Week 13 intel: Virginia Tech's moves; Jordan Carter latest, biggest visits

As the 2026 recruiting cycle reaches the stretch run, Georgia, LSU, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and a reenergized, James Franklin-led Virginia Tech are among the major programs looking to dazzle top recruits in Week 13, only 12 days from the 2026 early signing period (Dec. 3-5).

The most interesting recruiting weekend across the country, surprisingly, is in Blacksburg, Virginia, where Franklin and the Hokies are hosting some 2026 prospects, including top uncommitted quarterback Troy Huhn, on Saturday, days after Franklin's introductory news conference. Texas will have a critical slate of prospects on campus, too, led by four-star LSU offensive tackle pledge Brysten Martinez. Meanwhile, Davion Brown, ESPN's top-ranked uncommitted wide receiver, will step up his late recruitment with a trip to Maryland.

There's plenty of action still to play out over the next two weeks. Before Week 13 begins across the country, here's the latest recruiting intel on the 2026 class:

James Franklin opening with big recruiting weekend at Virginia Tech

Other than a handful of impressive classes in the past decade, Virginia Tech has seldom been a recruiting power. The Hokies have logged just one top-20 finish in ESPN's team class rankings since 2010. From 2021 to 2025, the program signed just five ESPN 300 recruits.

Invigorating Virginia Tech's presence on the recruiting trail is one of Franklin's challenges in his new job, and the former Penn State coach is getting to work fast this weekend. With interim coach Philip Montgomery still on the sidelines, the Hokies are set to kick off the Franklin era this weekend with a long list of visitors, including some current and former Nittany Lions commits, on hand to see the Hokies host Miami in Week 13.

"We've already started recruiting," Franklin said in his introductory news conference Wednesday. "Two nights ago, I had 40 players on the phone; young men that are committed to Virginia Tech. [I] also called all the top players in the state of Virginia, as well. We're going to need this stadium rocking on Saturday."

Troy Huhn, No. 198 overall and the top uncommitted quarterback in the ESPN 300, is among the biggest names who will be on campus Saturday. Huhn spent 16 months committed to Franklin and Penn State before pulling his pledge last month, days after Franklin's Oct. 12 firing.

Minnesota and Stanford have each entered the mix for Huhn. With Franklin back in a job, Virginia Tech immediately becomes a top contender for ESPN's No. 10 pocket passer.

"Coach Franklin taking the Virginia Tech job changes a few things," Huhn's father told ESPN. "We're going to go out on an official visit this weekend and watch the Hokies play Miami. We want to know who the staff is and who they're bringing in scheme-wise and all that."

Penn State safety pledge Matt Sieg (No. 162 overall) is another ESPN 300 prospect set to visit Virginia Tech on Saturday. Sieg, who has visited Indiana, Pitt and Notre Dame since mid-November, told ESPN that he plans to announce a decision in the next week.

Among the other Franklin-linked Penn State recruits expected to visit this weekend: athlete Pierce Petersohn (No. 293 overall), offensive guard Benjamin Eziuka (No. 300), three-star linebacker Mathieu Lamah and three-star offensive tackles Marlen Bright and Roseby Lubintus. Franklin has also been in contact with former Penn State pledges Davion Brown and Tavian Branch in recent days.

Four-star offensive tackle Thomas Wilder, who decommitted from the Hokies after Brent Pry's firing in September, will also return to Virginia Tech this weekend. Wilder (No. 222 overall) is the No. 7 overall recruit in the state of Virginia and holds interest from Maryland.

Four-star DE Jordan Carter down to Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Texas

Carter, No. 57 overall, became ESPN's top-ranked uncommitted defender when he pulled his pledge from Texas A&M on Nov. 1 after more than a year in the Aggies' 2026 class.

This week, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound edge rusher from Douglasville, Georgia, announced that he will decide Dec. 3 as Auburn, Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Texas vie for his commitment. Per ESPN sources, all four programs will be prominently involved in Carter's recruiting process heading into the early signing period.

Tennessee's recent history of developing elite defensive line talents stands out to Carter, and he came away impressed with the Vols' game-day experience on his visit last weekend. On Saturday, he'll be on hand for 9-1 Georgia Tech's matchup against Pitt, a trip that could loom especially large, with sources suggesting the opportunity to play close to home could play a heavy part in Carter's decision. Carter will visit Auburn for the second time this fall when he's on hand for the Iron Bowl in Week 14, and he's working to secure a visit date to Texas between now and Dec. 3.

The suitors for the nation's No. 8 defensive end are clear. With less than two weeks before the early signing period, Carter's process appears likely to go down to the wire.

SEC rivals Oklahoma and Texas surging toward big finishes

The Sooners and Longhorns are headed in opposite directions in terms of College Football Playoff contention, but both programs appear poised to close strong on the 2026 recruiting trail.

Sources tell ESPN that Oklahoma is well-positioned in its pursuits of former Penn State running back pledge Messiah Mickens (No. 141 overall) and four-star Wisconsin receiver commit Jayden Petit (No. 178).

Mickens has grown close with Sooners assistant DeMarco Murray, who recently visited ESPN's 13th-ranked running back, and Mickens is set to be in Norman in Week 14, days before announcing his commitment to either Oklahoma, Indiana or Ole Miss on Dec. 3. Despite Wisconsin's decision to retain coach Luke Fickell, Petit's process has been trending toward the Sooners since the 6-foot-4 wide receiver visited Oklahoma on Oct. 25.

Another late-rising target, four-star defensive end Dane Bathurst, will be on campus when the Sooners host Missouri on Saturday. Since pulling his commitment from Duke earlier this month, Bathurst has drawn significant interest from Nebraska, Purdue, Vanderbilt and the Sooners. Sources indicate that Oklahoma is the front-runner.

