Making the Case: Patrick Surtain

With National Signing Day right around the corner, several of the nation’s top prospects are nearing final decisions in advance of officially signing their letters-of-intent on Wednesday.

Today, experts from the Rivals.com network examine where five-star Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage defensive back Patrick Surtain will end up playing his college football in advance of his Signing Day announcement. The candidates are Clemson, Alabama and LSU.

MAKING THE CASE: Justyn Ross | Ja'Marr Chase

Surtain has been a fixture on the recruiting scene for three years now and over that time, he has taken several visits to college campuses across the country. But his recruitment really started to sort itself over the past month, as he took official visits to LSU, Alabama and Clemson. The tight-lipped Surtain hasn’t let much out about how the trips went or where he’s leaning, but speculation for months has been that he will end up at LSU.

Did Alabama or Clemson show enough on Surtain’s official visits to sway him away? We asked our team experts to state the case for their respective programs and let National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell issue a verdict.

“Odds remain much greater in the favor of LSU and Alabama, who have been identified publicly as his frontrunners for a long time. If you're Clemson, you're holding out hope this unfold as it did for another south Florida corner two years ago when Trayvon Mullen stunned many by choosing Clemson over LSU and FSU on National Signing Day. Clemson owns a much thinner depth chart relative to the competition, and it had the chance to gain momentum with a late official visit last weekend. Probably a long shot, but the Tigers still have some shot.” – Paul Strelow, TigerIllustrated.com

"Momentum seems to have shifted in Alabama’s favor for the nation’s top cornerback. The Crimson Tide loses its top six defensive backs from the national championship team. Coach Nick Saban has emphasized the need at the position and the immediate impact Surtain can make as a true freshman. Surtain is a must-get recruit for the Crimson Tide. Alabama appears on the verge of closing very strong. Surtain can be the icing on the cake." Andrew Bone, BamaInsider.com

"When it comes to five-star cornerback Patrick Surtain Jr., I believe that despite Alabama making things interesting late, LSU gets his signature on Signing Day. Tigers defensive backs coach Corey Raymond has been recruiting Surtain for multiple years, that relationship plus ties to Louisiana and the LSU-DBU thing finishes the deal." - Mike Scarbrough, TigerBait.com

“Surtain is a quiet kid and hard to read but the rumors regarding LSU have been there for so long that I have to think there’s something to it. Alabama has made a move but, he picks the Tigers in the end.” – Farrell