Making the case: Anthony Cook

With less than five months until prospects can begin signing with schools, several of the nation’s top players have begun to cut their lists in advance of a commitment announcement.

Today, experts from the Rivals.com network examine where five-star defensive back Anthony Cook might end up playing his college football. The candidates are Texas, Ohio State and LSU.

MORE: Five-stars who need to break out | Inside the 2019 rankings

Cook has been one of the nation’s top-ranked prospects regardless of position since the initial rankings for his class were released last year. He's narrowed his focus to three heading into his senior season.

Ohio State has had a lot of success pulling the top prospects out of Texas in recent years, but will Tom Herman’s presence in Austin help the Longhorns keep him close to home? Can LSU pull another surprise and land one of the Lone Star State’s top defense backs?

Cook has yet to set an announcement date but could reveal his commitment at any time, so we asked our team experts to state the case for their respective programs and let National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell issue a verdict.

“Cook to Texas makes a lot of sense, but there's still work to be done on this one by the Texas staff. The Longhorns have a major need at defensive back and cornerback recruiting, and while Texas has done a good job of filling DB spots early, Cook isn't a player who is going to be scared of numbers, and he knows he'd have a chance to play right away should he wind up in Austin.

"Obviously, Texas has the advantage of proximity, and the Longhorns do already have a commitment from one of Cook's high school teammates - Al'Vonte Woodard - and could have a second if D'Shawn Jamison picks UT. Cook has always had Texas at or near the top of his list - even when Charlie Strong was coaching - and he has a really good relationship with the current coaching staff. The Longhorns are strong contenders here, but Texas will need to show significant progress on the field this fall if it hopes to land Cook's commitment.”

– Jason Suchomel, Orangebloods.com

“It hasn't taken long for old buddies Tom Herman and Urban Meyer to square off in a key recruiting showdown, though you can never count out LSU with Houston-area prospects. Ohio State has a real battle on its hands in pulling Cook away from two schools that are much closer geographically, but the Buckeyes have a couple of things working in their favor.

"First and foremost, Cook has stated numerous times that he's going to go to the school that he feels will best develop him. Ohio State is coming off a 2017 NFL draft that saw them put three defensive backs, including two corners, in the first round. Ohio State also produced top-10 2016 NFL draft pick Eli Apple at the cornerback position. So the history is there for this defensive staff where if you're a starting cornerback at Ohio State, you're going to have a great chance to not only play in the NFL, but to be a highly drafted player.

"Helping Ohio State perhaps to a lesser extent is the presence of Jeff Okudah. Okudah and Cook have the same Texas-based trainer and have become close over the past two years. Both of those things are strong factors working in Ohio State's favor and why the Buckeyes have a good chance to land the five-star prospect.”

– Marc Givler, BuckeyeGrove.com

"The LSU-DBU thing has always been a draw and continues to be. LSU defensive backs coach Corey Raymond continues to have great success getting interest from the nation’s best from all over the country. Cook certainly fits that bill, and there’s been a lot of chatter that LSU has closed the gap on Ohio State and Texas recently, but I continue to think that the Buckeyes get the commitment.”

– Mike Scarborough, TigerBait.com

I think Cook picks Ohio State if he follows through with his promise of announcing on Oct. 30. The proven development of defensive backs in Columbus as well as the on field success appear very important to Cook. Texas has a lot to prove on the field while the Buckeyes are an established winner and are putting defensive backs in the NFL with regularity. This is a tough call that could go either way, but I'll take Ohio State for the reasons above.