By Corey Long – @CoreyLong
Updated Feb. 5, 2020.
Follow @walterfootball for updates.
Several top prospects have announced their commitment dates. Corey Long will make his predictions on where they will go.
Feb. 5
Now that it is National Signing Day, we’ll look at five remaining prospects and predict where they will sign today.
RB Zachary Evans (Houston, TX)
To the shock of no one, Evans’ recruitment will likely not end Wednesday, as the running back is talking about taking more visits in March. He can take one more official visit and will likely take a couple more unofficial visits to Texas A&M. LSU and Georgia are out of the picture. Texas A&M still seems like the leader in the clubhouse with Ole Miss, Tennessee and Florida all drawing interest. Don’t be surprised if another school pops up out of nowhere. Maybe Florida State? I’m not sure if that staff has the recruiting chops to land a player like Evans. Texas and Oklahoma appear unlikely, but don’t count either out. As it is, I’ll pick Texas A&M, but it might not happen for a while.
Prediction: Texas A&M
S Avantae Williams (Deland, FL)
Williams was an early commitment to Oregon and stuck with the Ducks for a while before backing away from that pledge a week before the early signing period. Now, he’s down to Miami and Florida, with the Hurricanes receiving an official visit on January 17 and the Gators getting one on January 24. This particular recruiting battle seems to be in heavy favor of Florida. Miami seems to have hedged its bets a little by getting a commitment from Georgia defensive back Isaiah Dunson a couple of weeks ago. Dunson is listed as a corner, but could do either. I wouldn’t say Williams to Florida is an absolute lock, but it’s close.
Prediction: Florida
QB Malik Hornsby (Missouri City, TX)
Baylor was the team to beat here until Matt Ruhle left Waco for the riches of the NFL. Hornsby waited out some of the coaching carousel and found his way to Arkansas, where new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles had already had a solid pedrigree with Robert Griffin III and more recently D’Eriq King. Hornsby is a little bigger and has a better ceiling as a passer than King. Could he be the player to change the recent fortunes at Arkansas? It is hard to say, but he will sign papers and become a Razorback on today.
Prediction: Arkansas
OL Marcus Henderson (Memphis, TN)
Henderson is another prospect who was waiting until after the coaching carousel was done to really get down to recruiting business. He has always liked Ole Miss, and I think the hiring of Lane Kiffin really piqued his interest because Kiffin is looking at using Henderson in multiple roles and possibly both ways. Arkansas is the other program, and don’t count head coach Sam Pittman out when it comes to recruiting linemen. Pittman had a relationship with Henderson when he was offensive line coach at Georgia, and that hasn’t changed. Ole Miss is getting a lot of the headway, but this one might be closer than expected.
Prediction: Ole Miss
DE Alfred Collins (Bastrop, TX)
I’ve been pretty tough on Oklahoma’s and Texas’ ability to land good defensive linemen, and I believe it’s the key behind Oklahoma’s struggles in the College Football Playoffs. So, it’s good to see both programs in the final group for Collins along with Alabama. Collins has a high ceiling, with NFL potential, so he would be a key addition to any class. Collins actually took all five of his visits before the early signing period and just decided to wait to see how things were going to look after the busy coaching carousel. Texas changed defensive coordinators from Todd Orlando, who is now at USC, to former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash. Longhorns head coach Tom Herman and Ash helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to the CFP championship in 2014. They are hoping to match that success at Texas. In order to pull it off on defense, Ash needs some significant talent upgrades. Collins will be a great start to that, and he’ll be a Longhorn by this afternoon.
Prediction: Texas
Jan. 3
These are the expected announcements for the All-American Bowl – formerly known as the U.S. Army All-American Bowl -, which will be televised Saturday on NBC.
CB Kelee Ringo (Scottsdale, AZ)
Ringo (6-2, 200) is the best cornerback on the market, and this was originally seemed like an Texas-Ohio State battle at some point in the summer, with both teams considered his “leader” at some point. But going into Saturday’s game, it appears Georgia and Oregon are the schools. One of the big stories of the 2019-20 recruiting cycle was how the southeast programs have just run amok through the west coast and are taking many of the top prospects who would have gone to the Pac-12 in past years. The fear for the conference is that Ringo is the next big name who will head east and south to bolster another stacked SEC roster. USC and Oregon hats will be on the table, but Georgia got the final visit and I believe that’s the hat he’ll put on his head as the Bulldogs approach a No. 1 class.
Prediction: Georgia
WR Gary Bryant Jr. (Corona, CA)
Bryant is another top-end prospect from the west coast, but in his case, the Pac-12 has a good shot since Oregon, Washington, USC, Oklahoma and Arizona State are his final five. All five programs received official visits, with the Sun Devils receiving the final one on November 30. But only Arizona State and USC received in-home visits, and it’s safe to said that this is a Sun Devils/Trojans matchup. In Bryant Jr.’s case, it’s easy to follow the steps. He was apparently in attendance for USC’s bowl game in San Diego, which is about two hours from his home in California. It hasn’t been a good recruiting cycle for USC, and Arizona State is a hot school right now, but I believe Arizona State’s slots for receiver might be full after the Under Armour Game announcements and Bryant pulls the trigger for a program that desperately needs some good recruiting news.
Prediction: USC
WR Xzavier Henderson (Miami, FL)
Henderson (6-3, 185) is likely down to Florida and Clemson with Alabama and Georgia remaining in the mix because of official visits. Generally, Henderson has been trending to Clemson, and there was word he was silently committed to them. But Florida has been trending much more recently, and of the two programs, the Gators probably offer a little better chance at immediate playing time and they are closer to home. I’m curious if this one has even been decided yet, and it’s possible Henderson could change his mind two more times before Saturday’s announcement. As of this writing, I think Florida is the choice, but that could change by tomorrow.
Prediction: Florida
RB Jalen Berger (Ramsey, NJ)
For a minute, I thought there was a potential steal here for Rutgers with the hiring of Greg Schiano. But Berger (6-0, 200) seems like a pretty straightforward prospect and said he was going to choose between Wisconsin and UCLA. Both schools received an official visit, with UCLA getting the final one on December 13. Wisconsin, however, was going to be tough to beat with the Badgers’ long history of producing top-end running backs.
Prediction: Wisconsin
CB Darion Green-Warren (Harbor City, CA)
The three schools for Green-Warren are Nebraska, Michigan and USC. All three received official visits in the past two months. Green-Warren has already signed with the school of his choice and will be an immediate enrollee. Michigan trended hard over the summer, and USC seemed to get back in the race with a strong official visit in early November. Michigan, however, got the last official visit, and Green-Warren seems comfortable with leaving the nest in California to play for the Wolverines.
Prediction: Michigan
LB Bunkley-Shelton (Gardena, CA)
Bunkley-Shelton (6-0, 185) seemed like he was headed to Arizona State for the longest time, but the Sun Devils’ recent success with signing wide receivers might’ve left him on the outside looking in. There’s Oregon, USC, Michigan and Texas still in the battle, although word is that Texas and Bunkley-Shelton moved on from each other weeks ago. It’s another great opportunity for USC to gain some major recruiting momentum on a national stage, but I feel like Bunkley-Shelton is going to give us a surprise with his recruitment and head east to the Big Ten.
Prediction: Michigan
LB Edgerrin Cooper (Covington, LA)
Cooper’s (6-2, 210) recruitment seems a little cut and dry barring something crazy. I think Oklahoma State and Texas A&M hats will be on the table along with a few extras, but the word is that he’s already signed with Texas A&M after a great official visit in the second week of December. So this announcement appears more like a formality unless circumstances have changed.
Prediction: Texas A&M
CB Dwight McGlothern (Spring, TX)
McGlothern (6-2, 175) has been all over the place in his recruitment but the listed finalists are Oregon, Arkansas, LSU, Georgia and USC. The Trojans got the final official visit on December 13 and quickly shot into the lead for McGlothern, which is something he hasn’t denied. He also admits Oregon has been very aggressive and its signing-day haul of linebackers Justin Flowe and Noah Sewell has really impressed him. Once again, this game could be a major sink or swim for USC, as the Trojans are in on half of the major prospects’ nationally televised announcements. I think USC is definitely the bettor’s favorite, but I believe Mario Cristobal is offering the better product right now and that’s going to sway McGlothern.
