Southeast Spotlight: How things stand with top uncommitted prospects

The running clock toward the Early Signing Period is seemingly speeding up with two months left before players put ink to National Letters of Intent. Official visits are being taken with college coaches getting out on the trail to show five- and four-star prospects they are priorities.

This week, we look at where the recruitments of top uncommitted prospects stand. Today, we look at the Southeast region.

RELATED: How things stand with top uncommitted prospects on the East Coast | Mid-South

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Being the top-rated cornerback in the 2023 class, Florida five-star Cormani McClain has his pick of schools. The contenders for the Lakeland defender have included BYU, Ohio State, Michigan and Oklahoma, with Miami and Georgia making strong pushes for him over the summer months.

In a September interview with Rivals, McClain shared two of three schools are sticking out for him: Alabama and Florida. An official visit with Alabama on Oct. 7 was canceled for family reasons without a rescheduled date announced. Even before the Billy Napier era, McClain has had a close tie with the Florida program. The Gators appear to be the leader in this race.

Another 2023 prospect with his pick of seemingly any program he wants is Sam M’Pemba. The IMG Academy five-star defensive end took his top eight in July down to four in September, listing Georgia, LSU, Miami and Tennessee. The Bulldogs are supposed to host M’Pemba on an official Nov. 5, followed by Tennessee on Nov. 12, LSU on Nov. 19 and Miami on Nov. 26.

Of the four, LSU may be the biggest dark horse in the group. Tennessee is surging with a great recruiting class and results on the field this season. The IMG Academy-to-Miami pipeline cannot be ignored. The Hurricanes have done really well securing top IMG prospects, might the appeal of continuing to play with his teammates win out? Georgia has been the proverbial leader in the clubhouse from the outsider’s perspective. This recruiting battle still has twist and turns remaining.

Some may push Keeley’s top schools as Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame and Ohio State, but this is a two-team competition between the Crimson Tide and the Buckeyes. Keeley decommitted from Notre Dame in August after a late July unofficial to Bama.

Speculation was Keeley was going to commit to the Tide then, but the recruiting process continued with an official to Ohio State and an unofficial to Florida in September. Bama got Keeley on campus for an official on Oct. 8. From the look of it, Alabama is intent on signing Keeley.

Smith has a top six that includes Alabama, Alabama State, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and Ohio State. Official visits were taken to Georgia and Auburn in June, with the Tigers getting the big defensive tackle back on campus in September and October. On Oct. 14, Smith took an official to Gainesville with defensive end and Carver teammate Jaquavious Russaw. Word is the duo are a package deal with one ready to commit to Alabama.

The Gators seem set on their defensive front in the 2023 class, but one would assume adding the two four-stars would be a take. Auburn’s situation on the sidelines makes it hard to determine if that is a real possibility, not knowing who the head coach next season will be. As it often is in the Southeast, this is another recruiting showdown between Alabama and Georgia for future impact players.

Venice High School defensive end Damon Wilson shaved two of the top five off his list, leaving Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State. In September and again a week ago, Wilson expressed interest in committing sooner than later. Geogia got Wilson on campus for an extended unofficial in June and then hosted him for an official on Oct. 7. Bama got him for an official on June 17, with Ohio State playing official host on Sept. 3.

This also appears to be a two-team race between the Buckeyes and Georgia. A sidenote: Keeley and Wilson are friends off the field. The two have not openly expressed playing together at the next level, but what an opportunity for one lucky program if that were to go down. On the flip side, Georgia could end up with M’Pemba and Wilson, and that would be a fantastic one-two punch on the edge for the Bulldogs.