RecruitingNation has summoned its writers from around the country to compile a list of the top 10 battles for elite football recruits leading up to February's signing day. We'll update our rankings periodically to reflect a change in a player's status (i.e., new offers, trimmed-down list or a positive/negative official visit). Our writers have debated the list for weeks, but we value your input as well. Voice your opinion on Twitter (@RecruitingESPN) using #BlueChipBattles.
Here is this week's panel of writers: Kipp Adams (@KippLAdams), Mason Kelley (@masonkelleyESPN), Sam Khan Jr. (@skhanjr), Tom VanHaaren (@TomVH), Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi), Corey Long (@CoreyLong), Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN), Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN), Gary Laney (@GLaneyESPN) and Brad Bournival (@bbournival).
What's your top 10?
Below is our list, but we're also giving you a shot at ranking the top 10 recruiting battles.
David Dawson | @D3_FutureLegend
Detroit Cass Tech. | OG | 6-4/282 | ESPN Rank: No. 87
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 5
Commitment status: Dawson has cut things down to three Big Ten schools known for churning out offensive linemen.
Who's in the driver's seat: Michigan State.
Other candidates: Ohio State and Wisconsin.
Dark horse: Wisconsin. The Badgers offered the nation's top-ranked guard last week, and he immediately put the school in his top three.
@bbournival's take: The ESPN 150 offensive guard has teammates who are Spartans commits in Dennis Finley and Deon Drake Jr. Dawson was at the Michigan State-Nebraska game Saturday and came away impressed after a meeting with Mark Dantonio. However, Dawson has been talking to current Ohio State commits more and more. The Buckeyes appear to be closing the gap with the Spartans. Still, proximity might give the edge to the Spartans.
David Dawson heads 2 Wisconsin next wk where does he end up #OSU, #MSU, #Wisc es.pn/YXyenk Voice ur opinion using #BlueChipBattles.
— Brad Bournival (@bbournival) November 9, 2012
RecruitingNation ranks Dawson's recruitment as the No. 10 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Kendell Beckwith
Jackson (La.) East Feliciana | Ath. | 6-3/225 | ESPN Rank: No. 19
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 9
Commitment status: He has said he'll commit at the Under Armour All-America Game in January.
Who's in the driver's seat: LSU and Alabama.
Other candidates: Florida State and Tennessee.
Dark horse: Clemson.
@GLaneyESPN's take: Beckwith made the short drive to Baton Rouge to watch Alabama's 21-17 win over LSU and walked away amazed by the atmosphere, saying it was "crazy" in a good way. Alabama will have a chance to make a similar impression Saturday when Beckwith makes an unofficial visit for the Texas A&M contest. Because his high school team is on the road for a playoff game Friday night, Beckwith won't make an official visit because he can't get there soon enough. In terms of making an impression with its atmosphere, Bryant-Denny Stadium has a tough act to follow.
RecruitingNation ranks Beckwith's recruitment as the No. 9 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos De Niza | S | 6-2/199 | ESPN Rank: No. 50
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 10
Commitment status: Willis is still deciding between more than a dozen schools. Although he said he will cut his list down to a more manageable group in the near future, this is a battle that isn't likely to end anytime soon.
Who's in the driver's seat: Nebraska is the only school that has received an official visit, but Willis also is very familiar with UCLA and USC because of several unofficial visits.
Other candidates: LSU and Notre Dame are definite contenders for Willis, although he had to push back official visits to both schools. Pac-12 programs Arizona State, Oregon and Washington could make an impact in the race as well. Depending on how they finish the season, the Sun Devils could become a serious player as they work to keep Willis at home.
Dark horse: At this point, Virginia would have to be considered a dark horse, seeing as how Willis will take an official visit there after the season.
@EMcKinneyESPN's take: Willis spoke highly of his official visit to Nebraska and said it's a trip he's always wanted to take. That's about as much as you'll get from him in terms of singling out a school. He has played it cool throughout the entire process and probably will concentrate on finishing his high school season before he makes a serious move with recruiting.