Prediction: Oregon
S Vito Tisdale (Bowling Green, KY)
It seems like an SEC battle for Tisdale with Alabama, LSU, Georgia, Kentucky and Tennessee on the table, but this doesn’t seem like much of a battle. Kentucky has been the team to beat for a while and received his final visit. Tisdale has been talking up Kentucky and head coach Mark Stoops and the job he’s done with the Wildcats. Unless it’s a great smoke screen, Tisdale is staying in state to be part of the best recruiting class in the program’s history.
Prediction: Kentucky
Jan. 1
The next step in the announcement/signing process is the all-star games. ESPN will present the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday, and NBC will present the All-American Bowl – formerly known as the U.S. Army All-American Bowl – on Saturday.
Expected Announcements at the Under Armour Game
TE Darnell Washington (Las Vegas, NV)
Although Washington (6-7, 260) is a west coast prospect, this recruiting battle has been centered around the southeast with Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee making up his final five. Looking at the numbers, I don’t think Florida and Alabama are still in the picture, although I could be wrong about Alabama. Miami received a late visit, but I don’t believe Washington is considering a school outside the SEC. That leaves Tennessee and Georgia. Washington says he has already signed his papers and will just be making the formal announcement Thursday and then heading to the school of his choice shortly after the game. Georgia has been aggressively going after tight ends, and there was a time it was believed the Bulldogs would sign Arik Gilbert and Washington. Gilbert decided to sign with LSU, while Washington will stick with the original plan.
Prediction: Georgia
RB Zachary Evans (Houston, TX)
This is going to be cap off one of the more up-and-down recruitments in recent memory. No one doubts Evans’ talent; he’s clearly the top running back in the nation from a talent standpoint. But he has had a rough go of things on the field at his high school – North Shore – that ended with him being suspended for the team’s state championship game against Duncanville for a violation of “cell phone usage”. I don’t know what the heck that means, and I’m not buying it as a legitimate reason for his suspension. Evans has also already signed, with LSU, Texas A&M and Georgia as the three finalists. LSU seemed to be at the front of the line for weeks, but Evans has all but told people through hints that Georgia will be his choice on Thursday.
Prediction: Georgia
CB Dontae Manning (Kansas City, MO)
It seems like years ago when Manning (6-0, 185) was committed to Oklahoma. He backed away from that commitment in the spring and was seemingly earmarked for Texas A&M at various points of the summer and early in the fall. At the end of the day, Oklahoma and Texas A&M make the final five, but they aren’t the programs that seem to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue when Manning is mentioned. Oregon, Georgia and Arizona State make up the rest of the final five. Give the Sun Devils some credit here, as they really jumped on Manning’s board after his official visit on November 9. And Georgia received the final visit before the early signing period, which is usually an advantageous position. But in this case, both programs were trying to catch up to Oregon, which has bounced back nicely after a couple of tough losses early in the signing period.
Prediction: Oregon
RB Daniyel Ngata (Folsom, CA)
Ngata (5-9, 180) has Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, Utah and Arizona State in his final group. Oklahoma State and Texas A&M were seemingly the top two for Ngata through the summer, but then he took an official visit to Arizona State in late September and has been trending for the Sun Devils since then. The Under Armour Game could be a major boon for Herm Edwards’ program as Ngata and teammate wide receiver Elijhah Badger are both expected to put on Sun Devils hats.
Prediction: Arizona State
WR Elijhah Badger (Folsom, CA)
Badger (6-1, 185) proved to be a rare breed in the 2020 recruiting class – a prospect from California who established early he wanted to play in the Pac-12. Arizona State, Oregon and USC are his final three. Badger took his official visit to Arizona State with teammate Daniyel Ngata, and both players have been buzzing about the Sun Devils since. USC is certainly a possible upset here if the teammates decide to split up.
Prediction: Arizona State
QB Chandler Morris (Dallas, TX)
Morris (5-11, 185) was originally committed to Arkansas to play under his father, former head coach Chad Morris. The younger Morris de-committed from Arkansas soon after his father was fired from the program. Chad Morris is now the offensive coordinator at Auburn, and the Tigers are among Chandler Morris’ final schools. Virginia Tech is among the finalists and is a program that keeps sticking out to me. Oklahoma is in the final group as well, and obviously Lincoln Riley’s quarterbacks are now stuff of legends, but who’s to say Riley will be there next week? I think the Hokies pull out the surprise here.
Prediction: Virginia Tech
Dec. 17
LB Justin Flowe (Upland, CA), scheduled announcement: December 18
Flowe will be the most watched prospect of the day, and he’s scheduled to make his announcement on ESPNU in the early afternoon. He has taken official visits to Miami, Clemson, Oregon and USC, with the Trojans receiving the final visit in the past weekend. For months, Flowe has been a heavy Clemson lean, but the latest buzz is all about Oregon, which provided Flowe with a great official visit and followed up with a strong in-home visit. Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal is a former SEC Recruiter of the Year and can go against any program head-to-head, even the defending national champions. Beyond the Ducks and the Tigers, there’s USC. USC is close to home, and it’s where Flowe’s family wants him to go. The Trojans’ recruiting class is in the bottom half of the Pac-12, and snagging Flowe on Wednesday would give that class a real centerpiece to build around. I think Clemson has been in Flowe’s heart, but the distance might be too much to overcome. The people around him want him to stay home. Oregon sounds like the compromise, keeping Flowe on the West Coast.
Prediction: Oregon
LB/ATH Len’Neth Whitehead (Athens, GA), scheduled announcement: December 18
Whitehead projects as a linebacker. He wants a shot to play running back, and UCLA is willing to recruit him as a running back. UCLA is in a desperate spot, needing upgrades at nearly every position on the roster and having to be more flexible in recruiting. Tennessee has been the team to beat for Whitehead, and I believe he’ll stay close to home and look forward to playing Georgia on an annual basis.
Prediction: Tennessee
EDGE/OLB Phillip Webb (Buford, GA), scheduled announcement: December 18
Webb will be playing in the SEC. It’s Alabama, Florida or LSU for the inside linebacker. He took visits to all three programs and Oklahoma, but the Sooners will not be a factor here. LSU has been trending since his official visit in October, and once LSU defensive coordinator Dave Aranda didn’t get the UNLV job, it seems like this recruitment was done.
Prediction: LSU
QB C.J. Stroud (Rancho Cucamonga, CA)
Stroud’s recruiting traction changed significantly after he won the Elite 11 QB showcase. At the time, Baylor appeared to be the team to beat. Now, he’s down to Georgia, Michigan and Ohio State, with USC and Oregon also in the mix. Ohio State has received an unofficial visit and had an official visit last week. Michigan seems to be the other school that has his ear. The general feeling is Stroud has a good relationship with the other commitments in Ohio State’s class, but as far as coaches go, he might be closest to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. Normally in these cases, I look at depth and which team can use an arm the most. Ohio State, Georgia and Michigan all have a verbally committed quarterback in their classes. I will follow the visits with my prediction, but something in my mind says Michigan might get lucky Wednesday.
Prediction: Ohio State
WR Kenton Poitier (Miami, FL), scheduled announcement: December 18
Poitier has Florida, Florida State and Syracuse as his final three. Miami Palmetto High School is a big target for several programs because the school has some potential elite prospects in the 2021 class. Syracuse seems to be the lean for Poitier, and the Orange have been recruiting the him the longest. But Florida State has a need for receivers with Tre’Shaun Harrison transferring and Tamorrion Terry likely to declare for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Prediction: Florida State
QB Jeff Sims (Jacksonville, FL), scheduled announcement: December 18
Sims was a die-hard Florida State commitment until he had an in-home visit with new head coach Mike Norvell and backed off his commitment the next day. Georgia Tech and Maryland are the final schools. I don’t believe Sims wants to go too far from home, and the opportunity to play early at Georgia Tech, plus the belief that coach Geoff Collins is going to be there for a while, will put the Yellow Jackets over the top.
Prediction: Georgia Tech
S Derek Bermudez (Jacksonville, FL), scheduled announcement: December 18
Bermudez is another former Florida State commitment on this list. The Seminoles are allegedly still in it, but I think Ole Miss, Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech are the schools that are really in play here. New Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin got Bermudez on campus last weekend, and with that kind of opportunity, Kiffin has proven he will get the signature. Mark this one up for the Lane Train.
Prediction: Ole Miss
Jordan Burch (Columbia, SC):
Burch has been a bit of a mystery. He even changed the date of his commitment from Thursday to Wednesday, when he will make his announcement on ESPNU. Burch (6-5, 270) is a game changer on the defensive line and has LSU, Georgia and South Carolina all in the mix. Burch is the target for South Carolina and embattled coach Will Muschamp. He is in the Gamecocks’ backyard and has been on the campus plenty of times. Georgia, however, is looking for a steal. And even though Clemson has been on the outside looking in, there’s been contact there too. Burch hasn’t given any hints about where he’s going to go, so there’s no real path to follow. This is a must-get for South Carolina. No ifs, ands or buts about it.
Prediction: South Carolina
TE/ATH Jeremiah Pegues (Oxford, MS):
I’m still more confused about what position Pegues will play as much as I am about which program he’ll be playing for. Pegues (6-3, 280) is still listed as a tight end, but he might end up on the line somewhere. Auburn, Ole Miss and Alabama are the schools in play here. I get a feeling this commitment, while scheduled Wednesday, might get pushed back to late in the day or end up happening on Thursday. There are still a lot of questions over Pegues. Right now, I believe Auburn is the school to beat, but there’s an uneasy feeling about that.
Prediction: Auburn
OT Marcus Dumervil (Fort Lauderdale, FL):
Dumervil (6-5, 300) has been linked to LSU for a while, it would be a shock if he doesn’t end up signing with the Tigers. Louisville, Oklahoma and Florida are in his final group, but the path to Dumervil’s recruitment has been landing in Baton Rouge for a while.
Prediction: LSU
WR Jaheim Bell (Valdosta, GA):
Bell was committed to Florida at one time and was a heavy lean to Florida State after the summer evaluation period. Both of those programs are likely out of the picture. With Bell it’s about using the process of elimination and the last program standing for the big wide receiver is South Carolina.
Prediction: South Carolina
RB E.J. Smith (Dallas, TX):
Smith, the son of NFL all-time rushing leader Emmitt Smith, is in on Florida, Texas A&M and Stanford, with Georgia and Ohio State also staying in the mix. E.J. Smith is a little different from his father; he’s a little more of a receiver and a multi-purpose back. Obviously, the Gators are going to get traction because of his father’s ties there, but that was 30 years ago. Smith’s sister is a volleyball player at Texas A&M, and never underestimate the draw Stanford has to recruits for what it offers on and off the field. With no real hint of anything here, I think brother and sister will reunite.
Prediction: Texas A&M
DE Tyler Baron (Knoxville, TN):
It’s an SEC East battle here, with Tennessee the heavy favorite and Kentucky making a late surge and trying to pull off an unlikely upset. Also consider some of the recruiting moves Tennessee has made this month, like dropping some junior college players to save scholarships, which says the recruiting fortunes of head coach Jeremy Pruitt have begun to turn positive. Baron is a major target and one the Volunteers should keep home.
Prediction: Tennessee
WR Bryan Robinson (West Palm Beach, FL)
Robinson was really committed to Miami for a while and then a heavy Florida State lean. After Willie Taggart got fired, it seemed like Robinson was on the verge of dropping the Seminoles, but a late in-home visit from wide receivers coach Ron Dugans and new head coach Mike Norvell got the Seminoles the final official visit before the signing period. It seems like some of Robinson’s other options – Florida, Maryland and Alabama have fallen off. Pittsburgh is still out there, but seems like an unlikely possibility.
Prediction: Florida State
LB Desmond Tisdol (Rochelle, GA):
Tisdol is down to Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina, two programs that should be very happy with where they land on the recruiting-rankings board by the end of the week and one that’s hanging on by a thread and hoping for good news. Auburn is trending here, and it helps that he took in the Iron Bowl, which is usually a haven for those commmitted to Auburn and those who are likely to commit to Auburn to bond for the weekend.
Prediction: Auburn
WR/ATH Arian Smith (Lakeland, FL), scheduled announcement: December 18
Smith has been building toward Georgia for much of the season, and the program’s staff had him on campus for the final weekend before the early signing period in hopes of closing the show. Alabama has also been in the picture, but Georgia has been at this one for a while and it would be surprising if Smith ended up doing anything but putting on the Georgia hat Wednesday.
Prediction: Georgia
EDGE Morven Joseph (Lakeland, FL), scheduled announcement: December 18
Joseph is the third person on this list who was once committed to Florida State but backed off his commitment a few weeks after Willie Taggart was fired. Formerly committed to Florida, Joseph took another visit to Gainesville and also took a visit to Tennessee, where he’s always had a great relationship with Volunteers head coach Jeremy Pruitt. To keep the circle going, Joseph went back to Florida State late this past weekend to give new head coach Mike Norvell a listen. This one seems like it could be Florida State or Tennessee.
Prediction: Tennessee
Dec. 16
LB Antonio Doyle (St. Louis, MO), scheduled announcement: December 16
Doyle (6-4, 230) was committed to Missouri at one point, but he backed out of that commitment in last August. It’s not believed that the Tigers are in contention for Doyle a second time. After making that decision, Doyle took official visits to Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Illinois. Texas A&M has been the favorite since Doyle broke things off with Missouri, but Illinois has been a surprising surge and if Doyle were to join the Illini class, he would be a major coup for head coach Lovie Smith coming off of his best season with the program. With that being said, the Aggies are still the team to beat here, and unless Doyle made another trip to Illinois over the weekend, it feels like Texas A&M will get the nod.
Prediction: Texas A&M
DB Joel Williams (Baton Rouge, LA), scheduled announcement: December 17
Williams (6-1, 185), a one-time short-term commitment to Florida, is a strange one to figure out. He has taken official visits to Alabama and Kentucky that we know about. and he has been to Auburn multiple times. The lack of traction for a red-chip prospect in the final days before his announcement make me wonder if there’s a qualification issue or if he’ll even make an announcement on Tuesday. The general trend has been to Kentucky, but that doesn’t explain much for the lack of publicity about Williams unless he’s already made a silent commitment. That might be the case.
Prediction: Kentucky
OL R.J. Adams (Woodbridge, VA), scheduled announcement: December 17
Adams (6-3, 325) hasn’t tipped his hand much. He has taken unofficial visits to Alabama and Tennessee and an official visit to N.C. State. He has also taken both to Kentucky. When I take a look at the numbers, both Kentucky and N.C. State have a need for interior linemen, but I think Kentucky might have a few more options going into signing day. N.C. State has made Adams a top priority, and it was the last place he took an official visit to, so I believe the Wolfpack are the team to beat.
Prediction: N.C. State
CB Kendall Dennis (Lakeland, FL), scheduled announcement date: December 16 or 17??
Dennis (6-0, 175) had always been a quality prospect, but his stock on the recruiting trail rose significantly about a week ago when he was tendered a scholarship offer from Clemson. In November, it looked like Tennessee and Nebraska were going to battle it out for Dennis. But then Dennis took an official visit to Oklahoma, and the Sooners soon became the team to beat. This all happened before Clemson made an offer, and when the Tigers offered, it was expected that they would receive an official visit this past weekend. Dennis, however, zigged when everyone expected him to zag and took an official visit to Florida State at the behest of his former high school teammate and current Seminoles defensive back Brendan Gant. This seems like it’s now an Oklahoma/Florida State battle. Seminoles new head coach Mike Norvell could get a major boost landing Dennis in such a short period of time. However, there’s also a belief Dennis’ trip to Florida State was to placate the Sooners as their coaches didn’t want him to go to Clemson. Dennis said he’ll make his choice Monday or Tuesday.
Prediction: Oklahoma
Nov. 22
Harris gives Texas A&M an elite pass-rusher It’s been an up-and-down run for Jimbo Fisher so far at Texas A&M. From a recruiting standpoint, Fisher is delivering some top classes with high-caliber prospects, but the results have yet to manufacture into additional wins on the field. Blue-chip defensive end Donell Harris, out of Miami, Florida, is the type of difference-maker the Aggies have needed on defense. Originally a 2021 prospect, Harris (6-4, 215) re-classified himself as a 2020 prospect and committed to Texas A&M over LSU on November 11.
