A week from this morning there will be answers. Today, however, there is only nonbinding pledges and supposition.
It’s college football recruiting, of course, and with national signing day next week, there are still a number of big-name players that would fill big-time needs for teams across the SEC.
Facts and hard knowledge in the recruiting process are difficult to ascertain. Depending on which fan board or which coach or which mood the player is in when he discusses recruiting the opinions change and vary. After all, these are teenagers and they are subjected to a whirlwind of attention from big-name coaches from big-time colleges.
How overwhelming can the process be? Well, C.J. Johnson, a five-star linebacker from Philadelphia, Miss., committed to Ole Miss earlier this week after de-committing from Mississippi State earlier in the process. He dropped the Bulldogs in large part because defensive coordinator Manny Diaz left Starkville for the same job at the University of Texas. Johnson picked the Rebels, though, because of an attention avalanche on his Facebook page
His mother Linda Johnson told the Jackson (Miss.) Clarion Ledger that she was stunned at the reaction her family and her son received from adults that supported each school.
“I got a lot of trash talking by both schools on Facebook,” C.J. Johnson told the paper, “but that didn’t have a lot to do with it. But when you start getting my mom involved and my family involved, that takes it to a whole another level.”
The scenario involving Johnson’s sad tale aside, the passion — and pertinence — involved with college football recruiting has never been higher. It’s an arms race in the SEC, and that’s not lost on the SEC fanbases, which are the most emotional and educated in the country.
Ask Da’Rick Rogers, the University of Tennessee freshman receiver who became an stunningly popular target from a collection of Georgia fans that launched an Internet attack on the five-star receiver from Calhoun, Ga., when he switched from the Bulldogs to the Vols at the 11th hour last year.
This year, there are at least a half-dozen highly regard prospects that have Tennessee, Alabama or Georgia among the finalists for their signatures Wednesday. And the pressure will continue to increase as we roll into next week.
Here’s some speculation on how the Vols, Bulldogs and Tide close this recruiting cycle:
Tennessee: Coach Derek Dooley has been impressively deliberate — a refreshing approach all things considered — as a recruiter. The Vols are in the final group for four-star players Brandon Fulse, Gabe Wright, Cameron Clear and Antonio Richardson. Look for the Vols to be close on each and land Wright, Clear and Richardson, and defensive tackle Wright and tight end Clear likely will see the field next fall.
Georgia: Amid the most fan angst of his 10-year career in Athens, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt is delivering on the recruiting trail. He has spoke in broad terms about the “Dream Team” of high school players in Georgia, and he’s close to securing a vast majority of them. Five-star defensive end Ray Drew and five-star running back Isaiah Crowell likely will pick Georgia and propel the Bulldogs toward a top-five national class.
Alabama: The top-ranked recruiting haul according the Rivals.com, the Tide’s group of recruits likely will only improve. Five-star offensive lineman Cyrus Koundjio likely will pick the Tide, and he could be joined by a few late four-star additions such as Jeoffrey Pagan and possibly Clear.
Regardless of how these three schools finish, they will have nationally ranked classes. What that means next week and what that means in the next few seasons, though, remains a mystery.