With the first-ever early signing period bearing down on the college football world, several of the nation’s top prospects are still mulling their options, with decisions likely to come down this week.

Today, experts from the Rivals.com network examine where five-star Knoxville (Tenn.) Catholic offensive lineman Cade Mays will end up playing his college football. The candidates are Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State.

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It’s a wonder we ever got to this situation with Mays, a Tennessee legacy who was born and bred as a Vols fan. He made a commitment to Tennessee very early in his high school career and never even bothered to visit other programs after that decision. But as Tennessee’s season fell apart in 2017, Mays commitment wavered and he eventually told the Vols staff he was no longer committed. Clemson immediately emerged as a contender and hosted Mays and his younger brother, Cooper, for a visit. Later, Georgia, Notre Dame and Ohio State all got involved, as well, and Tennessee even made a late run after Jeremy Pruitt’s hire. But Mays lists three finalists: Clemson, Georgia and Ohio State, and he has officially visited all three programs. So where will he end up? We asked our team of experts to state the case for their respective programs and let National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell issue a verdict.

Clemson: "Clemson makes sense as Mays’ destination for several reasons. He has the most established relationships there - ranging from his longtime friendship with commitment Mike Jones to being a former teammate of freshman receiver Amari Rodgers and having been courted by line coach Robbie Caldwell since his freshman year. There’s a reasonable chance he plugs in as the starting left tackle should junior Mitch Hyatt go pro, just as Hyatt stepped into the job three years ago. Dabo Swinney and Clemson’s culture resonate with his family, and the rural setting of the campus figures to appeal to the avid outdoorsman. Georgia accounts for Clemson’s biggest threat, and it’s a legit one. But the Tigers seem to check more of the boxes." – Paul Strelow, TIgersIllustrated.com

Ohio State: “Ohio State has done a good job to get this far with Mays after not initially being a factor for the five-star lineman the first time around. The Buckeyes have some long-term depth issues at offensive tackle that they are trying to address in this class, and could sell some early playing time to Mays on an offense that has a chance to be pretty explosive in 2018. But Ohio State's chances appear to be slim in this race, and Mays just feels like a kid who wants to play somewhere in the South. It would be a surprise if he committed to Ohio State, despite the late run the Buckeyes have made here” – Marc Givler, BuckeyeGrove.com

Georgia: “If Georgia ends up being the landing spot for Mays, I think the credit has to largely lie with two parties. First, it's offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who's been a godsend to the Bulldogs program. With three strong pieces committed for 2018 and a great shot at five-star Jamaree Salyer, Pittman has continued to be a dominant recruiting force, and the play of his linemen this year proved his capability to develop. Secondly, the 2018 class- including Trey Hill, Zamir White and Owen Condon - has also rallied to let Mays know he's a wanted man. I think both Pittman and the fellow recruits will be compelling for Mays heading into the decision, and, for that reason, it won't surprise me to see Georgia win out” – Jake Reuse, UGASports.com

“Clemson is the destination, I believe, which is a bit of a surprise because I always thought he would recommit to Tennessee. But it’s hard to argue against anyone picking the Tigers these days, and he could be the heir apparent to Mitch Hyatt there and should see early playing time.” – Mike Farrell, National Recruiting Director