Top 2020 Remaining Recruiting Battles
The Early Signing Period brought a bit of everything to the college football recruiting table from big flips, surprise commitments, and movement atop the SI All-American team recruiting rankings.
With the bulk of prospects making things official last week there are still plenty of top talents still on the board. Some were verbally committed and chose not to sign while others -- like Mississippi defensive lineman McKinnley Jackson -- had long planned to stay on the board until the traditional signing period beginning the first Wednesday in February.
With most of the top trenchmen already off the board, the Lucedele (Miss.) George County star could be the top recruit to track in SEC country. Georgia, with the help of new assistant coach Matt Luke, is the newest program heavily involved. About the entire SEC West has long chased Jackson's commitment, with buzz for LSU, Alabama, Auburn and Texas A&M at different points of the process.
With Jackson or any top Mississippian, it would be foolish to count out the in-state programs, Ole Miss and Mississippi State. No out of state school has been able to consistently poach Magnolia State stars. Jackson's next six weeks will be must-see stuff and every element of tracking him, from visits set to peers courting him throughout All-American Bowl week. Jackson is on track for a signing day decision, February 5.
The SI All-American not to sign with the most interest around his name will be Kelee Ringo. The track star out of Arizona may be the top uncommitted prospect in America and the battle for his services is a coast to coast tilt. Georgia has long held the buzz for Ringo but childhood favorite Oregon, the only other program he's taken an official visit to, is in the mix and he showed up to his high school's signing day ceremony sporting Duck gear. There is talk the top defensive back signed a National Letter of Intent but the pick won't be revealed until the first week of January at the All-American Bowl. Texas, Ohio State and Alabama are also potential landing spots.
A prospect navigating the process similarly to Ringo is Darnell Washington. The Las Vegas (Nev.) Desert Pines product has similar UGA talk around his recruitment but he was public about plans for the ESP. The 6-foot-7 tight end announced he was not signing early the day prior to the period beginning last Wednesday. The endpoint on this recruitment is set for January 2 at the Under Armour All-America Game, where Alabama, Miami, Florida and Tennessee will also be watching closely.
The only senior with more anticipation than Washington during the same all-star event is towards running back Zach Evans. There have been a lot of twists and turns in regards to speculation surrounding the Houston (Tex.) North Shore star, from his decision to leave the state of Texas to programs within state lines back in the mix. Texas A&M and LSU seem to have the best shot in the SEC West but like with Ringo and Washington, Georgia may be in pole position to enable Evans to move east.
SI All-American athlete Avantae Williams has had a more linear recruitment. The DeLand (Fla.) three-way talent de-committed from Oregon just before the ESP and announced plans to sign February 5. The Ducks are battling the in-state Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes while Ole Miss has a late January official visit to its advantage. Williams was pledged to Miami early in his recruitment.
A pair of wide receivers still on the board, one on each coast, will have national powers pursuing information down the stretch. California's Gary Bryant, who has already taken all five official visits, will announce a decision at the All-American Bowl between USC, Oregon, Washington, Oklahoma and Arizona State. Florida's Xzavier Henderson took official visits to Florida, where his brother CJ Henderson just wrapped up his career, along with Clemson, Alabama and Georgia. The ACC program got the latest trip, just before the ESP, and buzz is strongest with them as the Tigers look to add another ideally-framed bigger wideout to its roster.
Three running backs to track begins with Miami (Fla.) Columbus' Henry Parrish. The former Pitt commitment is considering South Carolina, Ole Miss, Florida and Oregon among others. Few backs across the country put together a better 2019 compared to the competition Parrish faces in south Florida. In helping his team to another state championship with a pair of touchdowns, he compiled more than 2,300 rushing yards and 30 scores to wrap up his prep career.
California back Daniyel Ngata looks like he will not follow his older brother to Clemson as Arizona State, Texas A&M and Oklahoma State hosted him for official visits this year. New Jersey's Jalen Berger, another set to end the process at the All-American Bowl, could be a strong splash for new Rutgers coach Greg Schiano should he keep him home. UCLA hosted him for the most recent official visit, however.
Among those currently committed, Broderick Jones, Jordan Burch, Jahmyr Gibbs and Malachi Wideman are some worth watching. Jones has long been committed to in-state Georgia but the offensive lineman did not sign as Auburn makes a strong push at the position of need. Burch picked South Carolina but did not put pen to paper. LSU, Georgia, Alabama and Clemson, the programs who the Gamecocks beat out, will at least attempt to change his mind into the New Year.
An SI All-American running back, Gibbs is pledged to Georgia Tech with a bevvy of programs still in pursuit. Can the Yellow Jackets can keep him home with Florida and Ohio State searching for a running back in the class? Wideman, another SI All-American has long been on board to in-state FSU but did not sign with the Seminoles. At one point Oregon and Auburn were heavily involved and the door for trips to those schools, considering he's taken just one official visit, seems open.
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