National Signing Day 2015: Predictions for Most Coveted Football Recruits
Future college football championships will be decided Wednesday by a group of kids who are still worried about chemistry classes and who they are going to invite to the senior prom.
National signing day for 2015 recruits is Wednesday, and there are still a number of top-notch athletes who have not verbally pledged to a school. Some of the most important battles for college football coaches occur off the field as they give final pitches to these undecided recruits, hoping to secure a highly rated class.
Here is a look at some of the most coveted recruits who have not committed to a school yet and some predictions for their final landing spots.
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*Recruiting information and star ratings courtesy of 247Sports’ composite rankings.
| Martez Ivey | OT | 5 | Florida |
| Byron Cowart | DE | 5 | Auburn |
| Iman Marshall | CB | 5 | USC |
| CeCe Jefferson | DE | 5 | Ole Miss |
| Terry Beckner Jr. | DT | 5 | Missouri |
| Daylon Mack | DT | 5 | Texas |
| Rasheem Green | DT | 5 | USC |
| Soso Jamabo | RB | 5 | Texas |
| Porter Gustin | OLB | 4 | Ohio State |
| Damarkus Lodge | WR | 4 | Ole Miss |
Recruiting Battle to Watch: Cornerback Iman Marshall
In today’s college football landscape with no-huddle offenses putting up 40 points a game like it's nothing, landing highly rated defenders on national signing day has become quite important.
One such defender, cornerback Iman Marshall, has not decided where he will play next season.
Marshall is a 5-star prospect, the No. 4 player in the country and the top-rated cornerback, per 247Sports’ composite rankings. He checks in at 6’1” and 190 pounds and has the skill set to be a playmaker at the next level.
Tom Luginbill of ESPN.com provided an enticing scouting report:
"The versatile Iman Marshall is the complete package at the corner position. He brings size, ball skills and athleticism that could project at different positions throughout the secondary. He possesses great transitional quickness for a perimeter defender with his frame and closing speed to shut down receivers in man coverage. He also has the big frame and physicality, range and ball-hawking skills to add value at safety.
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Marshall has everything you could ask for in a cornerback, and he even has the versatility to play safety if needed. His ability to play multiple positions, along with the speed and physicality to mix it up on special teams, will help him play right away, regardless of which school he chooses.
He certainly has an interesting choice ahead of him, considering USC, Florida State, Notre Dame, LSU, Michigan and Oregon are all involved in his recruitment.
He recently took official visits to Florida State, Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU and Oregon (he visited the Ducks this past weekend), but the schools are going to have to wait until signing day to find out which one he chooses, via Jeremy Crabtree of ESPN.com:
Greg Biggins, Scout.com's national recruiting analyst, explained how close the race for Marshall truly is, via Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports:
"He'll visit Oregon this coming weekend and may try and fit in a USC unofficial visit sometime before the dead period. USC is the childhood favorite and where everyone has predicted Marshall would end up, but there has been some recent buzz that they may not be the lock everyone (myself included) assumed. Jim Harbaugh came in for a home visit Monday night and the Wolverines have made a very positive impression. Marshall's father, Tony, went on the visit to LSU (only one so far) and will likely visit Oregon as well.
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If USC truly is his childhood favorite team, that carries a lot of weight. However, the Michigan angle is intriguing as a late play after it made a splash by hiring Jim Harbaugh as its coach. Plus, Marshall's most recent visit was to Oregon, which probably made every other school very nervous, considering the top-notch facilities and overall Nike flash he was likely exposed to in Eugene.
What high school kid wouldn’t at least be enticed to play in Oregon’s uniforms at an elevated tempo out West?
If we are talking about pure need, Michigan could probably use Marshall the most.
While the recruiting bump from hiring Harbaugh will come next season when he has more time to recruit and make inroads with different high school prospects and coaches, Wolverines fans can’t be thrilled that their class checks in at No. 73 in 247Sports’ rankings (as of Tuesday at 10 a.m. ET) behind powerhouses like Kansas, San Jose State and Western Michigan.
Meanwhile, Michigan’s archrival, Ohio State, is busy polishing its national championship trophy and landing another top-10 class. Convincing one of the nation’s top players to come to Ann Arbor would be a monumental boost for this lackluster Michigan class and keep the momentum rolling from an offseason that included the Harbaugh hiring.
Of course, we are talking about a kid from Long Beach, California. The combination of the weather and hometown lure of playing for his beloved Trojans may be too much. Even Oregon is on the West Coast, as opposed to Michigan, Notre Dame and LSU, which could be a factor if he wants to stay closer to home.
It is worth noting that a whopping 94 percent of the crystal ball predictions on Marshall’s 247Sports page peg him as a future USC Trojan.
Ultimately, USC seems to be pulling on Marshall’s heartstrings as his childhood favorite and the local school of power. Look for him to choose the Trojans on national signing day.
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