National Dedication Day is only two days away, so it’s time to make some predictions. Today we take a look at five potential events in the South Central region.
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NSD PREVIEWS: Announcements Guide | rumor machine
PREDICTIONS: East Coast Predictions | West Region | Midwest
FLIP WATCH: East Coast Outlook | Center-South | South East | Midwest | West
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TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | bulletin board | Transfer Ranking | Transfer Tracker
RANKING OF THE CLASS OF 2023: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
RANKING OF THE CLASS OF 2024: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State
RANKING OF THE CLASS OF 2025: Rivals100
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PEYTON BOWEN WILL TAKE THE EXCITEMENT AT SIGNING DAY
No recruiting in the Mid-South region has generated more buzz than that of Denton (Texas) Five-Star Security Guy Peyton Bowen. Committed to our Lady Since New Year’s Day, the DFW Metroplex product has seen a surge in Oklahoma in recent months, and he’s generated a lot of buzz towards a turnaround to the Sooners late in his process.
Some thought, myself included, that this recruitment could have already seen movement until Monday, but Bowen remains attached to the Irish, at least publicly. I still like the prediction I made in November of Bowen turning back to Oklahoma, and I still expect the Sooners to be the pick, but the drama of this recruiting is starting to foreshadow an eventual conclusion to come after sunrise on Wednesday.
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AUSTIN NOVOSAD MAKING THINGS INTERESTING
Dripping Springs (Texas) four-star quarterback Austin Novosad was at the center of stunning rumors this summer amid a surge of Texas A&M and Notre Dame, but the Central Texas product again underscored its commitment to Baylor after visits to each program.
However, some noise is starting to be heard late with Oregon as Ducks search for potential replacement as caller after dropping five stars Dante Moore to UCLA. Everything around the Novosad camp is kept tightly sealed, which leads me to believe that there will be some interesting things happening before Wednesday here.
Ultimately, I think Baylor holds its own, but I don’t think it will be without a little drama along the way.
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JAYVON THOMAS WILL KEEP IT INTERESTING
A Texas A&M Hired since April, the four-star cornerback of Dallas (Texas) from South Oak Cliff Jayvon Thomas has flirted with visits to some suitors in the state over the past few months, and this has manifested in a trip to TOS early December to see the Frogs.
This trip did the Horned Frogs a lot of good, which potentially upset Thomas, and it got him and his family thinking about staying in the DFW Metroplex. Thomas was in College Station last weekend after his state championship win for one last visit to Texas A&M before putting pen to paper on Wednesday, and the Aggies are primarily focused on recruiting him ahead of the early signing period.
A source considered it a 50-50 battle in the final 48 hours, as the two state powerhouses sought to land one of the top secondary playmakers in the nation.
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TEXAS TECH MAKES A BIG SPLASH
At the time of writing this article, Texas technology is all the rage for two defensive prospects committed to other programs that could immediately strengthen the Red Raider defense in 2023. River Rouge (La.) Linebacker John Curtis Justin Horne and Sheldon (Texas) CE King defensive end dylan spencer were in Lubbock last weekend for an official visit, and the two could go around Joey McGuirebefore the early signing period.
It would be a final major splash for Texas Tech, which benefited from some key early valuations but also saw some of those early engagements transition to other big Power Five promises. To get two defenders of this caliber, especially one who is committed to Texaswould be the confidence to move into the final stages of the 2023 cycle after the early signing period.
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TCU CONTINUES ITS RACE
I spoke about TCU’s potential in December on the recruiting track, and that potential showed up in major commitments to the Horned Frogs, including four-star defensive backs. Channing Canada and Randon Fontenette with old Texas commit Jamel Johnson.
TCU made it to the top 20 in the Rivals Team Rankings, and it wouldn’t surprise me to see Sonny Dykes and his team continues to move forward with another splash or two before National Signing Day. Horned frogs stay in the mix to flip Jayvon Thomasand the quarterback position still remains open in the class.
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