Big 12 Spotlight: Five important visits to watch this spring
The calendar has turned to March and each visit prospects take is carrying more weight. Here are several important visits to keep an eye on in the Big 12.
RYDER LYONS – BYU, TBD
The five-star quarterback is always up for a good surprise – like his out-of-nowhere visit to Sacramento State on Friday with Folsom, Calif., teammate Jameson Powell – but BYU is a real contender in his recruitment for numerous reasons.
USC, Oregon and a surging Michigan are also very involved with Lyons. But both of his parents went to school at BYU, there is a religious consideration there and the five-star quarterback talked highly about BYU last weekend at the Rivals Camp. Lyons hasn’t finalized visit dates to all of his favorites yet but he’s expected back at BYU and that’s clearly huge.
JAMES JOHNSON – Colorado, March 15
There is a good chance that Florida, Miami, Georgia and others end up battling it out for Johnson because he’s shown a lot of interest in Southeast schools.
But the North Fort Myers four-star defensive tackle is visiting Colorado next weekend and it could be a game-changer for him. The Buffaloes have made him a priority and have been showing a ton of interest, plus there is another massive connection there. North Fort Myers is also CU coach Deion Sanders’ alma mater and it could be a big deal once Johnson starts focusing in on a decision.
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PULELEI’ITE PRIMUS – Texas Tech, April 11
April is going to be a massive month across the country – one of the busiest of the calendar, as if they’re not all busy now – and Texas Tech will have its fair share of official visits.
One of the biggest – literally – and most important will be Primus, a 6-foot-4, 326-pound four-star offensive lineman from Midland, Texas. Arizona State is one to watch in his recruitment but with more than 20 offers, Primus has a ton of options. Less than two hours away from Lubbock, these are the kinds of recruiting battles the Red Raiders need to win.
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ESUN TAFA – UTAH, June 20
A former Washington commit, Tafa backed off that pledge in recent months and then said last weekend at the Rivals Camp Series event in California that Utah and USC are his two frontrunners.
The Utes will host Tafa in late June and the Draper (Utah) Corner Canyon standout will also visit USC again before making any decisions, which should happen prior to his senior season. His relationship with the Utah staff paired with campus being so close to his family, the Utes might be able to close the deal after his late June trip.
DONOVAN WEBB – Baylor, April 25-27
A whole round of visits are coming up for Webb whether to Colorado and then a fleet of official visits with Texas Tech, Baylor, SMU, Ohio State, Michigan, LSU and Oklahoma planned starting in April.
With more than 30 offers, Webb has his selection on where he wants to play but his relationship with the Baylor staff is definitely strong. There have been some SMU rumors floating around, so the Bears have to keep winning some of these regional recruiting battles to succeed – and for coach Dave Aranda to keep his job.
