Mecole Hardman Jr. Reveals Top 10: Odds on Where No. 1 ATH Lands

The country's top-ranked high school football athlete provided a glimpse into his recruitment process Monday morning.

Mecole Hardman Jr., a 5-star prospect from Georgia, announced his top 10 collegiate options via Bleacher Report:

The 5'10", 175-pound speedster could play either wide receiver or defensive back at the next level. Where he'll eventually suit up remains a mystery, with programs from every Power Five conference remaining in the mix. 

Hardman has narrowed his choices from a scholarship offer list that features more than 30 universities. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Stanford and Tennessee made the cut.

Rated 27th overall among 2016 recruits in 247Sports' composite rankings, he is among the most coveted uncommitted commodities in the cycle.

Hardman dazzled this summer at The Opening, an elite invite-only showcase held at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. He finished the 40-yard dash in 4.32 seconds, securing one of the event's fastest times.

His junior season included 1,353 total offensive yards and 13 touchdowns, headlined by five games with at least 100 rushing yards.

Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Sanjay Kirpalani discussed Hardman's skills during the B/R CFB Recruiting 200 series.

"

Whether it's at corner or receiver, one word describes the game of 4-star Georgia athlete Mecole Hardman—explosive. ...

His speed jumps out immediately, but what makes him special is his competitiveness. He fought for reps and made them count when he got them. As good as he is on defense, he's simply too electric to not have the ball in his hands at the next level.

"

Now that Hardman has whittled down a lengthy list of potential landing spots, let's take a look at which programs are most likely to land his commitment.

Georgia: 2-1

Defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt is the leading man in this pursuit for Hardman, an in-state standout. The relationship between these two has been so steady that rumors of a "silent" commitment surfaced this summer.

The Bulldogs welcomed him to Athens several times in recent months, and there isn't much more Hardman should need to see at the university. In fact, he already expressed plans to leave Georgia off his official visit schedule due to established familiarity, according to Chris Kirschner of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The program leads in Hardman's Crystal Ball outlook on 247Sports, as 76 percent of expert predictions have the school signing the playmaker. It seems the Bulldogs already won over his mother.

"I'm a Mark Richt fan because of his values," Danyell Hardman told Kirschner. "I think Mark Richt would make him into more than just another football player. With him, I think it's more than just football. He will make him into a man."

That's a strong sentiment from arguably the most influential figure in this decision-making process.

Tennessee: 3-1

Like Georgia, the Volunteers won't receive an official visit due to his frequency of past trips to Knoxville. If any team lures him beyond state borders, smart money is on Tennessee.

Head coach Butch Jones identified Hardman as a primary target very early in the cycle and put his program in position to remain a top contender throughout. Earlier this summer, Hardman wore both Bulldogs and Volunteers gear to a showcase event in Florida.

Tennessee signed top Peach State wide receiver prospect Preston Williams last February and may return to claim another game-changer. 

"I always have a good time at Tennessee, and going up there is like going home," Hardman told Rivals.com (h/t Fox Sports).

The Volunteers are viewed as a team on the rise in SEC action, and talented players like him are the kind of roster additions who could push the program back to national prominence.

Auburn: 4-1

At this stage, Hardman appears destined to end up in the SEC. Auburn rounds out our list of those programs we perceive as his strongest suitors.

The Tigers tempted two-way Georgia 5-star Terry Godwin down to the wire last cycle until he signed with the Bulldogs. History could repeat itself with Hardman, complete with a last-second decision on signing day.

Auburn views him as a compelling offensive threat who would add yet another intriguing wrinkle to an impressive attack. He also shouldn't be ruled out to contribute at cornerback for new secondary coach Travaris Robinson.

"Coach (Gus) Malzahn wanted me down there bad, and he wanted me to visit, and he was just telling me all the things we could do in the offense," Hardman told Rivals.com. "He was telling me a little more about them so I could feel comfortable with them. I had to get down there, and I did, and I really liked it." 

His campus visit early this summer set the tone for a competitive race in this recruitment.

"They made up a lot of ground. ... It's a nice little battle between all three of them [Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee], so we're just going to see going forward who stands out the most," he told Wesley Sinor of AL.com.

Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. All statistics from The Opening were acquired firsthand. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.