No decision from TE Theo Johnson Johnson took an official visit to Michigan last weekend and was originally scheduled to make a decision on November 18. As it turns out, that wasn’t the case and Johnson is still looking at Georgia, Iowa, Penn State and Michigan for a decision that’s yet to be announced. Our pick is Michigan, and it will stay with the Wolverines for now.
Now onto the next prospect
WR Dazalin Worsham (Trussville, AL), scheduled announcement: November 22 Worsham (6-0, 180), was originally part of Alabama’s class but backed out of that commitment in June. Since then, the wide receiver has been linked to a few schools – Miami and Arkansas to name a couple. With Arkansas firing Chad Morris and losing the majority of its recruiting class, it meant the end of Worsham’s interest in the Razorbacks. The Crimson Tide have continued to reach out to Worsham, and at times it appeared like he was headed for a reunion with the Crimson Tide. LSU, Michigan, Georgia and Florida are some of the programs that originally made offers to Worsham, but now his list is down to Miami and Alabama.
Prediction: Miami
Nov. 8
Top DE Hardy chooses Auburn
Jay Hardy, a high-end red-chip defensive lineman from Chattanooga, Tennessee, committed to Auburn on Wednesday, choosing the Tigers over Tennessee, Florida, Georgia Tech and Georgia. Hardy (6-4, 285) took official visits to Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Auburn. Auburn has 19 commitments in its 2020 recruiting class, which is projected to be among the 12 best in the nation.
Britt makes declaration for Florida
Talented athlete Marc Britt (Miami, FL), a top-50 athlete from the Sunshine state, committed to Florida last week, choosing the Gators over Penn State and a host of others. Britt, who was committed to Miami earlier in the process, could play defensive back or wide receiver for the Gators. He is the 20th commitment for Florida in its 2020 recruiting class. The Gators’ class is currently rated in the top 15 and could inch closer to the top 10 in the mid-November rankings.
Player rankings are continuing to be updated
November is the season for updates, and all the position rankings at WalterFootball.com will be updated this month, leading to the next Top 120, scheduled to be released before Thanksgiving. Team recruiting rankings will be out at the end of the next week, so keep checking the site daily for more updates.
Now onto the next group of prospects
DE Donell Harris (Miami, FL), scheduled announcement: November 11
Harris (6-4, 215) was originally a Class of 2021 recruit and was considered to potentially be the top defensive player from Florida in that class. Harris has since re-classified himself as a 2020 recruit, and that put a premium on his recruitment for programs looking to sign the blue-chip edge rusher. Harris was committed to Miami very early in the process, but backed off that commitment several months ago. Texas A&M and LSU are considered to be the programs with the best chance at Harris right now. Harris visited Texas A&M last weekend and has been to College Station on several occasions. Harris has also been to Baton Rouge unofficially and has a great relationship with the coaches at LSU. The Tigers are angling for a No. 1 class in the nation, and Harris would help that cause, but they are also well equipped with defensive line prospects, so their resources might have to be committed to signing other positions, like running back. Texas A&M made Harris its top target for the 2021 and then the 2020 class. Harris’ commitment would give the Aggies an elite prospect for their pass rush.
Prediction: Texas A&M
TE Theo Johnson (Windsor, ON, Canada), scheduled announcement: November 18<
Johnson (6-6, 235) is looking at a final group of Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and Iowa. He has taken official visits to Iowa, Georgia and Penn State, and has one scheduled for Michigan next weekend before he makes his final announcement. The timing of Johnson’s announcement with his visit to Michigan should either put the Wolverines as the team to beat or the team with virtually no chance, but this has been disputed as just a timing thing. It seems like Penn State definitely has made a strong impression on Johnson. Georgia is looking to sign two tight ends and has its eyes on Darnell Washington and Johnson becoming the team’s 1-2 punch at the position. Michigan has distance in its favor as the Ann Arbor campus is less than an hour drive from home.
Prediction: Michigan
Oct. 29
Teammate follows Gilbert’s decision to LSU
The shock of Arik Gilbert’s commitment to LSU is starting to wind down, but before it did, the Tigers were able to get a bonus commitment from Gilbert’s teammate at Marietta (Ga.) High, defensive lineman B.J. Ojulari, who flipped to the Tigers from Tennessee over the weekend. The moves have likely put LSU back in the top three for recruiting classes in the 2020 cycle when the next rankings come out later this week.
RB Daniyel Ngata pushes back commitment day
Ngata, a top-15 running back nationally out of Folsom, Calif., was supposed to choose from a group that included Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Texas A&M and Utah on Sunday. But as the weekend approached, Ngata decided to push the date back to January and sent out a message from his Twitter account to confirm it. “After discussions with my parents and coaches, I have decided to announce my commitment at the @ProFootballHOF World Bowl Game on CBS [Sports Network].” The game is scheduled for Dec. 21 at 4 p.m.
Now onto the next prospect
ATH/WR Marc Britt (Miami, FL), scheduled announcement: November 1
Britt (6-0, 185) is a projected wide receiver coming out of Miami Christian School, and he’s down to a final group of Miami, Florida, Penn State and Nebraska. He was originally committed to the Hurricanes but backed away from his pledge before the start of 2019. Since his de-commitment, the general path has been headed toward Florida, but there hasn’t been a lot of traction on this prospect for a while. With such little traction a couple of questions arise: Do one or more of his choices have space for him currently in this class? Or “Is the prospect not expected to sign early?” In this case, Britt isn’t going to sign in December, so it’s possible he might be on the back burner for bigger targets until things shake down on early-signing day. I’m going to go on record with a prediction, but I wouldn’t be surprised if this commitment doesn’t happen.
Prediction: Florida
Oct. 23DE Evans makes expected choice of North Carolina
Blue-chip defensive end Desmond Evans (6-6, 235) was expected to stay in state, and he is making his declaration today. It should be another big win for Mack Brown, who has shown that he still has the recruiting chops to keep the best in-state prospects home. Evans would be selecting the Tar Heels over Florida, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Tennessee. Evans would give North Carolina one of the top-50 prospects in the country and a likely spot among the top-20 recruiting classes in the nation.
Now onto the next prospect
TE Arik Gilbert (Marietta, GA), scheduled announcement: October 22
Depending on who you ask, Gilbert (6-5, 250) or Darnell Washington is the nation’s top tight end prospect. Gilbert’s top five is Clemson, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia and LSU, but let’s be honest, this is between Alabama and Georgia unless something shocking breaks in the next 12 hours. Gilbert has taken official visits to both places, with Georgia’s coming this past week. For the longest time, it seemed like Gilbert was leaning toward Georgia while Washington, who is out of Las Vegas, would end up with Alabama. But the relationship between Washington and Georgia’s coaches has gotten closer since the summer and the Bulldogs have high hopes of landing both players. Alabama has made a late charge in recruiting and is eyeing a No. 1 class by February’s signing day. Whichever program gets Gilbert is getting a premier tight end with the ability to block, catch, stretch the field and be a reliable safety valve for the quarterback. Gilbert has a blue-chip designation with a high NFL ceiling.
Prediction: Alabama
Oct. 18
Carr makes the pledge to Purdue
Top pass-catching prospect Malik Carr gave Purdue one of its highest-rated commitments of its recruiting class. Carr (6-5, 220) chose the Boilermakers over several offers. Officially, his final group was Purdue and Georgia, but the Bulldogs were only interested in Carr as a tight end whereas Purdue will give Carr an opportunity to play wide receiver, which is Carr’s preference. Carr has also hinted that he wants to play basketball at Purdue and will join the basketball team as a preferred walk-on.
Triplett will go west to play college football
For the longest time, it looked like Oklahoma State was in the driver’s seat for linebacker Jabar Triplett, but an official visit to Arizona in September put the Wildcats in the mix. Even though Kevin Sumlin and staff were late to the party in terms of recruiting Triplett, they made up plenty of ground on Triplett’s official visit. In his interviews after the visit, Triplett seemed to be enamored with Arizona and the opportunities there.
Floyd stays home, chooses Texas Tech
We got this one wrong, as I felt cornerback Nate Floyd was going to end up in the SEC playing for Missouri. For the longest time, it seemed like Floyd was leaning toward going to school out of state if Texas A&M wasn’t going to recruit him. The Aggies decided to go in other directions, and that left Floyd with other options that dwindled down to Texas Tech and Missouri. At the end of the day, playing closer to home won out for Floyd.
