Tate Martell Sets Decision Date: Where Will 5-Star QB Land?

The nation’s top dual-threat quarterback in the 2017 cycle will come off the board next week when 5-star passer Tate Martell will announce his commitment on Aug. 20:

"

I will announce my commitment on August 20th at 7pm(PST) on Twitter!

— Tate Martell™ (@TheTateMartell) August 13, 2015"

According to Bleacher Report’s Tyler Donohue, Martell announced a top five consisting of Alabama, Michigan, Texas A&M, USC and Washington last month.

A quick glance at the 5’11”, 180-pounder’s Crystal Ball page shows that the Aggies and Trojans appear to be the front-runners in the race to land the standout from Bishop Gorman (Nevada) High School.

Where will the nation’s No. 12 overall prospect in the 2017 cycle land?

Both programs have selling points that Martell could find appealing.

He has plenty of connections to the Trojans program.

As Donohue notes, Martell grew up in Southern California, and he originally committed to Washington back when current Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian was leading the Huskies program.

"It's USC. It's where just about every young football player in California dreams of playing in college," Martell told Donohue. "The program had a ton of stars when it was winning championships and now it feels like they're reloading."

It doesn't hurt that in his first season working with Sarkisian, current Trojans quarterback Cody Kessler put together a banner season and enters this fall as a potential Heisman Trophy candidate.

While the Trojans have a loaded depth chart at quarterback, the same could be said for Texas A&M.

Like Sarkisian, Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin also has a strong track record when it comes to grooming quarterbacks.

Sumlin was able to land touted 5-star passers Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray in the previous two cycles. However, Martell has made it clear he isn’t afraid of competing for the job.

"I love competition and that's exactly what there would be at Texas A&M if I joined those guys," Martell told Donohue. "I would get in there and compete, do everything I could to win the job. The best player will play no matter where you're at, so I can only control what I can do."

"

Unofficial at Texas A&M today!#GigEm pic.twitter.com/EM9p4qy5Zg

— Tate Martell™ (@TheTateMartell) July 18, 2015"

Martell—who took an unofficial visit to College Station last month—also told Bleacher Report's Damon Sayles that the trip made him feel comfortable with life on campus at A&M.

"I knew halfway through the day [Saturday], right around when I went to lunch, that even if I wasn't playing football, I'd feel comfortable going to college there," Martell told Sayles. "That's the first time I've felt like that with a college. Adding football on top of it, that would make it that much fun."

With both programs presenting similar opportunities for Martell, his decision could come down to which scheme he feels is a better fit for his skill set. 

Both programs run a spread offense, but his ability to create big plays in and out of the pocket make him a great fit in the Aggies’ high-octane attack.

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