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Three-Point Stance: Best commits, top 25, title prediction

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

CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position

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Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with the biggest commits of the last two weeks, his preseason top 25 and a national title prediction.

TAKE TWO: How will Ohio State's Urban Meyer investigation impact recruiting?

1. THE BEST COMMITS OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS

Zion Puckett
Zion Puckett (Chad Simmons)

With no column last week due to rankings, I had two weeks of commits to sort through to rank the best. Here they are:

1. ATH Zion Puckett, Auburn – He could play either side of the ball, but I see him as a lockdown cornerback and a star in the SEC down the line.

2. WR Dylan Wright, Texas A&M – The Aggies continue to add talent to this class and Wright is a huge receiver who could be a nightmare in the red zone.

3. OL Jonah Tauanu’u, Oregon – The Ducks are putting together an amazing, well-balanced class. Tauanu'u was a key need along the offensive line.

4. S Jaylen McCollough, Tennessee – An athletic defensive back who can cover and hit, this was a long time coming but still a huge get for the Vols.

5. ATH Koy Moore, USC – An elite athlete from SEC country, Moore could be a dynamic wide receiver or a lockdown cornerback for USC.

6. LB Maninoa Tufono, USC – A tall linebacker who could start off outside and end up inside down the line at USC. He’s very instinctual and diagnoses plays well.

7. CB Chester Kimbrough, Florida – A corner with a good frame, excellent instincts and who can play longer than he is, this is a big get in this class for Florida from LSU country.

8. WR Malachi Moore, Alabama – A key in-state 2020 on the defensive side of the ball, he is still growing but has the speed and hips of a smaller corner. He could be 6-foot-2 before all is said and done with corner skills.

9. DT Jacob Bandes, Washington – A hard-nosed defensive tackle, he can take up blockers but can also push the pocket. He’s better against the run than as a pass rusher as expected and he can chase things down.

10. DE Kedrick Bingley-Jones, Florida – A big end, he can hold up at the point of attack but can also use his power to get after the passer. He could grow into a defensive tackle as well.

11. CB Cameron Smith, South Carolina – He’s tall, he’s angular and he could grow into a safety easily so he’s versatile. Another great get for the Gamecocks and one they couldn’t let out of state.

12. DT Tymon Mitchell, Georgia – Another nice get in Tennessee for the Dawgs. Mitchell is athletic and plays with a great deal of football sense.

2. IF I HAD A TOP 25 VOTE...

Jake Fromm
Jake Fromm (AP Images)

The college football season is right around the corner, so it's time for me to toss out what my top-25 ballot would look like if I had a vote.

1. Alabama – The Tide are simply the deepest team in the land.

2. Ohio State – I believe in the team's skill level and it doesn’t matter who the quarterback is.

3. Clemson – Freshman QB Trevor Lawrence will see time and lead the Tigers to the playoff.

4. GeorgiaJake Fromm's second season should be even more impressive than his first. The Dawgs will push for the playoff.

5. Oklahoma – The Sooners' offense could be as dangerous as ever with Kyler Murray behind center.

6. Washington – The Pac-12’s best will still fall short of the playoff.

7. Wisconsin – Some have the Badgers higher and maybe rightfully so as they will be hard to stop.

8. Auburn – I was tempted to put them much higher with Jarrett Stidham’s expected development.

9. Stanford Bryce Love carries the team to the Top 10.

10. Michigan State – Ahead of Penn State? Yep, just call it a hunch.

11. Miami – The ‘Canes continue to impress but won’t take that next step forward just yet.

12. Penn StateSaquon Barkley is gone and it will hurt, but they are still a contender for the Big Ten.

13. Notre Dame – QB Brandon Wimbush has a great year and the Irish push despite the schedule.

14. USC – Can a freshman lead the Trojans to the Pac-12 title? They are a year away.

15. Florida State – Much higher than most have them, I believe in Willie Taggart and his staff.

16. TCUGary Patterson once again makes his team a threat to win the Big 12.

17. OregonMario Cristobal will have his team ready and flying on all cylinders, but the Ducks are a couple years away.

18. West Virginia – The offense will be great, the defense will be so-so.

19. Mississippi State – Watch how fun this offense is going to be now and the Bulldogs' defense is very underrated.

20. Michigan – The Wolverines have a ton of talent but will still finish fourth in their division.

21. Virginia Tech – The Hokies will quietly have another nice year.

22. LSU – The Tigers have a tough schedule but this is still LSU, right?

23. NC State – Led by a fun offense, the Wolfpack will have a very solid year.

24. South Carolina – The Gamecocks won’t compete for the SEC East but they will be the next best thing to Georgia.

25. FAULane Kiffin will have the Owls running up scores.

3. THE NATIONAL CHAMP WILL BE...

Tua Tagovailoa
Tua Tagovailoa (AP Images)

And now the national champs... Duh, of course it’s Alabama. Two years ago I picked Clemson to win it all in one of the most amazing predictions you’ll ever see and last year I had Ohio State taking it all home which was, obviously, not so great. So for the first time in this space, I’m taking Alabama to win it all. And it’s not because of a quarterback named Tua Tagovailoa or the team's multi-pronged running back attack or the team's ridiculously-talented defense. It’s because of Nick Saban. I have learned not to doubt the best coach in college history, especially last year when I picked against Alabama at the start of the season.

The Tide just have too much firepower up front on both sides of the ball, too much depth and could even have a passing game. But even if Tagovailoa gets hurt and Jalen Hurts is the guy, they will just run over everyone in the end.

I was tempted to pick Clemson, but they might have a true freshman quarterback at the helm which is always tough to predict. I was tempted to pick Georgia with its loaded roster, but I don’t know if the Dawgs and Tide can both get in the playoff for a second year in a row. I was also tempted to pick Auburn because I really like that team, but in the end it’s all about ‘Bama this year.

I really went out on a limb, huh?

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