Tarik Black Tweets Commit Date: Where Will 4-Star WR Land?

The U.S. Army All-American Bowl will be a particularly special experience for 4-star wide receiver Tarik Black, as the 6'3 ½", 206-pounder from Cheshire Academy in Connecticut recently announced he will be making his commitment during the game on Jan. 7.

His recruitment is down to eight schools: Alabama, Auburn, Maine, Michigan, Stanford, Southern Connecticut State, Tuskegee and UCLA.

The nation's No. 13 receiver and the No. 98 player overall in the 2017 class figures to be a hot commodity among his finalists as the stretch run of his process begins.

But which lucky program currently has the inside track on his recruitment?

While it's a bit of a shock to see three non-Power Five schools make the final cut for a player of Black's caliber, it's likely his recruitment will come down to the five powerhouses on his list.

Black took official visits to Michigan and Auburn in September. The Wolverines are the heavy favorites, according to his 247Sports crystal ball page.

As Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports noted, Black is no stranger to Ann Arbor, having made multiple visits there this year. However, he still enjoyed his official visit last month, and he discussed it with Wiltfong:

"

The Michigan visit was awesome. They really embrace me every time I go up there. Show a lot of love, players, coaches and recruits, they show a lot of love. I really bonded with those guys and could see those guys being the guys I’m around in the future. When I go up to Michigan everything is always great.

"

He also had a pleasant experience on his first trip to the Plains, as detailed by Keith Niebuhr of 247Sports.

According to BamaOnline's Hank South, he will head to Tuscaloosa for his next official visit on Nov. 12 to see the Crimson Tide face Mississippi State.

The two Pac-12 schools could net the remaining two official visits for Black before he decides. He visited both schools unofficially back in February, according to 247Sports.

Given head coach Nick Saban's recruiting prowess and the fact that receiver is a position of need for Alabama, the Crimson Tide could be the wild card in Black’s recruitment.

As he told Niebuhr, playing time will be a big factor in his decision. That could hurt Auburn, which has six underclassmen among its top eight receivers in the rotation, according to Ourlads.

As Tom Loy of Irish247 noted, distance could be a factor working against both Stanford and UCLA.

Throughout his recruitment, Michigan has consistently been in his group of favorite programs.

If head coach Jim Harbaugh and his staff continue to pursue Black aggressively, the Wolverines will have a great shot to land one of the most explosive playmakers in the 2017 cycle.

Sanjay Kirpalani is a national recruiting analyst for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand and all recruiting information is courtesy of Scout.com.

Follow @SanjayKirpalani