Southeast Four Cast: Frontrunners for Rivals100 standouts?
The 2017 recruiting cycle is nearing the stretch run, and there have been notable developments with several top recruits. Rivals sizes up the recruiting situations for several of the Southeast's best below.
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The situation: Smith has been high on the board of several teams in the Southeast for quite some time and spent the summer being wooed by several programs, with Tennessee going as far as holding a satellite camp at his high school. Because he’s from West Tennessee, schools like Ole Miss and Alabama are relatively close to home and have also received their share of visits and have been in the thick of the race for Smith as well.
The frontrunner: Tennessee
In addition to holding the satellite camp in Jackson, Tenn., the Vols also hired Smith’s older sister, Ashley Smith, to work in the recruiting office and interact with football staff on a daily basis. During the first month of the season Smith has already made it to multiple Tennessee games, including the Battle at Bristol.
Other option: Alabama.
Smith has spoken openly about growing up as a fan of the Tide, and the school's proclivity to play young offensive linemen is also something that has caught his attention. It will be interesting to see if Alabama can make a move if and when Smith comes to Tuscaloosa for an official visit.
But don’t count out: Notre Dame.
The Irish appeared to hold the lead during the middle of the summer with Smith, even telling some other recruits that he was very high on the program. Since then, Tennessee has surged ahead and the Irish have fallen off the pace, but Smith was a regular at camps in the Midwest during his high school career so the distance to South Bend isn’t something that would scare him away.
The Situation: McKinney committed to Alabama last year after the Tide was one of his first few offers. He even stuck by that pledge after Kirby Smart left for Georgia, but over the summer he decided he wanted to take a second look around before making a final college decision.
The Frontrunner: Clemson
The Tigers were McKinney’s first major offer and he earned it after impressing at the school’s camp following his sophomore season. Even though he committed to Alabama, Clemson’s coaches never gave up on him and now they appear to be in a position to land him, thanks in large part to their efforts as well as the commitments of his close friends, LeAnthony Williams and AJ Terrell.
The Other Option: Georgia.
Smart was one of the key figures in landing McKinney’s commitment the first time, as was then-Alabama defensive backs coach and now Georgia defensive coordinator Mel Tucker. The duo has been working on McKinney since arriving in Athens but still have some work to do in order to keep him away from Clemson.
But Don’t Count Out: Ohio State.
The Buckeyes recently offered McKinney and he has often referred to the Buckeyes as his “dream school.” Add in the fact that McKinney is already being recruited by Urban Meyer, and Ohio State represents the perfect wildcard in his recruitment.
The situation: LSU has long thought to be a player for Akers, but the coaching situation could impact that. Unless Ohio State lands his commitment, which is certainly possible, Akers is not likely to leave the Southeast for college. That said, the Buckeyes are a real player.
The frontrunner: Ole Miss
The Rebels have put in plenty of work with Akers and the in-state prospect has visited campus often. There are relationships in place, but a looming NCAA investigation could affect Ole Miss’ standing with Akers.
The other option: Ohio State
Ohio State could just as easily be listed as the favorite here, but the difference in proximity gives Ole Miss an ever so slight edge of the time being. If Ohio State is a bridesmaid or the bride hinges on Ole Miss’ situation with the NCAA and what takes place on Akers’ official visit to Columbus.
But don’t count out: Florida State, Tennessee and possibly LSU
There are scenarios in which LSU could find itself back in the thick of the hunt to land Akers, namely hiring Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher. Akers has visited both Tennessee and Florida State. He could consider either.
The situation: Davis is all over the map recruiting-wise, so this is a difficult exercise. Oklahoma, Missouri, Tennessee, USF and a host of other programs have played large roles in his recruitment. His preference shifts constantly. He recently used his first official visit to tour Missouri.
The favorite: Oklahoma
If the Sooners push, they likely have the inside track to land Davis. The four-star running back changes his pecking order almost daily, but the Sooners have been the closest to a constant that exists in his recruitment. OU’s interest level is also a wild card here, so Oklahoma is a favorite in theory and only slightly.
The other option: Missouri
Davis recently visited Mizzou and came away surprised and impressed by the trip. Missouri will likely be in the running until the end and needs to be viewed as a legitimate threat to snatch Davis’s commitment. At least for the time being, Davis’ interest in the Tigers is real.
But don’t count out: Everyone else
Louisville nearly got a visit from Davis, who at the last minute elected to tour Missouri instead. A number of other schools are also in place. Davis is as fickle a prospect as there is in the country. His list of frontrunners changes constantly, so projecting his landing spot at this juncture is difficult. He’s not even sure which programs will get visits at this point, so a commitment does not appear to be coming any time soon.
