How things stand for top five uncommitted defensive backs
The Early Signing Period is less than two months away and there are still plenty of impact players that haven’t committed yet. We have now switched over to the defensive side in our two-week series looking at the top uncommitted prospects at each position. Next up are the linebackers.
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RELATED: How things stand with the top five uncommitted QBs | RBs | WRs | TEs | OL | DEs | DTs | LBs
CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
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Top contenders: Ohio State, Penn State, LSU
Recruiting outlook: Saturday is when Davis’ recruitment should end. He’s going to pick between these three finalists but it looks like it’s really coming down to Ohio State and Penn State.
The Nittany Lions have the best relationships with Davis and his connections there are well documented but Ohio State has done a tremendous job developing defensive backs and getting them into the NFL. This decision will be very close and nobody knows for sure which direction he is heading.
Farrell’s take: This is a tight one between Ohio State and Penn State and we will find out this weekend. My best guess is still Penn State because of the connection to assistant coach Terry Smith, but I would not be surprised either way.
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Top contenders: USC, Michigan, Notre Dame, Arizona State, Oregon, Stanford
Recruiting outlook: Wright is expected to land on the west coast when it comes time for his commitment but Notre Dame is working hard to get more involved. He is supposed to take a visit to South Bend and possibly Michigan in the near future. Oregon, Utah, and Nebraska are also potential visit destinations for Wright but they’re all chasing USC right now.
Farrell’s take: USC has been the team to beat for a long time here and I see no reason to change my thinking.
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Top contenders: Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn
Recruiting outlook: Green is difficult to read because he hasn’t named a short list of contenders just yet, but he seems to be headed to the SEC. Georgia and Tennessee look like the leaders right now but it’s hard to say if one is ahead of the other. Auburn is also involved here and could pick up momentum at any moment.
Farrell’s take: Tennessee has jumped into this race in a big way but I’m still leaning towards Georgia as they were the team that sort of swayed him off Clemson long ago.
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Top contenders: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Florida State
Recruiting outlook: A top five from Arnold is supposed to be coming on Dec. 1, but odds are good that he signs with a team in the Southeast. Alabama, Florida, and Georgia are the betting favorites right now and a commitment should be announced in December. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Arnold take his decision all the way to the Early Signing Period.
Farrell’s take: Florida is and always has been my pick here despite many rumors regarding other schools.
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Top contenders: Missouri, Texas Tech, Ole Miss, Washington State, Virginia Tech
Recruiting outlook: Johnson was a long-time Oklahoma commit but now he’s back on the market trying to re-engage with teams around the country. Details on his recruitment are hard to come by right now but he is actively searching for a new home. Texas A&M was involved earlier in his recruitment but it seems as though that option is no longer available so it wouldn’t be a huge surprise for him to again look outside of the state of Texas.
Farrell’s take: This is anyone’s guess now as Johnson appears to want to play WR while Oklahoma wanted him as a DB. Watch out for TCU here or Oklahoma State as they might hop in on this talented local.