The chaos of commitment season has taken hold and players are flying off the board at a rapid rate. This week is a prediction bonanza, as national analyst Rob Cassidy weighs in on where he thinks five elite prospects will land when the smoke clears on their recruitment.
Below, Cassidy discusses five-star prospects Cameron Boozer and A.J. Dybantsa in addition to three other elite talents that could be nearing a decision.
Rumor Mill: Massive visit on deck for BYU
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Ahmed is set to announce his college choice on Oct. 10 and Miami has been trending with the impressive big man for a few weeks. I’ve already logged a FutureCast for the Hurricanes.
Cincinnati and Xavier are also on his list of finalists, but the Bearcats seem to have cut bait on the four-star big man, while Xavier remains the most obvious threat to snatch his pledge away from Miami. That said, the smart money seems to be on UM, which is starting to look like it could be on the verge of a big recruiting run and an elite 2025 class.
Prediction: Miami
The buzz linking Boozer and the in-state Hurricanes continues to grow in volume as we speed toward his reported Oct. 10 commitment date. I’ve yet to enter an official FutureCast only because there seems to be a mechanism inside my brain that will not allow me to fully rule out Duke despite multiple reliable sources insisting that UM is the heavy favorite. Still, both Cameron Boozer and his younger brother Cayden seem at peace with staying close to their Pinecrest (Fla.) home for college, and Miami’s Coral Gables campus sits roughly eight miles away from Columbus High, where they both attend high school.
I wouldn’t be totally floored if the legacy prospect decided to follow in their famous father’s footsteps to Duke, but it’s becoming more and more difficult to find anyone even slightly in the know to predict the Blue Devils will be the choice. Hurricanes fans should feel somewhat confident here, but it’s probably wise to hold off on the celebration until the hay is locked securely in the barn.
Prediction: Miami
There’s plenty of time left for a shakeup in Dybantsa’s recruitment, but things seem to be steadily progressing between the top-ranked mega-prospect and BYU, which have been seen as the leader for a couple months now.
Kansas State has emerged as a bit of a threat. So has Alabama to a lesser extent. Still, with Dybantsa set to take his final official visit, a trip to Provo, over the weekend, BYU remains in pole position. New head coach Kevin Young will have the opportunity to seal the deal this week, and most in the grassroots world expect him to do so.
Prediction: BYU
Nothing is ever a lock in the recruiting world, but all accounts suggest McKenney and Michigan seem headed to the altar. The most prevalent threat to change things appears to be USC, but the Trojans are still thought to be chasing the Wolverines.
McKenney is yet to announce a commitment date, but it’s starting to feel as though he’ll be ready to sign during the early window, which opens next month.
If that timeline holds true, the pick will probably be Michigan or USC, with Dusty May’s program holding the edge as things stand.
Prediction: Michigan
Peterson once looked to be a stone cold lock to Kansas, but doubt began to creep in because he visited KU back in June and is still yet to make a commitment. The drawn out process allowed USC, Kansas State and Ohio State to creep in. That said, it still feels as though this recruitment is KU’s to lose.
Kansas head coach Bill Self has prioritized Peterson since he offered the five-star guard back in November of last year. It may have taken longer than expected and the gap between KU and the field may have tightened, but the Jayhawks still feel like the decided favorite to land Peterson’s pledge when he announces on Nov. 1.
Prediction: Kansas
