Despite a dead period created due to the restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic, college football recruiting has not stopped. There are currently 137 ESPN 300 prospects who have made their commitment, and 56 of those 137 have committed since March.
We will likely see more of those commitments as we move toward June, but the dead period and the inability for recruits to take any visits might end up pushing some players' timelines back as well. With more than half of the ESPN 300 still uncommitted, there are some big names still on the board.
Here is a look at five recruits and where they might end up. These predictions are always fluid, and because of the dead period, these very well could change in the coming weeks or months.
OT Tommy Brockermeyer
6-foot-6, 280 pounds
Fort Worth, Texas
ESPN 300 rank: 2
Teams in the mix: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU, Texas
Brockermeyer has a top five of Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, LSU and Texas as of now. He has a ton of ties to Texas, as his father and grandfather both played for the Longhorns, and a few other family members attended the university as well.
The No. 1-ranked tackle in this class also has a twin brother, James, who is an ESPN 300 prospect, and the two have said they would like to go to college together. Texas is the natural guess for both of them, but Alabama and Clemson are very much in the picture. Brockermeyer has said it's almost more difficult to go through the recruiting process with a twin brother because they're trying to find the right fit for two people rather than one.
Their recruitments might be affected by the restrictions caused by the coronavirus, so it might still be a little early in predicting. It does seem as though Texas, Alabama and Clemson have the best shot.
Prediction: Texas
QB Caleb Williams
6-foot-2, 210 pounds
Washington, D.C.
ESPN 300 rank: 15
Teams in the mix: LSU, Maryland, Oklahoma
Williams is the highest-ranked uncommitted quarterback in the class and is also the No. 1-ranked dual-threat quarterback. He recently narrowed down his list to the top three of LSU, Maryland and Oklahoma.
Early on in the process, it seemed as though LSU was making a positive move in Williams' recruitment. But that seemed to change when offensive coordinator Joe Brady left for the NFL. The Tigers have since landed a commitment from ESPN 300 quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, as well.
Oklahoma has been the team to watch and very well could be the landing spot. Maryland did pull a few surprises in the 2020 class, so we'll see if this changes down the stretch.
Prediction: Oklahoma
DE Korey Foreman
6-foot-4, 265 pounds
Corona, California
ESPN 300 rank: 3
Teams in the mix: Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, Oregon, USC
Foreman recently decommitted from Clemson, in part because he wanted to continue taking visits and looking at other schools. He can't visit any schools during the dead period, so it might be a while until his recruitment picks back up and he works toward his next decision.
USC has been making a concerted effort to "take back the West," and landing Foreman, the top prospect in the state of California, would be a big statement for the program. California's top-rated prospect in the past two recruiting classes has gone out of state, including quarterback Bryce Young, who flipped from USC to Alabama.
USC has a lot of competition with Foreman, one of 13 five-star prospects in the 2021 class. Foreman has talked about wanting to play with defensive tackle Maason Smith, and if that happens, Georgia and LSU could have an opportunity to capitalize with a package deal.
Nevertheless, a few schools have a legitimate chance to land Foreman.
Prediction: USC
DT Maason Smith
6-foot-5, 330 pounds
Houma, Louisiana
ESPN 300 rank: 58
Teams in the mix: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, USC
Smith has a top 10 that consists of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Mississippi State, Texas, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt and Virginia, though that list was released in October 2019 and might likely be a bit outdated.
Considering Smith is from Louisiana and is one of the top defensive line prospects in the country, it's easy to see why LSU would be interested. The Tigers have a good shot at landing him, but Foreman and Smith have talked about going to the same school.
That could throw a wrench into where Smith ends up if they do choose the same school. We have seen prospects say they are a package deal in the past, only to have that fall through, so we'll see if that plays out.
Prediction: LSU
DB Tony Grimes
6-feet, 180 pounds
Virginia Beach, Virginia
ESPN 300 rank: 6
Teams in the mix: Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M
Grimes released his top eight in early April and included all the schools listed above. He has said in the past he will make his commitment in December, so there is still a lot of time left in this recruitment.
The dead period has prevented Grimes from taking any visits, so as is the case with most recruits, depending on when and where he can visit, things might change. Georgia, though, seems to be a school near the top and a program that could end up landing him in the end.
It might even be in the lead. It's a school he would like to visit to see if it's a comfortable fit for him. Had he been able to visit Athens during this time, it might have given the coaches a solid lead to land him.
The Dawgs have had a lot of success with elite defensive backs in the past, and it would make a ton of sense if he ended up at Georgia. Whether that comes to fruition or not likely depends on the next few months, what happens with recruiting restrictions and what visits he can take.
Prediction: Georgia