Takeaways from seeing USC, LSU, UCF commits in action across the Southeast

Football season is in full swing, and that is at all levels from the NFL to college football and also the high school ranks.

Rivals National Recruiting Analyst Sam Spiegelman was at a handful of games across the Southeast and got in-person looks at several top prospects in the 2025, 2026, and 2027 recruiting cycles, including recruits committed to USC, UCF, LSU, Ole Miss, and more.

Here’s some takeaways from the action:

Four-star USC commit Carde Smith has an impressive frame and legitimate length to line up at left or potentially right tackle. At 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds, Smith is able to bend really well and plays low, explodes out of his stance, and can overpower the opposition in front of him.

During a live eval, Smith flashed the ability to reach the second level of blocks and deliver a quick initial punch in pass protection. He’s a tone-setter along the offensive line, and we love his agility, the quick feet, and well as the room to build out his frame.

Smith has made significant leaps and bounds in his game to take it to new heights between his junior and senior seasons at Mobile (Ala.) Williamson High. The USC verbal is one of the most intriguing offensive tackle prospects in the 2025 class we’ve been able to watch live this fall.

Four-star WR TaRon Francis is a big-framed playmaker who is extremely physical, very explosive with the ball in his hands, and also extremely impactful in the run game as a blocker on the perimeter. At 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, Francis is a true threat that can work outside the numbers. He can stretch the field vertically and also is dangerous working the middle of the field and making plays with the ball in his hands in space.

We love Francis’ ability to compete for balls in the air. He has an enormous vertical and is massively effective playing above the rim and battling for 50-50 balls — even in contested catch situations. His physical play style is conducive to big offensive chunk plays — whether that’s working in the middle, getting behind the defense, or forcing defenders to try and tackle him after the catch. We’re stoked to see what he does when he arrives in Baton Rouge.

Ole Miss-committed DE Corey Adams continues to show flashes as along the defensive line as a senior at New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr. This fall, he is working inside as well as off the edge, and Adams makes a habit of causing chaos in the middle of the front. Adams has continued to build up his frame. He has a fantastic get up get off and frame and is a force defending the run. He came away with several big stops setting the edge in the run game and also generating pressure from the middle. His splash plays and pressures are consistent enough to damage.

Top-100 2026 QB Landon Duckworth out of Jackson (Ala.) is an exceptional passer and a threat to any defense with his astounding ability to make off-platform and off-schedule plays with ease. Duckworth, who is equally as dynamic throwing the ball to different levels of the field with accuracy as he is running it, maneuvers well both inside and outside of the pocket and conssitently keeps his eyes glued downfield.

We love Duckworth’s vision and how it compliments his escapability and improvisational play style. The four-star passer delivered on-time passes hitting receivers in strides downfield and in the middle of the field, and he maintained that accuracy throwing on the move and from various angles getting rid of the ball.

We believe that the combination of vision, arm talent, and mobility puts him in a tier of his own. Defenses struggle to account for his playmaking whether he’s in or outside of the pocket. His effectiveness in a playground style of quarterbacking is a nuanced aspect of the position that we’ve witnessed at the professional and college levels, and we believe Duckworth is next in line.

Big Richard Anderson is a force in the middle of the New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr defense. At 6-foot-4 and 300-plus pounds, Anderson is an athletic big man capable of absorbing blockers and consistently forcing the issue inside. Anderson is bouncy for a 300-plus-pounder and able to generate pressure from the middle of the defensive line. His size and strength allows him to clog up running lanes and demand attention from multiple blockers up front.

Andersen has continued to grow stronger and command more attention on the inside. We love the motor of this 300-plus-pound LSU commitment and his ability to apply pressure from the middle of the defensive line and impact the run game.

Aiden Hall

Aiden Hall four star safety covers a ton of ground on the back end of the ethnic card defense. He lines up and multiple positions, including up top at free as well as inside at the nickel hall takes direct pets the football and punishes all carriers his fluid and coverage and able to stick, with receivers at a high clip is an enforcer in the middle of the field, and also shines and helping cover over the top

Jamarrion Gordon has a natural feel for the position. The four-star UCF-committed defensive back saw action on both sides of the ball, and defensively, moves very well at cornerback. Gordon plays with a smoothness to his game and we love his playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. That includes two touchdowns receiving, including an elusive run after the catch.

Gordon made several plays on the ball in coverage. We are high on his anticipation and smoothness in and out of his breaks. We are high on his ability to consistently put himself in and around the football. Gordon is adept at finding and tracking the football and makes aggressive plays on the ball.

