Cassidy column: Bronny James speculation, Trentyn Flowers, Texas
A swath of Americans got time off in observance of Labor Day. College coaches, however, were not among them. The long weekend wasn’t short on recruiting news, as visits took place, offers flew out and an unexpected twist or two occurred.
Below, Rivals national recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy provides his take on a weekend that included a decommitment that may have a wide-ranging impact, a major offer going out to class of 2024 star Trentyn Flowers and Texas’ big visit weekend.
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BRONNY JAMES SPECULATION RUNS WILD IN COLUMBUS
George Washington III is back on the market after backing off his pledge to Ohio State over the weekend. According to our own Travis Graf, schools such as Texas, Auburn, Oklahoma, Cincinnati, Memphis. Louisville and Pitt immediately reached out to the guard after he returned to the free agent pool.
Equally as interesting as the Washington saga’s twist, however, is what the news could suggest about the recruitment of Bronny James, a subject of which nobody ever seems to tire.
The son of the NBA’s biggest star also visited Ohio State over the weekend and plays a similar role to that of Washington. So when news of Washington’s sudden change of heart hit, plenty of people connected the dots.
Does it mean the Buckeyes will be landing Bronny? No, but it certainly throws a bit of gas on the fire of the narrative, especially when you remember that the Buckeyes would have likely landed LeBron if the one-and-done rule was in place in 2003.
It’s too early to be certain about James’ landing spot. There will be more visits. That much is clear. It does, however, seem fair to gather that people in Ohio are becoming a bit more bullish on the Buckeyes actually landing James than they were a few weeks back.
Obviously, assuming things is dangerous when discussing recruiting because much of it is based on the whims of teenagers. That said, what is clear is that Washington didn’t waste Labor Day weekend by going to Columbus with the intention to decommit. Something on that visit caused it. Whether or not that was Ohio State’s relationship with the most famous and scrutinized player in this class is impossible to say. Only a handful of people will ever know for sure.
Oregon, Michigan and USC are also heavily involved and should be taken seriously as possible landing spots for the four-star prospect.
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UNC OFFER IMPACTS RECRUITMENT OF TRENTYN FLOWERS
One of the hottest names in the 2024 class, five-star wing Trentyn Flowers, continued to pick up recruiting momentum over the weekend as North Carolina made things official with a scholarship offer.
Flowers will play his junior season for Combine Academy, which is based in Lincolnton, N.C., 150 miles away from UNC’s Chapel Hill campus. Expect the Tar Heels to still be standing when the touted Flowers trims his list next month, but they'll have a fight on their hands.
Sources indicate that Oklahoma, Georgetown, Oregon, Michigan, Georgia State, Memphis and Maryland look like great bets to make the cut. UCF is a dark horse to be left standing as well because of relationships in place between Flowers’ circle and the Knights’ staff. Texas could have a chance if it makes things official with an offer in the coming weeks.