Landon Dickerson Updates Top 5: Which School Is Best Fit for 4-Star?
One prospect who has steadily climbed the rankings in the 2016 cycle is 4-star offensive lineman Landon Dickerson.
The 6’5”, 293-pounder’s profile has risen thanks to a strong showing in the offseason at camps such as The Opening.
Dickerson holds 20 offers, but according to Keith Niebuhr of AuburnUndercover, five schools have separated themselves in the race to land the nation’s No. 10 offensive tackle and the No. 73 player overall in the 2016 class.
Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia Tech are his current top five schools. He was on hand for Virginia Tech’s season-opening loss to No. 1 Ohio State and he will attend Georgia’s home contest against South Carolina this weekend.
He has already planned officials to Florida State (Oct. 10 vs. Miami) and Auburn (Nov. 28 vs. Alabama).
With his schedule for the next few months being mapped out, which program in his short list appears to be his best fit at the next level?
Considering that athletic and physical prospects who can play multiple positions along the offensive line are scarce, Dickerson would be a welcome addition at any of his finalists.
However, his frame and athleticism make him a prime candidate to excel at Auburn. In fact, as Niebuhr noted, in his conversations with Tigers offensive line coach J.B. Grimes, his versatility is part of the reason why Auburn is intrigued with his skill set.
There are several positives with Auburn for Dickerson, including his relationship with Grimes and head coach Gus Malzahn, the campus setting and his fit in the Tigers scheme.
“I definitely like the small-town part and you know, Coach Malzahn,” Dickerson told Niebuhr. “He just seems like a guy that could probably be around here. He doesn’t seem like a big head coach kind of guy.”
While the Tigers are in a good spot with Dickerson, there’s still work to do in getting him to land on the Plains on signing day.
Virginia Tech could be the stiffest competition for Auburn, especially considering Dickerson’s grandfather played for the Hokies, according to Evan G. Watkins of 247Sports.
He’s very familiar with the program given his ties to Blacksburg, but as Watkins detailed, Dickerson’s standing with the Hokies was largely the same before and after his visit for their game against the Buckeyes.
Another factor in the Tigers favor is that as things stand currently, they get Dickerson’s last visit in what should be an electric atmosphere for the Iron Bowl showdown against Alabama.
With offensive line being a need for the Tigers in the 2016 class, adding Dickerson will be one of the primary objectives down the stretch for Malzahn and his staff.
Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.
