National Signing Day 2015: Predictions for Top Recruits Before CFP Championship

While many of the top prospects in the country have announced where they will be playing their college football, a slew of 5-star recruits remain undecided, with major programs scrambling to secure their signatures.

Below, I'll highlight three of the top prospects still picking through the offers and offer my take on where they'll end up. 

All rankings via 247Sports' Composite Rankings.

Martez Ivey, OT

For Martez Ivey, the decision is going to come down to two schools: Florida and Auburn. The 5-star recruit and the No. 2 player in the country has maintained through much of this process that his decision would come down to those two schools, as he re-emphasized in December, via Chris Hays of the Orlando Sentinel:

"Fifty-fifty still. I'm going to think about it over this break... Christmas break... This is what I need, this dead period that's about to come up. That's what I need right now, so I can think and see what's right for me. I got a feeling right now, but I ain't willing to say. ... We'll see what happens."

That dead period was supposed to end his deliberation, as it was expected that Ivey would make his announcement at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in early January. But he postponed the decision, suggesting that perhaps he is wavering on whatever his initial choice might have been. 

Could that mean that Auburn is overtaking Florida? It's certainly possible. His high school teammate and best friend, Chandler Cox, is going to Auburn. The coach that spent a good deal of time recruiting him to Florida, Will Muschamp, is now at Auburn. The Tigers have seen far more success in the past several years than the Gators. 

Ivey might have the inkling to stick with the school many people expected him to choose all along, Florida. But his delay in making an announcement suggests, at least to me, that perhaps he is starting to lean to Auburn. I'm going to predict he ends up a Tiger.

Iman Marshall, CB

Iman Marshall, a 5-star prospect, the top cornerback in 247Sports' rankings and the No. 5 player in the country, is tough to project going forward. USC seems to be the front-runner, but a few recent events suggest the Trojans could lose their man at the last moment.

For one thing, Marshall's last scheduled visit is at Oregon, a week before national signing day. That gives the Ducks the chance to make one last big impression, and they could be doing so as this year's national champions. 

Still, schools like LSU and Michigan (with new head coach Jim Harbaugh) could be quite appealing. Florida State is in the mix, too. But most experts believe he'll end up at USC.

And maybe he will. But the fact that Marshall cancelled a visit with Oklahoma to fit Oregon into his schedule—and the Ducks could be showing him their state-of-the-art facilities with the Dr. Pepper National Championship Trophy potentially on display as well—makes me think the Ducks will edge out the Trojans late and land Marshall. 

Byron Cowart, DE

Much like Ivey was expected to make his announcement during an offseason all-star game, 5-star defensive end Byron Cowart was supposed to make his during the Under Armour All-America Game. That didn't quite materialize.

"I didn't know where I wanted to go," Cowart told  Amos Morale III of NOLA.com. "So I'm still looking forward to figuring out where Byron Cowart is going to play."

But here's the main takeaway from Morale's story on Cowart:

"

The [LSU] Tigers however will have to play catch up with the likes of Auburn and Florida and Florida State to have a shot at the prospect. LSU also wouldn't have to sell Cowart alone, the staff would also have to recruit his mother.

Cowart said his mom's comfort level is a big deal when it comes to his recruitment. He said she was 'really hurt' when Will Muschamp left Florida and that her comfort level with him was one of the reasons Auburn was back in the picture.

"

While a mother's approval of a school isn't always a primary factor in a young man's decision—remember when Landon Collins chose Alabama over LSU as his mother sat glumly by his side?—it also shouldn't be ignored. Again, the fact that Cowart has delayed his decision at a time when Auburn re-entered the picture could be a coincidence, or the thought of playing for Muschamp's defense has swayed him. 

Don't be surprised if Cowart ends up at Auburn. The hiring of Muschamp could end up benefiting the school on a number of fronts this year.