College Football Recruiting 2011: Who Will Tony Steward Will Sign With?

5-star linebacker Tony Steward is one of the top overall prospects of the 2011 recruiting class, and as such, has been highly recruited by programs from all over the country.

Most observers have pegged this one as a two-horse race for months now, a see-saw battle between Clemson and Florida State. 

Those are the two schools to pay the most attention to in this race, but others merit consideration as well; Alabama, Florida and UCLA all have an outside shot.

Here are the odds for all of his top suitors to land the coveted linebacker.

UCLA

Realistically UCLA is more of an exploratory option than anything in this race. Steward hasn't made much mention of the Bruins and it would be shocking to see the Florida native leave behind the Southeast and head across the country to the Left Coast. 

But UCLA will be the first stop of Steward's five official visits as he's scheduled to arrive on campus on December 3. 

Odds to sign Steward: Very Low

Florida

Steward was one of the top performers at the Gainesville Nike Football Training Camp and you know Gators coach Urban Meyer has a good track record when it comes to the state's top talent.

But Steward doesn't appear to be seriously considering the program even though the allure of playing college ball in Gainesville has swayed many a prospect. 

He'll be making his official visit to Florida on December 15. 

Odds to sign Steward: Low

Alabama

Alabama started picking up steam in October after Steward made a trip out to Tuscaloosa to watch the Crimson Tide dismantle Florida to the tune of 31-6.

"I met with the [Alabama] coaches and got to know them a little better than before. I'm just trying to establish those relationships. I got a tour of the campus and that was really nice," Steward said. "I got to experience gameday here, and that was nice. It was a great visit," Steward said.

He's scheduled to return to Alabama on January 7 and while the Tide are on the outside looking in, it's not at all out of the question he joins the team's already stacked defensive class.

Odds to sign Steward: Moderate

Florida State

Steward grew up an FSU fan and for months many observers pegged the Seminoles as the team to beat in this one, but the reality is that it's been a see-saw battle between Florida State and Clemson for quite a while now and the in-state favorite is slipping.

It seems every time he visits Tallahassee, Steward falls in love with the program all over again, having several times listed the Seminoles as his top choice. 

He's got a lot of connections with the program and is familiar with several of FSU's 2011 commitments, and while he'll be making his second-to-last official visit with the Seminoles on January 21 this is Clemson's fight to lose. 

Odds to sign Steward: High

Clemson

Hale McGranahan of Scout.com reported in November that "Steward claimed Clemson as his favorite following his three-day stay in Tigertown for the Dabo Swinney Football Camp."

With Steward's well-documented relationship with Clemson recruiting coordinator and receivers coach Jeff Scott, the Tigers have a definitive advantage in this one. 

There's also Clemson's defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to consider, the man who coached Ernie Sims at FSU; Steward's favorite player. With Steward saving Clemson for his last official visit on January 28 and you have to think the Tigers are closing in on the prize. 

Odds to sign Steward: Very High