Four-Star CB Nick Waisome to Commit August 18: Weighing His Top Five

One of the top prospects in the country, four-star cornerback Nick Waisome will be announcing his commitment on August 18.

Waisome, ranked as the No. 7 cornerback on Rivals and the No. 8 cornerback on Scout, has narrowed his choices down to Florida, FSU, Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina. 

“I’m going to make my decision on Aug. 18,” Waisome said. “I just want to get it over and done with. It’s going to be televised on ESPNU and I’ve already got the date set up with them to make the announcement.”

As usual, we'll give you the breakdown of Waisome's situation and predict where he'll take his talents in 2011. 

What Waisome Brings to the Table: Scouting Report and Highlights

Waisome junior season highlights

Waisome is a notch behind the truly elite options, such as Doran Grant and Leroy Scott, but he's being pursued just as heavily, and for good reason. 

Lockdown corners are a very rare breed, and Waisome has the potential to be one. His man-to-man coverage skills are really impressive, as are his anticipation and instincts.

He has the body-type of a sprinter and the the speed to match. Waisome moves extremely well on the field, and his change of direction skills are right up there with the best of the 2011 class. 

At 5'10" and 170 lbs, he's definitely undersized and struggles in run-support, but there are issues with bigger, physical receivers as well; it may be a good idea for Waisome to redshirt and put some meat on his bones. 

The James Wilder Connection: Are They a Package Deal?

Nick Waisome isn't the only blue-chip recruit from Florida who'll be announcing his commitment on August 18. 

Considered by some to be the No. 1 prospect in the country, James Wilder, Jr. will also be announcing his commitment on the 18th and according to the Orlando Sentinel the pair will be making their announcements together. 

That's led to speculation that Waisome and Wilder are a package deal; players don't make joint announcements to chose separate schools. 

Wilder has narrowed his choices down to Florida and FSU so logic points toward a similar situation for Waisome, assuming the reports of their joint announcement are accurate. 

The Real Finalists: Florida and FSU

Waisome wasn't one of the active players this summer, avoiding camps and visits and keeping a relatively low profile for the last few months. He did have the chance to make a couple unofficial in-state visits to Florida and FSU. 

According to Waisome, it's the Seminoles who've put in the most effort to this point, a strategy that could really help their case come the 18th. 

"Florida State is recruiting me the hardest out of the five schools,” Waisome said. “They try and talk with me and just get a hold of me every day. They’re coming at me real hard.”

But this recruiting war isn't a one-sided affair. Florida is doing its part to convince the coveted corner he belongs with the Gators. 

"Florida is a great winning team,” Waisome said. “I talk with the coaches there a lot. They really like to talk about where I can fit into their program. I also like Urban Meyer. He’s a great coach and everything there is going good.”

Weighing the Remainder: Georgia, LSU, and South Carolina

Dave Martin/Getty Images

BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 25: Patrick Peterson #7 of the LSU Tigers reacts after making a stop against the Georgia Bulldogs during their football game at Tiger Stadium on October 25, 2008 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images)

While many feel that Georgia, LSU and South Carolina are nothing more than token options for Waisome's decision, it would be foolish to write them off entirely. 

“It also doesn’t matter to me if I stay in-state or not," Waisome said. "I want to go wherever I feel I can take my skills to the next level, that’s where I’ll go.” 

Well, when you think of developing cornerbacks, there's no need to look any further than LSU's Patrick Peterson, the top corner in the nation and a near-lock to be selected with a top 10 pick in the 2011 NFL draft. 

But Peterson isn't the only school who can boast one of the nation's top corners. It took South Carolina's Stephon Gilmore only one season to take his skills to the next level and like Peterson, he looks like someone on a crash-course for the NFL. 

Georgia, on the other hand, returns only one starter to their secondary in 2010 and can claim to only have a secondary that has struggled mightily. 

Predicting Waisome's Decision

The biggest reason to believe Waisome will commit to Florida is James Wilder. It may not be confirmed that the pair will be making their announcement together, there isn't much reason to doubt it after the Orlando Sentinel's reports.

“Something like that,” Waisome told the Sentinel Monday. “I just know it’s the 18th in Tampa and that’s all.”

The feeling here is that Waisome and Wilder are not only making their decision together, but will be joining each other for their college ball as well. 

Earlier this week we did a breakdown of Wilder's decision and there's a strong belief that the No. 1 prospect from Florida will be a Gator by this time next week.

Waisome will follow him there, but not without reason. He wants to take his game to the level level, see Joe Haden as exhibit A. He wants to play for a coach that can help him get his game to the level, see Urban Meyer as exhibit B.