First and 10: Suspense is par for the course in the Southeast

The Southeast region is known for recruiting twists and turns on the recruiting trail and the current crop of recruits figures to have plenty of prospects that will keep schools and fans guessing all the way until the end. Here’s a rundown of the 10 prospects in the region that have even the experts wondering how their recruitment will play out.

Once upon a time, Johnson seemed like a lock to follow his older brother, De'Andre Johnson, to Florida State. Once his brother was dismissed from the team following a misdemeanor battery charge, however, things changed. These days, projecting Johnson's future is difficult. He has taken a certain shine to UCLA, but five-star prospects so rarely leave Florida for the West Coast. Any number of schools could become involved as time passes.

The nation’s top quarterback in his class has schools from all over the country vying for his attention, but it appears Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and Clemson have his attention. Lawrence has hinted he hopes to end his recruitment sooner rather than later, but with so many options on the table, it’s tough to get a read on which school has the edge.

Davis likes Florida, but it’s hard to tell how much emphasis the Gators have put on Davis. Oklahoma is heavily involved, as head coach Bob Stoops has started to recruit Davis himself. The four-star running back says little during interviews and seems to change his mind weekly, so his recruitment could be one with an interesting final stretch. The picture should clear slightly after the spring, but don’t expect Davis to look like a lock to any school anytime soon.

The Rivals100 prospect has offers from coast-to-coast and also has family ties to several different programs. Most assume he will follow his cousin Nigel Warrior to Tennessee, but Georgia is a factor as are schools in the Big 12 such as Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor. Gibbs doesn’t appear close to deciding, only adding further intrigue to the situation.

Kaindoh is interesting because he’s nearing a commitment. The five-star defensive end is expected to announce a decision early next week. And, still, few seem to have a handle on what that decision might be. Kaindoh recently announced a top four of Notre Dame, Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State, but those close to him insist that the choice may still very well be Maryland. Notre Dame seems to be a real player as well, as does Penn State. That said, Kaindoh’s decision to leave Maryland out of his top four could be simply deception for deception’s sake.

The one-time Notre Dame commitment has flirted with committing again this spring, only to recently back off and start examining his options again. Alabama seemed like the team to beat, but Georgia, Clemson, Texas, Florida State and Tennessee are also in the mix. Beal is the type of player could make his mind up and commit at any moment, or take his time and wait all the way until the end of the year.

A one-time Ohio State commit, Judson’s recruitment has been all over the map as of late. Florida was once thought to be the front-runner, but how hard they are pushing at the moment is in question. Judson attended Pitt’s spring game and intends to make a return visit. He also seems to feel a connection to Arizona. South Carolina and Georgia are also players in his recruitment. Judson names no favorites at the moment because his front-runner seems change often.

Gray nearly committed to USC last fall before the coaching drama changed everything between him and the Trojans. In the past few months he’s looked like a lean to Tennessee, but he’s also been high on Florida State for most of his recruitment. Gray will likely take quite a bit of time before deciding and there’s still plenty of twists and turns ahead.

Davis was once committed to Oregon State, but the fact that he’s never visited the campus made his recruitment unpredictable from the jump. It’s one thing to commit to a school sight-unseen. It’s another thing to do so when that school is more than 3,000 miles away. Add in the fact that Davis recently picked up an offer from Georgia, and there’s plenty of room for things to get interesting.

The talented running back has been high on SEC options like Tennessee and Georgia for sometime but Oklahoma and Oregon have since surged on his list. He will visit Eugene later this month with his parents and assuming the trip goes well things could end early. But there’s even a better chance he stays on the market and keeps us guessing for a few more months.