Tre Lamar Names Top 5: Odds on Where 4-Star LB Lands

Linebacker Tre Lamar is underway with an active spring on the recruiting trail that should enable him to evaluate his top contenders during the final stretch of his junior year. 

On Sunday, the 4-star Georgia defender named five favorites during a discussion with Josh Newberg of 247Sports. Though he hasn't developed a preferred order yet, this collection of top collegiate options includes Florida, Auburn, Alabama, Florida State and Clemson.

Lamar holds an expansive offer list consisting of more than 30 programs, but he appears content to stay put in the Southeast during the next phase of his football career. The 6'4", 240-pound Roswell High School standout is considered one of the country's premier inside linebacker prospects.

He rates fifth nationally among players at the position in 247Sports' composite rankings.

Lamar validated lofty praise as a junior, performing dominantly during the course of a 12-game campaign. His 2014 season featured 131 tackles—including 13 for loss—and four sacks, per Cory Fravel of 247Sports.

Now that we have a firm understanding of how Lamar views his top suitors, let's take a closer look at each option and place odds on where the star linebacker lands. He isn't expected to announce a commitment until at least next season, and this appears to be a tight race.

Alabama

The Crimson Tide have welcomed Lamar to Tuscaloosa three times during his recruitment, including a trip to campus in late February. He will return to Alabama next weekend for yet another visit, according to Newberg.

He expresses sincere respect for defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and his ability to cultivate a consistently successful environment in the linebacker corps. Lamar and the coaching staff have gained a valuable rapport through maintained interaction.

"They have had a lot of great linebackers come out of Alabama," he told Andrew Bone of Rivals. "They work closely with Coach Smart. They've had guys like Rolando McClain and C.J. Mosley. I think they are great coaches. They know what they want and what details to focus on."

Odds he ends up at Alabama: 4-1

Auburn

Lamar's most recent visit to Alabama took him to Auburn. He was on campus with the Tigers earlier this month, growing more familiar with the goals and schemes of new defensive coordinator Will Mushamp, who previously recruited Lamar at Florida.

The Tigers cashed in tremendously this past signing day with many of Muschamp's former Gators as targets and now look to enjoy similar success throughout this cycle. 

"They see me as either a Mike or Will linebacker in this scheme, and I run a 3-4 at my high school and play Mike there, so it's definitely something I'm comfortable with," Lamar told Wesley Sinor of AL.com.

He also feels comfortable with Auburn's academic offerings.

"I want a good engineering program because I want to study civil engineering," Lamar told Sinor.  "I didn't know they had such a good engineering school going into this visit. Hearing about it definitely increased my interest in Auburn, so that's awesome."

Odds he ends up at Auburn: 5-1

Clemson

Dabo Swinney has managed to secure several on-campus visits with the linebacker, though none may prove as paramount as a junior day event he attended in February. He gained valuable insight into life as a student-athlete at Clemson from Tigers who've already journeyed his intended path.

"In terms of engineering, Coach [Tony] Elliott—my area recruiter—was actually an engineering major," Lamar told Nikki Steele of TigerNet.com. "I also got to talk to [2015 5-star signee] Mitch Hyatt—mid-year enrollee who is also an engineering major. I talked with those two a lot about it."

Clemson offered Lamar a scholarship last March and is looking to bolster a 2016 recruiting haul that's already heavy on elite offensive talent. The Tigers stand out as a top challenger in this group, especially after Lamar's multiple game-day visits last season.

Odds he ends up at Clemson: 3-1 

Florida

Like many premier Gators prospects, Lamar is steadily learning more about the culture change that's underway in Gainesville. He took a step forward in that regard Saturday by making his first visit to campus.

New Florida co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Randy Shannon has proved instrumental in early recruiting success under Jim McElwain. Though many of his key pickups have come from South Florida, he made a strong impression on the Peach State prospect.

“Coach Shannon was really good," Lamar told Luke Stampini of 247Sports. "He told me a lot of stuff. He laid it out how he wanted me at Florida. He was real with how he came at me with recruiting. It was cool. He sees me as an inside linebacker in their 4-2-5.”

Odds he ends up at Florida: 6-1

Florida State

Lamar visited Tallahassee for the first time this past Friday, before heading to Gainesville. He met Seminoles linebackers coach Bill Miller and was invited to spend some time in a positional meeting, providing insight into how collegiate players prepare for practice and games. 

“I was with the linebackers, and I got to see the way coach Miller talks to them and teaches them," Lamar told Newberg. "He was very vocal in the film session. He’s been doing this a long time and you can tell he definitely knows what he’s doing.”

He expressed interest in returning to Florida State soon, perhaps as early as the team's upcoming spring game. The Seminoles replaced Tennessee on Lamar's top-five list but still have some catching up to do.

Odds he ends up at Florida State: 8-1

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.