Five-star Chris Steele backed off his USC pledge in recent days and the Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco standout is back on the market. Below, Rivals.com takes a look at the contenders to land the California standout and ranks them in order of their chances.
Ranking the Contenders: Trey Sanders | Keon Zipperer
1. FLORIDA
It’s far too early in Steele’s recruitment to deem the Gators as the new frontrunner but there is definitely serious interest from both sides. The five-star watched Quincy Wilson closely in Gainesville and somewhat models his game after the Indianapolis Colts cornerback. Playing in the SEC and competing for playing time at a school that produces top defensive backs nearly every season has always appealed to Steele and his physical nature playing the position fits in well with this Florida team.
2. USC
Steele has now de-committed from USC and UCLA, but it would not shock me if the five-star cornerback ended up back with the Trojans. If their coaching staff continues to pursue the local standout and he sees an opportunity to immediately come in and compete for playing time, then USC cannot be counted out. Steele’s family definitely likes USC a whole lot and throughout his recruitment the Trojans have always been an attractive landing spot - he could stay home but also play on the biggest stage in a big media market.
3. OREGON
The Ducks were always a school that Steele mentioned as a favorite in his recruitment, he wore an Oregon bandanna to Rivals camps and other events through the spring and it looked like for a while that they could be the team to beat. Other prospects around Steele predicted that he would eventually end up with the Ducks and it’s no secret that he has a great relationship with assistant coach Donte Williams in Eugene. Those factors - and many more - could play a big role as the five-star works through the remainder of his recruitment.
4. OKLAHOMA
There are a few factors that could be playing in the Sooners’ favor. They’ve recruited the state of California very well for years, Steele has developed a good relationship with position coach Kerry Cooks throughout the process and he is a close friend of Brendan Radley-Hiles. Teaming up in that secondary could be something to consider. Steele has also talked about Big 12 schools throwing the ball often and he would be tested in a big way if he played in that conference.
OTHER CONTENDERS
Three other schools that have expressed interest or stayed involved with Steele, especially after he backed off his USC pledge, are Georgia, Ohio State and Clemson. The five-star has used up all his official visits already, so if he wants to take more trips - and the indication is he does want to see what else is out there - then Steele’s family would be picking up the costs. Seeing those schools could be appealing, though, so none of them can be counted out.
