Blue-chip prospects like Jadeveon Clowney, Curtis Grant, Cyrus Kouandjio, and Tony Steward are narrowing down their college choices. Who will sign where? National Signing Day 2011 kicks off in less than 48 hours.
Jan 31, 2011 - With just two days remaining until National Signing Day, a handful of the nation's best high school football players have still not made their college choices. So it's time to get acquainted with this week's crop of college football recruiting fixtures, and time to make semi-educated guesses on where they will matriculate.
Hometown: Rock Hill, South Carolina
Position: Defensive end
Schools Considering: Alabama, Clemson, North Carolina, South Carolina
What He Brings
Clowney is about as solid a consensus No. 1 recruit as recruiting has seen in the past few years. He has fantastic size and impressive quickness, and uses them to wreak havoc on the line and in the backfield. His highlight reel is about the scariest thing involving high schoolers not named Glee, even if it casts doubt on whether double teams are legal in South Carolina high school football.
You'll know who he is.
Where He Will Go
It's hard to see Clowney leaving the Palmetto State, even for a school as tempting as Alabama. And while Clemson's got recent history with great defensive linemen (Gaines Adams and Da'Quan Bowers), South Carolina is the team on the rise.
Hometown: Richmond, Virginia
Position: Linebacker
Schools Considering: Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State, Virginia
What He Brings
Grant is a strong, smart linebacker with excellent size (6'3", 220 or so) for the position. He could become a force as an edge rusher in college, and has the speed to be a tackling machine if he improves his agility. His highlight reel shows a number of offenses doing very little against his defense.
Where He Will Go
Grant's been a prime target for Florida all along, and here's guessing he ends up giving Will Muschamp a nice present on Signing Day. But Grant choosing Ohio State or electing to stay in his home state at Virginia wouldn't be surprising.
Hometown: Hyattsville, Maryland
Position: Offensive line
Schools Considering: Alabama, Auburn, Iowa, Miami, New Mexico
What He Brings
Kouandjio has tremendous size for an offensive lineman and really impressed at the Under Armour All-American Bowl. He will likely need time to work on pass blocking and might not see the field in his first season, but Kouandjio could hold down left tackle for multiple years for a major program.
Where He Will Go
No one's quite sure how to read Kouandjio. He has a brother at Alabama, but might want to make a move to the "it" SEC school on the Plains. Knowing that high school seniors tend to like shiny things, that makes me think Auburn is his choice, though the only shock would be choosing to go to New Mexico.
Hometown: St. Augustine, Florida
Position: Outside linebacker
Schools Considering: Clemson, Florida State, UCLA
What He Brings
Steward could be an excellent outside linebacker at the collegiate level. He's not an enormous player, but has more than enough size and speed to fill holes and chase down ball carriers.
Where He Will Go
Florida State gets the nod based on the Seminoles' ridiculous recruiting effort to this point and Tallahassee's proximity to St. Augustine. UCLA would be the only shock.
Hometown: Columbus, Georgia
Position: Running back
Schools Considering: Alabama, Georgia
What He Brings
Crowell could be a game-breaker. He's got good size and great speed, and is likely to contribute as a freshman; his two final schools both have some history with great freshman runners.
Where He Will Go
It comes down to whether Crowell wants to be part of the Crimson Tide's running back factory or join Mark Richt's "Dream Team" of highly touted Peach State recruits. I think he'll pick the latter and head to Georgia.
Hometown: Wadesboro, North Carolina
Position: Linebacker
Schools Considering: Clemson, Florida, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Virginia Tech
What He Brings
Anthony lacks the superb quickness of Grant or Steward, but has the size and strength to be a star at linebacker for whichever college he chooses.
Where He Will Go
Florida could use linebackers, and the Gators and Hokies would both offer the greatest national championship potential. But Anthony would fit just as well at North Carolina, and I'm guessing he'll be a Tar Heel.
Hometown: Plant City, Florida
Position: Defensive tackle
Schools Considering: Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Tennessee
What He Brings
Jernigan could be a disruptive player up front. He's got good size but much better quickness, and could be a Warren Sapp-like tackle who makes as big a difference in the pass rush as on rushing downs.
Where He Will Go
It's probably a race between the Gators and Seminoles for Jernigan's services. It's rumored that he has one parent lobbying for FSU, and another lobbying for UF. This is Florida State's year when it comes to recruiting in the Sunshine State, though.
Hometown: Gardena, California
Position: Athlete
Schools Considering: California, Oregon, USC
What He Brings
Lee is an elite athlete with a nice blend of speed and agility, and could make plays in the passing game for any team that likes to air it out.
Where He Will Go
High school seniors like cool things and high-scoring offenses. Oregon fits that bill.
Hometown: Asheville, North Carolina
Position: Defensive end
Schools Considering: Alabama, Georgia
What He Brings
Pagan is a big, fast defensive end who can get after the passer and pursue ball carriers, but he's fairly raw after spending years at receiver.
Where He Will Go
Flip a coin? Pagan's probably going to Georgia, but has already committed to and de-committed from Florida and Clemson, so he could produce a surprise.
Hometown: Danville, Kentucky
Position: Inside linebacker
Schools Considering: Kentucky, Oregon, Tennessee, UCF, USC
What He Brings
Dawson's got excellent size for a linebacker, and should become a possible all-BCS conference player as he matures.
Where He Will Go
Tennessee needs to make a big splash of some sort in recruiting this year, and Dawson would be just that.
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