ACC Spotlight: Five on the verge? Possible conference commits
We are nearing the middle of the high school football season and commitments will be coming at a faster and faster pace. Here's a look at five players that could end up committing to an ACC team.
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Finalists: Clemson, Florida State, Alabama, LSU
Where things stand: LSU has long since thought to be the leader, but with things becoming more uncertain in Baton Rouge, that may be subject to change. Surtain is taking a leisurely approach to his recruitment and is in no rush to rattle off official visits. A commitment may not be coming in the near future, but his recruitment is certainly taking shape. With LSU’s season not going quite as planned, FSU and Clemson could be poised to strike. It’s never wise to count out Alabama, but if there was ever a chance for the two ACC programs to make a play, this is it.
Finalists: Louisville, Florida State, Georgia, USC
Where things stand: A one-time Florida State commit, Cook has named Georgia as his leader, but will visit FSU for the Seminoles’ game with Louisville. He’s already visited UGA and intends to announce his decision on National Signing Day. There’s a chance that decision could be moved up, but Cook has made his intent clear. The Bulldogs are seen as the leader, but it’s impossible to count out FSU because of his family history with the school and the deep roots of his relationship with the staff. FSU has ground to make up here. And while some fans have resigned themselves to missing out on Cook, losing a legacy recruit is never ideal. Louisville is also in play, as Cook has two teammates committed to the school and has visited in the past. Still, that seems like a bit of long shot at this juncture.
Finalists: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia Tech
Where things stand: Henry has taken dozens of visits throughout the recruiting process and is nearly midway through his official visit schedule. He’s already taken an official visit to Georgia for the Mississippi State game and took an unofficial visit to Clemson for the Auburn game earlier this year. Henry has an official visit scheduled to Blacksburg for Virginia Tech's game against North Carolina. Official visits to Clemson, Alabama, and South Carolina will happen later this season. Clemson and Virginia Tech are viewed as two of the top contenders, along with Georgia. Alabama and South Carolina are certainly not out of the question, but there is a very good chance Henry ends up at an ACC school. He has a decision day set for Dec. 20.
Finalists: Penn State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Maryland
Where things stand: Walker has kept everybody waiting, but the longer he waits the better Virginia Tech’s chances of landing his commitment. Penn State has seemed like his leader for months, but Walker remains adamant about taking his official visits. Ohio State will host him on an official visit for the Penn State game, and visits to Maryland, Virginia Tech and Penn State should take place later on this year. The Hokies just got a visit from Walker for the Clemson game, and he really enjoyed the experience. Virginia Tech could steal Walker’s commitment (which could happen in early January or sooner) away from these Big Ten teams if it keeps gaining momentum.
Finalists: North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Stanford, Florida State
Where things stand: Hollifield is fresh off an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech for its game against Clemson and has already taken an official visit to Florida State. North Carolina and Virginia Tech will host him for official visits over the next two weekends, and Stanford is expected to get an official visit in January. The chances are very good that Hollifield ends up in the ACC, considering that three of his five finalists play in the conference. Odds are that Hollifield stays close to home and ends up picking Virginia Tech or North Carolina, but he hasn’t set a commitment timeline.