CARTERSVILLE, Ga. — The July recruiting period kicked off on Thursday, meaning college coaches were back on the road evaluating athletes. Unlike the two long weekends in June, when players were competing with their high school teams, this month, they are playing with their grassroots teams, which means the vast majority of the top prospects in the country are competing on sneaker circuits.
While it isn’t unusual to see coaches crisscrossing the country at this time of year to ensure they get to see, and are seen by, their top recruiting priorities, this opening weekend offers the convenience of having the top circuits all anchored in the southeast region of the country.
Nike is always at their summer headquarters in North Augusta. Under Armour is a few hours south near Atlanta, while Adidas is roughly the equivalent north outside of Charlotte. Even Puma is not too far away this year in Richmond, Va.
While I’m planning to bounce around this week, my travels began at the Under Armour Association in Atlanta, where coaches were hundreds deep on Thursday.
Here’s a look at some of the main attractions from Thursday at Under Armour from the rising senior class of 2026, including analysis and recruitment notes on Christopher Washington Jr., Joe Philon, Jayden Hodge, Quinn Costello, Fred Smith, Kevin Thomas, Colin Rice.
