Markail Benton Tweets Top 6: Odds on Where 4-Star LB Lands

As of Monday evening, the race for Phenix City, Alabama, 4-star linebacker Markail Benton will come down to the SEC and ACC.

On Monday, Benton tweeted a top six that included Auburn, Florida State, Alabama, Clemson, LSU and South Carolina. Benton is ranked as the nation's No. 6 outside linebacker and No. 89 overall player.

A 6'2", 237-pound athlete, Benton is considered an Auburn lean, but nothing is set in stone with his process. Alabama's hoping to make a major impression this weekend, as Benton is expected to be in Tuscaloosa for the annual A-Day spring game on Saturday.

An Under Armour All-American, Benton has expressed his desire to announce his verbal commitment at the Under Armour All-America Game in January. Until then, speculation of where he ultimately commits and signs will be high.

All six schools on his list have a great shot at landing him, but here are three schools to keep an eye on as Benton continues to narrow down his recruitment. Odds of where he could end up are included in parentheses.

Auburn (2-1)

Location, tradition and opportunity: These are three things that favor Auburn in Benton's recruiting race. Additionally, Benton has a good relationship with the coaching staff—particularly linebackers coach Travis Williams—as he's made multiple trips to the campus for unofficial visits and games.

The Auburn campus is roughly 35 miles from Phenix City, which would make for an easy commute for Benton's family and friends to watch him play. And with Kris Frost and Justin Garrett both completing their senior years this past season, the opportunity for playing time is there for a player of Benton's caliber.

Auburn could use a jolt in recruiting right now, and Benton could be that spark. The Tigers have three commitments in the 2017 class, but haven't landed a pledge since 3-star safety Carlito Gonzalez committed in August 2015. Benton would be Auburn's highest-ranked defensive pledge of the 2017 class if he committed today.

What may be overlooked, however, is the fact that Benton's old teammate at Phenix City's Central High School, defensive back John Broussard, was an early enrollee at Auburn. The Tigers would love to build that pipeline at Central, and landing both Broussard and Benton would be huge for Gus Malzahn and his staff.

Alabama (3-1)

Let's be honest: national championships speak volumes. Auburn won a national title in 2010, but Alabama has won four national titles since 2009, including one last January.

It's tough to decline an offer from Nick Saban, and he's even tougher to turn down when he has a player on campus. Benton's trip for A-Day will be a big opportunity for the Crimson Tide coaching staff to sell the program and team philosophy to athletes. Look for Benton to be a primary target, particularly with Alabama's coaching staff wanting to add to a growing linebacker class.

Benton was in Tuscaloosa in February for Alabama's junior day. He's also made a couple of unofficial visits to the campus since his sophomore year. Tuscaloosa isn't too far from home for Benton, as his family and friends would travel roughly 3.5 hours from Phenix City to see him play at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Florida State (5-1)

Benton has said on several occasions that Auburn and Alabama are his top two schools, but Florida State is hoping to do just enough to get the No. 2 player in Alabama out of the state.

Benton visited Florida State in March, and he's compared the campus to Auburn's from an atmosphere perspective. Benton likes the Seminoles defense, and he has a good relationship with defensive coordinator Charles Kelly and outside linebackers coach Brad Lawing.

Florida State has a top-10 nationally ranked class, and Benton would definitely add fuel to it. He would be the team's first 4-star linebacker pledge, joining 3-star linebacker Bradley Jennings Jr. in the class. Benton would also add to a defensive class that already includes 4-star safety Cyrus Fagan and 4-star defensive tackle Ja'len Parks.

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