West Spotlight: Five biggest commitments in recent weeks
There have not been many commitments since National Signing Day in the West, but there were a bunch of important ones in January and early February. Here is a look at five of the biggest pledges in recent weeks from the region.
TOP COMMITS SINCE NSD: Midwest | Southeast | Mid-Atlantic
McNamara had been committed to Notre Dame earlier in his recruitment, but after backing off that pledge it looked like Michigan, USC and Alabama had emerged as the frontrunners. After a recent visit to Ann Arbor, it sounded like the four-star quarterback was sold.
A few weeks later, the Reno (Nev.) Damonte Ranch standout committed to the Wolverines and he said as the recent adidas West Coast Invitational he wants to start recruiting for Michigan’s 2019 recruiting class as well. McNamara sees some similarities in his game and that of Shea Patterson so the four-star can watch how his future offense runs this season if Patterson is cleared to play.
Evans made an early commitment to Arkansas but backed off that pledge when there was a coaching change in Fayetteville. After staying in communication with the Colorado staff and visiting Boulder, the three-star quarterback decided to make his pledge to the in-state Buffaloes a couple weeks before National Signing Day.
Other teams are not going quietly though. Arizona State, Texas A&M, Alabama, Ole Miss and Michigan have all offered since Evans made his pledge to Colorado. He’s not counting any team out yet but is also not rushing to take a bunch of visits yet. Watch out, though, if Evans decides to take some official visits either this spring or in the fall.
The next Myles Gaskin? Davis sure hopes so and Gaskin’s success with the Huskies was a big reason why the three-star running back picked the Pac-12 power in late January. Davis is a dynamic running back who doesn’t have the same elite speed as Gaskin but he runs with more power at the same stage and can break off big runs all the time.
Davis picked Washington over Cal, Colorado, Utah and others because he had a phenomenal relationship with the coaching staff and loved Washington’s no-nonsense approach to running the program. The Huskies’ staff continues to develop a reputation for development as well and that was another factor for Davis, who has seen Gaskin, Lavon Coleman and others greatly improve once they arrived in Seattle.
Only seven Pac-12 teams have received a commitment for the 2019 class, as most prospects are waiting for the early official visit period or summer trips to make their pledges, but Cal landed a really talented player in Manley, a long and athletic defensive back who has developed a strong relationship with position coach Gerald Alexander.
Boise State, BYU, Missouri and Nevada have also offered Manley and others should definitely be coming as his senior season approaches. It was smart for the Golden Bears to get involved so early and develop the relationship which was key in Manley’s decision. With other young, talented cornerbacks on the roster, Manley should have the opportunity to compete early on.
A few days before National Signing Day, Johnson ended his recruitment and decided to stay home and play for Colorado. It was a huge and important pickup for the Buffaloes, who have done really well with in-state recruiting so far this cycle.
Johnson is a physical lineman who doesn’t mind playing through the whistle. He’s also an athletic prospect who moves well and is great in the run game. Arizona State was his only other Pac-12 offer but others could get involved through his senior season if those schools try to come in and steal him from the Buffaloes.