Midwest Spotlight: Five commitment predictions

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

Four weeks ago, we released a set of five commitment predictions for the Midwest region. Since then two of those prospects committed, and our predictions were spot on in both instances. Today we bring you another five-pack of predictions from the region, including a 2020 five-star.

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The first Midwest prospect to earn five stars in the 2020 class, Rogers’ recruitment has already seen plenty of action with visits being taken to schools across the country. This was a difficult one to predict, because there are two schools that clearly stand out at this stage of Rogers’ recruitment: Georgia and Ohio State. However, the chances for each of those schools are nearly identical.

Early in the summer, I definitely would have said Ohio State. Late in the summer, though, Georgia would have been my pick. As it stands today it really is too close to call to say one or the other is the team to beat, so I will put on my forecasting hat and say that when all is said and done, I see Ohio State being the most likely to end up with his commitment.

Prediction: Ohio State

This is a recruitment that looks to be winding down, with the official visits he planned before the season now having been concluded or cancelled. LSU played host to Williams the weekend of Sept. 7, with Missouri welcoming the St. Louis product in for the Sept. 21 weekend. He was supposed to officially visit Alabama the weekend of Sept. 28, but that trip was called off. Williams has suggested in the past he wants to have his decision made this month, with Oct. 12 being thrown around as a possible commitment date.

Williams is shy about discussing his recruitment, so this prediction is somewhat of a shot in the dark. The way the last couple months have played out, along with the buzz around this recruitment make the home-state school the most likely choice, however.

Predicton: Missouri

The third prospect we highlight in this feature combines elements of the two prospects predicted before him. Like Williams, Benhart has been shy about discussing his recruitment throughout the process, so getting a strong feel for what direction he is leaning is difficult. Like Rogers, however, there appear to be two schools that clearly stand out above the rest, and in this case those schools are Nebraska and Wisconsin. Michigan could make things interesting if it gets an official visit from Benhart down the road, and that trip is being discussed.

Between the perceived top two, Benhart communicates most frequently with Scott Frost and Nebraska offensive line coach Greg Austin. That connection appears strongest heading into the final months before the signing period.

Prediction: Nebraska

Robinson stayed patient early in the process when the offers were slow to trickle in, and it paid off. He bulked up and developed significantly during this past off-season, which ended up driving an offer wave in late spring and early summer. Robinson has stayed patient and is in the process of officially visiting each of his top four.

Colorado made a strong impression during an early-season official visit, but the Buffaloes just took a commitment from JUCO defensive end Datona Jackson over the weekend. That does not necessarily preclude the Buffaloes from taking Robinson as well, but it could signal a lack of confidence they will eventually get the Michigan native. In the end, the home-state school is the most likely pick.

Prediction: Michigan State

Pulling this one from my FutureCasts (where I am 100 percent thus far). Prospects who have one team as the clear standout for a long period of time often will sign elsewhere in the end. It is difficult for one team to lead over the period of many months, because they are then the target for every other team in the recruitment.

Purdue has held that distinction in Graham’s recruitment going back to last spring. Officially, the Detroit safety has a top three of Iowa State, Minnesota and Purdue. Additional teams, such as Michigan State, could join the party with new offers in the coming weeks and that would make things very interesting. But in the end, I still like Purdue’s chances of holding on and signing Graham.

Prediction: Purdue