The Under Armour All-America Game is full of its usual intrigue, with some of the nation’s top players expected to announce their commitments during the New Year’s Day game. But even though some prospects are holding out until later to announce, their comments this week can often mean a lot. We take a look at 10 prospects we’ll be watching very closely throughout the week.
MORE UA GAME: Five schools that should be most interested | Rosters: Offense | Defense
Still in the mix: Texas, LSU, Florida State, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Oklahoma
The latest: Wilson took fall official visits to Oklahoma, Florida State and Ohio State, with the trip to Columbus coming just after Thanksgiving. By all accounts that visit went well, but the new coaches at LSU and Texas are working very hard to land Wilson late in the game. With time left to take trips and so much conflicting information, Wilson could keep people guessing until the very end.
Still in the mix: Clemson, Alabama
The latest: McKinney is very close with Clemson commits A.J. Terrell and LeAnthony Williams, but was also once committed to Alabama. Can the Tide get him back in the fold or will he join his buddies in Clemson? McKinney is set to announce during the Jan. 1 game.
Still in the mix: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, Florida, Ole Miss
The latest: It always seemed like it would be an in-state battle for Ray, but he’s taken long looks at Tennessee, Florida and Ole Miss. He even officially visited the Rebels earlier this month and has been rather quiet since that trip. He’s still a priority target for the Tide, who rarely miss on in-state prospects, but the potential to leave the state and play earlier is clearly still on the table.
Still in the mix: Florida, Alabama, Clemson, Oklahoma
The latest: Robinson has had one of the most bizarre recruitments in the class, once seeming like a lock to Clemson but then backing off and never really seeming to have a favorite since. He’s taken official visits to Oklahoma and UCLA, but conventional wisdom seems to be that if Florida turns up the heat he will end up in Gainesville.
Still in the mix: Illinois, Missouri
The latest: Thomas is one of the least talked about top prospects in the country, mainly because he keeps a low profile when it comes to recruiting. He’s yet to take an official visit, but recently visited Illinois unofficially and the Illini seem to have the inside track for his commitment. Things could change with official visits next month, a topic Thomas has been mum about recently.
Still in the mix: Alabama, Georgia
The latest: Gibbs has been on the national recruiting scene for almost his entire high school career and with an announcement expected during the game, it’s about to come to an end. Alabama has recently turned up the heat on Gibbs, but Georgia has been the presumed leader for a while. It will be interesting to see if Gibbs let anything slip that might tip off his decision.
Still in the mix: Missouri, Louisville, North Carolina, Pittsburgh
The latest: Davis has an unusual list of finalists considering his ranking and stature in the Sunshine State. But it’s clear he’s interested in looking at the best fit for his skills, making the quartet above full of intriguing options. North Carolina and Louisville will both get official visits after the dead period and Davis could keep everyone waiting until Feb. 1 for his decision.
Still in the mix: Colorado, LSU, Oregon, Texas, USC
The latest: Chaisson has a whirlwind official visit schedule for January, with plans to squeeze in trips to all five schools before making an announcement. As we’ve seen in the past, things change quickly once visits start. Chaisson is a priority of new coach Tom Herman at Texas and the Longhorns are supposed to get a trip from him on Jan. 20.
Still in the mix: Oregon, Colorado, USC
The latest: Falo’s recruitment has taken many twists and turns, with Oregon once looking like the leader but then taking a backseat after the coaching turmoil in Eugene. But with Willie Taggart making Falo a priority, the Ducks are back in the mix and are contending with the Buffaloes, who hosted Falo for an official visit earlier this fall, and USC, which will host him after the dead period as well.
Still in the mix: Stanford, Auburn, Alabama, Texas, USC
The latest: Johnson lists a top five, but it seems as though Auburn and Stanford are more likely to land his commitment than the rest of the group. Alabama is the sleeper of the bunch, as it will receive Johnson’s final official visit on Jan, 27. He will also take trips to Stanford and Auburn in the coming months.
