UA All-America Game: Where five unsigned players might land
KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The first day of practice at the Under Armour All-America Game has come and gone, as prospects from all over the country spent the day competing against each other and learning the schemes they’ll be asked to run in Thursday’s game. And while most of the players involved in the event have already signed letters of intent, a few remain unsigned. Below, Rivals.com takes a stab at guessing the college destinations for five such players.
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THE SITUATION: Copeland was committed to Florida and would have likely signed with the Gators if the coaching change hadn’t taken place. These days, however, things have become a bit more open. Copeland is considering Alabama and Tennessee in addition to Florida. Texas A&M could get involved, should a pending official visit to College Station go well. Never count out Nick Saban, but Florida has positioned itself to get Copeland’s last official visit and holds a slight edge based on that. The four-star wide receiver will announce his choice on signing day.
THE PICK: Florida
THE SITUATION: Texas, Oklahoma and Louisville are the finalists to land Bonitto, who will announce his choice during Thursday’s all-star game. Bonitto has already notified the staff of his choice and did so more than a week ago. Bonitto’s final visit was to Oklahoma, where he took in the Sooners' playoff preparations in person. The Sooners are the overwhelming favorite here, and any other choice would be nothing short of a shock. Bonitto’s recruitment has likely been over for some time.
THE PICK: Oklahoma
THE SITUATION: No stranger to making verbal pledges, Watkins has been committed to LSU, Texas and Florida State and different times during his high school career. Now back on the market, the four-star athlete plans to announce his fourth decision at Thursday’s game. Watkins dodged media availability during Sunday’s registration day, as mystery grows around his pending choice. A number of schools have been involved with the unpredictable Watkins, but it seems as though a second commitment to LSU is likely.
THE PICK: LSU
THE SITUATION: The family ties at work with Wonnum are hard to ignore. So while LSU and Auburn are still technically in play to land his commitment, the fact that his brother plays for South Carolina makes the Gamecocks a safe bet. Wonnum visited Auburn on Jan. 12, but it’s unlikely that trip did enough to change his mind. Stranger things have happened in recruiting, sure, but the allure of South Carolina is strong in this instance.
THE PICK: South Carolina
THE SITUATION: This one is a bit murky. A number of schools are alive in the race to land Chase, but TCU and LSU seem to be the real contenders. For some time, he seemed to be bound for Fort Worth, but that line of thinking has started to fade in recent days. LSU’s late push has them looking like a serious contender to keep the Rivals100 wide receiver in state. Nothing is etched in stone with Chase, however, as TCU and others are very much still alive. The Tigers traditionally do well with in-state blue chips, so they get the benefit of the doubt here.
THE PICK: LSU … barely.
