Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman defensive back Hayden Stepp has more on unofficial visit set before he narrows his list and locks in his official visits.
Stepp is one of the nation’s top cover corners and is currently rated the No. 27 player nationally in the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services, as well as the No. 4 corner in the country.
Stepp has been very active over the last few months, taking several unofficial visits all over the country. He told us a month ago he expected to start setting his official visits soon but wants to take one final unofficial visit before doing so.
“I’m going to visit Cal this week,” Stepp said. “I’ll be out on the 4th and I’m excited to check things out. Coach Tosh (Lupoi) is being very aggressive right now and I know there’s a lot of players interested in them.”
We’ve long maintained Alabama and Oregon are the teams to beat with Stepp but he recently took unofficial visits to Tennessee and Georgia and raved about both schools.
“The Tennessee trip was great,” Stepp said. “I really enjoyed talking with coach Heupel, that was the highlight of the visit for me. He was very approachable and direct about how he sees me fitting into the program.
“The trip to Georgia was eye opening. We had a chance to watch practice and I loved watching them compete. They were very intense and efficient in everything they did. It’s a program known for great defense and when you see them up close, it’s easy to see why.”
Clemson is another school Stepp has visited multuple times and should not be discounted.
“Right now my visits will be between May 29.- June 20 so it’s kind of small window,” Stepp said. “I’ve liked all my visits so far so it’s tough to narrow down. After the Cal visit, we’ll sit back and really evaluate everyone.
“I don’t want to give any coaches false hope right now so we’re being patient and thorough. I should have a good idea by next week where I’m going and then we’ll get some locked in for sure.”
As mentioned, we like where the Ducks and Tide sit and it will be a major shocker if both don’t receive official visits.
“I have a great comfort level at both schools,” Stepp said. “I was at Bama recently for practice and always love the intensity and energy there and I really like the coaches a lot.
“I’ve been to Oregon a ton and it always feels like home. They’re recruiting me really hard and I really like the direction the program is going right now.”