College Football's No. 1 WR Recruit Trending Toward National Powerhouse

Just one day remains until the best wide receiver in the country makes his decision about where he intends to play college football.

Monshun Sales is coming down to the wire ahead of what will be a very consequential recruiting commitment, with two schools in the lead to earn his pledge.

But one of them just might have the late advantage, according to a new expert prediction.

SEC vs. Big Ten battle

College Football's No. 1 WR Recruit Trending Toward National Powerhouse — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Texas and Indiana look like the two most prominent schools in the sweepstakes for Sales, the consensus five-star prospect and ESPN’s top-ranked wide receiver.

A native of Indianapolis, naturally the Hoosiers have attracted Sales’ attention not only for proximity but in the wake of the program’s historic two-year run that culminated in a national championship last season under Curt Cignetti’s direction.

A consistent top contender and frequently viewed as the frontrunner, Indiana has built a strong personal relationship with Sales, who took his first official visit there in April and has been back multiple times, with Cignetti and his staff pursuing him aggressively.

That effort just could pay off this week, as Sales is currently projected to commit to Indiana with an overwhelming 83.6 percent likelihood, according to the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine metrics.

Those numbers have been known to change at the last minute for high-profile prospects, but Rivals veteran insider Steve Wiltfong has not budged from his expectation that the Hoosiers will ultimately land Sales.

Longhorns are in pursuit

While not in the picture as long as other schools, Texas has made a powerful later push to get involved with Sales, and he has been happy to listen.

Sales and his family came away from Austin following a very positive meeting with the program, and the prospect has forged a bond with Longhorns wide receiver coach Chris Jackson, who can boast of NFL experience in looking to land the blue-chip recruit.

Steve Sarkisian and his staff have closed the gap with Indiana significantly, emerging as the unchallenged other school in the mix alongside the Hoosiers amid active NIL talks that find Texas putting its considerable resources into the conversation.

Other schools to watch

Alabama, Ohio State, and LSU are also technically in the picture, but the conversation has moved away from these hopefuls and towards the Hoosiers and Longhorns.

Insiders believed Alabama was an early co-leader with some strong personal ties, with Sales having family in the area, and he complimented the program after his visit there, going as far as calling it a dream school.

As it often does, Ohio State got in the picture with its recent pedigree in recruiting and developing wide receivers, getting wideout coach Cortez Hankton in with Sales, and while things looked solid early on, the Buckeyes appear to have fallen behind the leaders.

Likewise for LSU, which surged for a time after Sales took a visit in June, with Lane Kiffin looking to make a push, but insider reporting indicated that momentum was limited after that initial contact.

(Rivals)

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