DE Darius Hamilton Set to Declare Next Week, Will It Be Florida or Rutgers?

With just a little over a week left until National Signing Day, 5-star defensive end recruit Darius Hamilton is one of the best remaining prospects left on the market. While he's been chased by some of the top programs in the country, it sounds as if the highly-touted blue-chip prospect has narrowed it down to two schools: Rutgers and Florida. 

I had the opportunity to see the New Jersey native up close and in person when his Don Bosco Prep Ironmen played rival Bergen Catholic back in September, and I can honestly say that he's definitely worth all of the hype he's received over the past few months. 

Hamilton has the chance to develop into a star early in his college career, the only question is, where will he shine, Gainesville or Piscataway?

With his announcement set for next week, we won't have to wait much longer for an answer, but until he finally does commit, all we can do is simply speculate. 

Why Florida?

Will Muschamp's first year at the helm in Florida didn't exactly go as planned, as the Gators struggled to a disappointing 7-6 finish, but remember, transition years can certainly be tough, and Muschamp will have a great shot to redeem himself in 2012.

With a defense that is shaping up to be one of the most stout units in the country, Florida should be right back in the thick of the SEC East race next season. 

The question is, does Darius Hamilton want to be a part of a Gators defensive line that looks like it should be one of the most dominant in the country in 2012?

Muschamp, who is one of the top defensive minds in college football, will definitely find a role for Hamilton, whether it's inside at defensive tackle or at defensive end.

But with guys like Dominique Easley, Shariff Floyd and Ronald Powell all returning, there's going to be a lot of competition for snaps and playing time, especially with other top defensive line prospects from the 2012 class like Omari Phillips, Damien Jacobs and Jonathan Bullard all committed to the Gators. 

If Hamilton wants to prove himself against the best of the best, he'll choose Florida, but he's going to have to put in a lot of hard work if he wants to see the field early in his career. 

Why Rutgers?

New Jersey has produced its fair share of 5-star recruits in years past, but with the exception of Piscataway native Anthony Davis, Greg Schiano has rarely been able to keep them in the state. 

But that could change this year, as Schiano has two highly-touted New Jersey natives—DE Darius Hamilton and QB/WR Devin Fuller—both strongly considering the Scarlet Knights. 

With an improved stadium and new facilities, Rutgers now has the resources to start competing with some of the bigger BCS schools for homegrown talent, and it will be interesting to see if Schiano is able to finally keep the state's best prospect at home. 

Darius Hamilton knows that if he chooses Rutgers, he'll be showered with fanfare from everyone around the state, and the chance to play in front of family and friends every week definitely has to be appealing. 

Hamilton has the type of talent to step right into Rutgers' defensive huddle and start from game one of his career, and he could develop into an instant star for the Scarlet Knights. 

It also probably doesn't hurt that Hamilton's teammate from Don Bosco, WR Leonte Carroo, is already committed to Rutgers. 

Prediction

Since I was born and raised in New Jersey, maybe I'm a little biased, but personally I'd love to see a highly-touted recruit like Darius Hamilton stay in-state and play for Rutgers.

It certainly worked out for OT Anthony Davis, who developed into a top-15 NFL draft pick during his time at Rutgers, and I think Hamilton could follow a similar path. 

Hamilton would have the chance to play right away with the Scarlet Knights, and he'd instantly be one of the most popular players on the team from the first day he walks onto campus. 

After putting together a 9-4 season in 2011, Rutgers has enough returning pieces to make a run at a double-digit-win season and a Big East championship in 2012, and Hamilton could certainly be interested in being apart of that. 

All indications are that his visit to Rutgers this past weekend went well, and because the Scarlet Knights offer him the opportunity to play early and stay close to home, I'm predicting that DE Darius Hamilton will choose Rutgers instead of Florida when he announces his commitment next week.