National Signing Day Predictions: Odds for Schools Chasing Robert Nkemdiche

There is little debate over who the No. 1 recruit in the nation is this year, and the biggest news from national signing day will come when defensive end Robert Nkemdiche announces where he will be going to school.

The Georgia-based prospect has narrowed his choices to Mississippi, LSU and Florida, according to the Associated Press (via Fox News).

The program that lands him will get a 6’5”, 265-pound pass-rushing prodigy who will be an immensely valuable addition to the team’s defense.

Here are the odds for each of the three teams with a shot to sign this year’s top prospect.

Florida: 50-1

Three is a nice round number, and that may be the only reason Florida is listed as one of the teams in the running.

Having a three-team race seems more exciting than just two contenders, but ultimately it would be a massive surprise if Nkemdiche ended up in Gainesville.

The Gators have a defensive-minded coach in Will Muschamp and are coming off an impressive season. However, they are far behind LSU and Ole Miss in the race for Nkemdiche’s signature. 

The 18-year-old has not shown his hand yet, but every clue revealed suggests that Florida will not be receiving good news when he announces his decision.

LSU: 10-1 

The Tigers are doing everything possible to get Nkemdiche to Baton Rouge, and the program has been running its two-minute drill. 

As NOLA.com’s Lyons Yellin notes, the prize recruit visited the LSU campus over the weekend. He was clearly impressed with what he saw and tweeted the following: 

Les Miles has built a reputation for recruiting some of the most talented defensive players in the country during his tenure with the Tigers, and if he is able to bring in Nkemdiche, his program will continue to dominate opposing offenses.

While LSU is still an underdog in this race, the program is certainly making a late surge.  

Ole Miss: 3-1 

The school most likely to land this year’s top recruit is Ole Miss.

The Rebels put themselves at the center of the race last year when they successfully recruited Nkemdiche’s brother, Denzel.

As Yahoo! Sports’ Frank Schwab notes, the brothers’ mother wants them to play together during their collegiate careers.

This makes Ole Miss the front-runner, and, barring any surprises, the program will have reason to celebrate on national signing day.

Prediction

 Mama knows best, and Nkemdiche will sign with the Rebels.