Midwest: Top five uncommitted prospects
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The Skinny: Bledsoe held a dozen offers before the 2015 class was even signed, but the state of Kansas' No. 1 ranked prospect is nowhere close to a decision. What has been determined is that Bledsoe will take all five of his official visits before rendering a decision, and two of those visits will go to Oregon and UCLA. Schools closer to home such as Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska are also certainly in the mix, even if they do not receive one of his five official visits. There is a lot of recruiting still to be done with Bledsoe, and he is known for keeping his thoughts close to the vest.
If today were Signing Day ... Living in Lawrence, the pull to the hometown Jayhawks is strong and Bledsoe and his mother regularly visit campus to talk with the coaches. Which school he ultimately signs with is a crapshoot, but Kansas is as good a choice as any.
3
ATH
Kansas City (Mo.) Rockhurst
The Skinny: Taylor, the No. 1 prospect in the state of Missouri for 2016, has set a decision date of Aug. 1, so we will soon know where he is headed. Over the last few months Taylor has been out to see Big Ten programs Iowa, Northwestern and Wisconsin and could visit schools like Kansas and Missouri yet this month. Kansas State and Nebraska have also been listed as favorites in the past. The other question in Taylor's recruitment is which position does the 5-foot-11, 190-pound prospect play in college, and different schools project him to different spots.
If today were Signing Day ... Coming off a visit to Wisconsin this past spring, there was buzz that the Badgers had positioned themselves as the team to beat. This one will come down to the wire with a half-dozen or more schools in strong contention.
4
DE
Wichita (Kan.) East
The Skinny: After a whirlwind tour of 15 schools in May, Kelly announced that he had trimmed his list to eight on June 29. The remaining teams were Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas State, Michigan, Oregon and TCU. A final decision is not expected until after his senior season, during which he plans to take official visits. Three of those official visits are likely to go to Alabama, Michigan and Oregon, according to Kelly.
If today were Signing Day ... This race is really wide open and a lot can happen in the six months between now and when Kelly plans to decide. However, Alabama and Michigan definitely look like the strongest contenders here and he has visited each in the last month.
5
TE
Perry, Ohio
The Skinny: The No. 7 tight end prospect in the 2016 class, Farrell has kept his recruitment close to his vest. However, favorites have emerged in the last couple months and at last check Boston College, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Penn State were the schools of focus. Notre Dame is the most recent to offer, tendering him a scholarship just at the beginning of June. Visits have been taken to each of these schools, and a decision could come at any time. It is expected Farrell will definitely have a decision made prior to the season, but the commitment watch for him has been on for several months.
If today were Signing Day ... Ohio State has always been the team with the most buzz in this recruitment, but with Farrell taking his recruitment out this long, that casts some doubt. Plus, the Buckeyes already have commitments from two four-star tight ends in this class. Still, the home-state team has to be considered the one to beat.
There are players in the Midwest who have made commitments, but they are not as solid as they once seemed. Here are two prospects that seem to be looking around despite their commitments.
1
CB
Detroit (Mich.) King
The Skinny: Every time he is asked, Hill has stated he is 100 percent committed to Penn State. And yet, he has made repeated visits to Michigan this spring and summer. Hill made his commitment to the Nittany Lions in late January. He has continued to add offers since, most recently from Louisville and Arizona. Michigan State, however, is the school that poses the biggest threat to Penn State. If the Spartans are able to land Hill's teammate and close friend, Corley, that will certainly raise their chances.
If today were Signing Day ... Hill signs with Penn State. However, I definitely expect Corley's decision to have an impact here if he goes with Michigan State. That could turn the balance of strength in the Spartans' favor.
2
WR
Waterford (Mich.) Mott
The Skinny: Fitzpatrick made a commitment to Louisville last Halloween. Over the six months, though, he has made visits to other campuses and rumors of his eventual parting with the Cardinals have been frequent. Initially the expectation was Fitzpatrick would flip to Michigan, and with his former teammate, David Reese, pledging to the Wolverines in April, that looked likely. The Michigan talk has subsided over the last month, however, yet he continues to entertain other programs and plan visits to other schools.
If today were Signing Day ... I would have to say the likelihood of Fitzpatrick signing with Louisville is less than him signing with another school at this point. What school that could be, though, remains unclear. Michigan has 21 commits in the 2016 class and Fitzpatrick's interest in the Wolverines has seemingly waned. He has a couple friends headed to Minnesota as freshmen this summer and an unofficial visit to Minneapolis planned for September, so the Gophers are as good a bet as any right now.
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Josh Helmholdt
Midwest Recruiting Analyst
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