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How things stand with top 5 uncommitted WRs

Emeka Egbuka
Emeka Egbuka

Many thought the coronavirus pandemic and recruiting dead period would slow the recruiting process down for most recruits. Instead, it has had the opposite effect. Commitments started coming at an exponential rate, with many top prospects deciding they wanted to end their recruitments. We are taking a look where the recruitment of the top five uncommitted players at each position stand. Up next are the wide receivers.

MORE: Top 5 uncommitted QBs | RBs

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Top contenders: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson, Washington

Recruiting outlook: It has seemed like Egbuka's recruitment is coming down to the Buckeyes and the Tigers, but the Sooners have really picked up momentum in the last month or so. Washington is right there with his top contenders, too. The hometown school is definitely a draw, because staying closer to home is something interests him. The Buckeyes seem to have done a great job building relationships early and showing him how successful he could be. No decision date is set and it looks like his recruitment could drag on for a while, but Ohio State seems to be the team to beat.

Farrell’s take: I have Egbuka headed to Ohio State unless he decides he wants to stay closer to home. The others are excellent options and Washington has that home-state lure, but with Gee Scott Jr. headed to Ohio State and with Ryan Day’s offense, the Buckeyes have the edge here.

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Top contenders: Oregon, Alabama, Arizona State, Washington

Recruiting outlook: Franklin isn't in a rush to get his recruitment over with, but some teams have done a better job recruiting him than others. Oregon is probably the team that everybody is chasing at this point, with Washington as its biggest threat. But Alabama and Arizona State have made him feel like a priority. Keep an eye on Franklin once the recruiting dead period is over, because a decision will surely come then.

Farrell’s take: Oregon has done a great job of making Franklin a priority and the Ducks have taken away any edge that Washington might have had at one point. I feel he’s going to be a Duck.

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Top contenders: Arizona State, Florida State, Notre Dame, Oregon, USC, Virginia

Recruiting outlook: Oregon is in the driver's seat for Thornton, but it's not a slam dunk for the Ducks just yet. Arizona State and USC are making things interesting. If Thornton was able to get out on visits this spring Florida State, Notre Dame and possibly Virginia would be bigger factors in this race. He has set a commitment date in early January at the All-American Game, but it wouldn't be surprising to see him pull the trigger beforehand.

Farrell’s take: Thornton is a long way from a decision and this could be a situation where dominoes fall before he decides, but right now I feel Oregon has the lead and that would pair him with Franklin.

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Top contenders: LSU, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, Florida

Recruiting outlook: Hilton named a top five fairly recently, but it looks like LSU is in the best position. Alabama got him on campus before the pandemic forced the NCAA to set up a recruiting dead period. That was big for the Tide. It was his first visit there and he seemed to really enjoy it. Hilton also likes Georgia but the Bulldogs have some ground to make up if they hope to land his commitment. A decision date is not set, but something could happen at any time.

Farrell’s take: LSU often gets what it wants in state, unless Alabama steals someone away. This could come down to another Nick Saban-Ed Orgeron battle. I’ve got LSU in this one.

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Top contenders: Georgia, Notre Dame, Auburn, Oregon, Tennessee

Recruiting outlook: Colzie, a former Notre Dame commit, still really likes the Fighting Irish, but Georgia seems to have moved into the lead position. He is very familiar with the Dawgs because the campus is so close to his home and he is very close with quarterback commit Brock Vandagriff. Notre Dame still is very much in the mix because it was his dream school as a child, but Auburn, Oregon, and Tennessee are becoming bigger factors.

Farrell’s take: Notre Dame did a good job landing Colzie, and academics are important to him, but getting a chance to compete at Georgia with Vandagriff is too much to pass on.

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