National Signing Day: Biggest Undeclared Recruits Left on the Table

On the eve of national signing day, a large number of recruits have yet to announce where they plan to sign.

Wednesday morning will bring a storm of high-profile announcements as players grab their preferred hats and sign their letters of intent. A top recruiting class is the start to building a national championship contender. The nation’s top undecided recruits will determine tomorrow what the perception and expectations for college football programs across the country will be.

Here’s a look at some of the top players who will make their decisions Wednesday.

Rashan Gary

The nation’s No. 1 recruit, Rashan Gary, is down to five schools: Alabama, Clemson, Michigan, Mississippi and USC.

Gary is listed at 6’5” and 290 pounds. He has the size to step in and make an impact on a team as a true freshman.

Adam Friedman of Rivals reported that Gary enjoyed his visit to Clemson, but Michigan is considered the favorite to land the 5-star defensive tackle. Jim Harbaugh has assembled the No. 5 class, and Gary could push the Wolverines even further toward the top of the rankings. 

Mecole Hardman Jr.

Mecole Hardman Jr., a 5-star athlete from Bowman, Georgia, is down to a final two of Alabama and Georgia.

The 11th-ranked player in the country named Alabama as his top school earlier in his recruitment, per Josh Helmholdt of Rivals, and Nick Saban’s program is favored to get his commitment.

The Bulldogs now have former Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart as their head coach, however, and Helmholdt wrote that Hardman’s visit “appears to have the potential to change his mind.”

The Tide need a couple of big-name recruits such as Hardman to move their class higher than No. 9 in the class rankings. If Hardman chooses the Bulldogs, it will be a strong statement to begin Smart’s tenure in Athens.

Tyrie Cleveland

Tyrie Cleveland is technically committed to Houston. He announces his final decision, however, tomorrow.

The 4-star wide receiver is down to Arkansas, Florida, Houston and TCU. He has taken official visits to all four schools, with the final one to Florida last weekend.

The 6’3” receiver could compete for a starting role on any of those teams right away. One of the deciding issues will be the style of offense in which he wants to play.

He could put up huge numbers in the spread schemes Houston and TCU run. Or he could be the go-to receiver in a pro-style offense such as Arkansas or Florida.

Ben Davis

For 5-star linebacker Ben Davis, there appear to be two main contenders for his signature. Just like with Hardman, Helmholdt reported Georgia and Alabama are the last two programs fighting for Davis.

Davis announced that Georgia was his top school in December but later reversed course and said Alabama was on top, per Helmholdt. He is also considering Auburn, LSU and Notre Dame.

His father, Wayne, played at Alabama and holds the program record for career tackles. That could give the Crimson Tide the final edge.

Recruit rankings and info courtesy of Rivals unless otherwise noted.