Predicting Which Schools Finished Second for the Top 10 Committed Recruits

A growing trend in college football recruiting is for recruits to commit early in the process. National Signing Day has less drama nowadays and even the postseason All-Star games have less commitments made there.

Committing early is not just for the lower level recruits, evidenced by many elite four-star and five-star prospects already being sewn up. When a recruit makes his commitment, other schools are always burned because he can only choose one school.

Curiosity on which school or schools finished second is always prevalent after a commitment. For this piece, I'm going to predict school finished second for the top 10 committed recruits.

10. Eli Woodard, CB

Woodard is a New Jersey native committed to Ohio State. I expect the 6', 185-pound cover corner to get himself early playing time for Urban Meyer's defensive unit.

Highly touted and coveted by many different college, Woodard was a hot name on the trail before his commitment. The Buckeyes have themselves a potential team captain and All-Big Ten CB here.

Second Place School: Notre Dame

9. Su'a Cravens, S

Cravens has been compared to many great players and even I have tossed Troy Polamalu's name out there too. A 6'1", 205-pounder with great athleticism and instincts Cravens is a future difference maker on the USC defense.

He made his commitment in the spring, choosing USC over just about everyone else in the country. Look for Cravens to become a star for the Trojans.

Second Place School: UCLA or Michigan

8. Dee Liner, DT

Liner is an Alabama native and is a DT prospect that is built like a LB on the hoof. He's bulked up to get his 6'3" frame to weigh nearly 275-pounds this off-season.

An Auburn pledge, Liner seemed to locked to be a Tiger from the start, but his offer list was a very long one. Today, Liner is one of the pillar of Gene Chizik's 2013 recruiting class.

Second Place School: Alabama

7. Carl Lawson, DE

Lawson is a Georgia native, although from nearly the start of his recruitment you never got a sizzling feeling about him going to UGA or Georgia Tech.

The 6'2", 255-pounder will leave the Peach State and play his college ball at Auburn. Coming up with a second place school for Lawson was a bit tough, but Alabama, USC and Florida all come to mind.

Second Place School: USC, Alabama or Florida

6. Jaylon Smith, OLB

Hailing from Indiana, Smith didn't want to venture too far away from home. The schools he considered heavily weren't too far from the Hoosier State and Smith eventually settled on playing in South Bend, Ind.

At 6'3", 225 pounds, Smith is committed to Notre Dame and will play OLB for the Golden Domers. Excelling in coverage and very athletic for his position, look for Smith to be a standout early in his career.

Second Place School: Ohio State

5. Kenny Bigelow, DT

Bigelow is from Delaware and committed to USC as a junior. That hasn't stopped schools from recruiting him but he's still solid to the Trojans. With his 6'3", 297-pound frame, athleticism, strength, quickness and play making talent Bigelow could go anywhere in the country.

Second Place School: Alabama or Ohio State

4. Max Browne, QB

When Washington signed Jeff Lindquist and Cyler Miles last year, that practically took them out of the Max Browne sweepstakes. Browne is a better prospect than both Miles and Lindquist and is now pledged to USC.

The 6'5", 215-pounder weighed his options carefully in the spring and committed to USC over Oklahoma.

Second Place School: Oklahoma

3. Vernon Hargreaves III, CB

The nation's top CB prospect ended his recruitment last month after committing to Florida. At 5'11", 180 pounds, Hargreaves has all the tools to be a key contributor as a true freshman in Gainesville.

Second Place School: Clemson

2. Reuben Foster, LB

This was an easy choice here for Foster, as I believe if Auburn didn't exist he would have ended up at Alabama or Georgia. His flipping to the Tigers was shocking as he was once pledged solidly to Alabama, but give credit to Gene Chizik and his staff for a huge recruiting coup.

Second Place School: Alabama or Georgia

1. Robert Nkemdiche, DE

I had predicted Nkemdiche to end up at Alabama or LSU, but he made a surprise decision to commit to Clemson a few months ago. When the 6'4", 270-pounder announced his choice, rumors spread about who finished second.

Alabama? Georgia? No, neither of those schools finished second for Nkemdiche.

Second Place School: Ole Miss and LSU 

Edwin Weathersby has worked in scouting/player personnel departments for three professional football teams, including the New York Giants, Cleveland Browns and the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena League. He spent a year evaluating prep prospects & writing specific recruiting and scouting content articles for Student Sports Football (now ESPN Rise-HS). A syndicated scout and writer, he's also contributed to WeAreSC.com, GatorBait.net and Diamonds in the Rough Inc., a College Football and NFL Draft magazine.