Now onto to the next group of prospects:
DE Desmond Evans (Sanford, NC), scheduled announcement: October 18
There’s only one prospect in this update, but it’s a big one. Evans is widely rated as one of the top-50 players in the country and a blue-chip at his position. Evans (6-6, 238) has all the tools you’d want in a defensive lineman who will likely spend his career on the outside torturing quarterbacks. He has length in excess, great footwork, explosion off the ball, an amazing first-step, plus he plays with a high motor. The good news is Evans isn’t close to reaching the ceiling of his potential. He has a top five of South Carolina, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Going into his announcement, Evans has been a heavy favorite to North Carolina. He has made several unofficial visits to the campus and has the potential to be the Tar Heels’ biggest recruit since Julius Peppers. Mack Brown was brought back to North Carolina to deliver prospects like Evans, and we predict the Mack will get his man again.
Prediction: North Carolina
Oct. 8
OLB Smalls shocks all, makes the call for Washington
It’s not so much a surprise that blue-chip outside linebacker Sa’vell Smalls chose to stay home and play for the Washington Huskies. The Huskies were in his final group with Alabama, Tennessee, Florida State, Oregon and Washington State. But Smalls had been quoted as saying he wouldn’t even entertain official visits until the end of his high school football season, and it looked like he was going to possibly wait until National Signing Day to make his final decision. It will be interesting to see if this is the end for Smalls. He been to all of the programs in his top group at least twice on unofficial visits, so there’s no reason to take official visits if he doesn’t want to. But if he doesn’t sign with the Huskies early, there will be a race to try a poach him away. As it currently stands, this is a major recruiting win for Chris Pedersen and likely puts the Huskies among the top-15 classes in the nation.
Now onto the next group of prospects:
CB Nate Floyd (College Station, TX), scheduled announcement: October 10
Floyd has an announced final group of Missouri, Arizona and Texas Tech. He took an official visit to Missouri over the summer and a visit to Texas Tech in early September. There was talk of him taking an official visit to Arizona last week, but apparently it didn’t come to fruition. If Floyd were able to get to Arizona, that might be the pick here, but instead I think Missouri was able to convince him to commit and be a Tiger instead.
Prediction: Missouri
WR Maliq Carr (Oak Park, MI), scheduled announcement: October 11
Carr, a red-chip prospect, has listed Purdue and Georgia as his top group. And sometimes you can read a lot into a prospect’s final list. Carr has been linked to Purdue for quite a while. He took an official visit to West Lafayette last month and took his official to Georgia over the summer. The word on this recruitment is that the Bulldogs have interest in Carr, but they would like for him to play tight end and Carr appears set on wanting to develop as an outside wide receiver. Meanwhile, Purdue is willing to be a lot more flexible with Carr’s wishes. Eventually, Carr (6-5, 220) might grow into being a tight end anyway, but he also might envision himself as a big wide receiver like Kelvin Benjamin. Either way, it seems pretty clear that Carr will be a Boilermaker.
Prediction: Purdue
LB Jabar Triplett (Baton Rouge, LA), scheduled announcement: October 13
Triplett hasn’t put out an exact list of finalists, but it seems like Oklahoma State and Arizona have jumped ahead of the pack. Triplett took an official visit to Oklahoma State over the summer and an official to Arizona in mid-September. Triplett also visited Texas Tech in the summer, and he spoke of a potential official visit to Colorado State on October 5, but there’s no confirmation he made that trip. This recruitment seems like a true toss up with both Oklahoma State and Arizona feeling good about their chances and Texas Tech believing it shouldn’t be counted out either. In these situations, I tend to follow the last visit. Arizona came in a little late on Triplett, but the Wildcats staff clearly got his attention and convinced him to take the third official visit. Triplett listed Oklahoma State as his leader at the end of the summer, but I believe Arizona has made up plenty of ground in that area and I am willing to say that the Wildcats will have a new commitment on the 13th.
Prediction: Arizona
Oct. 1 Updates
OL Parks makes the move to Oklahoma
This is not a big shock here. The former Penn State commitment had seemed to be all-in for the Sooners in the late summer, especially after he took his official visit to campus on August 30. The only question mark was if Alabama was aggressively getting in on Parks’ recruitment. It is hard to say how much of a target he was for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban did send staffers to Parks’ school in Maryland, but at the end of the day, it didn’t matter.
Swinson makes move for Oregon
We had this one wrong, as I felt like Swinson was going to go to Arizona State since the Sun Devils are having a pretty good season and Herman Edwards’ staff has had a nice little run in recruiting this cycle. Oregon, however, had been the favorite before Arizona State made it competitive, so it’s not a shocking choice or anything.
Now onto the next group of prospects
WR KeAndre Lambert (Norfolk, VA), scheduled announcement: October 4
Lambert has a final group of Virginia, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Michigan, Virginia Tech and others. If it had to be whittled down to a couple of schools, it’s safe to say that Penn State and North Carolina probably have an edge on the rest of the competition. He took official visits to both programs over the summer and recently had a visit from Penn State head coach James Franklin. The other team that might have been in contention, Virginia Tech, might be on the outside looking in. North Carolina probably has a bigger recruiting need for wide receiver than Penn State, which has three committed in the class already. That being said, Lambert is a step above the other targets for either school. Penn State seems to have the edge, but I think it’s a lot closer than people think.
Prediction: Penn State
DL Jacolbe Cowan (Charlotte, NC), scheduled announcement: October 4
Cowan is a legitimate top-five player in North Carolina. The schools of interest here are Oregon, Tennessee, Ohio State, North Carolina and Georgia. Cowan took an official visit to Ohio State during the summer and has taken many visits to Columbus since then. He has taken unofficial visits to Tennessee and North Carolina, but all roads generally lead back to Ohio State. Mack Brown has done a good job of keeping in-state talent home since returning to North Carolina, but if he can win over Cowan, I would be shocked. Cowan is scarlet and grey all the way.
Prediction: Ohio State
Sept. 17 Updates
WR Hester ends up with Missouri
After leaning to Texas for several months, Oklahoma prospect Javian Hester was leaning toward the Tigers in the final days leading to his announcement and made the call for Missouri on September 5. Hester’s commitment gives Missouri a centerpiece at the offensive skill position and a legitimate outside wide receiving prospect for the future.
CB Joel Williams remains uncommitted, sets official visits
Williams was originally supposed to commit on September 9 and was expected to make a declaration to Alabama. That commitment has since been put on hold, and no real reason has been given as to why. Williams had an official visit scheduled to Kentucky on October 11. Tennessee is also looking to get in the picture for Williams, and if the Volunteers can also get an official visit, Williams’ recruitment may extend into the end of the early recruiting cycle.
Now onto the next group of prospects
OL Aaryn Parks (Fort Washington, MD), scheduled announcement: September 19
Parks (6-4, 335) was commited to Penn State at one time, but he backed out of that several months ago and now has Oklahoma. North Carolina, Pittsburgh and Alabama in his final group. Parks is marked down with a tentative official visit to Texas A&M this weekend, but the Aggies haven’t made an offer to him yet, so it’s unlikely that visit will take place. He has, however, visited Oklahoma already and it’s generally a good idea to follow the visits. Oklahoma seems like the pick here, although as long as Alabama is interested it’s hard to count out the Crimson Tide.
Prediction: Oklahoma
DE Bradyn Swinson (Douglasville, GA), scheduled announcement: September 20
Swinson (6-4, 240) has a final group of North Carolina, Arizona State, Oregon and Florida State, but it appears that the Pac-12 schools are in a good position to land the defensive lineman. An official visit to Arizona State on September 6 was thought to put the Sun Devils in the lead. Since then Oregon has jumped in the picture and received an official visit from Swinson this past weekend. Swinson had set his announcement date before the visit. Both Arizona State and Oregon feel good about this one.
Prediction: Arizona State
S Antonio Johnson (East Saint Louis, IL), scheduled announcement: September 21
This one seems pretty cut and dry. Johnson was committed to Tennessee before backing out of his pledge a couple of days after an unofficial visit to Texas A&M in late June. Since then, it’s been a matter of when, not if, Johnson will make his pledge to the Aggies. Apparently, this Saturday will be that day.
Prediction: Texas A&M
Sept. 4 Updates
Big offensive tackle Branson Taylor chooses Pittsburgh
It looked like West Virginia was getting a late push for the 6-foot-6 projected tackle, but Pittsburgh made the earlier contact and kept up a strong relationship after his official visit to the campus in mid-June.
