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Darnell WrightAndrew Ivins/247Sports
While most of the nation’s top recruits have already signed, there are still a handful of impact high school standouts who have yet to officially decide where they’re going to continue their football careers.
The headliners of that group are 5-star offensive tackle and No. 10 prospect in the class Darnell Wright from Huntington High School in West Virginia and 5-star running back and two-sport star Jerrion Ealy, who has a chance to be a game-changer in the backfield and in the outfield.
With national signing day upon us, we’ll have all the latest announcements from the top 15 recruits still on the board right here in one convenient tracker.
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WR George Pickens (Auburn to Georgia)—No. 24 overall, No. 4 WR
Pickens committed to Auburn in July 2017, and even when he wasn’t among the school’s early signings, he maintained a strong commitment to the program. That changed Wednesday when he flipped and signed with Georgia.
As Josh Bean of Alabama.com wrote: “Georgia lost out on Jadon Haselwood, the nation’s No. 1-ranked receiver who was a longtime Georgia commit, after he picked Oklahoma, so Pickens is a fantastic late pickup.”
Pickens hauled in 69 catches for 1,368 yards and 16 touchdowns during his senior season at Hoover High School in Alabama.
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247Sports: No. 318 overall, No. 19 WDE
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 235 lbs
School: Jones County HS (Gray, GA)
Status: Signed with Louisville
Louisville landed a big early commitment on national signing day when defensive end Ja’Darien Boykin chose the Cardinals over Colorado State and Miami.
The 4-star weakside pass-rusher is now the top recruit in a class that ranks 88th nationally.
247Sports wrote: “As a senior, Boykin recorded 52 tackles and 13 sacks in 11 games. He also forced and recovered a pair of fumbles. For his career, he totaled 208 tackles, 32 sacks and forced five fumbles. He also spent time on the offensive side of the ball, rushing for 88 yards and eight touchdowns on 11 carries in 2018.”
He should see immediate action as a freshman and could develop into an impact player.
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247Sports: No. 282 overall, No. 17 OLB
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 212 lbs
School: Westfield HS (Chantilly, VA)
Status: Uncommitted
Virginia Tech looked like the clear front-runner for outside linebacker Eugene Asante throughout the recruiting cycle, but North Carolina has some late momentum after he made an official visit Feb. 1.
Florida State also came in with a late offer Jan. 14, and he made an official visit Jan. 25.
The 4-star outside linebacker climbed 1,170 spots when the composite rankings were updated Jan. 31, and that late helium has added some heavy-hitters to the mix.
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247Sports: No. 279 overall, No. 9 DUAL
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 205 lbs
School: Warren Easton HS (New Orleans, LA)
Status: Signed with Maryland
Originally committed to Kansas, dual-threat quarterback Lance LeGendre opened his recruitment back up Aug. 1, and Florida State looked like the overwhelming favorite to land him heading into national signing day.
Instead, he’ll head to Maryland in what will no doubt be one of the day’s bigger upsets.
LeGendre was the only quarterback graded a 4-star or better who was still on the board heading into the day, and he’ll join a Terrapins program that will give him a chance to compete for the starting job.
247Sports wrote:
“LeGendre is a true dual-threat. He throws the ball well on the run and can make plays happen with his feet. He may not be as fast as Maryland quarterback Tyrrell Pigrome, but he is bigger. His arm talent may be better than any on Maryland’s roster, especially with Kasim Hill sidelined for another season with another torn ACL. LeGendre will have to touch up his footwork a bit, but should be useful early on, at the very least as a backup during his first season in College Park. Even still, he should have a chance to compete for the starting job immediately.”
Even if he doesn’t earn the starting nod for Week 1, he should get a chance to start at some point in 2019.
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247Sports: No. 211 overall, No. 13 WDE
Height/Weight: 6’4″, 233 lbs
School: De La Salle HS (Concord, CA)
Status: Uncommitted
It would be a shock if defensive end Isaiah Foskey doesn’t wind up at Notre Dame.
