Tag: Zelus Hicks

2026 safety Zelus Hicks to announce commitment soon, Auburn remains a contender

Auburn’s top-ranked recruiting class for 2026 could gain more star-power if Hicks chooses the Tigers.

One of the nation’s top safeties for the 2026 recruiting cycle is close to announcing his commitment, and Auburn remains a key contender in the race.

[autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag], a four-star safety from Carrollton High School (Ga.) tells On3’s Chad Simmons that a commitment date is coming soon and that Auburn remains in the top five list of schools that he is considering.

“I love how coaches are reaching out. I can see who is into me and who isn’t,” Hicks said in a recent interview with On3. “Tennessee, Ohio State, Texas, Georgia, Auburn, and a few others have done a great job in the last few weeks. It helps with relationships and it shows me a lot about who really wants me. That is helping with my decision.”

Hicks says that he wants to commit some time over the next two months, but wants to discuss the positives and negatives of every school with his father before ultimately deciding where to go. What will the winning school possess? Hicks says that he wants to attend the school that provides the best fit for his skillset.

“I am still talking with colleges about how I fit into the scheme, if the staff will be there when I get there and things like that,” Hicks said. “Committing and then decommitting is not something I want to do, so with me thinking about committing early, there are still some big questions for me to get the answers to.”

According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, Auburn is the frontrunner with a 78.2% forecast. 247Sports does not have a crystal ball prediction for Hicks at the time of this post. Hicks is scheduled to visit the Plains for the game against Oklahoma at the end of September. Could a positive outcome ultimately lead Auburn to land Hicks?

Hicks is the No. 12 overall recruit from the 2026 class according to Rivals, and ranks as high as No. 1 at his position. Auburn’s 2026 recruiting class currently ranks No. 1 with six commitments, three of whom are four-star defenders.

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Notre Dame offers 5-star 2026 Georgia safety Zelus Hicks

The Irish have entered the chat for one of 2026’s best

There is plenty of NFL data that will back up Notre Dame football’s claim that they develop members of the secondary.

Kyle Hamilton is a star for the Baltimore Ravens, Cam Hart was just drafted and Benjamin Morrison is popping up on multiple 2025 NFL first round mock drafts. There is no shortage of past or current talent for the Irish, so when they offer a prospect, it’s easy to see the path to the next level.

That could be the case with Georgia 2026 safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag], who was offered a Notre Dame scholarship on Thursday. He’s ranked as the nations No. 16 overall player and 2nd at his position according to the 247Sports Composite.

Almost every major power is recruiting Hicks, so it won’t be an easy recruiting win for the Irish.

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Gators ‘will definitely be’ in top 5 for this 2026 5-star safety

There is still a lot of time remaining on this recruit’s clock but the Gators are making inroads with one of the best safeties in the prep ranks.

Florida football’s recruiting focus in recent weeks has primarily been on the 2025 cycle but Billy Napier and Co. are also working hard on the following class as well.

Five-star safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag] out of Carrollton (Georgia) in the 2026 cycle wrapped up his second trip to the Swamp on Tuesday to get another look at what the Orange and Blue have to offer. The 6-foot-1.5-inch, 180-pound defensive back had previously visited for the Vanderbilt game in 2023 when he received his scholarship offer from the University of Florida.

“It was great getting to see and talk with the coaches again,” Hicks told Swamp247. “We had some good talks, and I got to see the facilities they have there with my family this time.”

Acclimating with a new coach

This time around, there was a coaching change for him to adjust to after secondary coach Will Harris took over for Corey Raymond during the offseason.

“I thought it really smooth talking with (Harris),” Hicks begins. “We talked about defense a little bit. He was telling me some of the ways he would want to use me if I were to go there. He saw me fitting in the same way a lot of coaches have said they want to use me. He saw that I am really versatile in the secondary. He said he really likes how I can tackle, how I cover a lot of ground, and how I am a ballhawk. He wants to use me all over the field basically.”

Hicks’ overall thoughts on Florida

“I just like the environment at Florida,” he noted. “It’s great there, and my family likes it. The coaching staff is great, and I can tell they all have good wisdom on the game. They have some coaches who have experience with the NFL, like their strength coaches and Coach Harris. That is all appealing to me.”

Hicks also offered that he thinks the Gators “will definitely be in my top five.”

Recruiting summary

Hicks is rated at five stars and ranked No. 12 overall and No. 2 at his position nationally according to the 247Sports composite while the On3 industry ranking rates him at four stars and has him at Nos. 17 and 2, respectively.

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine has the Auburn Tigers on top of his recruitment with an 81.8% chance of signing him, followed by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (4.7%), Georgia Bulldogs (3.0%) and Florida (1.7%).

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Wesley McGriff’s return is ‘big’ for 5-star Auburn target Zelus Hicks

Auburn is firmly in the running for five-star safety Zelus Hicks and Wesley McGriff is a major reason why.

[autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] was a member of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s first coaching staff at Auburn and despite a brief stint at Texas A&M, he will be a part of the second one.

That development was significant for five-star safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag]. McGriff coaches the cornerbacks but he has taken the lead for Hicks.

“It was very important actually. I was shocked that he came back so quick,” Hicks told Auburn Undercover’s Christian Clemente. “He was only up there for like a week. When he came back it definitely surprised me and it was big that he came back. The main thing that he said to me today is that he’s here and he wants me here with him. He’s not going nowhere. After leaving, he’s not going nowhere. That’s big.”

From Georgia, Hicks has spent plenty of time on Auburn’s campus and that won’t be stopping soon. He visited for three games last season and after stopping by on Saturday, he plans on spending plenty of more time on the Plains.

“Oh yeah, I’m definitely going to be back as much as I can,” Hicks said.

He is the No. 31 overall player and No. 3 safety in the 247Sports composite ranking. The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder is also the No. 4 player from Georgia.

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Ohio State football offers 5-star 2026 Georgia safety

The Buckeyes are looking to continue it’s secondary depth with this offer

One of the bigger names that visited Columbus this weekend as a guest of [autotag]Ohio State football[/autotag] was Georgia 2026 safety [autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag].

The 6-foot, 1-inch, 180-pound defensive back got an up-close and personal view of the Buckeyes win over Michigan State. Hicks’ experience could not have gone any better, especially considering the Ohio State coaching staff thought enough about his abilities to offer him a scholarship.

The Peach State star is one of the best players in the country, ranking as the No. 3 safety and 32nd overall player in his class according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Hicks has an offer list to back up his high ranking.

The Buckeyes currently have only one commit in the 2026 recruiting cycle, wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.

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LSU offers 2026 safety from Lilburn, Georgia

LSU is looking toward the future for a talented safety in the 2026 recruiting class.

LSU is looking for a talented safety in the 2026 recruiting class. That search led them to Lilburn, Georgia, where they found a talented guy from Parkview High School.

[autotag]Zelus Hicks[/autotag] is a 6-foot-2, 170-pound, safety from Lilburn, Georgia where he plays for Parkview High School. The Parkview Panthers finished the 2022 season 8-4 with a loss to Westgate in the second round of the GHSA 7A playoffs.

There are currently no Crystal Ball projections for Hicks, but Georgia is a 36% favorite to land him per On3.

Film Analysis: Hicks has a long way to go before he decides where he will play at the next level, but he shows great ball skills for a freshman.

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