Take Two: Who lands five-star Darnell Wright?
Take Two returns with a daily offering tackling a handful of issues in the college football landscape. Rivals.com National Recruiting Analyst Adam Gorney lays out the situation and then receives takes from Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell and an expert from the Rivals.com network.
MORE: Farrell's Three-Point Stance | SEC QB battles | Big Ten QB battles
THE STORYLINE
Darnell Wright is the second-best prospect in the 2019 class and the top uncommitted recruit since recent LSU pledge Derek Stingley, Jr., took over the top spot in the rankings.
The Huntington, W. Va., five-star standout has kept his recruitment relatively quiet and is certainly taking his time, showing no indication that he’s anywhere near making his commitment.
Wright is tied for the highest spot in the offensive tackle rankings since 2013 when D.J. Humphries was also second behind only wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, so Wright is definitely a top-level prospect with tremendous potential.
As for his recruitment, it seems to be an early SEC battle between Tennessee and Alabama, but others could creep into the picture as well with Ohio State making a run earlier on.
Can the Vols hold off the powerful Crimson Tide through his senior season or will coach Nick Saban and college football’s most powerful program flex their muscle to get the talented West Virginia star?
FIRST TAKE: ADAM FRIEDMAN, RIVALS MID-ATLANTIC ANALYST
“Wright is really taking his time with his recruitment. Tennessee and Alabama continue to be the main contenders, but Clemson and Georgia could be getting visits prior to the beginning of the season. Wright has visited Tennessee, Alabama, and North Carolina so far this offseason and he gave positive reviews after each trip. It would be a surprising twist to hear that Ohio State was possibly gaining traction with Wright. His interest level in the Buckeyes dropped off early in his recruitment and as recently as last month said he had very little contact with the Buckeyes.”
SECOND TAKE: MIKE FARRELL, RIVALS RECRUITING DIRECTOR
“Teams have beaten Alabama recently for recruits, so Tennessee has an advantage for being the early favorite for him. He has people around him who like Tennessee and it’s a little bit closer to home, so there are some advantages for Tennessee. It’s hard to beat Alabama for anybody you want, but Tennessee has a really good shot here.
“Ohio State could get involved with anybody, but I don’t think West Virginia will have a chance to keep him home. With Urban Meyer, Ohio State can pull anything out, but right now it looks like Tennessee and Alabama are definitely the two favorites.”