“As we’ve said for months and just to reiterate, we fully expect … Foskey to go public with his commitment for the Fighting Irish when he announces his decision on ESPN at his high school,” Tom Loy of 247Sports wrote.
This one is a lock.
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247Sports: No. 199 overall, No. 13 ILB
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 225 lbs
School: Menlo-Atherton HS (Menlo Park, CA)
Status: Uncommitted
A commitment to Washington from high school teammate Noa Ngalu has helped make the Huskies the front-runners for inside linebacker Daniel Heimuli.
“If I did something, he would be there too. If he did something, I would be there too,” Heimuli told Mike Vorel of the Seattle Times. “Whenever we went to go eat, it’d be us two. Whenever we went to go work out, it’d be us two. Whenever Coach needed something, it’d be like, ‘Ask Daniel,’ or, ‘Ask Noa.’ We were a combo. Wherever he’s at, I’m at. Wherever I’m at, he’s at.”
Heimuli earned Defensive MVP honors at the Polynesian Bowl with six tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
His only official visit aside from Washington was to Oregon (Jan. 11), while Alabama has kept in contact as well.
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247Sports: No. 166 overall, No. 8 ATH
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 212 lbs
School: Amite HS (Amite, LA)
Status: Uncommitted
LSU is the overwhelming favorite to sign athlete Devonta Lee as the Tigers look to continue their in-state recruiting dominance.
They have already signed seven of the top 10 recruits from Louisiana this year, and they could make it nine out of 10 if they secure commitments from Lee and high school teammate Ishmael Sopsher on Wednesday.
Alabama, Kentucky and Texas A&M round out Lee’s final four.
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247Sports: No. 157 overall, No. 14 DT
Height/Weight: 6’2½”, 310 lbs
School: Winter Park HS (Orlando, FL)
Status: Uncommitted
Defensive tackle Jaquaze Sorrells named Alabama, South Carolina and Penn State as his final three last month in a diary-style article he wrote for USA Today leading up to the Under Armour All-America Game.
He offered the following on his decision-making process:
“I don’t think there’s any one thing that will stand out as why I make my decision. Either those visits will go the way I think and will line up with the coaches and what I’ve heard, or they won’t. It’s about the overall fit and where I feel comfortable, where my heart leads me. I’m not really picky about which school does what; I just want to be developed by the best, be at that school for three to four years and go to the league, or figure out what happens from there.”
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247Sports: No. 124 overall, No. 7 OG
Height/Weight: 6’4½“, 263 lbs
School: Kahuku HS (Kahuku, HI)
Status: Uncommitted
USC was the early favorite for standout offensive guard prospect Enokk Vimahi, and the Trojans are still squarely in the mix to land the 6’4½”, 263-pound mauler.
However, the momentum seems to have shifted to Ohio State since he took his official visit Jan. 25.
He didn’t even receive an offer from the Buckeyes until Jan. 4, so he would be a great get for new head coach Ryan Day late in the recruiting cycle.
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247Sports: No. 90 overall, No. 4 ATH
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 195 lbs
School: Wellington HS (West Palm Beach, FL)
Status: Uncommitted
There are 18 crystal-ball predictions for athlete Mark-Antony Richards, and they all have him signing with Auburn.
That said, a pair of recruiting directors both guessed he’d wind up at Miami in a recent article from Adam Gorney, Rob Cassidy and Mike Farrell at Rivals.com.
“Richards is a do-it-all type of recruit who can run the ball with the best of them but who can also catch the ball out of the backfield and line up in the slot if needed,” the article noted.
He’d be a dynamic addition to any offense.
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247Sports: No. 69 overall, No. 6 SDE
Height/Weight: 6’4″, 268 lbs
School: Louisville HS (Louisville, MS)
Status: Signed with Auburn
After it lost 5-star receiver George Pickens when he flipped to Georgia at the last minute, Auburn added 4-star defensive end Charles Moore to a recruiting class that ranks No. 15.
