With the 2016 high school football season already under way in the Southeast and colleges set to kick off this week, there’s plenty about which to speculate. We at Rivals.com are well-versed in the art. Below are four Southeast-centric, recruiting-based predictions for the fall that lies ahead. RELATED: Impact freshmen around the SEC



1. Obvious on-field improvement will provide late spark to Miami's recruiting class

Miami is in need of a spark with the top-ranked players in its own state. That much has been clear for years. Florida State is the king of the Sunshine State’s recruiting mountain for the time being, and Florida is seen as an SEC program on the rise. There’s rightful optimism connected to Mark Richt and the new Miami staff, but the Hurricanes won’t be able to truly battle for the state’s top-flight players until they show an undeniable upward trajectory on the field. This, it seems, might be the year for such a thing. To be clear, I’m not saying Miami will finish the cycle with a top-10 class. Instead, the excitement surrounding a “name hire” like Richt, combined with even a nine-win season will be enough to breathe life back into UM’s recruiting. Players like the idea of Miami. They love the history and the trademark swagger. They’re just awaiting stability. Nine wins would create at least the perception of a slow return to glory, which is all the program needs to start selling itself to prep stars that already want to believe.

2. True freshman Tyler Huntley will see meaningful time under center at Utah

When in the business of ranking prospects, you immediately second guess yourself on occasion. The fear that comes with it is real and Huntley causes a lot of that inside of me. Will Huntley, now second on the Utes’ depth chart, take over for starter Troy Williams at some point this year? Part of me thinks he just might. What I do know for certain is that I already wish I would have pressed harder to improve his recruiting ranking. A South Florida product, Huntley hasn’t played a college down, but I strongly suspect I under-valued him. I've shared this fear privately with colleagues for a while now, so it's time I come clean in public. I don’t want to get too into making declarations about what I think Huntley could become at Utah, so, for now, let’s just leave it at “I already wish I could have that one back.”

3. Protecting Mike Hartley's commitment will be a tall task for West Virginia

Rivals250 wide receiver Mike Harley is a perfect fit for the West Virginia offense. He’s speedy, versatile and makes his living by breaking short passes into big gains. He is everything the Mountaineers want in a versatile slot wide receiver. Thing is, Miami and USC are lurking. The Trojans are considering offering Harley, who already lists a Miami offer. Nothing official has taken place yet, but should a USC offer arrive or Miami begin to push hard down the stretch, WVU will have to fight to retain its prized recruit. Fending off the hometown school and a traditional, California-based powerhouse that Harley has liked for years won’t be easy. Harley is content with his commitment status for now, but the mountaineers’ staff should make backup plans in case the worst takes place in November.

4. Florida commit Kadeem Telfort will flip to Miami