On the other side of the Red Red Rivalry, Texas is hosting some key recruits for Saturday's home game against Arkansas as the Longhorns put the final touches on the nation's No. 7 class.

Headlining the visitors is four-star LSU offensive tackle commit Brysten Martinez, who returns for his second visit of the month. He'll be joined on his official visit by two other LSU pledges, defensive tackle Richard Anderson (No. 90 overall) and safety Aiden Hall (No. 145), two flip targets Texas is working to add to an already star-studded defensive class.

The Longhorns are also set to host a pair of late in-state offers -- Jett Walker and Kaden Scherer, who are high school teammates from Georgetown, Texas. Walker, a three-star running back, committed to Minnesota earlier this month. Scherer, also a three-star, has been the top-ranked offensive tackle in Stanford's 2026 recruiting class since June.

A source confirmed that three-star UCLA cornerback pledge Toray Davis is no longer expected to visit Texas in Week 13 due to a high school playoff game Saturday.

Top uncommitted WR Davion Brown visiting Maryland with two others in the mix

Brown, a former Penn State commit, has already experienced one coaching change this fall.

It's why Maryland's decision to retain coach Mike Locksley was so significant to Brown, a pass catcher from Richmond, Virginia, who has picked up his recruitment in the final weeks before the early signing period. On Saturday, ESPN's No. No. 109 overall prospect will visit the Terps, one of the leading contenders in his late-cycle process, alongside Kansas State and Virginia Tech.

"I'm looking for a stable program with a stable coach," Brown told ESPN. "I want to play for somebody who's going to be there and try to change the trajectory of the program. [Maryland] is recruiting me to be a player who can help do that."

Led by wide receivers coach Latrell Scott, Maryland has been an option for Brown for more than two years. Kansas State, which has spent the fall working to add wide receiver talent in the 2026 class, began recruiting Brown shortly after he decommitted from Penn State last month, while Indiana's interest has cooled after the Hoosiers landed a commitment from former Penn State wide receiver pledge Lavar Keys last weekend.

The most recent entrant into the race for Brown's pledge: Virginia Tech. The Hokies were in touch almost immediately after Franklin was formally hired earlier this week.

"He was just reintroducing himself," Brown said of his call with Franklin. "He's in the program now, and he wants to have the same relationship that we had when he was at Penn State."

Brown developed a strong relationship with Franklin during his recruitment and spent six months in the Nittany Lions' class. Brown will not be at Virginia Tech's massive recruiting weekend, but he told ESPN that he intends to visit the program in the coming weeks.

Brown cannot enroll in January and could take his process to the February signing period. "For now, I'm not really planning to rush anything," he said.

Weekend visits to watch

Georgia: Four-star safety Blake Stewart, Clemson decommit

Georgia, Miami and Vanderbilt have been trying to land the defensive back from College Park, Georgia, since he pulled his pledge from Clemson on Oct. 27. As Stewart nears a decision, the Bulldogs appear to be in the driver's seat among his finalists in a tight late-cycle recruitment.

After recent trips to Vanderbilt (Oct. 25) and Miami (Nov. 8), Stewart returned to Georgia in Week 12 for an unofficial visit during the program's 35-10 win over Texas. It bodes well that he'll be back on campus again for an official visit with Georgia on Saturday, particularly with sources telling ESPN that Stewart is expected to announce a commitment before Dec. 3.

Houston: Four-star WR Jayden Warren, Houston commit

Warren, from Iowa Colony, Texas, has pingponged between Houston to Texas A&M in recent weeks, as the Aggies continue their late flip efforts with Warren, ESPN's No. 237 overall recruit.

A vertical playmaker with elite speed, Warren has been committed to Houston since July 13. He visited the Cougars on Nov. 8 before returning to Texas A&M for the second time this fall last Saturday, during the No. 3 Aggies' come-from-behind win over South Carolina. That visit left sources at Texas A&M confident in the program's standing with Warren. But with Warren back at Houston this weekend, visiting alongside No. 1 quarterback commit Keisean Henderson, the Cougars will get to make a closing argument.

LSU: Four-star DT Dylan Berymon, Texas decommit

Berymon, who pulled his pledge from Texas on Nov. 5, is Louisiana's No. 8 prospect, and the in-state Tigers are making a strong push for the 6-foot-3, 330-pound defender.

After visiting for LSU's 23-22 win over Arkansas last weekend, Berymon will be back Saturday for the program's Week 13 visit from Western Kentucky. Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Texas Tech and Washington are all in contact, along with Nebraska, which will host Berymon on Nov. 29. But for the moment, LSU appears to hold a clear edge in his recruitment.

North Carolina: Four-star RB Carsyn Baker, Florida commit

Still committed to the Gators, ESPN's No. 16 running back prospect is courting late interest from Georgia Tech, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

On Saturday, Baker will visit North Carolina, which doesn't have an ESPN 300 running back pledge in either its 2026 or 2027 recruiting classes, as the Tar Heels continue their late-cycle push with several top-300 players. Georgia Tech, which Baker visited in October and will visit again Nov. 28, is a major player in his process. Kentucky and Ole Miss, which respectively hosted Baker over the past two weekends, stand as two more leading flip contenders.

SMU: Four-star OT Max Wright, Texas commit

The 6-foot-7, 310-pound lineman from Melissa, Texas, will visit SMU for the second time this month Saturday. He's a top priority for the Mustangs and coach Rhett Lashlee.

Wright has been committed to Texas since February. But as the Longhorns have upped their efforts to add top-300 offensive line talent this month, SMU has intensified its long-standing pursuit of ESPN's No. 39 offensive tackle prospect. After visiting the Mustangs on Nov. 1, he'll be back for their Week 13 visit from Louisville before returning to Texas next weekend.