Florida spotlight: Five predictions for Signing Day 2018

Since recruiting is predictable, not at all volatile and incredibly easy to project, Rivals.com Florida analyst Rob Cassidy takes on the simple task of filling everyone in on what will happen in the Sunshine State in the short eight months between now and Signing Day 2018.

Because of the static nature of football recruiting, nothing is likely to change, abruptly or otherwise, between now and February 2018, so the following Florida-centric predictions should be 100 percent correct. Or something like that.

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Ok, so Alabama doesn’t often lose commits. And, yeah, the Tide do a great job recruiting wide receivers in Florida. But what’s the fun in making careless predictions eight months before Signing Day if you aren’t going to take a chance or two?

Williams, a South Florida native, has been committed to Alabama for some time, but the four-star receiver plans to take multiple visits in the month ahead. He’s been involved in talks with Miami and is listening to other programs in addition to the Hurricanes.

Add in the fact that the Crimson Tide have plenty of other option on their recruiting board, and it’s starting to seem like Williams is likely to play his college ball outside of Tuscaloosa. Whether or not Williams actually flips, this recruitment has some drama left in it. That much is certain.

This predication doesn’t seem particularly bold as things stand now. The Hurricanes boast the country’s top recruiting class and seem to be gaining momentum by the day. Way to go out on a limb, right? Still, the upcoming season means everything for the Hurricanes, which will have to break in a new quarterback and manage to look formidable on the field if they hope to hang on to many of their prized recruits.

It seems unlikely that UM will finish with the nation’s top class. But with players such as Lorenzo Lingard (RB) and Mark Pope (WR) unlikely to look elsewhere no matter what, Miami should be able to hold off a late charge from Florida State to wear the Sunshine State’s recruiting crown for the first time in the 16-year existence of Rivals.

A top-five class is a possibility despite naysayers in Tallahassee (and elsewhere) waiting for the Hurricanes to collapse this fall.

The Florida State quarterback situation behind starter Deondre Francois is, well, less than ideal.

FSU does not have a 2018 quarterback in the fold and Malik Henry, its lone quarterback from the 2016 class, transferred to Independence Community College in Kansas after one season at FSU. The Seminoles did sign a pair of quarterbacks in last year’s class, but neither was a top-200 prospect.

This creates opportunity. A program that recently produced a Heisman Trophy winner at the position and is constantly in the hunt for titles shouldn’t have trouble selling itself to quarterbacks, which means nobody’s commitment is safe. Look for FSU to get involved with a committed prospect down the stretch and possibly pry a commitment away from a program with a fan base that will baselessly accuse the Noles’ staff of cheating once the deed is done.

This is becoming a trend.

It’s been three years since a Florida school landed the state’s No. 1 prospect and it’s up to Florida State to end the streak by landing Patrick Surtain on Signing Day 2018.

FSU has a chance of doing this. Make no mistake about that. It’s just that it will have to overcome LSU and, to a lesser extent, Clemson, in order to do so. LSU flopping on the field this fall would help the Seminoles’ cause. If that doesn’t take place, however, Jimbo Fisher and company will fight an uphill battle to end a streak that started on Signing Day, 2015.

Somebody is getting victimized. The only question is “who will it be?”

Last year, it was former Florida State commit Daniel Wright, who seemed like an FSU lock for some time. And while it’s unclear who this year’s prospect will be, all three Florida-based power programs should be on high alert. Until further notice, the Tide is the shark in the recruiting ocean, and it always seems to feed in Florida.