Commitment predictions for the seven uncommitted five-stars
There are only seven five-star prospects still uncommitted, and while there will be a lot of movement and changes in the coming months leading up to signing day, today we focus on those uncommitted prospects and make a prediction on which program will land each one.
TAKE TWO: Has Florida taken the lead for Darnell Washington?
Overview: Flowe had a busy summer thinking through his recruitment and has spent the early part of his senior season focused on playing with his team and thrashing players on a regular basis. It still looks like Clemson has jumped out in his recruitment as some close to him have embraced him leaving home to play for an elite program. If there is a coaching change at USC and a huge name comes in, then the Trojans could get back in it but right now that has not happened. Oregon, Georgia, Alabama and others are sticking around but are probably long shots.
Farrell’s take: I'm going with Clemson here unless something changes drastically at USC. I don't think Flowe will play for Clay Helton, but if the Trojans do move on and hire a big-name coach then things could change. But unless that happens, he's a strong lean to Dabo Swinney and the Tigers.
Overview: The difficult part with predicting and even reporting on Burch’s recruitment is that he never does interviews and so it’s challenging to gauge what exactly is happening. Clemson is for sure a major player in his recruitment and he’s been to campus numerous times. He plays at Columbia (S.C.) Hammond School so of course South Carolina continues to pursue him. The program to keep an eye on is Georgia since he continues to show interest in the Bulldogs, but a lot of people feel he stays even closer to home and plays in-state.
Farrell’s take: I'm going with Clemson on this one as well. The Tigers' recent defensive line development and the fact that they are winning national titles will push them ahead. South Carolina is an option and Georgia is always hard to beat, but Clemson usually gets what Clemson wants.
Overview: The five-star cornerback released a top five of Alabama, Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon and Texas in the summer, but this really feels like a battle between the Bulldogs and the Longhorns. Ringo has been to Athens countless times and he’s developed such a strong relationship with the coaching staff plus he loves that coach Kirby Smart works closely with the defense. Texas is hanging in there, though, because of the coaches and he likes it there as well. The other three programs have a fighting chance but are on the outside looking in.
Farrell’s take: This is getting closer and closer between Georgia and Texas and a lot depends on how things play out this season. Georgia has the lead, but if Texas beats Oklahoma and starts to break through in the Big 12, he could easily head to Austin as well. Right now, give me the Dawgs.
Overview: A year ago it seemed like Gilbert was a stone-cold lock to Georgia, but he has seemed to get cold feet because of the Bulldogs’ lack of utilizing tight ends. Plus, others have come in hard and heavy and have really recruited Gilbert hard. Alabama is making a serious pitch to him and Gilbert is definitely listening as the Crimson Tide have emerged as probably the front-runner. Another team to watch is Clemson as the Tigers have turned it on after slow-playing Gilbert earlier in his recruitment. Tennessee is also involved - and will stay that way as long as high school teammate Harrison Bailey is committed - but that seems like a stretch at this point.
Farrell’s take: I've always thought Georgia has a better chance than many gave them here and I think they stick around, but right now it looks like Alabama has a strong lead with Clemson No. 2. Give me the Tide here but never count out Georgia unless he eliminates them.
Overview: There were rumors that Evans was close to a Georgia commitment only a few weeks ago, but he decided not to pull the trigger and join fellow five-star RB Kendall Milton in the class. The Bulldogs remain a big-time player for Evans, but it looks like Texas A&M has emerged as the team to beat and LSU definitely cannot be counted out. If the Aggies land Evans’ pledge, it would be the first time in Rivals history dating back to 2002 that the top three players in the state of Texas went to play for the Aggies.
Farrell’s take: I picked Texas A&M back in the summer when everyone was all over Georgia and I'm sticking with that. The Aggies seem to be trending for him with five-star wide receiver Demond Demas recruiting him hard. Georgia is still in there with Milton recruiting him and LSU is one to watch as well, but for me, it's the Aggies.
Overview: Sewell’s brother, Penei, plays at Oregon and the Ducks are also recruiting the five-star linebacker very hard, so the prevailing notion is that he ends up playing in the Pac-12. But the SEC teams like Alabama, Georgia, LSU and possibly others cannot be counted out, either, because there is some thinking that Sewell believes his talents would be best suited for that league.
At 6-foot-1 and about 255 pounds, Sewell can make a huge impact anywhere and he has said numerous times he’s going to make the best decision for himself and not just simply follow his brother to Oregon, although he likes the Ducks a lot.
Farrell’s take: This ends up being a family decision and Sewell chooses the Ducks in the end to play with his brother. The SEC is tempting and it will be a tight battle, but Sewell could play both ways at Oregon and family comes first.
Overview: Washington took a semi-surprise visit to Florida this past weekend and absolutely loved the environment. It was not his first time to Gainesville but it was his first opportunity to see a game in The Swamp and things could not have gone better. With that said, Georgia seems to still have an edge in his recruitment as he’s developed a great relationship with that coaching staff. Miami and Tennessee are expected to get visits in December and Washington could also visit Alabama for the LSU game. No matter what, it looks like the 6-foot-7, 255-pound Las Vegas tight end will be playing his college ball somewhere in the Southeast.
Farrell’s take: Florida has given him a lot to think about and it will be in the mix until the end but he ends up at Georgia. The Dawgs are recruiting him hard, arguably harder than in-state Arik Gilbert, and he seems enamored with the offense and the coaching staff.