Clemson lands another stud wide receiver from Alabama
After getting burned by former Alabama prospect Justyn Ross in the college football playoff championship game last year, one would think Clemson couldn’t easily jump in the lion’s den and grab another top receiving prospect, but E.J. Williams (Phenix City, AL) joined the Tigers’ top-ranked recruiting class on August 24. Clemson was in the lead for Williams from the start, and none of the top SEC programs seemed to be a factor in his recruitment.
Penn State lands second running back from Florida
The Nittany Lions went south to fill the running back portion of their 2020 recruiting class. Keyvone Lee, from Clearwater, Florida, committed to Penn State on August 26, and he’ll join another Florida prospect, Casiah Holmes, from Cocoa, Florida, as the future of the Nittany Lions; backfield.
Now on to the next group of prospects
WR Javian Hester (Tulsa, OK), scheduled announcement: September 5
With around 24 hours remaining before his announcement, Hester seems to have everyone guessing a little bit. The finalists are Nebraska, Texas, Missouri and Georgia, although it seems to be a Texas-Missouri battle. For a very long time, it appeared Texas was the leader for Hester, but there has been a lot of late switches to Missouri with belief that the 6-foot-3, 180-pound pass catcher is leaning toward the Tigers in the final hours. The depth chart at both programs is similar, but Texas got a commitment from a big, outside receiver in Quentin Johnston. That leads me to think Hester is heading to the SEC.
Prediction: Missouri
CB Joel Williams (Baton Rouge, LA), schedule announcement: September 9
Williams, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback is down to Alabama and Kentucky as his finalists. Williams was supposed to take an official visit to Kentucky in early August but moved it back to October. In that time, Williams continues to trend toward Alabama, as the Crimson Tide have him at the top of their target board. Former teammate Kelvin Joseph II has been in Williams’ ear since transferring to Kentucky from LSU, but it’s hard to beat out Alabama for a prospect who it covets.
Prediction: Alabama
ATH Ladarius Tennison (Rockledge, FL), schedule announcement: September 14
Tennison is down to Auburn, Miami and North Carolina as his finalists. He is scheduled to take an official visit to Auburn this weekend, and he’s the only official visitor who will be on campus. That usually means that the decision has been made and the prospect and his family are going to get first-class treatment from the coaching staff who he eventually plans to play for. Unless Tennison schedules a visit to Miami or North Carolina for the following week, this one looks pretty obvious.
Prediction: Auburn
Aug. 22 Updates
Tennessee pulls out a rabbit for DE B.J. Ojulari
LSU seemed to have the inside track on Ojulari, but the Tigers have landed several defensive line prospects in their 2020 class and have several more on the roster. Tennessee was a team far more desperate for defensive linemen in this class, and Ojulari gives the program one with a high ceiling who will have a better chance at contributing early in his career. In recruiting, this is what is sometimes called a “business decision”. That is not to say Tennessee didn’t do an excellent job of recruiting Ojulari and Ojulari wasn’t legitimately interested in Tennessee because both cases are true. But with all things equal, Tennessee presented the best opportunity for Ojulari.
South Carolina goes 2-for-3 on recent targets
The Gamecocks were expected to land in-state defensive tackle Tonka Hemingway, which they did. South Carolina was also expected to land athlete/tight end Eric Shaw, and that happened as well. The staff, led by head coach Will Muschamp, missed out on North Carolina safety prospect Ja’Qurious Conley, who chose to stay in state and become a Tar Heel. Still, a strong day for South Carolina should solidify a top-20 recruiting class.
DE Joe Moore will continue to let recruitment play out
Moore was supposed to make a commitment on August 18, but that never materialized and now the word is he’ll wait and take additional visits during the season. Moore has already taken officials to Minnesota and North Carolina. Arizona State, Illinois and Missouri were also on Moore’s original final list.
Now on to the next group of prospects
OT Branson Taylor (Elyria, OH), scheduled announcement: August 23
The recruitment for Taylor seems to have come down to backyard-brawl rivals Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Pittsburgh received an official visit in mid-June, while West Virginia, Michigan State and Purdue all received unofficial visits. The timing is interesting for Taylor, who has seen his recruiting profile rise significantly over the summer. Pittsburgh seemed to have the early lead on Taylor, but word is West Virginia has made this a 50-50 battle.
Prediction: West Virginia
S/CB Mike Harris (Phenix City, AL), schedule announcement: August 24
Not much has come out on Harris since he released a SEC-centric top seven last month that included LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee and one non-SEC program, Central Florida. Without much to go on, this is a bit of a guess. I can say that of these seven schools, four programs – Tennessee, Arkansas, Central Florida, Mississippi State – appear to be the most interested. If the Crimson Tide would take Harris, he would probably commit, but let’s assume they wouldn’t take him without further evaluation. He has a connection to Arkansas, where a former teammate, running back A’Montae Spivey, is present. This is a true toss up.
Prediction: Arkansas
WR E.J. Williams (Phenix City, AL), schedule announcement: August 24
This Alabama prospect has been linked to Clemson for a very long time. It’s hard to believe that Alabama hasn’t caught up in Williams’ recruitment, but it doesn’t’ appear so at this point. Auburn, LSU and Tennessee are also in the picture to a lesser extent. Clemson has taken just one wide receiver in this class and is planning to take at least two. If Williams chooses anything other than the orange paw, it would be a shock.
Prediction: Clemson
RB/ATH Keyvone Lee (Clearwater, FL), scheduled announcement: August 26
Lee was originally committed to Florida and stuck through his commitment for much of 2018 before backing out in early 2019. Now, here we are with Florida State, LSU, Penn State and Florida making up his final list. Lee was at Florida and Florida State in July, but I don’t see either program in the final mix. Some rumors have both schools trying to figure out if he’s a running back or possibly a linebacker. Penn State has made Lee a priority at running back and want to match him with another committed running back, Coziah Holmes.
Prediction: Penn State
Aug. 15 Updates
Texas lands top RB Bijan Robinson
A late surge from the Longhorns put them in position to grab Robinson after he had been a long-time lean to Ohio State. Texas is arguably the hottest program in recruiting and will definitely be in the top 10 of the upcoming rankings.
CB Joshua Eaton holds off announcement
A scheduled announcement for August 6 never happened as Eaton will just continue his recruitment. In recent days, Texas overtook Texas A&M as the favorite for the 6-foot-2 cornerback from Houston. But it’s likely Eaton will take some official visits and hold off from a decision for a while. Texas A&M already has an official visit set up for the second week of October, and I would expect Texas, Oklahoma and possibly Florida will get official visits before a decision.
RB Caziah Holmes heads off to Happy Valley
Holmes was predicted by us to commit to Florida State, but unbeknownst at the time of the prediction, another Seminoles target at running back, Lawrence Toafili, committed early in the week and took the second running back slot for the Seminoles. Holmes was thought to be a Penn State lean until he took a visit to Florida State in the final week of July, but his relationship with Nittany Lions assistant JaJuan Seider was strong and Penn State provided a clearer path to playing time.
Auburn lands Texas prospect Chris Thompson Jr.
We predicted Auburn would surprise a few and land Thompson, and the Tigers came through. There was a much clearer path to playing time at Auburn, which hadn’t signed any prospects in the secondary before landing Thompson, and the projected safety from Duncanville, Texas hit it off with Auburn defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff. The Longhorns would return the favor a day after when they landed cornerback Ethan Pouncey, who was thought to be a strong Auburn lean. Now on to the next group of prospects
S Ja’Qurious Conley (Jacksonville, NC), scheduled announcement: August 15
Conley is down to South Carolina and North Carolina. So far, the Tar Heels have won most of the notable recruiting battles between the two programs, and all recent reports seem to have Conley leaning toward wearing Carolina blue as well. If there’s one thing that is keeping South Carolina in the hunt for the 6-foot-2, 190-pound defensive back, it’s his relationship with Travaris Robinson. Robinson, the Gamecocks defensive coordinator and secondary coach, is one of the best recruiters in the nation, and when he targets a defensive back, he usually lands them. This feels like a complete toss-up.
