West Spotlight: Five head-to-head battles to track

The 2021 recruiting cycle has been unique to say the least. With the global pandemic mandating a dead period, visits and camps have been nearly non-existent for four months. So while things could change once the football world returns to something resembling normal, two-team battles are shaping up all over the West. Below, Rivals.com has a look at some of the most intriguing ones the region has to offer.

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The five-star defensive end planned a whole bunch of visits through this offseason to really figure out where his recruitment was headed, but the coronavirus travel ban stopped that idea in its tracks. Still, there is a pretty good sense of schools that are seriously in the running for Tuimoloau, with Ohio State and Washington leading the way.

The Buckeyes have long been considered one of the front-runners, and it doesn’t hurt that former high school teammate Gee Scott, Jr. already plays for the Buckeyes. If staying closer to home becomes a bigger priority then Washington would have a huge edge. Stanford, Oregon, USC and many others are involved, but Ohio State and Washington have the lead.

Prediction: Ohio State

Dixon still has some schools in the periphery of his recruitment, but this looks like a Michigan/Cal battle with Oregon, LSU and others sticking around. The Wolverines are believed to have the big-time edge in his recruitment, especially since the four-star receiver has a great relationship with offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, and he likes Michigan’s message of using him as a big, outside receiver in its offense. Again, if staying closer to home becomes a bigger draw, then Cal has put in a lot of work with Dixon and the four-star works out with Keelan Doss, who has said great things about Cal WR coach Burl Toler.

Prediction: Michigan

At a camp this offseason before the coronavirus travel ban, Calvert talked highly about USC, UCLA, Cal, Utah, Stanford, Washington, Oregon, LSU and others. It was a long list, and the four-star linebacker was hopeful he could take a bunch of visits and figure out what he liked most.

With all travel suspended, Calvert’s recruitment is shaping up to be a Pac-12 battle with USC and UCLA leading the way. Washington is still hanging in there, but a lot of people feel the Trojans lead in a big way. His brother, Bo, plays at UCLA, though, and the Bruins have made him a big priority, so staying in the L.A. area looks like the most likely outcome.

Prediction: USC

The four-star tight end recently narrowed his favorites to Georgia, Oregon, Oregon State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Cal, UCLA and Washington but this looks to be a battle between the Bulldogs and the Ducks. Bowers is one of the top targets for Georgia, and he could be the No. 1 tight end on the board. He likes the SEC power a whole lot and it could be only a matter of time until he makes the decision to commit.

But Oregon cannot be counted out, even after the Ducks landed four-star TE Moliki Matavao recently. Oregon wants two tight ends in this class and coach Mario Cristobal is definitely not giving up on the Napa, Calif., standout.

Prediction: Georgia

Davies is going to make his commitment Friday, and the four-star cornerback has Oregon, Arizona State, USC and Ohio State as his four finalists. However, this looks to be a two-team battle heading into decision day, with the Ducks and the Sun Devils leading the way.

Davies has a longstanding relationship with the Oregon staff and the Ducks have proven they are able to go into Southern California to get elite prospects. Davies is maybe closest with ASU assistant coach Chris Hawkins, though, and early playing time could be had in Tempe.

Prediction: Oregon