing to get his signature this week. That could happen. If it doesn't, Missouri's chances to sign him go way down. He and Jeffcoat have been guys who Missouri has hoped to get in December all along because as time goes on and other schools have to fill spots, they've thought these guys would get late offers closer to home and be tougher to lock down. If Hansford sticks to his idea to wait until February, we aren't confident he'll be part of this class.
Coming into the weekend, the feeling was Brown was going to go to Illinois. Missouri made its final pitch and word is it went well, but the Illini are probably still the leader. He will commit on Friday at a high school outside of Chicago. Our Illinois site is going to be there. Missouri is possible, but we think Illinois is likely.
Badie did not make the trip. After it was scheduled, Memphis convinced him to stay home.
Bakare played in the Texas 6A state semifinals on Saturday at 2 pm. They lost to unbeaten Allen 28-7. Following the game, Bakare got on a plane and arrived in Columbia Saturday night. He was in town all day Sunday and is headed home today (because it's a dead period, Bakare had to line up and pay for his own flight home). All of that is a pretty big indication how much he wanted to make this trip. I'm supposed to talk to Bakare this afternoon when he gets home. It will surprise me if he doesn't say he's committed to Missouri at that point.
News on players who did not visit Mizzou this weekend:
Smith visited TCU this weekend...and subsequently decommitted
Smith told me last night he will wait until February to sign. It will be very surprising to us if it's not Missouri.
Gray has been a Mizzou commit for quite a while but has also planned to take other visits. He visited Iowa State and, reportedly, West Virginia this weekend. We do not expect him to sign early. Missouri is still very much in the mix and potentially the leader from what we hear. The Tigers have a great shot to get Gray in February. If that happens, that's five secondary players (including Smith). That would mean Missouri isn't going to take Cam Taylor. If Gray goes to West Virginia, Taylor could potentially be back in play.
As Frank Cusumano reported, Barry Odom visited Lutheran North on Friday. Depends on who you talk to what they think Perkins will do. But the kid himself has been all in on Oklahoma since he committed. That's where we expect him to sign on Wednesday. A last minute shock isn't out of the question, but we think Perkins will be a Sooner.
Thompson raised eyebrows tweeting about a commitment video last week. But there's no expectation he's signing anywhere early. A visit to Alabama is likely next month and he has two more he can take. But everyone expects him to sign with Missouri in February at this point.
These two are not necessarily a package deal, but there's a pretty good chance. The visited Tennessee last weekend. Here is an update on Johnson from Volquest, which makes it sound like Tennessee is in very good shape for him.
Mizzou's main pull here is the lifelong friendship with Yasir Durant. The Tigers have a shot. Tough to gauge how good that shot is right now.
Swinson visited Nebraska. The Huskers and Tigers are his top two. Stay tuned. A decision could come anytime.
Missouri's commitment list currently stands at 19. It is ranked No. 37 right now (and could go up because every commit after 20 will take the lowest ranked player out of the rankings equation). Add Bakare, which we expect, and it will be at 20. Other than Vincent Gray, we expect them all to sign this week. If you add Gray, Thompson and Smith in February, that puts you at 22.
The goal then is two more offensive linemen (Valentin and Johnson are the goal), a quarterback (what they do here all depends on Drew Lock...they don't have to take one, but they could), a tight end (if it's Swinson...if not, they skip this spot in all likelihood) and possibly a running back.
That's where we stand right now. Should be an interesting week.
