Ranking the Contenders: Five-star PG Isaiah Collier
A decision is looming for five-star point guard Isaiah Collier. The No. 4 prospect in the 2023 Rivals150 is yet to announce a decision date, but there’s growing speculation that his recruitment could end sometime in the next two weeks or so.
In anticipation of Collier’s long-awaited commitment, Rivals national recruiting analyst Rob Cassidy ranks the contenders to land his National Letter of Intent.
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T-1. CINCINNATI, USC
The Bearcats and Trojans have separated themselves in the race to land the five-star point guard. Neither program seems to be counting their chickens just yet, however. Cincinnati head coach Wes Miller and company were in to see Collier over the weekend in an effort to make their push.
USC followed suit with an in-home as well, and the race is shaping up to be a 12-round fight between the two schools. Both are also courting Collier’s friend and teammate Arrinten Page, with whom Collier could well be a package deal if things break correctly.
At this juncture it’s hard to separate the two schools at the top, as it feels very much like a 1A-1B situation, the order of which seems to fluctuate. I’d give the slight edge to the Bearcats as things stand, but I wouldn't feel comfortable betting so much as an artisan sandwich and a bag of overpriced gourmet chips on it just yet.
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3. MICHIGAN
If the Trojans and Bearcats are inseparable at the top of the list, Michigan stands just one rung below the front-running duo and cannot be dismissed entirely. Juwan Howard’s recruiting reputation speaks for itself, after all.
Howard and his entire staff flew to Georgia to see Collier over the weekend and left feeling as though they have a realistic chance to jump up and snag his pledge. The Wolverines don’t seem to be seriously recruiting another point guard, so the coaching staff’s actions back up its confidence.
There’s still work left to do, however, as a source close to Collier mentioned that he still personally sees Michigan as running in third on Monday morning.
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4. UCLA
UCLA made a noble effort here, but it’s clear that the Bruins will be on the outside looking in on come decision day. If Collier is to travel across the country to play in the Pac-12, he’ll be doing it at USC, not its crosstown rival.
Simply put: there would need to be some kind of larger cosmic event for UCLA to be the team left standing at the end of the Collier Sweepstakes. The Bruins seem to have all but given up after seeing the writing on the wall, which is the right move. Knowing when you’re defeated is a full-fledged skill on the recruiting trail, and that seems to be the case here.