West Spotlight: FutureCast commitment predictions
Commitment season is right around the corner and there are some big names still to come off the board. Take a look at these four new FutureCast predictions from the West region.
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The five-star running back from Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei has all but eliminated Texas from his recruitment. That's good news for Ohio State as the Buckeyes have been considered the frontrunner for some time and even after position coach Tony Alford left for Michigan, they’ve stayed high since Carlos Locklyn was hired there.
Davison had a phenomenal relationship with Locklyn (maybe the best in his recruitment) when the running back coach was at Oregon and so the Buckeyes are still looking very strong.
Michigan has made this much more interesting since Davison visited there after Alford got the job but the feeling is that Ohio State has held off that initial surge. Oregon is another one to definitely watch along with Alabama as a flexible top four.
Prediction: Ohio State
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Alabama continues to push hard for the four-star cornerback from Mission Viejo, Calif., and Washington would be the option if Lee decides to stay relatively closer to home but Georgia feels very much like the frontrunner in his recruitment.
Lee has been to Athens numerous times now as position coaches Donte Williams and Travaris Robinson have made him a big priority in the Bulldogs’ class and the long, rangy cornerback has reciprocated that attention.
He was close with Williams during his coaching career at USC and since he went to Georgia things have only picked up more. Both the Crimson Tide and the Huskies are real contenders here but Georgia looks like the team on top.
Prediction: Georgia
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Notre Dame remains the team to beat for the four-star receiver from Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman but things have gotten much more interesting in recent weeks.
Michigan is making a major push for the 6-foot-6, 195-pound four-star receiver who’s had a good offseason. Alabama is also expected to get an official visit, but the Irish have had such a lead in Meadows’ recruitment that they could be really tough to beat.
The mix of academics and athletics, and how the Irish have utilized bigger receivers on the outside, all stand out. Plus, his relationships in South Bend are still the best.
Prediction: Notre Dame
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There are two schools leading in Iamaleava’s recruitment and while both still have a very real chance to land his commitment, one could have taken the lead.
UCLA and Nebraska are the frontrunners for the very productive four-star quarterback from Downey (Calif.) Warren. But after meeting with the new Bruins staff, seeing how much NFL experience is within that group and the draw of playing right down the road for an up-and-coming program, UCLA has to like where it sits in his recruitment.
Iamaleava is not hesitant about Nebraska though. He loves the coaching staff there and the big-time Big Ten environment and is not worried about competition with five-star QB Dylan Raiola or anyone else. But it just seems his connection with UCLA remains very strong and it would be a surprise at this point if the Bruins weren’t the pick.
Prediction: UCLA