The Mid-Atlantic region certainly has its share of high-profile players in the 2017 class. Here's a look at four top prospects from the area who remain uncommitted and the programs that might land them.
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The Situation: Wade hails from western Pennsylvania powerhouse Clairton, a school some view as a pipeline to Pittsburgh, but there are many other schools involved. A decision won’t come until later in the process.
The Frontrunner: Ohio State
The Buckeyes were the childhood favorite for Wade and, while there have been some questions about Ohio State’s ability to make room for another early enrollee, it is where he will likely end up. Wade has visited Columbus multiple times and he will almost certainly be back.
The Other Option: Tennessee
The Volunteers and defensive coordinator Bob Shoop have an excellent relationship with Wade and can sell early playing time. Wade was blown away by his visits to Knoxville and the Volunteers will be in this race until the end.
But Don’t Count Out: Penn State
A handful of other programs like UCLA, Alabama, and Pittsburgh are in the mix here, but the Nittany Lions seem like they might have the best shot out of this group. Wade makes the trip to Happy Valley fairly often and just took a visit to Alabama. He has promised that he will take an official visit to UCLA as well.
The Situation: St. Joe’s Prep churns out major prospects on a consistent basis, but Swift may be their biggest one yet. At various points early in his recruitment, Swift was considered a lean to either Penn State or Alabama.
The Frontrunner: Georgia
The Bulldogs have hosted Swift a handful of times over the past month and, even though he won’t admit it, Georgia is the clear favorite to land his commitment. He really likes the environment in Athens and has built a strong relationship with the coaches, players, and commits.
The Other Option: Florida State
The Seminoles and assistant coach Tim Brewster have been working on Swift for a long time and they will get their chance to host him before the end of the summer. Swift is good friends with 2016 Florida State signee Naseir Upshur, who has been working on Swift for a long time.
But Don’t Count Out: Alabama
Five-star Najee Harris has been committed to Alabama since April of last year, but many teams are pushing him to decommit and he has taken a handful of visits. If the Tide lose Harris, Nick Saban could turn up the heat on Swift.
The Situation: Michigan and Clemson have been battling it out for Singleton for months and it looks like that will continue until National Signing Day. There are some other schools that have been trying to become bigger factors in his recruitment, but chances are slim.
The Frontrunner: Clemson
This is a close call, but it seems like the Clemson coaching staff and defensive coordinator Brent Venables have done such a phenomenal job endearing themselves to Singleton and his family that they could edge out Michigan for his commitment. Michigan and Clemson are basically tied at the top for Singleton and it will likely remain that way until Singleton signs.
The Other Option: Michigan
The Wolverines have a lot going for them in Singleton’s recruitment. His former head coach is Michigan linebackers coach Chris Partridge, his former teammate is 2016 Michigan signee Rashan Gary, and a lot of his friends from New Jersey signed with Michigan in the 2016 class or earlier. This list goes on an on, but the word behind the scenes seems to be slightly leaning towards Clemson. Both coaching staffs are confident, but there is a lot left to play out here.
But Don’t Count Out: Tennessee
The Volunteers along with Auburn, Pittsburgh, and Maryland are in that next tier for Singleton. A lot of how much they will play into his recruitment will have to do with how much he likes his visits to those schools, his connection with the coaches, and how comfortable he feels on campus.
The Situation: Hunter is close to narrowing his focus and picking out some favorites. Some of the bigger schools in his recruitment have been known for a while, but there are some new ones that have momentum.
The Frontrunner: Virginia Tech
The coaching staff at Virginia Tech has the strongest and deepest relationship with Hunter and his family. He’s visited the campus multiple times and Hokie great Kam Chancellor is even recruiting Hunter.
The Other Option: Florida
The Gators made a huge move with Hunter when they hired Torrian Gray away from Virginia Tech to be their defensive backs coach. Gray and Hunter have a very close relationship and Hunter believes in the way Gray coaches his defensive backs. Hunter was already very interested in Florida before Gray made the move so there is a lot of momentum behind Florida right now.
But Don’t Count Out: North Carolina
The Tar Heels have hosted Hunter a couple times in the past few weeks and they seem to have a lot of his attention right now. Clemson is also firmly in the mix and they could push their way back up Hunter’s list down the road.
