Julian Rochester Tweets Top 10: Which Schools Hold Edge in Race for 5-Star?

One of the most prized recruits from the state of Georgia in the 2016 cycle is 5-star defensive tackle Julian Rochester.

The nation's No. 3 defensive tackle and the No. 11 player overall in the 2016 class tweeted out his top 10 on Tuesday.

A few newcomers in Louisville, LSU, Tennessee, Florida, Oregon and USC joined three schools—Auburn, Clemson and Georgia—who have consistently been among his group of favorites.

But which schools hold the edge for the massive 6'5" 315-pounder? 

While Auburn and Clemson are still in the hunt for Rochester, the gap between them and Georgia may be widening, as noted by Keith Niebuhr of AuburnUndercover.

Rochester has been a fixture in Athens recently, having visited the Bulldogs campus three times since February.

He named the Bulldogs his leader at the Atlanta Nike Opening Regional camp in late March, and he told Bleacher Report that his comfort with coach Mark Richt and his staff is part of what has the Bulldogs in a strong position with him.

"I like Coach Rocker, Coach Pruitt and Coach Richt," Rochester said. "All of them—Coach Sherrer, too. They just treat me like family, and they have since I was a youngster. It's been cool to go through this process and have them build that relationship with me."

Earlier this month, he told Kipp Adams of Dawgs247 that he enjoyed his most recent trip to Athens for Georgia's spring game in April.

"

It was really fun, because I got to see all of the top players across Georgia. We all hung out and had a great time at the game. I actually spent the night and spent three days at Georgia. I was able to experience college life and see what Georgia has to offer, from the facilities, to the dorm rooms, to the food, to the atmosphere—everything.

"

He also told Adams that a decision could come down later this month, which would seem to benefit Georgia's chances of landing the U.S. Army All-American.

Auburn, whom Rochester listed as his No. 2 school, is fighting to get the No. 2 prospect in the state of Georgia on campus for its Big Cat Weekend at the end of the month, as noted by Niebuhr.

However, it may be a case of too little, too late for the Tigers with Rochester.

Given his recent visits and the bond he has with other top Georgia targets, all signs are pointing toward Rochester landing on the Bulldogs' commit list sooner than later.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand and all recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani