West Spotlight: Top five uncommitted 2021 prospects
A lot of top prospects are already committed in this strange recruiting cycle, but there are still some major names left on the board. Here are the top five prospects in the West who have still not picked a school.
MORE: Top 5 uncommitted prospects in Midwest | Southeast | East Coast
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
COVERAGE: Rivals Transfer Tracker | Rivals Camp Series
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KOREY FOREMAN
The latest: Foreman’s recruitment continues to take interesting twists and turns, the latest being his weekend visit to LSU with fellow five-star and close friend Maason Smith, among many other top prospects. Georgia is in very good shape after a recent visit (Smith was also in Athens then), and LSU could emerge as a real contender as well since playing big-time football in the SEC is a major draw. USC and Oregon are right there as well, and Clemson, where he was committed earlier in his recruitment, continues to intrigue him. If Foreman picked today, it looks like an SEC battle for him but he still has time to work through his thinking.
Senior season status: California has pushed high school football into the winter and spring, so Foreman has decided to opt out, train and enroll early in college.
Prediction: Georgia
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J.T. TUIMOLOAU
The latest: Unlike many top prospects who toured campuses all over the country over the last couple years, Tuimoloau was taking his time and wanted to see schools later in his recruitment. Then the coronavirus shutdown hit and it became impossible for the five-star defensive end to take visits of any kind, but still there has been some movement in his recruitment. Ohio State is still in a strong position, but there’s no doubt Alabama is putting on a lot of pressure and the Crimson Tide are emerging in a huge way. Oregon and Washington have a real shot if staying closer to home becomes more of a priority. Oklahoma is hanging around as well.
Senior season status: The state of Washington has moved the high school football season to the spring, and as of now Tuimoloau still plans to play. However, numerous top football prospects marched on the state capitol recently, urging lawmakers to rethink their decisions and move up the timetable to start the season.
Prediction: Ohio State
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EMEKA EGBUKA
The latest: Ohio State, Oklahoma, Washington and Clemson are the front-runners for Egbuka, who has been pegged to the Buckeyes for a long time and they could still be the leaders, but Oklahoma continues to seriously intrigue him. The five-star receiver was not able to make the recent Sooner Summit, so getting to Norman will be a priority, but Oklahoma’s offense would fit him perfectly and that might be tough to turn down. Staying home and playing with five-star QB Sam Huard at Washington could also be a real possibility, but the Huskies are probably third right now. Clemson can never be counted out, but others probably have an edge on the Tigers right now.
Senior season status: Egbuka has not determined publicly if he’s going to play his senior season in Washington if it stays in the spring, but the feeling is that he will stay with his team.
Prediction: Ohio State
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CEYAIR WRIGHT
The latest: One of the more difficult players to predict in the West is Wright, who has USC, Michigan, Oregon, Stanford, Arizona State and others still involved, and things could still go in many directions. The four-star cornerback is serious about an acting career (he plays LeBron James’ son in "Space Jam 2") and about pursuing a degree in business, so the Trojans make a lot of sense since Los Angeles offers a lot. But Michigan is pushing very hard, Stanford is intriguing and then some other Pac-12 schools could sneak in there as well.
Senior season status: Wright has said he wants to play his senior season at Loyola and he could make his commitment at the All-American Bowl in January.
Prediction: USC
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ETHAN CALVERT
The latest: Calvert has gone dark when it comes to his recruitment, which sometimes indicates that a decision could be imminent as the prospect reviews all his favorites and prepares to make a choice. USC is considered the favorite and the Trojans are doing everything possible to get him in this recruiting class. He’s a big target. UCLA is right there as well, Washington has been involved for a long time and Utah could be that sneaky school that intrigues a no-nonsense linebacker like Calvert.
Senior season status: California will not start its football season until the winter and will play through the spring. It's unclear how that will affect Calvert over the coming months.
Prediction: USC