Four-star back Nigel Newkirk, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound prospect from Gainesville High in Georgia, is down to six schools. Newkirk is ranked the No. 6 running back in the 2027 Rivals300, checking in at No. 89 overall and No. 10 in Georgia.
NEWS: Four-Star RB Nigel Newkirk is down to 6 Schools, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 18, 2026
The 5’11 195 RB from Gainesville, GA is ranked as the No. 6 RB in the 2027 Rivals300
Where Should He Go?⁰https://t.co/EIPNdNv1xD pic.twitter.com/1cGY6BTCLf
4-star RB Nigel Newkirk cuts list of schools to six
Newkirk's top six is LSU, USC, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Alabama. The Hurricanes got Newkirk to visit campus last fall for the Stanford game.
Back in November, Newkirk announced he was down to five schools: Miami, Alabama, Michigan, FSU and Georgia. Ohio State and LSU have gained enough ground to make his updated list.
Newkirk ran for 1,496 yards on 184 carries as a junior at Gainesville, averaging 8.1 yards per rush with 19 rushing touchdowns and 20 total scores. He also added 128 receiving yards, giving him 1,624 total yards on the season.
247Sports gives him an 89 rating and ranks him No. 20 among running backs and No. 26 in Georgia, while the 247Sports Composite places him No. 194 nationally, No. 11 at running back and No. 22 in the state.
Beyond the Miami visit, Newkirk has taken unofficial trips to Georgia Tech twice, Florida, Ole Miss, Georgia, Auburn and Alabama twice. He has also been to Florida State, including unofficial trips on April 11, Aug. 30 and Oct. 4 of 2025, plus a Jan. 24, 2026 junior day.
Alabama is considered the leader in the clubhouse for Newkirk's services, but it is a big win for Miami that the Hurricanes don't have to also go up against FSU. The Seminoles clearly weren't able to do enough to keep the interest of Newkirk and based on the new list, they didn't have the same performance on the field that would have warranted staying in the race.