Texas Spotlight: Predictions on four top uncommitted prospects

With many of the top players in Texas having made their commitments, two more top prospects removed themselves from the board last week when Rivals250 recruits Drue Jackson committed to Washington State and Bobby Brown committed to Texas A&M. As the end of fall nears, here’s a look at some of the top remaining uncommitted players in the state with a rundown of where they might commit.

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The skinny: Cook had originally planned to commit last Monday, but chose to move back his announcement after realizing he wasn’t as close to a decision as he thought. He has been sitting on a top three for some time now, but appears as though there has been some shuffling within that group, causing the delay. He now has no firm date planned for a commitment, telling Rivals last weekend that he could announce at any time at this point.

The favorite: LSU

In an incredible reversal of fortune, Ed Orgeron and the Tigers have made a full-court press to land Cook, and it seems to be working. Had LSU not made such an effort with him over the past few weeks to lure him, he surely would have committed to Ohio State or Texas last Monday. People close to Cook have been saying for some time that his connection with defensive backs coach Corey Raymond has loomed large, and LSU was his last official visit.

The other option: Texas

While it seems relatively flimsy reasoning compared to most recruiting rationale, Cook has said that should he choose Texas, the biggest reason for doing so would be to stay in state because of the pride he has for it. However, the byproduct of LSU making up so much ground and his decision being pushed back has also seemingly closed the gap between all teams, and the Longhorns - with their stellar group of defensive backs already committed in 2018 - shouldn’t be discounted as legitimate contenders to now steal him away.

But don’t count out: Ohio State

After long being considered the favorite to land Cook, one would think that were the Buckeyes that close to landing him, he would have committed to them last week. With the efforts that LSU and Texas have made to land him over the last few weeks, it seems as though Ohio State may have been a little too comfortable with where it stood with him and now has lost too much ground to the other two.

The skinny: Waddle has announced a top six and has already taken official visits to Florida State and TCU. He has another scheduled to Alabama this weekend, and will choose among Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M for his final two. Meanwhile, he’s yet to announce when he plans on making his commitment.

The favorite: Alabama

Things have seemingly been trending in a positive direction for the Tide over the past few months in regards to Waddle, and of the teams seriously thought to be in the running for him, Alabama seems to offer the best combination of success and stability. This weekend looms large to really put some distance between the Tide and the other teams in the running for Waddle, who has seen some rumors swirl around the future of some of the coaches at the other schools he’s considering as of late.

The other option: Texas A&M

Had A&M beat Mississippi State last weekend and helped head coach Kevin Sumlin further quell the questions about his future in College Station, the Aggies would have had a much stronger case. Now with the seat warming up again and a tough matchup this week against Auburn, things could get even worse if the Aggies don’t find a way to win. If all things were equal, Texas A&M would have had as good a chance as any to reel Waddle in, but the uncertainty with the staff at this point makes it an uneasy option.

But don’t count out: Texas

In some ways, this is an even further longshot, as the Longhorns have reportedly extended offers to a few other receivers as the fall has progressed. Much of the conversation around Texas in relation to Waddle was tied to the commitment of Rondale Moore, who essentially holds Waddle’s theoretical place in the class. Waddle is a significantly better option than Moore, but the fact that the Longhorns he's remained in Texas' class hasn't helped to lure in the Rivals100 prospect at this point.

The skinny: The four-star wide receiver has had a relatively quiet recruitment in terms of the coverage it’s been given, but he recently released a top three of SMU, Texas Tech and Utah. He is set to make his announcement known on Nov. 25.

The favorite: Texas Tech

Big surprise that the Red Raiders are in the lead for a wide receiver, right? Well, considering all of the receivers already on the roster and committed in this class, it kind of is. Still, Ezukanma would arguably offer the most talented player at his position in that group, and there are some questions as to whether or not some of the others committed will remain in the class through National Signing Day for various reasons.

The other option: Utah

It may be close, as the Utes very well could be the favorite. So far the only official visit that Ezukanma has been known to make this fall has been to Utah. Recruits in Texas have generally had very nice things to say about the staff and their visits to Salt Lake City, and a team that seems to always be in the mix for a Pac-12 title race can’t be discounted.

But don’t count out: SMU

Obviously, as the remaining team in his top three, the Mustangs have a chance. However, as more coaches at other programs seem likely to be given their walking papers elsewhere, Chad Morris has become more and more of a rumored name to be the next man up at several programs. No question, the Mustangs are continuing to build a strong program, but the appeal of the other two Power Five options could still be too much to overcome.

The skinny: The high three-star defensive end/linebacker prospect told Rivals.com last week that he would like to be a December signee, and has listed a top three of Notre Dame, Texas and Texas A&M. He’s taken his official to South Bend, and has visited the in-state options numerous times. Should Ossai’s Oak Ridge team not win its game this week and keep its state playoff hopes alive, he could be looking to announce his decision sooner than later.

The favorite: Texas A&M

In some ways, Ossai seems unfazed by the possibility of uncertainty when it comes to the Aggies staff, and several A&M commits seem as though they could be locked-in regardless of what may happen during the remainder of the season. The safe bet is that Ossai is A&M’s to lose, but much of that could come down to his official visit this weekend. A big win against Auburn in an emotional atmosphere during his final official could be just the push that he needs to commit to the Aggies.

The other option: Texas

This could be a razor-thin difference with the Aggies, but there are a few key things that seem to favor the Longhorns more than the Aggies at the moment. In addition to Sumlin’s situation and Brown’s recent commitment, Texas is in dire need of a defensive lineman in this class and will likely prioritize Ossai in the coming weeks. With the Aggies staff now back to focusing more on winning games, this could tilt the scales toward Texas.

But don’t count out: Notre Dame

It would really take somewhat of a miracle for him to choose Notre Dame over the two in-state options. He did report loving the tradition of the school and the program, and seems genuinely interested in his academic options, but at the moment, that doesn’t look to be enough to quite make it a three-horse race.