Derrick Brown Reveals Top 5: Which School Is Best Fit for 5-Star DT?

Coveted defensive tackle recruit Derrick Brown doesn't plan to deliver his collegiate commitment until national signing day, but he provided some insight on the decision Thursday afternoon.

The 6'4", 317-pound prospect revealed five finalists from the SEC that will compete for his Feb. 3 pledge:

Auburn, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee remain in the mix for Brown, who began receiving scholarship offers as a sophomore. This list excludes plenty of programs that pursued him during different stages of the process, including Clemson, Stanford, Texas and Florida.

Brown visited Bleacher Report's New York City offices last month and expressed intentions to finalize his college choice at least a few days before signing day, when he will publicly share a destination. In the meantime, there's a lot to look into here as he sorts through options. 

It speaks volumes about annual coaching staff shifts in college football that none of his five finalists will enter the 2016 season with the same defensive coordinator as 2015. 

Kirby Smart left his post at Alabama to become head coach at Georgia, where he hired former Crimson Tide colleague Mel Tucker as defensive coordinator. Alabama replaced Smart with former Bulldogs defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt.

Tennessee unveiled a new defensive coordinator earlier this week, landing former Penn State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop. Mississippi State saw defensive coordinator Manny Diaz depart for the same position at Miami and recently replaced him with USC linebackers coach Peter Sirmon. 

Former Florida head coach Will Muschamp lasted just one season as defensive coordinator at Auburn, bolting in December for a return to head coaching with South Carolina. 

Now that the dust has settled from staff perspectives, it's time for teams to present their very best sales pitch to one of America's most prized uncommitted talents.

Brown, rated No. 3 nationally among defensive tackles in composite rankings, is considered the No. 8 overall prospect in the 2016 recruiting class. He is fresh off the most dominant season of his high school career.

The Lanier High School (Buford, Georgia) standout secured 106 tackles—42 for loss—and 12 sacks as a senior. Brown was the lone defensive prospect named a U.S. Army All-American Player of the Year finalist.

He may join the winner of that award, 5-star quarterback Jacob Eason, at Georgia later this year. The top-rated passer enrolled early in Athens, headlining a Bulldogs recruiting class that's still chasing three in-state 5-star prospects.

There's no bigger Peach State target, figuratively and literally, than Brown. He is considered Georgia's top overall talent in this cycle and is set to spend an official visit in Athens this month, presenting the new regime an opportunity to impress.

“It’s definitely going to be something new at Georgia. I think I’ll make my final thought about the situation when I go up for my official visit in January," Brown told Bleacher Report.

The Bulldogs landed top-ranked defensive tackle Trent Thompson last signing day and carry 2016 commitments from a pair of 4-star defensive linemen. Smart opted to retain defensive line coach Tracy Rocker, providing continuity for Brown. 

The positional coach also plays a pivotal role at Auburn, where Rodney Garner leads the defensive front. Brown didn't seem pleased with the departure of Muschamp, but consistency remains in place at a pivotal spot for his relationship with the Tigers, and Garner has been a fantastic recruiter here.

Alabama defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt previously helped spearhead recruiting efforts at Georgia, so a strong sense of familiarity is already in place. The newly crowned national champions welcomed Brown to Tuscaloosa for an official visit last month.

Credit: 247Sports

When it comes to Mississippi State, the ties go beyond football coaches and facilities. Brown's parents both graduated from the university, according to Chris Kirschner of DawgNation. Starkville was actually his first home.

“I would feel great if he went to Mississippi State because he would be near relatives, but this is Derrick’s life and our thing is to help guide him toward his decision. We want to help guide him toward his own path," his mother, Martha Brown, told Kirschner. 

Georgia is the runaway favorite in Brown's crystal ball on 247Sports. He is projected to sign with the Bulldogs by 96 percent of 28 experts' predictions, and, ultimately, Georgia looks like the probable pick.

Tennessee, expected to be his fifth and final stop on a whirlwind official visit tour, could be a wild card worth watching closely as Feb. 3 approaches. While discussing his potential collegiate landing spots, Brown displayed particular affinity toward Knoxville.

“It is like no other place I’ve been to," he said. "You can feel it in Knoxville. They call it VFL—‘Vol for Life’—and at the end of the day, those people really are Volunteers. They’re not Georgia fans one week and Florida fans the next week. Those people are Volunteers.”

With trips to Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn slated to occur during the next three weeks, expect a fluid situation to become clearer in the aftermath of those visits. Brown projects as an absolute force in SEC trenches, but it remains to be seen which uniform he will wear during those battles.

Quotes obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue unless otherwise noted. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.