The Opening 2015: Predicting Where Uncommitted Recruits Will Land

Part of the magic of the upcoming Elite 11 and The Opening national competitions is they feature some of the best uncommitted players announcing their plans for where they will play college football.

Next week will be no different, as four 4-star athletes—cornerback Jared Mayden, safety C.J. Pollard and linebackers Camilo Eifler and LaMar Winston—all are scheduled to make their decisions during the week of football activities, according to Brian Stumpf, who is vice president of football events for Student Sports and a lead spokesperson for both the Elite 11 and The Opening.

The big question: Where will each athlete end up? Bleacher Report offers its individual predictions for the quartet. The following slides are in alphabetical order by the prospect's name.

4-Star LB Camilo Eifler

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Oakland, California (Bishop O'Dowd)

Size: 6'1.5", 215 lbs

247Sports National Rank: No. 172 overall (No. 13 OLB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions: Washington (100 percent)

For a while, the battle for Camilo Eifler was thought to be between Washington and Oregon. And then he took a visit to Texas A&M last week, which could make the Aggies major players in getting Eifler to leave the West Coast.

Eifler has his pros and cons about Texas A&M, and one of those cons involved the school's large size. It makes you wonder if a smaller campus environment is a major X-factor. If that's the case, then Oregon has the advantage over Washington. 

Cal, Michigan and UCLA also are schools to watch as he makes his decision next week. This could be a decision that he takes all the way to the wire. Then again, he could've made his decision weeks ago. Eifler's poker face is impressive.

Prediction: Washington

4-Star CB Jared Mayden

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Sachse, Texas (Sachse)

Size: 6'0", 190 lbs

247Sports National Rank: No. 134 overall (No. 11 CB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions: Oregon (46 percent)

Mayden announced his top seven on June 24, his 17th birthday, as Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon and UCLA made the final cut. The noticeable thing about his list: Mayden will be playing college ball out of state.

This is where a school like Ohio State, Alabama or Florida State can really flourish. These three schools have the most recent success stories, with Ohio State as a major team to watch. However, Mayden has been a fan of what Oregon's done for quite some time, and it wouldn't be surprising if he chose to head West.

The Buckeyes and Crimson Tide are major contenders, but this could be a big win for the Ducks. Mayden has 45 offers and is a big, physical cornerback who maintains his own on an island. 

Prediction: Oregon

4-Star S C.J. Pollard

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Gardena, California (Junipero Serra)

Size: 6'1", 180 lbs

247Sports National Rank: No. 241 overall (No. 10 S)

247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions: USC (100 percent)

The benefits of having a player like C.J. Pollard are numerous. If you need a reliable safety, he's your guy. If your secondary has good safeties but needs help at cornerback, he can help. Pollard can also be a player to watch as a kick-return specialist.

Pollard's very high on USC, and he recently told 247Sports' Scott Schrader that USC "is going to be an offer hard to turn down." However, he did say he wanted to take official and unofficial visits to "experience the recruiting process," which means schools like Michigan, Notre Dame, Oregon and Arizona State are still in the hunt.

When he makes his verbal commitment, however, it's looking more and more like a win for the Trojans. 

Prediction: USC

4-Star LB LaMar Winston

Credit: 247Sports

Hometown (School): Portland, Oregon (Central Catholic)

Size: 6'4", 200 lbs

247Sports National Rank: No. 239 overall (No. 18 OLB)

247Sports Crystal Ball Predictions: Oregon (100 percent)

At first glance, LaMar Winston is everything you want in an outside linebacker. He's a tall, lanky defender who uses his length to his advantage in covering the field. As the No. 2 player in the state of Oregon, Winston is versatile enough to play outside linebacker and safety at the next level.

The Oregon Ducks have had their eye on Winston for quite some time, and with him being an Oregon kid, it wouldn't be a surprise if he played for the in-state power. Although Stanford, UCLA and Washington are quality schools and places where he also could fit in, Winston choosing anywhere other than Oregon would be considered a shock.

Prediction: Oregon

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All player ratings are courtesy of 247Sports' composite ratings. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles