Ranking the contenders for four-star Keveon Mullins

Class of 2019 four-star prospect Keveon Mullins de-committed from Memphis on Wednesday, backing off a pledge to his hometown school in order to take a look around at some of his other options. With a busy slate of visits on deck, Mullins should see things in his recruitment heat up in a hurry.

Today, we take a look at the contenders for his services and rank how they stack up.

MORE: Sting factor – Mullins decommits

CLASS OF 2019 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

The Gamecocks were one of Mullins’ first major offers and quickly made a good impression on him early in the process. Even when he committed, Gamecocks assistant Bobby Bentley didn’t give up on Mullins and now that he’s back on the market he will be making his first official visit to Columbia later this month. The fact that he made it a priority to talk with the Gamecocks about that trip and the length of the relationship between the two parties should have South Carolina fans feeling good about their chances going forward.

Mullins hasn’t been shy about his affinity for the Bulldogs, calling Georgia his “dream school” when discussing his options following his de-commitment. It came as a surprise to several programs when Mullins committed to Memphis, including Georgia, which had just really started to build a relationship with him. Mullins said that Georgia quickly reached out once word had spread that he had opened things back up and now he’s planning on being in Athens later this month. Rekindling the relationship will be key but it’s obvious that Mullins has always been fond of UGA.

The Rebels are another program that didn’t give up on Mullins, even when he was committed to Memphis. Assistant coach Maurice Harris has already built a nice rapport with Mullins and Oxford is the option closest to home outside of Memphis. Ole Miss has also recruited Mullins primarily as a defensive player, where many think he will end up playing in college. Having a defined plan and role for Mullins in addition to the relationship and the proximity is a nice combination of factors that work in the school’s favor.

The Cardinals have done a nice job of targeting the state of Tennessee in recent years and currently hold a commitment from Memphis-area quarterback Jaden Johnson, who also happens to be a close friend of Mullins. From the moment Louisville joined Mullins’ offer list, Johnson has been playing the role of recruiter and that has only intensified now that Mullins is uncommitted. Louisville is set to get a visit this month and it’s a safe bet Johnson will be there to continue to help the coaching staff with its work on Mullins.

The Tigers are still going to be a factor in Mullins' recruitment going forward, especially considering even they were surprised when he decided to pull the trigger so early in the process. They have the hometown advantage and will continue to make that pitch to Mullins and his family. The biggest hurdle for Memphis will be trying to overcome face-to-face pitches from several other Power Five programs.

MORE MEMPHIS: TigerSportsReport.com

The Seminoles are an interesting wildcard in Mullins recruitment, especially considering he was very interested after picking up an offer early in the spring. Now he’s pledged to get back to campus and spend time with the coaching staff in a camp environment, which could make things interesting if all goes well. Mullins' positional versatility is very intriguing and a reason why the ‘Noles jumped in the mix to begin with, and now he will have a chance to show it in person when he visits Tallahassee.