College Football Recruiting: Predicting 10 of August's Top Commitments

Exhausted with how pervasive the process has become, many top recruits are pushing to make a decision before their senior seasons begin.

Others are putting together official visits or making one last unofficial to firm up who their finalists are.

In short, August is going to be a busy month. Just how many recruits will be deciding before their senior seasons is unknown, but there are a few who have made their intentions clear.

I'd like to predict what big names will be committing in this busy month, and where they might be headed.

WR Kasen Williams

A five-star wide receiver and friend of the B/R 100, Sammamish, WA recruit Kasen Williams really accelerated the timetable for his decision in the past month.

After seeming like he'd be taking officials, Williams announced he will narrow his list to five this week and decide before September.

I've liked Notre Dame to emerge the victor for Williams over the Washington Huskies, the in-state school and alma mater of Kasen's father.

Call it karmic balance as a result of the Irish losing legacy QB Nick Montana to Washington last year. I think he'll be a great fit in Brian Kelly's offense, and the Irish have been pursuing him hard with that in mind.

CB Nick Waisome

It looks like it's down to Florida and Florida State for four-star cornerback Nick Waisome, who will announce his decision in conjunction with the first ESPNU recruiting show of the season. The date of the airing is yet to be determined.

Waisome attended Florida's spring game and it's Friday Night Lights event this past weekend, but in between, he's carried on a serious flirtation with Florida State. He attended the Jimbo Fisher camp earlier in July and has taken at least three unofficials to Tallahassee.

He's playing the leader close to the vest, but I like Florida to emerge the victor in this one. The Seminoles might be able to play upset with James Wilder, but Waisome will end up a Gator.

OLB Ed Davis

Detroit, MI outside linebacker Ed Davis will announce August 4th, and decide between Michigan State, Iowa and Michigan.

Davis broke out at the Sound Mind, Sound Body camp at Wayne State, and rescheduled his announcement to coincide with the SMSB Media Day.

The Wolverines were in great shape with him after he visited a camp and received an offer, but I have it on good authority that some negative recruiting from Iowa really hurt the Wolverines' chances.

Davis has said he's 80% decided and just needs to tie up some loose ends. Michigan State might be the third party that's there to pick up the pieces Iowa left behind. If not, I think the Hawkeyes will be the benefactors of his verbal.

Prediction: Michigan State

ATH James Wilder

Athlete James Wilder was a recruit whom the Gators had been after practically since Urban Meyer arrived in Gainesville. No five-star athlete in Florida's backyard goes unnoticed, and the Gators were one of the first, if not the first, to offer him verbally.

Their presumed lead with him took a major hit as soon as he announced that he preferred to play running back over outside linebacker (a position for which he debuted as a five-star on Scout's first 2011 rankings).

From the outside, it appeared that the Gators hemmed and hawed about offering him as a running back. When he actually seemed to be heading elsewhere, they changed their mind, and Urban Meyer personally reoffered him as an RB.

Something seemed to stick in his mind, however. He didn't pull the trigger after Florida reoffered, choosing to wait until fall to see where he fit in Florida's revamped offense. Despite a visit to Gainesville in June that seemed to put Florida back in the driver's seat, this past weekend, Wilder skipped out on Florida's Friday Night Lights event on an extended stay at Florida State. He came away, according to buzz, with the Seminoles leading.

I personally think he could be successful in any offense, but I can see how Florida State's pro-, up-the-gut playbook could appeal to his running style better than Florida's sideline-to-sideline option attack. With no inside info of my own, I've no reason to really doubt the buzz that he'll wind up a Seminole.

Prediction: FSU

Wilder's Teammates, QB Phillip Ely and OT Tony Posada

Wilder isn't the only Plant HS kid with a much-anticipated announcement.

His teammates, QB Phillip Ely and tackle Tony Posada, are also lining up to give their announcements.

Ely is Rivals' No. 5 pro-style QB and a four-star recruit. He competed at the Elite 11 event recently, and came away with the award for Most Versatile player.

That doesn't help me pin down where he's headed, and with a recruitment as unclear as his, I've got little to work on.

I've seen his name tied to the Ole Miss program a few times, and I know that staff must be scrambling for a QB after the recent departure of Raymond Cotton.

The Rebels must run a pretty versatile offense if they think they can find a use for departed Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli, who just signed on.

I predict Ely picks the Rebels, but I'm going off more reasoning than actual knowledge with that pick.

As for Posada, the three-star tackle favors the Wolverines by a wide margin after a very successful unofficial visit earlier this summer.

The only thing standing between him and a commitment to the Wolverines is Florida. The Gators could disrupt this happy union if they decide to offer. Posada has made it no secret he covets an offer from Gainesville...but it is not expected to arrive. He'll go Blue sometime in early August.

RB Malcolm Brown

What a difference a month makes.

At the start of July, I would have accused anyone who said Malcolm Brown was going to Alabama of trying to make recruiting out to be more interesting than it is.

Well, evidently recruiting is that interesting, as the Tide have just about drawn even with Texas for the five-star native of Cibolo, TX.

Understand that this kid was a lock for the Longhorns, say, two months ago. Even nearby Oklahoma backed off.

The Tide likely took advantage of the uncertainty over Texas transitioning back to a ground game. There aren't many uncertainties about how Alabama's offense is run or whether it's changing.

Since I've been scoring upsets, I'll give this one over to the surprise candidate as well.

Prediction: Alabama

TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins

Not much to speculate on here if we recruitniks have this one read right.

Gig Harbor, WA tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins has been petitioning for a Texas offer for the better part of two months, after declaring in early May that the Longhorns' offense was the best fit for him.

But as Jenkins found out, Texas doesn't just FedEx its offers. The mammoth TE will have to go down to Austin and earn it...and he's planning that trip for August 6th and 7th.

He'll be on close commitment watch while he's there. Don't expect him to leave without getting hooked.

DE Stephon Tuitt

Somewhat to Georgia's chagrin, Georgia Tech's lead for four-star defensive end Stephon Tuitt has only widened this summer.

The Yellow Jackets hold one of the more disappointing 2011 classes, so I'm sure they're pushing Tuitt, a Rivals top 100 player and top five strongside end, hard for a verbal.

Will it be enough to overcome his desire to take his officials? I think so, but some recruits have proven more resilient than others.

WR DeAnthony Arnett

By the sound of some recent headlines, it looks like the recruitment of four-star Saginaw, MI wide receiver DeAnthony Arnett is winding down.

Arnett announced via his Twitter account that the USC Trojans were his leader, much to the surprise of us recruitniks. It was believed that Arnett was one of the quiet casualties of the June sanctions, as buzz between Arnett and USC had significantly quieted down.

Aside from that, Arnett has also visited Iowa as well as a surprise visit to Tennessee this past week.

I really can't keep up with the kid, so predictin' won't easy be for him. As a wild guess, I'll pick him to go to Iowa on the strength of his relationship with WRs coach Erik Campbell, formerly of the Michigan Wolverines. But that's only if Lane Kiffin is carried away by an angry mob...so yeah, Iowa it is.