Will 5-Star DT Darius Hamilton Select Florida, Cal or Rutgers When He Announces?

It's all about recruiting now that the college football season is over with. The BCS National Championship is over, so now, teams are preparing to better their future.

One of the top prospects that is still out there is defensive end Darius Hamilton. He's 6'4", 245 pounds and could eventually grow into a role at defensive tackle. He has a motor that doesn't quit, great speed for his size and is very physical. He would be a great addition for whichever team he commits to.

Hamilton has narrowed down his list from 30 schools, down to just three. Here are the breakdown of each remaining school and the prediction.

His final decision will be made on January 31.

Florida

Florida is one of the schools in the running and was actually the first school that Hamilton made his official visit to. Here are a few things he said about his trip to Gainesville:

"

I love Florida. It’s a beautiful place and I love all the coaches. I love all the players. I love their whole scheme. ... I think that’s a great defense and I think I fit really well in that defense. I was really happy that I went out there to check it out. It was a great visit.

"

Rutgers

The Rutgers are recruiting surprisingly well this season, but this would by far be the biggest recruit they've landed this year. Hamilton just recently visited with Rutgers and here a few things he said about the program.

"

I like Rutgers. It’s always been right there for me. I like all of the coaches, everybody. I always have a blast when I go down there and I feel like I can come in and fill a whole that they need and I would really look forward to it.

"

California

Hamilton made an official visit to California pretty much right after he had his visit with the Florida Gators. Cal already has a loaded recruiting class, but it wouldn't hurt to land another top player like Hamilton. Here are a few things the top recruit said about his visit out West.

"

Cal has a great system over there. They run a 3-4 defense, but there’s a lot of stuff, man-up stuff up front and I really like it. I really like the scheme that they run. It’s just very different, but different is not always bad. ... Tosh Lupoi is a great coach. He’s had first-round, back-to-back NFL draft picks. He’s done a great job.

"

Prediction

All three of these schools are very much in the running for Hamilton's services. California has to be very appealing considering they have a very loaded recruiting class and appear to be on the rise. Rutgers is in the race because the campus is a short car ride from where Hamilton grew up in Ramsey, New Jersey. And you can't count out Florida, which just so happens to be Hamilton's favorite football team growing up.

Overall, I would predict he ends up a Florida Gator.

Sure, Rutgers is the home school, but stuck in the Big East, it really doesn't have much to offer from a competitive standpoint. And Cal may be too far away for his liking. Florida is the school that makes the most sense, as it's the most competitive, is in the SEC and would give him the best chance to succeed right away on the field.

I mean, seriously, could you imagine him and Johnathan Bullard on the same defensive line together?

Hamilton also visited Florida twice in this recruiting process, which gives me even more reason to believe he'll be doing the Gator Chomp real soon.

Randy Chambers is a B/R Featured Columnist that covers college football and the NFL. You can contact him @Randy_Chambers or [e-mail]