Ranking the Contenders: De’Anthony Gatson
De’Anthony Gatson has more than 20 offers but the three-star running back recently made a significant cut to that list by naming his top five programs.
The Newton, Texas, prospect has USC, Texas, Colorado, Minnesota and Iowa State as the five front-runners and some important visits will happen in the coming weeks.
There might be five programs left in the running but the overwhelming sense is that Texas has emerged as the leader in Gatson’s recruitment. There are still some interesting storylines to follow before he’s considered a lock to the Longhorns.
In today’s Ranking the Contenders, we take a look at Gatson’s five favorites and determine which program has the best shot at landing his commitment.
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1. TEXAS
When Texas offered earlier in May, Gatson made it no secret as he told me that the Longhorns are “most definitely” No. 1 on his list right now because he loves the Texas program so much. That’s about as clear as possible that Texas is the team to beat and Gatson has already set up his official visit to Austin.
There’s a chance the three-star could commit on his visit that first weekend of June especially since Tavorus Jones is also on the radar. With a commitment already from four-star Jaydon Blue, there’s only so much space in the class.
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2. USC
The Trojans want two running backs in this class and none are committed yet. Four-star Jovantae Barnes is definitely one of the biggest targets for USC and it would make sense that the Las Vegas Desert Pines standout would be one of them. There are questions about what happens after him.
Gavin Sawchuk is definitely someone to watch but there’s lots of competition for him. Jamarion Miller is another one and then it’s Gatson on that list as well. If Texas holds off on taking his pledge, then USC could pounce when he visits.
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3. COLORADO
If official visits are an indication as to Gatson’s interest, then Colorado would be among the top of his list since he’s planning a trip to Boulder and has not booked anything to Iowa State or Minnesota at this point.
He has a connection to offensive line coach Mitch Rodrigue and that could be something to watch but it feels like a stretch now that the Buffaloes could steal him. Visits to Colorado sometimes change minds but the Buffs could be running third right now.
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4. IOWA STATE
Gatson has not scheduled an official visit to Iowa State yet and that would be an important step if the Cyclones are going to seriously stay involved in his recruitment. Hamilton, Ohio, standout Kaleb Johnson is Iowa State’s top target at running back and he’s headed to Ames in June so that definitely is something to watch.
Gatson, Jaylon Glover and others are options but it feels like those players will be headed elsewhere.
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5. MINNESOTA
Last season, Mo Ibrahim rushed for more than 1,000 yards and that could be appealing to Gatson, who has a similar build as Minnesota’s star running back. Plus, coach P.J. Fleck can be a convincing figure when it comes to recruiting players and so that’s something to consider as well.
The best news for the Gophers here is that if Texas moves on Jones instead of Gatson then the rest of Gatson’s top programs are all pretty close and a new leader could emerge.