Under Armour All-America Game: Five commitment predictions
The Early Signing Period has narrowed the pool of uncommitted 2019 prospects, so all-star events such as this week’s Under Armour All-America Game don’t carry as much recruiting buzz as they once did. Most of the players that will participate in the game are signed, sure, but that doesn’t mean every ounce of the drama has been sucked out of the week in Orlando. Some players still arrived at registration day as uncommitted prospects, creating speculation about their college futures, Below, Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy tries his hand at guessing the landing places of five of such prospects.
MORE UNDER ARMOUR: Five teams that are interested | Storylines to watch | Players that could earn a fifth star | Roster
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Elam has been seen as a Florida lean at a few different times over the past year, and the smart money remains on the Gators. That said, Georgia was also thought to lead for a time before the Bulldogs lost defensive coordinator Mel Tucker, who is now the head coach at Colorado. Teams such as UGA and Miami are still in hot pursuit of Elam, but logic dictates that the Gators will land his letter of intent come February. Dan Mullen and company have been the stalwart throughout the four-star’s recruitment, after all. That counts for something.
Prediction: Florida
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Betting against Alabama is oftentimes less than wise. That rule applies to recruiting as much as it does to actual games. Still, the Tide aren’t undefeated in either arena. Louisiana-based prospects stay home more often than not, so the Tigers get the edge here. Ed Orgeron and company are coming off of a nine-win regular season, so the allure of home remains strong for Bayou-born prospects. Sopsher, a five-star defensive tackle, is one of just five uncommitted five-stars left in the 2019 class, and his services are in high demand. Oregon and Texas A&M have shoved their way into the periphery of his recruitment, but the main players remain the Tigers and Tide. But just because LSU is my pick here doesn’t mean I feel strongly about it.
Prediction: LSU
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A one-time Florida commit, Sorrells says as little as possible about his recruitment. South Carolina already has a loaded class of defensive linemen, but that sort of depth does not seem to scare the four-star prospect. Alabama and Florida have pursued the Florida-based standout with fluctuating levels of intensity over the last few months, but the bond Sorrells has in place with Will Muschamp and his staff is likely too strong to be broken down the stretch.
Prediction: South Carolina
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Kentucky, LSU and Texas A&M seem to be the major players here. Kentucky made a splash during a December visit, but the Wildcats are unlikely to have the recruiting firepower to close this one out as Lee takes other visits. Texas A&M and LSU are likely to host the four-star receiver on official visits down the stretch, so I’ll pick the in-state program if all other things are - as they appear to be - equal.
Prediction: LSU
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Morris-Brash has long seemed headed to UCF, but that could change should a heavyweight or two take notice of his game during Under Armour week. Morris-Brash once had offers from a long list of major programs, but just how many of those offers are committable now, after some classes have filled, is debatable. That said, UCF and others are still in hot pursuit of the three-star defensive end, but he could see his option broaden should he leave his mark on the all-star season.
Prediction: UCF