Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has three predictions on Notre Dame winning out for a top defensive target, Georgia bolstering its depth in the defensive backfield and the pick for four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth.
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NOTRE DAME WILL WINÂ OUT FOR FOUR-STAR EDGE RODNEY DUNHAM
Rivals250 edge defender Rodney Dunham will come off the board on April 20 – choosing among Duke, Georgia, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Tennessee. Dunham made visits back to each of his finalists this spring before electing to shut his recruitment down midway through the spring.
Our intel points to a tight battle among South Carolina, Georgia and the Irish, who hosted Dunham and his family in late March before setting a date. Our pick is on Notre Dame to bolster its 2026 class with the elite target.
GEORGIA WILL BE THE PICK FOR BLUE-CHIP SAFETY JORDAN SMITH
Four-star South Georgia safety Jordan Smith is gearing up for official visits beginning with a trip back to Georgia on May 30 before stops at Georgia Tech, Florida State and Tennessee. Of that group, The Vols have been pressing very hard for the blue-chipper along with the Dawgs, who have emerged as the team to beat at this point in the calendar.
Our intel points to Georgia being the team to beat ahead of a pivotal stretch of visits. Our prediction is the Dawgs will keep Smith in-state.
OLE MISS IS THE PICK FOR ELITE QB LANDON DUCKWORTH
Landon Duckworth has taken a calculated approach to his recruitment. The elite 2026 passer from Alabama has made a pair of visits to Ole Miss in the past three months as the Rebels continue to pad their standing with the touted QB target, and will get the last crack at Duckworth with a June 20 official visit.
Lane Kiffin, Charlie Weis Jr., Kelvin Bolden and the Rebels staff have made Duckworth a top priority in this class and are beginning to distance themselves from the pack.
Despite strong interest from Georgia, Florida State and South Carolina, our prediction is on Ole Miss to land Duckworth.
