Sunshine State recruiting: Five two-team battles to watch

Few recruitments are true two-team races. Prospects like to include multiple suitors for a number of different reasons. Even in such a case, the two major players often remain obvious. So while some of the Florida-based players examined below may list a number of programs among the contenders, the reality of the situation is that the battle to land them is being waged by just two schools.

TWO-TEAM BATTLES: Southeast | Mid-Atlantic | West

There will be more than two official visits, sure, and it’s unwise to count Alabama or Clemson out of anything, but LSU and Florida State seem to have emerged here. The race to land Surtain will likely feature two schools making their cases during official visits. And while LSU has been considered the frontrunner for nearly a year, this is not a done deal by any stretch. FSU is player. Make no mistake about that. What transpires on Surtain’s next trip to Tallahassee could further help the Seminoles

Thompson is committed to Oregon, but Florida State isn’t going to close up shop and quit on an in-state star at a position of need. The distance between Thompson’s Tampa-area home and Eugene is significant, and Thompson is comfortable in Tallahassee, having visited on multiple occasions. It was a bit of a surprise when the four-star receiver chose the Ducks over the Seminoles, so it seems likely that there are multiple official visits in Thompson’s future. This is an active recruitment despite Thompson’s commitment status. The Ducks and ‘Noles are likely in for a fight that lasts until a letter of intent is signed.

Pope is committed to Miami and not likely to flip. That said, the five-star wide receiver is on record saying the only school he will consider in addition to the Hurricanes is Florida. Should Miami not lay an egg on the field this year, this should avoid getting that serious. If the on-field product gives Pope reason for pause, however, the Gators could get more seriously involved. There’s a lot pulling Pope to Miami, so things would have to break just right for UF in this case. Still, stranger things have happened in recruiting.

Miami, along with a few other programs, is on the periphery here, but Florida and North Carolina are the major players. The Gators are thought to be the favorite to land the in-state lineman, but North Carolina has long intrigued Barnes. The four-star lineman’s commitment timetable shifts from time to time, so this may come down to official visits.

Who doesn’t love a Big 12-SEC battle? Oklahoma will stand toe-to-toe with Florida when it comes to the fight for Unije, and the Sooners may well win. Unije is not a native Floridian despite attending IMG Academy, but pulling him out of the Southeast will still be a tall task. UF has plenty to sell the four-star prospect even if OU has built a tremendous relationship with him and his family.