Midwest Spotlight: Five recruits to track as Early Signing Period nears
MORE: Missouri lands four-star in-state defensive back
We are exactly one month out from the start of the December Signing Period, when class of 2019 prospects can first put pen to National Letters of Intent. Big-name prospects across the country remain undecided heading into December, however, and we break those down this week starting in the Midwest.
Contenders: Indiana, Iowa, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue
Breakdown: Two official visits are complete, with three more scheduled before Bell renders his final verdict and signs in the December period. Penn State was the first to host Bell back in September and Purdue was the second when they brought the in-state four-star out for their Nov. 2 home game weekend. Coincidentally, those are the schools I listed 1-2 when I ranked his top five on likelihood of getting his commitment a few weeks back. Purdue is strong here and has been the program with the top shot of landing Bell for several months in my opinion, so the speculation around Jeff Brohm and Louisville has major implications in this recruitment. When I last spoke with Bell his final official visits were tentative, but Iowa and Indiana are scheduled to get December trips and would see a significant boost if a coaching change occurs in West Lafayette.
Contenders: Boston College, Michigan, Ohio State
Breakdown: There are other recruitments of Midwest four-stars that could re-open, especially if coaching transitions happen following the regular season, with Purdue being a school most will be watching. Eichenberg, however, is a committed prospect whose recruitment saw a renewal about six weeks back with new scholarship offers from Michigan and Ohio State. Eichenberg has declined to address how the new offers will factor into his recruitment, but we include him here because he did take an unofficial visit to Michigan for its Nov. 3 home contest against Penn State, and is expected at Ohio State this upcoming weekend for the Buckeye’s season finale. Boston College appears to be a good fit for Eichenberg all around, but the Eagles have a fight on their hands to keep their four-star linebacker in this 2019 class.
Contenders: Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Breakdown: In several recent columns I have stated this is a two-horse race between Michigan and Ohio State, but technically Penn State is still in play and there are scenarios that could see the Nittany Lions pulling off the stunner here. And, from where we sit right now, it would be a stunner. If we go back to the late winter/early spring timeframe I think Penn State might have held a lead for Harrison. By the start of summer Ohio State would have been the team I pegged as the team to beat, but in the last couple months Michigan seems to have pulled ahead. Wolverine fans should root for this recruitment to end this week, which is not out of the realm of possibility. Harrison has seemed poised to decide for several weeks. Ohio State and Penn State want to get this into next week, however, when the contact period starts and coaches can make in-home visits. Like official visits, in-home visits can flip the entire landscape of a recruitment.
Contenders: Clemson, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State
Breakdown: This recruitment would be much easier to break down if Keegan was more open to discussing his recruitment publicly, but he is not and so we are left guessing as to what direction this is headed. A surprise mid-week visit to Michigan last week was interesting, but exactly what it means in regards to this recruitment is unclear. Official visits have been taken to Ohio State (Oct. 5), Michigan (Oct. 12, and Georgia (Nov. 9). Clemson and Penn State are still expected to receive official visits, but specific dates have not been made public for those trips yet. When I last spoke with Trevor in between his Ohio State and Michigan official visit he said academics and his comfort with the people around the program were key factors for him, so these official visits are key to his selection. A final decision has been scheduled for Dec. 11 and he will sign in the early period.
Contenders: Arizona, Cincinnati, Indiana, Kentucky, Purdue
Breakdown: Officially there are a top five schools in the race for Williams, but he has already decided that official visits will not be taken to either Arizona and Kentucky, which would make it unlikely either of those schools will be the eventual choice. A discussion on possible official visit dates is still being had with Cincinnati, but the only official visit dates that are currently set are to Indiana on Dec. 7 and Purdue on Dec. 14. Obviously what happens with Jeff Brohm at Purdue will play a major role in how this recruitment plays out, and for that reason you have to like where Indiana is sitting with Williams planning to sign on the opening day of the December Signing Period.