The spring wave of commitments has taken a lot of top prospects off the board, and many remaining recruitments are focused on a handful of schools. In the Midwest, 30 of the 43 prospects rated four-stars or higher have already issued commitments. Of the remaining uncommitted prospects there are clear top contenders.
Here are five two-team battles in the region that are set to play out over the coming weeks and months.
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ROCCO SPINDLER: Michigan vs. Notre Dame
Late last week, Rocco Spindler took to Twitter to once again reaffirm that he would not be making his college selection until he takes all five official visits.
The teams expected to get those official visits are LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State. Anything can happen on an official visit, and the top contenders for this recruitment could change when decision time arrives. For now, though, Michigan and Notre Dame are widely considered to be the two teams atop this recruitment.
Spindler grew up a Michigan fan and when he was very young, his father would tell friends Rocco would one day play offensive line for the Wolverines. We have seen plenty of recruitments end in a choice other than the team a prospect grew up cheering for, however, and Notre Dame has obviously made a strong impression on Spindler throughout this process. I put Notre Dame in the top spot when I ranked Spindler’s contenders back in April, and will stick with that pick for now.
Prediction: Notre Dame
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THOMAS FIDONE: Iowa vs. Nebraska
The longer this recruitment goes on, the less it is looking like a two-team battle. For the better part of the last year it was expected Thomas Fidone would either end up at Iowa or Nebraska. Officially, the Rivals100 prospect has a top six that also includes LSU, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State. Texas also came through with an offer just last week and could get a look.
No team in the country has a higher reputation for tight end production than Iowa, though, while Fidone actually lives in the suburbs of Omaha and grew up a Nebraska fan. In just the last few weeks, though, the buzz around LSU in this recruitment has grown. Michigan is another school that has had continued strength here as a legitimate contender this spring.
As it stands today it still would be hard to pick any other school besides Iowa or Nebraska for Fidone, but that picture could change over the summer. I have felt Nebraska had the inside track here for some time, and continue to see the Cornhuskers with the edge in this battle.
Prediction: Nebraska
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JAGER BURTON: Kentucky vs. Ohio State
Which teams will vie for Jager Burton’s services has been known since mid-winter, as has his planned commitment date of Aug. 24. Whether that date gets pushed back into senior season so the Rivals250 prospect can take his official visits remains to be seen.
Ohio State was scheduled to get the first official visit before the NCAA eliminated all spring visits, while Kentucky has been penciled into the last official visit spot assuming those trips happen. In between, Burton planned to take his remaining official visits to Alabama, Clemson and Oregon.
There is a strong case to be made for a team like Alabama here, but if Burton sticks with his Aug. 24 commitment date, Kentucky or Ohio State are the only two choices I could see coming from that decision. The Kentucky connections are obvious considering it’s the hometown school and his friend and teammate, Dekel Crowdus just committed there. I could see Ohio State being the pick, but more likely it is Kentucky.
Prediction: Kentucky
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YANNI KARLAFTIS: Purdue vs. Wisconsin
Last month, Yanni Karlaftis confirmed he had narrowed his focus to Cal, Purdue, Oregon and Wisconsin. The four-star linebacker has never visited either Cal or Oregon, however, and with recruiting trips shut down at least through the end of July, there are no current plans to see those schools. Until visits resume, that leaves Purdue and Wisconsin as the two primary contenders.
It almost seems too easy of a choice to pick Purdue and just move on. After all, Karlaftis lives in the shadow of Ross-Ade Stadium, his brother starred for the Boilermakers as a true freshman last season and head coach Jeff Brohm and his staff have a clear plan for how they want to use Yanni in their defense.
However, Karlaftis has not decided yet, which in and of itself says this is not such a sure-fire pick. He appears to be an ideal fit for what Wisconsin likes to do with its linebackers, and previous visits to Madison clearly clicked with Karlaftis. I have said before I think this race is closer than most people assume, but the majority of paths still lead to Purdue.
Prediction: Purdue
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JAMARI BUDDIN: Michigan State vs. Penn State
In recent weeks, this battle has started to shape into a two-team race. When I wrote the top contenders piece on Jamari Buddin a couple weeks back I had noted that it was a three-team race for most of the spring, but Michigan has started to slide behind the other two to the point that a pick of something other than Michigan State or Penn State here does not seem wise.
The plan is for Buddin to announce his commitment date during the first week of July, and a decision is expected before the start of his senior season. This race is tight and continues to narrow to the point where right now it seems like a pick ‘em. Penn State has been the team to beat for most of the spring, but Michigan State has the momentum. If I have to pick one right now, I’ll go with the home-state team.
Prediction: Michigan State
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