Keeyun Chapman is a stock-up prospect as he continues to fine-tune his skill-set as the No. 1 option in the passing game for four-star QB Landon Duckworth. Chapman, who checks in as a big target at 6-foot-3 and 190 pounds, can make plays stretching the field vertically and is also adept working in the middle of the field and making plays after the catch.

The UCF verbal from Jackson (Ala.) High plays a physical brand of football. With his big frame and innate toughness, Chapman a force to bring down in the open field. His size and catch radius allow him to come up with contested catches at a high clip and his acceleration after the fact is wildly intriguing. He is a nightmare for opposing tacklers to bring down in space.

Hayward Howard Jr. is one of several key pieces embedded in the New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr secondary. Howard brings a ton of length and athleticism to the cornerback position. At 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds, Howard is long and rangy to give opposing receivers fits in coverage. Despite the taller frame, he moves easily in and out of his breaks and can seamlessly turn and run in coverage downfield.

Howard, an Ole Miss legacy, is also a willing run defender. We love his smoothness in coverage, and is a prospect we’re continuing to warm up at a premium position in the 2026 cycle.

Another 2026 New Orleans (La.) Edna Karr cornerback to watch out for includes three-star Maurice Williams. At 6-foot and 175 pounds, Williams is also long and moves well dropping back into coverage. Physicality is a huge component in Williams’ game; he is a willing tackler that came up and made several big stops in the run game.

Ezavier Crowell out of Jackson Alabama broke through for one of the best in-person evaluations by a running back so far this fall. A dynamic three-down threat with home-run hitting ability, Crowell has fantastic vision as a ball-carrier both out of the backfield and in the return game. We love the four-star back’s field vision — not to mention his ability to cut and run, break through would-be tackles and keep his balance through tough, physical running.

Crowell is absolutely dynamic in the open field and difficult to corral in space. He is equally as explosive running the ball between the tackles or on the perimeter. Crowell bosts elite straight-line speed to beat defenders outside and through a cloud of dust. He combination of speed, power and noticeable contact balance makes for one of the most unsolvable running backs in the country regardless of classification. Crowell ranks No. 12 overall in the initial Rivals250 for 2027.

Gunner Rivers, son of former NFL quarterback Phillip Rivers, is equipped with a cannon for an arm and immense physical traits. Given the pedigree, we’re even more impressed with some other traits of his game, too.

The younger Rivers is superb moving within the pocket and maintaining his accuracy on throws on the move and off-schedule. We loved the touch and the accuracy on his throws, the anticipation on certain routes and his ability to sift through reads and hit receivers in stride consistently.

Rivers has good touch and timing on his throws and can place the ball anywhere on the field, we appreciated his ability to buy time outside the pockets to allow his receivers to try and get open. Working against a large deficit and a lot of long down-and-distances for stretches of the second half in action, you saw Rivers make profound, high-level throws. He attacked vertically and worked outside the numbers, as well as in the middle of the field. Rivers utilizes different arm angles and has a release very reminiscent of his father’s, where the ball comes out in a hurry and on point.

As a sophomore, we’re very high on Rivers — where he’s currently at in his development and even more so about his future.

2027 DB Jaylen Scott out of Mobile (Ala.) Williamson plays a variety of positions in the secondary and has even seen action on the offensive side of the ball. The super sophomore has really found a home back deep at safety this season. Scott (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) covers a ton of ground back deep and also plays downhill. He punishes defenders working in the middle of the fields and is often coming up and helping in run support and lowering his shoulder with authority as he flies to the football.

Scott is equally as impressive taking the ball away and operating with the rock in his hands. The 2027 SAF has multiple interceptions this season (6) and is also electric in the return game with speed and agility in the open field. We love his ball skills for a safety and the consistent plays on defense and on special teams.

We were really impressed by 2027 New Orleans (La.) St. Augustine WR Ray’Quan Williams in his sophomore opener, and the stock continues to rise for the sophomore pass-catcher midway through the fall. Williams is absolutely dynamic making plays in all facets of the field — with the ability to attack downfield as well as be a playmaker after the catch with the ball in his hands working in space, tracking the football and flashing outstadning body control to win contested catches and also high-point the football.

Williams is both quick out of his brakes and fast working in the open field and separating from defending. He’s electric in the return game and difficult to wrap up in space. Williams checks a ton of boxes as a receiving weapon, including finding holes in opposing defenses, route-running and making plays with the ball in the air. Several SEC schools like Ole Miss and Texas A&M have already jumped into the race for Williams this fall.