After he decommitted from Mississippi State on Jan. 7, Auburn became a quick front-runner to land Moore. A prior commitment from his best friend—4-star defensive end Jaren Handy—no doubt aided in its recruiting pitch.
247Sports likes his long-term upside, writing: “[Moore] has plus athleticism for his size and can take his game to another level when he gets locked in to a college strength and conditioning program. Projects as an upper tier Power Five starter and future NFL draft pick.”
He slots in as the No. 3 recruit in the Auburn 2019 class behind linebacker Owen Pappoe and quarterback Bo Nix.
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247Sports: No. 48 overall, No. 6 CB
Height/Weight: 6’1″, 182 lbs
School: The Benjamin School (North Palm Beach, FL)
Status: Uncommitted
It appears to be down to Florida and Georgia for cornerback Kaiir Elam.
He also took official visits to Colorado (Jan. 25) and Miami (Dec. 7), and those two teams are included in his final four, but this has seemingly always been a two-horse race.
While the Gators are viewed as the favorites, the Bulldogs may have gotten a boost when they signed No. 3 cornerback Tyrique Stevenson back in January.
“We’re both like similar,” Elam told Jeff Sentell of Dawg Nation last month. “I definitely want to play with him. He’s a ‘Dawg just like me from South Florida. He’s a good person at heart.”
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247Sports: No. 47 overall, No. 5 DT
Height/Weight: 6’3½“, 334 lbs
School: Amite HS (Amite, LA)
Status: Uncommitted
The top uncommitted defensive lineman in the class, Ishmael Sopsher already has the strength and build to be a handful.
A First-Team All-American by both MaxPreps and USA Today, he took his official visit to LSU on Feb. 1, and the Tigers are the favorites to sign him.
That said, Alabama is still lurking on the periphery, and there has been some momentum building on that front in the days and weeks leading up to national signing day.
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247Sports: No. 44 overall, No. 3 OLB
Height/Weight: 6’2″, 230 lbs
School: De La Salle HS (Concord, CA)
Status: Uncommitted
Alabama is in hot pursuit of outside linebacker Henry To’oto’o.
A few days after he made his official visit to campus Jan. 25, head coach Nick Saban paid him a visit at home Jan. 31.
The Washington Huskies are probably the biggest threat to steal him away from the Crimson Tide, while he also took official visits to Utah (Dec. 14) and Tennessee (Jan. 11).
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247Sports: No. 29 overall, No. 3 RB
Height/Weight: 5’10”, 200 lbs
School: Jackson Prep (Flowood, MS)
Status: Signed with Ole Miss
Jerrion Ealy’s commitment could be a moot point if he pursues a pro baseball career in June.
He’s one of just four athletes ever to earn Under Armour All-America honors in both football and baseball, and Baseball America recently ranked him as the No. 14 prospect in the 2019 MLB draft. The bonus money that comes with being a first-round pick in baseball could be enough to lure him away from pursuing both sports on campus.
At any rate, the 5-star running back chose Ole Miss over Alabama, Clemson and Mississippi State on Wednesday.
Rising senior Scottie Phillips sits atop the running back depth chart for the Rebels after he rushed for 928 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. There should still be plenty of touches for Ealy as a freshman, though, and the door would be wide open for him to seize the starting job as a sophomore.
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247Sports: No. 10 overall, No. 2 OT
Height/Weight: 6’6″, 320 lbs
School: Huntington HS (Huntington, WV)
Status: Uncommitted
Tennessee has long been viewed as the favorite to land Darnell Wright. However, he was singing a different tune at the Under Armour All-America Game in December.
“I would say North Carolina and West Virginia are my favorites right now,” Wright told Jason Jordan of USA Today. “West Virginia is my hometown school, and I really like them, and North Carolina has a new staff, and one of my teammates is there. I’ll definitely take officials to those schools; the rest I’m not sure right now.”
Whoever lands him will be getting a potential cornerstone on the offensive line.
All rankings referenced in the article refer to the 247Sports composite rankings.
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