Prediction: North Carolina
RB Isaiah Newell (Walnut Creek, CA), scheduled announcement: August 15
Newell reportedly “shut down” his recruiting two weeks ago, so it’s presumed that he has already given a silent commitment to the school he will announce on Thursday. Arizona State, Colorado, Kansas State, Oregon and Oregon State are all in the mix. Oregon State received an official visit in June, and it’s the program that Newell speaks the most about and says it’s where his mother wants him to go. This would give the Beavers a true centerpiece to their 2020 class.
Prediction: Oregon State
ATH Eric Shaw (Notasulga, AL), scheduled announcement: August 15
Shaw is down to Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee. He visited all three programs, with an official visit to South Carolina in mid-June and an unofficial visit to Tennessee in July. Shaw can play on both sides of the ball, but it appears that all of the competing schools are looking for him at tight end. South Carolina is trending for Shaw, but there’s a belief that Tennessee is a lot closer than expected.
Prediction: South Carolina
DT Tonka Hemingway (Conway, SC), scheduled announcement: August 15
This is another recruiting battle between North Carolina and South Carolina. Hemingway has taken several visits, both official and unofficial, to each program. Whereas the battle for safety Ja’Qurious Conley feels like it could go either way, Hemingway seems more like a lean to the Gamecocks, and with the Tar Heels having landed many of their top defensive line targets already, this feels like a South Carolina win.
Prediction: South Carolina
DE B.J. Ojulari (Marietta, GA), scheduled announcement: August 16
Auburn, Tennessee and LSU are the top three for Ojulari. He hasn’t been to Auburn since the early spring, so the Tigers would seem to be on the outside looking in. LSU got the most recent visit and seems to be the school trending for Ojulari, but Tennessee has some inside help as Ojulari’s teammate, quarterback Harrison Bailey, has been a long time commitment to the Volunteers and is certainly in his ear. LSU has a ton of commits on the defensive line, and Tennessee could desperately use one. This could come down to comfort versus playing time.
Prediction: LSU
DE Joe Moore (St. Louis, MO), scheduled announcement: August 18
It’s an interesting mix of schools for Moore as Illinois, Arizona State, Missouri, Minnesota and North Carolina are all in contention for the 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive lineman. He took official visits to North Carolina and Minnesota in June. The general trend is to Minnesota, and it’s likely that North Carolina is looking at a potential numbers crunch for defensive ends. Missouri has been strong with its recruitment in St. Louis this cycle, but again it might be a numbers issue for the Tigers. Illinois and Arizona State wouldn’t have such issues, but the Golden Gophers seem to have a clear edge.
Prediction: Minnesota
Aug. 1
But first, a quick review of the previous column:
OL Jonathan Denis (Homestead, FL) decides to head out west
We predicted that Denis would not be part of the Miami Hurricanes class, and that was correct, but the lineman spurned Louisville and Indiana to head to Oregon. Ducks head coach Mario Cristobal has strong ties to Miami-Dade County and had a committable offer out to Denis.
Georgia and Florida State lead elite running backs
As expected, the Bulldogs won the sweepstakes for Kendall Milton, beating out Alabama, LSU and Ohio State for the California prospect. Meanwhile, Florida State earned the final visit from Jaylan Knighton and pulled the in-state recruit away from Ohio State.
Now onto the next group of prospects ready to commit:
RB Bijan Robinson (Tucson, AZ), scheduled announcement date: Aug. 2
Robinson looks like one of those “can’t miss”-type running back prospects. The blue-chip prospect has a final group of Ohio State, USC, Texas and UCLA. He has taken official visits to Ohio State, USC and Texas, and for most of the spring and summer it looked like Ohio State was in the lead. As a matter of fact, it looked like the Buckeyes were going to grab Robinson and Jaylan Knighton to have the most potent 1-2 running back combination in the 2020 class. Well, Knighton took a visit to Florida State before his commitment and decided to stay closer to home, and now Robinson has been trending more toward the school closer to his home – Texas. USC or UCLA certain could use the recruiting boost, but the Longhorns have been on a hot streak in the past few weeks and now they get their running back of the future.
Prediction: Texas
DT Kedrick Bingley-Jones (Charlotte, NC), scheduled announcement date: Aug. 3
Bingley-Jones, a top-20-25 defensive tackle in the class, is between Duke, Ohio State and North Carolina. The Tar Heels made their biggest recruiting splash last month when they won a recruiting battle for in-state defensive lineman Myles Murphy over South Carolina. The battle for Bingley-Jones is tilting much more in the favor of North Carolina days ahead of his announcement and should remain that way.
Prediction: North Carolina
S Chris Thompson Jr. (Duncanville, TX), scheduled announcement date: Aug. 4
Thompson Jr. had originally marked Aug. 1 for his announcement but pushed it back a couple of days. He has taken official visits to Texas, Ohio State and USC, but in recent weeks it has become a Texas-Auburn battle, and that’s what it is expected to be when Thompson makes his selection. This is tough one. Texas has been trending for a while, but Auburn is a live underdog. The Tigers have a major need for secondary prospects in this class, and so far, they haven’t received commitments from any safeties or cornerbacks. Texas has cornerback Kitan Crawford in its class but no safeties. It’s not as big of a position of concern for Texas although the Longhorns staff would like to sign two. Like I said, this is a tough one.
Prediction: Auburn
CB Joshua Eaton (Houston, TX), scheduled announcement date: Aug. 6
Eaton has three SEC programs – Alabama, Texas A&M, Florida – and two Big XII programs – Oklahoma, Texas -, but it doesn’t appear that Eaton will be leaving the Lone Star state. Eaton spend the past weekend at the recruiting social event in College Station, and the word is he was already being treated as if he were commited. It seems like Jimbo Fisher has this one in the bag.
Prediction: Texas A&M
Caziah Holmes (Cocoa, FL), scheduled announcement date: Aug. 9
There are a few programs on Holmes’ final list, but the prospect himself said it’s 50-50 between Penn State and Florida State. He has taken official visits to Penn State, Tennessee and Kentucky. He was part of a workout showcase at Florida State last weekend, and that visit pulled the Seminoles close with Penn State. Florida State is planning on taking at least two running backs in this class, and the thought of teaming with recent Florida State commit Jaylan Knighton is something that has Holmes excited.
Prediction: Florida State
July 29 Updates
But first, a quick review of the previous column
QB Haynes King (Longview, TX) finally committed to Texas A&M
It really wasn’t unexpected. It just took a few days longer to make it official. The Texas A&M/Texas recruiting race is a very real thing now.
Cincinnati made the first recruiting splash for G5 schools with LB Jaheim Thomas
I think Luke Fickell will be the most wanted coach on the market for Power 5 programs next season. When you look at the fact that Thomas, a legitimate red-chip prospect, had commutable offers from Michigan, Kentucky, Tennessee and Michigan State, this was an impressive get for Fickell and his staff.
Alabama, Ohio State continued their back-and-forth battle
Ohio State made the biggest splash with the commitment of Arizona prospect Lathan Ransom. A top player who fits a legitimate need in the secondary for the Buckeyes. Alabama countered with a commitment from in-state athlete Kristian Story. For now, Alabama remains No. 2 in the team rankings, but that could change soon.
Now onto the next group of prospects ready to commit:
OL Jonathan Denis (Homestead, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 27
Denis’ commitment may have happened by the time you read this. The projected center/guard has been linked to Miami for a while, but the Hurricanes’ class is nearing full and they are leaving spaces open for other prospects, most notably offensive tackle Isaiah Walker. It’s unlikely Walker will make up his mind anytime soon, so the Hurricanes might just decide to wait this one out assuming they could push for Denis to flip later if things go south.
Prediction: Louisville
S R.J. Moten (Delran, NJ), scheduled commitment date: July 27
This one seems pretty easy to figure out. Moten has been a heavy Michigan lean, and he remains one of the Wolverines’ biggest targets left on their board. There are other programs on Moten’s list like Duke, Kentucky and Minnesota but it seems more like Moten is mentioning those schools out of courtesy.
Prediction: Michigan
RB Kendall Milton (Clovis, CA), scheduled commitment date: July 29
This is one of the bigger announcements in the 2020 class. Milton is either at the top, or around the top, of the running backs in this group. Milton (6-2, 230) is a rare size/speed combination who looks like a future NFL player. Everyone in the nation wanted Milton, but his final four are Alabama, Georgia, LSU and Ohio State. It is probably wise to eliminate the Buckeyes because they have other live running back targets. Most pundits believe this is an Alabama/Georgia battle, and at this point, Georgia looks like it will get the commitment and surely move up the team rankings.
