It's put up or shut up time. After all the talk, prospects around the country will begin signing with their school of choice starting tomorrow and everyone is making their final picks. It's important to remember that these picks are not intended to be gospel and are simply based on the best info available to me at the time. If new info comes to light between now and tomorrow morning, there will be an update posted, but here's how I currently see things going into signing day tomorrow. (Get the latest on who is announcing and when with our signing day tracker
here).
Miami has 7 targets remaining on the board that took official visits to campus in recent weeks. I will not be discussing those that did not take OV's to Miami because they are not even close to being legitimate options barring a miracle, last second-change of heart.
Great Chance (>50%)
CB Christian Williams
The Finalists: LSU, Miami, and Texas A&M
Announcement: 8 am
Although Williams is still technically committed to Alabama, it’s been known for a few weeks now that he would not be signing with the Tide and did not even take an official visit there. The Canes have felt confident in their chances to flip him to UM since the beginning here, and Williams gave them even more reason to expect him to pick Miami after his official visit. I’ll be honest in saying I don’t have a source from Williams’ camp, so all I have to go on is what I know to be UM’s confidence level and other public reports, which are mixed in some saying LSU and some saying Miami will be the pick. I can’t see Miami wavering on taking Martin Emerson at DB (addressed later) if they were not extremely confident here and were liable to strike out on everyone tomorrow. I’m going with the Canes.
The Pick:
Miami
Decent chance (25%-50%)
DE Khris Bogle
The Finalists: Alabama, Miami, Florida, and Tennessee
Announcement: 7:15 am
Just like in the days/weeks leading up to Bogle’s first announcement, things have been very quiet in terms of info coming from Bogle’s side, and I believe that’s partly by design and partly because he’s not 100% sure what he is going to do. In the past two weeks, there’s not as much confidence from sources that felt Miami would be the pick for Bogle, but those saying Florida have the same level of confidence. I still think UF is the likely pick here, but we are also talking about a kid that admitted to changing his mind multiple times in the minutes leading up to his first announcement that almost nobody in the industry could really get an accurate read on. Nothing would surprise me here, including sticking with Alabama.
The Pick:
Florida
S Martin Emerson
The Finalists: Miami and Mississippi State
Announcement: TBD
The situation with Martin Emerson right now is both interesting and confusing, and a lot of the confusion is coming from Miami’s side of the equation. I can confirm others’ reports that Emerson is not a surefire take for UM as of this weekend. Due to the 25 scholarship yearly limit, and not the 85 total limit, I’m told from a program source that UM is operating from the standpoint that they have 4 spots available in this class, and that 2 of them are being saved for a transfer DE and a transfer OL. Miami is looking to take 2 more high school recruits in the 2019 class, and I believe the Canes are waiting to hear from Williams and Bogle before moving on to Emerson. Miami could also be holding only one spot for a DB, so even if Williams signs and not Bogle, Emerson may not have a spot regardless and UM will just save another scholarship for 2020. Even taking all that into account, I was told from a strong source inside Emerson’s camp last week that the pick would be MSU, so Emerson may not even end up at Miami even if he has a spot. All the direct and circumstantial evidence says it’s MSU for Emerson, but this could change depending on what UM hears from their other top targets in the next 24 hours and the situation will bear monitoring right up until the end.
The Pick:
Mississippi State
Unlikely but could see it (1%-25%)
OT Darius Washington
The Finalists: Florida State and Miami
Announcement: 9 am
From the moment he landed his FSU offer two weeks back, something he’s been waiting on since the beginning of the process, the Seminoles felt like the likely landing spot for Washington. UM had a lot of confidence that he would sign with Miami all the way up until a few days ago, but I’m told that’s all but gone and eroded now.
The Pick:
Florida State
Very Unlikely (<1%)
RB Mark-Antony Richards
The Finalists: Auburn, Florida, Miami, and UGA
Announcement: 11 am
The Canes have been fading for a while with Richards and UM doesn’t have much confidence that he will sign with them tomorrow. The lack of positive buzz surrounding his OV to Coral Gables two weekends back felt like the final nail in the coffin. Auburn has the most momentum right now and is the likely pick, but if someone upsets the Tigers, it won’t be Miami.
The Pick:
Auburn
WR George Pickens
The Finalists: Auburn, UGA, Tennessee, LSU, and Miami
Announcement: TBD
Pickens ended up taking all 5 of his official visits and I think his aim was more to enjoy the recruiting process than to actually consider other programs. UM has been a longshot from the beginning here and Auburn people are very confident that Pickens ends up sticking with the Tigers.
The Pick:
Auburn
CB Kaiir Elam
The Finalists: Florida, UGA, Miami, and Colorado
Announcement: 12 pm
Even though he’s taken official visits to his four finalists, it’s felt like a UF-UGA battle for Elam for months now. Elam went through the entire process, but I see him ending up in the place most expected him at all along and that he has the most ties to.
The Pick:
Florida
just kidding. Thx as always for the awesome insights and information that you provide. I'm pretty sure you nailed things.
