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Early Signing Period preview: Five questions from Florida

Marcus Dumervil
Marcus Dumervil (Nick Lucero/Rivals.com)

Just days remain until the opening of the early signing window. And while prospects from all over the country will provide twists, turns and headlines in the days ahead, no state does recruiting drama quite like Florida. Below, we look at some of the more pressing questions in the Sunshine State - questions that should be answered during the Early Signing Period.

EARLY SIGNING PERIOD PREVIEW: Five potential flips

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State

CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals100 | Position | Team | State

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1. Where will Marcus Dumervil land?  

One of the top uncommitted players in the state of Florida, Rivals100 offensive lineman Marcus Dumervil appears to be down to LSU and Florida. He’ll sign with one of those two schools on Wednesday during a ceremony at his high school. And while there will likely be others hats on the table, the Gators and Tigers seem to be the only serious players. Florida looked to be the leader not so long ago but the events of recent weeks have Dumervil trending toward LSU. That said, UF is by no means out of the picture. There’s still some drama left in this one.

2. What will FSU do at quarterback?  

Florida State parted ways with longtime quarterback commit Jeff Simms shortly after new head coach Mike Norvell took the reins of the program, leaving the Seminoles scrambling for a signal-caller once again. The program has not signed a high school quarterback in its last two recruiting classes, so getting a warm body or two at the position is paramount. FSU has offered TCU pledge Jimmy Holiday and South Florida commit Tate Rodemaker since splitting with Simms, so next week could hold a twist or turn on this front. Rodemaker will visit Tallahassee over the weekend.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA STATE FANS AT WARCHANT.COM

3. Who will win the three-way battle for Keyshawn Greene?  

A former Florida State commit, Rivals250 linebacker Keyshawn Greene backed off his pledge during the FSU coaching change and is now considering Miami and Nebraska in addition to the new Seminoles’ staff. FSU seems to be running in third place these days, however, as the Florida-based prospect elected to visit Nebraska instead of Tallahassee this week. It seems Miami holds a slight edge here, but this weekend's trip to Lincoln could change things.

4. Can the Gators get their flip on? 

Once committed to Miami, four-star defensive end Donell Harris is now pledged to Texas A&M. A third commitment could be on the horizon, however, as Florida has begun to push hard for his services down the stretch. Aggie fans hope that the strong bond Harris has with head coach Jimbo Fisher will be enough to hold off the Gators, but this has potential for drama come Wednesday. Even more important than Harris, however, is Timothy Smith, a Rivals100 Alabama commit that will visit Gainesville over the weekend before making his final decision. A four-star defensive tackle, Smith is the Gators’ No. 1 overall target. He’s been committed to Alabama since July.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH FLORIDA FANS AT GATORSTERRITORY.COM

5. Will Arian Smith really land at UGA?

Lakeland (Fla.) High School wideout Arian Smith is set to announce his choice in the early afternoon Wednesday, and Georgia seems to be the likely destination. Alabama fans hope an in-home visit with Nick Saban changed Smith’s mind, but the Bulldogs will be tough to beat here. It would take a sudden change of heart for the speedster’s recruitment to turn on its head at this late juncture, but it’s always unwise to count Saban out of these sort of battles.

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH GEORGIA FANS AT UGASPORTS.COM

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