One of the top uncommitted recruits in the 2024 class, Jayden Quaintance will announce his college commitment on Nov. 14. What was once a recruitment that included a long list of heavy hitters that span time zones and conferences has now officially come down to just two options; Missouri and Kentucky.
What has long been viewed as a hyper-contested recruitment has now seen some separation creep in as decision day approaches. Below, Rivals breaks down the decision that lies before the five-star forward as he prepares to put a bow on his process.
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THE SITUATION
Quaintance’s recruitment has been seen as a two-horse race behind the scenes long before he announced he had narrowed his focus to include just Missouri and Kentucky late last week.
Rivals has been writing that the battle for the five-star forward would come down to the Tigers and Wildcats for nearly a month and now, just a few days before his Nov.14 decision day, that has become official.
Which school it would be, however, has been difficult to determine, as the picture of how the touted senior’s process may play out has been murky to say the least. Things are finally starting to clear, however, as we’ve reached the 11th hour of Quaintance’s process.
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THE FAVORITE: Kentucky
The fact that Quaintance set his decision date so quickly after a late October visit to Lexington is probably a good sign for the Wildcats. Those around the Kentucky program have felt confident for some time when it comes to landing the five-star but that confidence has dialed up even further in the weeks since he concluded his official visit.
There’s still a chance of a late momentum change here, but a lot of people in the Bluegrass State would be shocked should that transpire.
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THE PLUCKY UNDERDOG: Missouri
Missouri has seen its recruiting pull improve under Dennis Gates and there’s no doubt that the program is punching in a higher weight class than it was under the previous regime. That said, its arms may not be long enough to box with Kentucky, which seems to be pulling away in this head-to-head battle.
Still, Missouri liked where it stood with Quaintance as recently as last week, so it might be wise for Tigers fans to retain some semblance of hope, even if things seem to be trending away from Missouri down the stretch.
