Here we are nearly at the midpoint of the football season and some important storylines on the recruiting trail are playing out. Prospects that have been committed for some time are now seriously considering switching to other programs while others continue to build suspense leading up to their commitment. Let’s take a look at the five most interesting recruitments by position, starting with the quarterbacks.
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Contenders: Boston College, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern
Recruiting outlook: Options dried up quickly for Crenshaw, who was hoping to enjoy a long recruiting process. Now he is still looking for a landing spot. Crenshaw’s best bet right now is Boston College but Steve Addazio’s coaching staff hasn’t shown much interest lately. Georgia Tech already has a quarterback committed in Tucker Gleason but the Yellow Jackets continue to keep Crenshaw warm just in case. There is always the possibility that Crenshaw’s recruitment picks up again towards the end of the season, but time will tell.
Farrell’s take: Many teams backed off Crenshaw after they landed other quarterbacks, so I don’t know where he fits. He could be a guy who gets a lot more interest late in the recruiting process. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him end up at a smaller program like Georgia Southern, but I have a feeling someone from the Power Five will go on him late.
Contenders: Florida State, Texas A&M, Houston
Recruiting outlook: Hornsby’s recruitment has been a roller coaster ride and the former North Carolina commit seems to be running out of spots to land. Adamant that he wants to play quarterback at the next level, Hornsby has an official visit to Florida State set up for the Syracuse game at the end of October. Houston is a possibility for Hornsby and the longer he remains uncommitted, the more momentum the Cougars pick up. Texas A&M is still in touch with Hornsby, but the Aggies are only interested in him if he is open to switching positions.
Farrell’s take: I’m going with Florida State here over Houston because I don’t think he wants to compete at another position at A&M. The Seminoles' quarterback situation is open as they haven’t taken that many in recent years and it allows him to play Power Five football.
Contenders: BYU, Hawaii, Washington State, Ohio State, Georgia
Recruiting outlook: De Laura isn’t a prospect that many people are familiar with, but interest in him is picking up now that most of the quarterbacks in this class are already committed. He hasn’t taken many visits, but he was in touch with BYU a lot earlier in the recruiting process. De Laura told Southeast Recruiting Analyst Woody Wommack last week that he is in touch with Washington State, Ohio State, and Georgia. The Cougars don’t have a quarterback commit just yet but Ohio State and Georgia both do. Either of those two programs taking a second quarterback in this class could cause a ripple effect across the recruiting world.
Farrell’s take: I think De Laura ends up at BYU unless Georgia or Ohio State turn up the heat because he can be the only quarterback in the class.
Contenders: Ohio State, Baylor, Oregon, Penn State, Auburn, Alabama
Recruiting outlook: Stroud hasn’t rushed his recruitment and his options are pretty clear at this point. Baylor and Oregon are his top programs right now, but Ohio State could jump to the top of his list if the Buckeyes offer this season. All three programs will get visits from Stroud before he commits. Penn State, Auburn, and Alabama are staying in touch with Stroud, but they aren’t serious options right now.
Farrell’s take: Stroud is an interesting one because we don’t really know how hard certain programs are recruiting him. I’m going to say Oregon right now because I know the Ducks want him bad and he likes the offense he sees there, but if others get involved late it will be very interesting.
Contenders: Gonzaga, Marquette, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Iowa State
Recruiting outlook: We’re still no closer to getting a decision out of Suggs whether he will play football or basketball at the next level. Judging by his top choices, basketball is probably in his future, but he still says he wants to play both sports. Obviously, the five-star point guard will play only basketball if he chooses Gonzaga or Marquette because neither university has a football team, but Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, and Iowa State could use a four-star quarterback to solidify their offense. More visits should be coming as the fall progresses.
Farrell’s take: I still think he chooses basketball and ends up at Gonzaga. Football sounds nice, but his future is in basketball and the Zags give him a great chance to reach his potential. I’d be surprised if he played both in college.
