Mike Matthews Picks Tennessee, Justin Williams Keys in on Georgia, and More Prospects in the News

The  6-foot-2, 185-pound Matthews was offered by over 30 programs over the last few years but ultimately chose Tennessee over USC, Clemson, and Georgia, all College Football Playoff and national title challengers entering the 2023 season.

Matthews becomes the 17th commitment in the Volunteers’ 2024 class and helps them maintain the No. 11 spot in the 2024 rankings.

-Justin Williams, LB, Conroe, TX (Oak Ridge HS), #9 nationally, #1 LB, #3 in Tex.

Five-star Justin Williams is one of several prospects announcing his commitment in the coming days, as he will likely take his talents to Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs when he makes it official Sunday. 

The On3 predictor has Williams, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound middle linebacker out of Texas, leaning toward the two-time defending national champions at an 86.9% probability rate. 

His other top schools include the Oregon Ducks and Texas A&M Aggies to round out his final three. 

Williams is one of the best players in the country, just breaking into the top 10 on a national scale. Williams had a productive junior season while playing for Oak Ridge High School, accumulating 105 tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, and eight-and-a-half sacks. His on-field performance earned him 6A Defensive Player of the Year honors in District 13, helping lead the Trojans to a 10-3 mark and a Division I finals appearance before losing to Folsom 23-13.

If Williams were to pledge to the Bulldogs, he would become the 26th commit in the team's 2024 class, as Georgia remains the top program in recruiting. He would also be the second 2024 five-star to pledge to Smart, as top quarterback Dylan Raiola did so on May 15.

-David Stone, DL, Oklahoma City, OK. (IMG Academy), #7 nationally, #2 DL, #2 in Fla.

Another five-star commitment watch to keep an eye on is 2024 No. 7 defensive lineman David Stone, who has yet to announce a pledge date. Stone hails from Oklahoma City, Okla., and after playing his first two years at Del City, he decided to make the move to Florida to take his football skills to the next level while at IMG Academy.

Thus far at IMG Academy, the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Stone saw his recruitment take off as he was a 2022 MaxPreps Junior All-American and was one of the anchors of a defensive unit that forced 30 turnovers and held the opposition to only a field goal per game.

With those accolades, Stone and the Ascendors went 8-1 in 2022 and will look to build off similar success this upcoming fall.

On3 projections see Stone committing to the Oklahoma Sooners over the likes of the Michigan State Spartans, Florida Gators, and Miami (FL). At press time, Stone's chances of landing in Norman and playing for Brent Venables sit at 78.1%. Given his ties to the state of Oklahoma and wanting to establish a hometown hero type-feel, it makes logistical sense for him to play there.

Stone took an official visit to Oklahoma on June 16 before rounding out the month in East Lansing on June 23.

If Stone commits to Venables, the Sooners will not only have one of the best defensive linemen in the nation, but he will add to the potentially newly-minted two-headed monster that saw the Sooners land a pledge from top five-star running back Taylor Tatum Friday afternoon.

-Colin Simmons, EDGE, Duncanville TX. (Duncanville HS), #5 nationally, #1 EDGE, #1 in Tex.

Colin Simmons is also another five-star to keep tabs on in the coming weeks. The 6-foot-2 1/2, 225-pound Simmons is a 2024 edge rusher hailing from Texas and has an intriguing recruitment race worth paying attention to.

At press time, Simmons' projections see him staying in-state and committing to the soon-to-be SEC-bound Texas Longhorns at 58.5%, according to On3. Other college football SEC heavyweights, including the Alabama Crimson Tide, LSU Tigers, and Georgia Bulldogs are also in the mix, which will give Simmons an opportunity to be part of long-term consistent winning given those programs' previous track records.

Nonetheless, Simmons has impressed over the last several seasons, as his junior year saw him put together his best year to date. Simmons was part of a Duncanville team that won a state championship with a 15-0 record and earned him Texas District 11 Co-MVP with 22.5 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss.

Simmons' potential commitment to the Longhorns would be a massive recruiting win for Steve Sarkisian and company, as Texas sits at No. 20 in the 2024 recruiting rankings. The Longhorns currently have 15 pledges, including eight in-state prospects.