Bruce Judson Discusses Top 10: 4-Star ATH Looking to 'Play for a Starting Job'

When Cocoa, Florida, athlete Bruce Judson talked about decommitting from Ohio State in October, he made a vow to take his time with the recruiting process and make a well-informed decision to benefit his future athletically and academically.

Nearly eight months later, the 4-star athlete announced via social media that he's ready to trim an offer list that features 30 schools.

Judson posted his top 10 on Wednesday afternoon—a list that includes four SEC schools (Florida, Auburn, South Carolina and Alabama), two ACC teams in Pitt and Virginia Tech, and solo representatives from the Big 12 (TCU), Pac-12 (Arizona), Big Ten (Michigan State) and American Athletic Conference (UCF).

Judson added that Maryland and Kentucky are two schools that could work their way into his final decision.

"They always stay in touch with me," Judson said of his finalists. "They have great tradition, and I can come in and compete to play for a starting job. I can make my own legacy there and make a name for myself if I come in with the right mindset and just work out hard."

At 5'9" and 203 pounds, Judson is versatile enough to play running back, slot receiver, cornerback or safety at the next level.

Per MaxPreps, Judson put up respectable offensive statistics for Cocoa High School during his junior season. He rushed for 1,425 yards and 17 touchdowns and threw for an additional 679 yards and 11 touchdowns as a dual-threat quarterback.

Judson's elusiveness and speed—he's been clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.41 seconds—could be best utilized as a slot receiver and special teams returner in college. Judson is ranked as the No. 14 athlete and No. 245 overall player in the 2017 class.

Since decommitting from Ohio State, Judson has made reported unofficial visits to Alabama, Florida State, Central Florida, Florida, Miami, Arizona, Georgia, Auburn and Pitt. He said he's built strong relationships with the coaches in his top 10, and he's looking to continue building those relationships as he prepares for a verbal commitment.

Last month, Judson told SEC Country's Zach Abolverdi that lack of communication with head coach Urban Meyer led to his decommitment. Things went further south when Judson said Meyer mistook him for another commit during a visit to the Ohio State campus.

Judson's decommitment has worked out to other schools' advantages. His 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions point to Florida as the current front-runner. Pitt, however, has been trending upward.

The date of Judson's verbal is still to be determined, but he said he'll look into a few X-factors to help narrow the choices.

"I'm looking at the head coach and the coaching staff's relationships with me and my parents," Judson said. "I want a great education for what I can major in and early playing time where I can come make an impact now."

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand and recruiting information is courtesy of 247Sports. Follow Damon via Twitter @DamonSayles.