UA All-America Game: Five commitment predictions
LAKE BUENA VISITA, Fla. – Registration day at this year’s Under Armour All-America Game is off and running, as many of the top prospects in the 2018 class descend on the Orlando area for one of the country’s premier all-star events. Prospects both signed and unsigned will participate in the weeklong event, but it’s the uncommitted names that pack the intrigue. With that in mind, Rivals.com takes a stab and forecasting where five of the game’s uncommitted prospects’ may land.
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The Situation: Smith plans to announce during Thursday’s game. Penn State and Ohio State are the main players left in his recruitment, as coaches from each staff have made the trip to see him in the past month. The Nittany Lions got Smith’s last official visit, but that may not be a determining factor here. It’s hard to ever rule out James Franklin when it comes to recruiting, but beating the Buckeyes will be a tall task here.
The Pick: Ohio State
The Situation: Oweh’s choice will come on site in Orlando and the players are the same as Smith’s Penn State and Ohio State are going head to head for the defensive end’s services. Multiple coaches from each staff made the trip to New Jersey to woo Oweh in December and there’s at least some mystery when it comes to his pick. There are no other players in the Oweh sweepstakes, as this has turned into a classic head-to-head recruiting battle. Penn State and Ohio State are traditionally great when it comes to recruiting New Jersey, so it’s not easy to pick a favorite here. Oweh’s pending decision is the definition of a toss-up.
The Pick: Penn State
The Situation: Florida has long been seen as the leader here, but the Gators’ coaching change opened the door for other suitors. Alabama and Michigan got involved with Petit-Frere to some extent, but the most logical landing spots seem like UF and Notre Dame. Never count out Nick Saban, who is making a late charge here. There’s plenty of time until Signing Day, so Alabama should not be ruled out in any way shape or form, but logic dictates that the Gators are the team to beat.
The Pick: Florida
The Situation: One of the fastest players in the 2018 class, Schwartz recruitment has taken its share of turns. At a time, he looked bound for Florida but Auburn has made things interesting to say the least. The Florida-based defensive back has Olympic dreams on the track and will be a two-sport athlete wherever he lands. The allure of UF is real, sure, but it seems as though Auburn has taken a late lead here. Schwartz will announce his pick during Thursday’s game.
The Pick: Auburn
The Situation: Ross’ teammates at last month’s Alabama-Mississippi seemed to think Clemson was his most likely landing spot, but the two in state schools are very much in play. Top-flight Alabama prospects rarely escape the state, so Clemson has its work cut out for it when it comes to landing Ross. That said, the sheer amount of smoke around the Tigers is impossible to ignore at this juncture. It will be up to Auburn to sway the five-star wide receiver on his Jan. 26 official visit. For now, however, Clemson must be seen as the ever-so-slight leader.
The Pick: Clemson
