Why Jabrill Peppers' Decision Must Boil Down to LSU and Michigan

Highly touted cornerback recruit Jabrill Peppers is set to decide where he'll play his college football on Sunday, May 26, and he has narrowed his choices down to six teams.

According to Tom VanHaaren of ESPN.com (Insider required), Peppers' top choices leading up to his decision are LSU, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford. 

Looking ahead toward what will inevitably be Peppers' ultimate goal, one thing is clear: In order for the talented cornerback to give himself the best chance to parlay his college career into a first-round draft pick in the NFL, he'd be best served by choosing either Michigan or LSU. 

Peppers is the No. 1 athlete and No. 3 overall player in the nation, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. He has the talent to become a two-way player in college (as he was at Paramus Catholic High) and is an explosive athlete with the ball in his hands.

At 6'1" and 205 pounds, Peppers has the size to convert to safety, and his best quality may be that he can play any position in the secondary.

While Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford all boast fine programs, they don't have the same allure or history of producing star defensive backs as LSU and Michigan do. 

Mike Farrell of Rivals.com believes Peppers will end up choosing Michigan, which makes perfect sense:

Should Peppers choose Michigan, he'd have a chance to follow in Charles Woodson's footsteps as a potential two-way player for the Wolverines. Given his overall level of talent, athleticism, speed and skill, it isn't crazy to think he could make a run at the Heisman with Brady Hoke's club in the next few years.

Should Peppers choose LSU, he'd be getting one of the best defensive educations in the nation under Les Miles. He'd also be following in the footsteps of recent NFL first-round picks Patrick Peterson, Morris Claiborne and Eric Reid. 

Either school would give Peppers a prime platform from which to display his incredible talents in college and give him a leg up as an NFL prospect. 

It won't be long until we know where he lands, so make sure to tune in to ESPNU at 5 p.m. ET (per VanHaaren) to watch the talented defensive back make the biggest decision of his young career.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78