Army Bowl: Five commitment predictions
SAN ANTONIO – There are a bunch of still uncommitted prospects playing in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl this week. Here are some predictions on where some of those top recruits will end up.
MORE: Complete Army Bowl coverage | Videos from the Army Bowl
The skinny: Ohio State, UCLA, Nebraska, USC and Michigan are the finalists for the five-star cornerback but this really feels like a two-team race between the Buckeyes and the Bruins heading down the stretch. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer has done everything possible in recent weeks to steal Holmes, who has probably been leaning to UCLA for some time because of his close family relationship with position coach Demetrice Martin.
Prediction: Ohio State. There seems to be a lot of chatter that the Buckeyes have closed so strong here and that Meyer convinced the five-star that Ohio State could do the best job getting him to the NFL. The track record is there for the Buckeyes. UCLA is still right there and Martin and Holmes are really close but Ohio State seems to be the trendy pick here.
The skinny: The five-star has Stanford, Washington and Notre Dame as the long-time front-runners and the Cardinal have been thought to be the leader for some time. However, especially in recent months, the Huskies have seriously emerged as a contender and Washington making the College Football Playoff could not hurt.
Prediction: Stanford. Having fellow five-star Walker Little committed to the Cardinal should not scare off Sarell at all. It might even reinforce the idea that both could dominate on Stanford’s offensive line for the next few years. Both absolutely dominated on Day 1 of Army practice and playing together on the same line would be scary.
The skinny: The five-star defensive back is basically down to Oklahoma, Florida State and Ohio State and the Buckeyes have been trending for Okudah recently. He closely followed Jalen Ramsey’s career so the Seminoles cannot be counted out but Meyer and his staff are doing such a good job in recruiting that adding another five-star wouldn’t be a surprise.
Prediction: Ohio State. It would be pretty surprising at this point if Okudah ends up anywhere else at this point. The five-star defensive back would be a tremendous addition to an already loaded class that features another five-star from Texas in linebacker Baron Browning. Maybe Okudah fashions himself as the next Ramsey but the Buckeyes have had some talented players in the defensive backfield as well.
The skinny: Ohio State and USC are the finalists for Bolden, one of the top safeties in the class because he’s so instinctual and is such a tremendous playmaker for one of the best high school programs in the country. Three players from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman are already committed to the Buckeyes but Bolden had been committed to USC before.
Prediction: USC. There has to be some pull for Ohio State especially since his Gorman teammates are headed there and defensive backs have been so highly drafted especially in recent years but the Trojans seem to be difficult to beat. There is playing time and it’s closer to home and USC has some pretty strong tradition as well. Could be a toss-up but the Trojans look to have the edge.
The skinny: Alabama, Nebraska, Notre Dame and Washington State are the finalists for Calvin but his recruitment took a lot of twists and turn in recent weeks with new offers from Oregon, Texas and most recently Baylor. The four-star will announce this weekend and then could take one final visit – school to be determined – in January before closing things down.
Prediction: Nebraska. The Huskers covet Calvin’s elusiveness and speed in the slot and getting him the ball in space could only mean good things for Nebraska’s offense. His relationship with position coach Keith Williams should work wonders, too, as the two are close and that should be favorable for Nebraska, too. A late visit might get interesting – especially if it’s Oregon – but there are a lot of reasons why Calvin will pick – and stick – with the Huskers.
