Official visits are taking place all over the country and top prospects are narrowing their recruiting focus by the day. This time of year is prime rumor season, and Rivals national recruiting director Rob Cassidy has his ear to the ground for news and notes relating to prospects from coast to coast.
This week in the rumor mill, Cassidy shares the comings and goings of the week that was in the recruiting grapevine.
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PROVIDENCE MAKES IT MOVE WITH JALEN REECE
The picture of Jalen Reece’s recruitment continues to come into focus, as a source recently told Rivals that the four-star guard would, in fact, take a visit to Providence on Oct 11. The confirmation clears an important will-he-or-won’t-he question that lingered over Reece’s process.
The rest of Reece’s official visit has also been set in stone. This weekend will find the Florida-based guard on the campus of Dayton. He’ll visit Cincinnati on Sept. 7 and hit LSU on Sept. 21. A trip to Ohio State is being finalized for early October, but no date has been set in stone at this juncture.
At this point, Ohio State, Cincinnati and Providence are viewed as the co-leaders, with LSU turning up the heat and poised to make a move into the top group following Reece’s visit to Baton Rouge. At least for now, it seems as though Providence will receive Reece’s final visit, a fact that, while not harbinger for a commitment by any means, is notable.
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A LONE STAR STATE BATTLE FORMS FOR KINGSTON FLEMINGS
Four-star guard Kingston Flemings will likely land at a Texas-based program, as buzz suggests Texas and Houston are the main players to land his pledge, with the Cougars holding an edge at the moment. Things can change on a dime in recruiting, however, so Flemings’ September official visit to Houston is shaping up as a pivotal moment to say the very least, as it could be a deal-sealing trip.
Flemings is also considering Gonzaga, Texas Tech and Arkansas in addition to the Longhorns and Cougars. John Calipari’s Razorbacks actually once seemed to be a part of the front-runners in the Flemings sweepstakes, but a source recently told Rivals that a commitment to Arkansas feels unlikely because of how the Razorbacks' roster construction for the 2025 season is shaping up.
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THE PICTURE OF CHANCE MALLORY’S RECRUITMENT BEGINS TO CLEAR
Four-star point guard Chance Mallory’s official visit is as follows: Virginia Tech (Sept. 6), Virginia (Sept. 13), Clemson (Sept. 20), Villanova (Sept. 28), Tennessee (Oct. 11), Miami (Oct. 25).
Mallory will be joined by five-star wing Nate Ament on his Virginia visit, which could pay dividends for a program attempting to keep regional talent close to home. The fact that Mallory’s final visit is a trip to Miami is notable because the Hurricanes have been viewed as an intriguing option for some time. If his scheduled trip to Coral Gables for the pageantry-drenched football game between the Hurricanes and Florida State isn't canceled because of a quick commitment elsewhere and proceeds as planned, things could get interesting.
The Cavaliers, Hurricanes and Hokies seem best positioned to be the last team standing for Mallory for the time being. How things will shake out, however, will be determined by the point guard’s upcoming run of official visits.
