Breaking Down Jacolby Spells' Decision, And Why Indiana is Closing Fast

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Sunday is a big day on the recruiting trail, with several big announcements planned. One of the big ones is American Heritage cornerback Jacolby Spells, who is casting his lot at 1 p.m. ET on the streaming site CBS Sports HQ.

It's basically a three-team race for Spells now, a battle between Indiana, Miami and West Virginia. Indiana has the lead among that trio when it comes to recruiting rankings so far with the Class of 2022, with Indiana ranked No. 36, West Virginia No. 43 and Miami No. 72 in the 247Sports composite team rankings. Arkansas and Arizona State were also in his final five.

Spells, a four-star Florida recruit who is a top-25 cornerback in the eyes of many, and his ''upside is through the roof,'' said Patrick Surtain, the former NFL standout who is Spells' coach at American Heritage in Plantation, Fla., just west of Fort Lauderdale. Spells is 5-foot-11 and 170 pounds, with track-athlete speed. He’s one of the fastest athletes in the state.

Spells has taken official visits to all three schools in June, and all three schools feel confident in their chances of landing him.

"These are the three schools that have been looking at me the longest," Spells said 247Sports on Friday. "They have been recruiting me since I was playing wide receiver and then when I switched over to DB, they all still wanted me. Those three schools have stuck with me the most and I feel like them three schools are the ones that have always been there for me."

I checked in with colleagues around the country to get a feel for what they're thinking with the Spells recruitment. Here's what they had to say:

Why West Virginia might win

The Mountaineers have been the leaders on the clubhouse for much of Spells' recruiting, getting the ''crystal ball'' nod on a few recruiting websites.

"It's different. It would be a different experience for me. It would be somewhere new,'' Spells said of West Virginia. "When I went up there, I saw things I had never seen before and I feel like the coaches need me there and I want to go somewhere where they need me at," Spells said.

Here's what my colleague Schyler Callihan, the Mountaineer Maven on our Sports Illustrated West Virginia site in our FanNation network, says about West Virginia’s chances to land Spells.

“West Virginia has been pursuing Spells for quite some time and has put theirselves out in front,” Callihan said. “WVU received several “silent commitments” back in the month of June, including the weekend that Spells took his official visit. Daryl Porter Jr. is a former American Heritage teammate of his which could factor into the decision. The coaching staff has been tweeting out hints over the past few days about news coming on the 4th of July. It only makes sense that Spells’ commitment is what all the hype is about. In my opinion, I believe Spells will end up a Mountaineer.”

Why Miami might win

The best thing Miami has going for them is homefield advantage. The Coral Gables campus isn't just south of Fort Lauderdale. He's done his official visit with the Hurricanes and also went to an invite-only cookout at Miami

"It's close to home, and that means my mom wouldn't have to travel far. It's right around the corner and I would be close to her. Coach [Travaris Robinson] and Coach [Demarcus Van Dyke] are also great people. Especially T-Rob. I love the way he coaches. We have built a great relationship. And it's Miami. Why would anyone want to leave Miami?" Spells asked.

Why Indiana might win

There are a LOT of reasons why Indiana might close out its late rally and get Spells' commitment, and it all comes down to relationships.

Spells loves Indiana's coaching staff, and has a great relationship with all of them, including cornerbacks coach Brandon Shelby, who played at a national championship level at Oklahoma and has been producing NFL-ready corners at Indiana for 11 years now.

There's also the closeness with players. Indiana already has a commitment from four-star cornerback Trevell Mullen of Coconut Creek, Fla., and he and Spells have a relationship, too. Both can picture being a great lock-down corner tandem for years.

Mullen is the younger brother of current Indiana All-American cornerback Tiawan Mullen, and he was a big part of Spells' recruiting during his official visit to Bloomington.

Lastly, his American Heritage teammate, defensive end Richard Thomas, is also committed to Indiana.

That's a lot of ties, and it also helps that Indiana was his final official visit. Those memories are the most fresh, and just might tip the scales enough in Indiana's favor.

"I love the (Indiana) coaches," Spells said. "They got great coaches. They have a ton of experience. So, I know if I choose Indiana, then I'm going to be developed by some great people."

Some recruiting ''experts'' have leans for both West Virginia and Miami on their sites, but Indiana seems to have closed the gap in the final few weeks. And that might be enough to give them the edge.

But is it enough? We’ll find out Sunday.