Prediction: Georgia
RB Jaylan Knighton (Deerfield Beach, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 30
This is a tough one to figure out. It’s pretty much down to Ohio State and Florida State. If you had asked me in June, I’d say that Knighton, a former Oklahoma commit, was definitely earmarked for Florida State. Then he took his official to Ohio State in late June and basically became part of the Buckeyes’ class. Now, there are rumors that he’s going to visit Florida State this weekend for a final time. If Knighton is on Florida State’s campus this weekend, I believe he’ll commit to the Seminoles. Otherwise, he’ll be a Buckeye.
Prediction: Florida State
WR Bryce Gowdy (Deerfield Beach, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 30
Gowdy is the second of three prospects from Deerfield Beach who will commit on Tuesday. His final list has West Virginia, Georgia Tech and Syracuse among the leaders. Gowdy’s interest in West Virginia could become clear over the weekend if he shows up on campus for an event. Georgia Tech and Syracuse have both had Gowdy as the top receiver on their boards. This feels like a true 50-50 battle between the ACC programs unless West Virginia can pull a rabbit out of its hat.
Prediction: Georgia Tech
WR Deajaun McDougle (Deerfield Beach, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 30
McDougle is a speedy receiver who can play the slot or on the outside and will likely do damage in the return game on special teams. This has come down to Maryland or South Carolina. He went on an official to South Carolina on June 21 and is expected on campus at Maryland this weekend. Maryland has been the lean here and the general belief is the Terps coaching staff will spend this weekend solidifying McDougle’s intentions to commit to the program.
Prediction: Maryland
July 17 Updates
Before jumping to a new set of predictions, a quick review of the previous column.
QB Haynes King (Longview, TX) was predicted to commit to Texas A&M, but he remains uncommitted
I thought King would commit during the Elite 11/Opening Finals, but he’s still out there. The Aggies are still the pick over Tennessee, Duke and Auburn.
LB Tirek Austin-Cave (Camden, NJ) was predicted to commit to Miami, and he committed to the Hurricanes on July 4.
S Bryson Washington (Houston, TX) was predicted to commit to Texas, and he committed to the Oklahoma Sooners on July 4.
OL Richie Leonard (Cocoa, FL) was predicted to commit to Florida, and he committed to the Gators on July 5
DL Myles Murphy (Greensboro, NC) was predicted to commit to North Carolina, and he committed to the Tar Heels on July 8
LB Prince Dorbah (Dallas, TX) was predicted to commit to Texas, and he committed to the Longhorns on July 10.
Now onto this new group of prospects:
S Lathan Ransom (Tuczon, AZ), scheduled commitment date: July 16
This is a carryover from the previous column as Ransom’s commitment time is a couple hours away from when this story is being composed. Ohio State was the clear favorite over LSU, Texas, Notre Dame and Oklahoma in my last column, and nothing has changed in the past two weeks. The Buckeyes’ hot recruiting run continues.
Prediction: Ohio State
DT Vernon Broughton (Houston, TX), scheduled commitment date: July 16??
Well, Broughton was supposed to make his announcement on July 15, but it hasn’t happened yet. Texas and Texas A&M appear to be the two finalists with Arkansas, LSU and Ohio State on the outside looking in. Broughton has taken all five of his official visits, with Texas A&M getting the last one on June 21. It seems like Texas has had the edge here, and with a month since the visit to College Station, the high of the visit has probably worn off.
Prediction: Texas
ATH Kristian Story (Lanett, AL), scheduled commitment date: July 18
This is about as interesting a recruiting battle as I’ve found so far. Story is between Alabama and Texas A&M, and they are recruiting him at different positions. The Aggies are recruiting him to play quarterback, while the Tide are recruiting him to play defensive back but potentially quarterback. If Story just wants to focus on quarterback, A&M is probably the choice. But Story, to his credit, is keeping his mind open about playing on either side of the ball, and that’s key for Alabama here.
Prediction: Alabama
DE Chantz Williams (Orange Park, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 20
From the beginning of this cycle, it seemed like Williams would likely end up at an in-state program be it Florida, Florida State or Miami. His finalists include Florida, Miami, Georgia and LSU. Florida appeared to have the advantage in April, but Miami has come on strong since and already has the commitment of Williams’ teammate Jalen Rivers. Expect the Hurricanes to show up strong for Williams.
Prediction: Miami
LB Jaheim Thomas (Cincinnati, OH), scheduled commitment date: July 20
I wouldn’t be surprised if this commitment date gets pushed back. Thomas has several schools still in contention as Cincinnati, LSU, Michigan State, Tennessee, Kentucky and Michigan all believe they have a shot at Thomas. Cincinnati might come up with a huge commitment if Thomas holds on to his date. If he pushes it back, Kentucky and Tennessee might make this battle closer.
Prediction: Cincinnati
DT Jaquelin Roy (Baton Rouge, LA), scheduled commitment date: July 26
Roy has a top three of Alabama, LSU and Texas A&M. He took an official visit to Texas A&M last month, and he has taken about a dozen unofficial visits to LSU, from which he lives a few minutes away. Ed Orgeron covets his in-state targets, especially the ones who play on the defensive line. Roy seems comfortable with LSU and vice versa.
Prediction: LSU
July 3 Updates
QB Haynes King (Longview, Texas), scheduled commitment date: ???
King hasn’t set a date but said at the Elite 11/Opening Finals that it could be any day now. He has taken officials to Texas A&M, Tennessee, Duke and Auburn. Tennessee, Duke and Auburn have all recruited arms for their class. Texas A&M is still without a quarterback, and Jimbo Fisher has the best quarterback-developing reputation of the group. This seems like a match.
Prediction: Texas A&M
LB Tirek Austin-Cave (Camden, N.J.), scheduled commitment date: July 4
Austin-Cave has three programs in the mix – Miami, West Virginia and Minnesota – and took visits to all three programs. Minnesota and Miami have been hot on the recruiting trail, and I could see Austin-Cave in either spot, but I give the edge to Miami.
Prediction: Miami
S Bryson Washington (Houston, Texas), scheduled commitment date: July 4
It’s a Red River battle for Washington as both Texas and Oklahoma have put out the full-court press for him. He visited Oklahoma on an official visit in April and took his official visit to Texas on June 21. Usually, the most recent official visit wins out for me, but on top of that, I believe Texas needs a serious jump start for what should be a frantic final couple of months of recruiting before the 2019 season starts.
Prediction: Texas
OL Richie Leonard (Cocoa, FL), scheduled commitment date: July 5
Leonard seemed to be headed to Florida State at one point, but both sides apparently cooled on each other. He has taken official visits to Georgia Tech, Tennessee and Kentucky, but it looks like the 6-foot-2, 320-pound guard would prefer to stay in state. If that’s the case, then Florida has the edge.
Prediction: Florida
DL Myles Murphy (Greensboro, N.C.), scheduled commitment date: July 8
There are two prospects named Myles Murphy in the 2020 class and both play along the defensive line. The first Myles Murphy, arguably the best defensive line prospect in the class, is committed to Clemson. This Myles Murphy is also a legitimate top defensive line prospect, and he’ll be choosing between South Carolina and North Carolina. The belief is South Carolina has held a general advantage up to this point, but North Carolina hired Mack Brown to help the program get in-state prospects like Murphy. This battle is closer than people are reporting, and I believe he’ll be a Tar Heel.
Prediction: North Carolina
LB Prince Dorbah (Dallas, Texas), scheduled commitment date: July 10?
Dorbah was expected to drag his recruitment into the fall with Texas, USC and LSU all in the hunt, but announced the July 10 date on his Twitter account. The linebacker took an official visit to Texas last month and has been to the other programs on unofficial visits. If Dorbah goes through with a decision next Wednesday, it will likely be the Longhorns.
Prediction: Texas
S Lathan Ransom (Tucson, AZ), scheduled commitment date: July 16
Ohio State, LSU, Texas, Notre Dame and Oklahoma are the top five here. From the get-go, four of these programs were chasing Ohio State once the Buckeyes extended an offer early in 2019. Ohio State got the final official visit, made the final impression and looks to be the likely destination.
Prediction: Ohio State
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