College Football Recruiting 2011: Which 5-Star Prospect Will Commit Next?

It's been a busy month in the college football recruiting world, with 5-star receiver George Farmer, 4-star athlete Christian French, 4-star quarterback Everett Golson, 4-star linebacker Jason Gibson and 4-star defensive tackle Todd Barr headlining a long list of December commitments.

That's got us thinking about which big-time prospect will be the next to announce a commitment.

Here are the five most likely 5-star talents to be the next stars to commit. Now that's a mouthful. 

We're only looking at prospects that are down to their last handful of schools or are a visit or two away from deciding their futures.

5. Greg Townsend, DE

Townsend has the athleticism and size to play anywhere from linebacker to defensive tackle on the next level. He's got great instincts and strength, but his body control and balance are what stand out the most when you watch him play.

Not many prospects his size are able to maneuver around blockers and contort their bodies without losing footing or balance. Townsend just squeezes past his opponent and sets himself up to make a play.

Townsend has already been on an official trip to TCU this month and is only available for another trip to either USC or Washington on December 18.

While he plans on waiting to commit until the Under Armour All-America Game, we anticipate it happening sooner than that after the way things went at TCU.  

4. Doran Grant, CB

Grant is the best cornerback prospect in the country, rated No. 1 by Rivals and No. 2 by Scout.

He's even better than advertised and definitely fits the bill at a generous 5'10" and 175 pounds.

He's lightning-fast, tests off the charts athletically, tackles with a lot of power and has a great nose for the ball.

While USC, Notre Dame, Iowa and Penn State are all still being considered according to Grant, he's admitted that it's a deadlock between Ohio State and Michigan State and will likely come down to those two schools.

He just returned from a trip to Michigan State and will be at Ohio State this weekend. We expect a commitment to follow soon after.

3. Teddy Bridgewater, QB

Bridgewater is the star quarterback at Miami Northwestern, the same high school at which current Miami quarterback Jacory Harris and several other Hurricanes played.

Known to be an accurate passer with great pocket presence, Bridgewater will stand in the face of pressure until the last second to get the ball off. He's also extremely mobile and can make throws on the run that most quarterbacks cannot.

Originally committed to Miami, Bridgewater decommitted after coach Randy Shannon was fired and soon after visited Louisville, but he did not take the Hurricanes out oft the running.

Now that Al Golden has been hired as the new coach, expect him to quickly focus on bringing Bridgewater back into the fold.

2. Jay Rome, TE

Jay Rome, the nation's top tight end, was in Georgia this weekend for what is historically a big recruiting weekend for the Bulldogs.

We told you before he left that this could be a huge visit for Georgia, and after Rome returned from his trip, Rome's father Stan was frank in his assessment of the situation. 

“Jay’s going to take some time now and pray on it and meditate on it and if things keep coming back the same it will probably be Georgia,” Stan Rome said.

An extremely athletic tight end with serious NFL potential, Rome is one of the most sought-after prospects of the entire 2011 recruiting class.

He has all the intangibles to be very successful wherever he ends up playing, and he has tremendous blocking skills and can line up at receiver or tight end. If Rome can improve his strength, he has the potential to be one of the biggest impact freshman in the country in 2011.

Rome's top choices have been Georgia and Alabama for quite some time now, but it appears the Bulldogs are closing in on a commitment in this one.

1. Travis Hughes, OLB

While Hughes is a top 10 linebacker, there's still a distinct possibility that he could play on the offensive side of the ball.

He's one of the rare prospects that has legit ability on both sides of the ball and very well may end up as a running back in college.

Hughes' initial burst off the line of scrimmage and breakaway speed will help him excel regardless of where he plays. He's aggressive, hits hard and craves contact.

He's narrowed his choices down to three schools: Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. Hughes plans on announcing his commitment on December 18.