National Signing Day 2019: Predictions for Top Recruits Before CFP Championship

While the eyes of the college football world are trained on the Alabama Crimson Tide and Clemson Tigers as they prepare to face off in the College Football Playoff on Monday, the championship isn't the only storyline worth following this time of year. 

With national signing day rapidly approaching Feb. 6, plenty of the nation's top recruits have yet to announce where they will be taking their talents this year. And while top dogs Alabama and Clemson are sure to see their logos emblazoned on the hats prospects will don as they announce their commitments, they're not the only programs in the running for some of this year's most intriguing prospects. 

Below, you'll find an overview of the top uncommitted prospects ahead of the College Football Playoff as well as predictions for which programs they may find themselves suiting up for this fall. 

Ishmael Sopsher, DT, Amite (Amite, Louisiana)

The No. 1-ranked defensive tackle in this year's prospect class remains unsigned, and we likely won't know where he's planning to hang up his helmet until Feb. 6. We do, however, have a narrow range of choices. 

As AL.com's Josh Bean reported Jan. 4, the battle for Sopsher's talents remains Alabama versus LSU: 

While Texas, Ole Miss, Florida State, Oregon and Texas A&M are all technically still in the running for Sopsher, reports indicate that he will either stay in state at LSU or become the next great Alabama defensive tackle in a long line of them. Sopsher, understandably, feels the pressure to remain at home in Louisiana, as Bean reported.

"The fans might tell me, you know, (to) stay in Louisiana and all that," Sopsher said, "but it's just about the best opportunity for me and my brother to go somewhere and get developed and be great." 

Ah, yes; the other Sopsher brother makes this commitment watch even more interesting. In a recent development, Ishmael and his older brother, Rodney, have now become a package deal, and so Alabama and LSU will have to tailor their pitches accordingly to win the brothers' commitment. The elder Sopsher also plays on the defensive line. 

All else being equal, Alabama could lose three starting defensive linemen—Isaiah Buggs, Raekwon Davis and Quinnen Williams—to the NFL, which could give Sopsher more playing time early and a more crucial role in the Tide defense.

Prediction: Alabama 

Darnell Wright, OT, Huntington (Huntington, West Virginia)

Alabama is also one of the top programs in the running for the nation's No. 1 offensive tackle, Darnell Wright, but given recent reports, it sounds like the Crimson Tide will have a hard time beating out the Tennessee Vols. 

As Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell of Rivals.com reported, rather than make an official trip to Georgia right before the NCAA dead period—the period of time wherein coaches cannot have any in-person contact with recruits or their parents—Wright instead made another, unofficial visit to Tennessee. And while the five-star offensive lineman still has visits with Georgia, North Carolina and West Virginia this month, it's clear the Vols have solidified themselves as his top suitor. 

At 6'6" and 320 pounds, Wright carries himself like a much smaller player, which is why so many programs are salivating at the prospect of adding him to the edge of their lines. You can see his quickness for yourself below:

While Wright is being recruited heavily by his home school of West Virginia and Alabama, it sounds like Tenneseee has all but locked him up. According to Farrell, "Tennessee is recruiting him the hardest, he has the most connections to that school and most people think it’s pretty much over."

Prediction: Tennessee

Kaiir Elam, CB, The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach, Florida)

The top cornerback in the 2019 class who still remains uncommitted is Florida native Kaiir Elam. Elam has been busy on the recruiting trail and still has four official visits ahead of him in January. According to USA Today's Jason Jordan, those final official visits will include, for sure, Georgia and Florida, and then two of Oregon, Colorado, Tennessee and Ohio State. 

Per Jordan, one of Elam's top priorities is choosing a program that will allow him to get on the field right away. "The school that can give me that will have a great chance with me," the nation's No. 7 cornerback said.

So which programs are leading the chase? Elam's uncle, Matt, played for the Gators, which gives the hometown program another tick in the "pros" column on the list.

However, a strong yet subtle factor that could heavily influence Elam's decision is cornerback Tyrique Stevenson's recent decision that he will commit to Georgia. "We’re both like similar," Elam said of Stevenson, the nation's No. 5 cornerback, per Dawg Nation's Jeff Sentell. "I definitely want to play with him." If that remains the case, then Georgia seems to be a lock. However, the Dawgs landing both Stevenson and Elam might not satisfy Elam's other criterion of getting onto the field right away. 

Currently, Elam plans to announce his decision on signing day but also indicated to Jordan that he could choose to do so at an earlier date. 

Prediction: Georgia

Recruiting information obtained from 247Sports.com.