The Bruins find themselves in good position as well, as Willis is familiar with the campus and is close with the staff. UCLA will have a chance to make a big impact in this battle, as Willis will take an unofficial visit to Westwood on Nov. 17 for the Bruins' biggest game of the season, against USC. The Trojans will have a shot to make an impression the following week, as Willis will take an unofficial visit to watch USC take on Notre Dame.
RecruitingNation ranks Willis' recruitment as the No. 8 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Lake City (Fla.) Columbia | OT | 6-6/295 | ESPN Rank: No. 4
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 7
Commitment status: Uncommitted.
Who's in the driver's seat: Georgia and Alabama.
Other candidates: Florida and Florida State.
Dark horse: Michigan.
@DerekTysonESPN's take: With signing day inching closer and closer, this five-star offensive tackle continues to keep his recruitment close to the vest. Alabama will have a chance to impress Tunsil as he is expected to visit the Crimson Tide this weekend for their game against Texas A&M. Georgia is still the team to beat, even after Tunsil's two trips to Florida this season. The Gators have made an impression, but Tunsil still has Georgia and Alabama at the top of his short list.
The Dawgs and Tide will have a battle for the No. 4-ranked player in the country. Tunsil is friends with Alabama RB commit Derrick Henry, but he's also friends with several current Georgia players. Michigan has also shown interest in Tunsil recently, but is it too little, too late? His recruitment probably will play out until signing day.
RecruitingNation ranks Tunsil's recruitment as the No. 7 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Seffner (Fla.) Armwood | S | 6-2/183 | ESPN Rank: No. 32
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: Unranked
Commitment status: An official visit to USC has been set and it could be the clincher in the recruitment for this elite DB.
Who's in the driver's seat: USC and Vanderbilt.
Other candidates: Michigan and Oregon.
Dark horse: Florida State.
@CoreyLong's take: McQuay has three official visits remaining. He will head to Michigan this weekend and will follow that up with a visit to Florida State on Nov. 23. The big news, however, is McQuay has set his official to USC for Dec. 7. The Trojans have been thought to be a slight favorite over Vanderbilt, and with the decommitment of Max Redfield, the door is open for McQuay to choose USC when he makes his final decision at the 2013 Under Armour All-America Game.
RecruitingNation ranks McQuay's recruitment as the No. 6 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Vienna (Ga.) Dooly County | DT | 6-3/281 | ESPN Rank: 11
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 8
Commitment status: No decision imminent.
Who's in the driver's seat: Georgia.
Other candidates: Florida, Alabama, Auburn and Clemson.
Dark horse: Adams has official visits planned to LSU, USC, and Oregon.
@RadiNabulsi's take: Early on, the conventional wisdom was that Adams was a heavy Auburn lean, but the mess on the Plains has taken the Tigers out of the top spot. Now the No. 1 defensive tackle in the nation is reevaluating and taking visits with no clear leader. Adams took a visit to Georgia on Saturday and that appears to have greatly helped the Bulldogs' chances.
He says his mother, Debbie Young, will play a large part in his decision and for her part, Young told DawgNation that she liked her visit to Georgia more than her previous visits to Florida and Auburn. Adams is also close to a number of the Bulldogs' committed prospects and that could help sway him to Georgia. He plans on taking his mother to see Clemson next -- a visit that could change who's in the driver's seat next week.
RecruitingNation ranks Adams' recruitment as the No. 5 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Laquon Treadwell | @SuccessfulQuon
Crete (Ill.) Crete-Monee | WR | 6-3/195 | ESPN Rank: No. 20
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 3
Commitment status: Treadwell and his team are deep in the state playoffs and that is his main focus as of now. He remains uncommitted.
Who's in the driver's seat: Open to any school in his top group.
Other candidates: Michigan, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Notre Dame.
Dark horse: Ole Miss.
@TomVH's' take: His recruitment has been interesting from the start and it will remain that way until the end. Once his season concludes, Treadwell will take visits to Michigan, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Ole Miss. A few more could be added in there, but that's the list for now and until he takes those visits it's anyone's guess as to where he'll land. Notre Dame has crept in the back door because of the season they're having, but Michigan, Ole Miss, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are the schools that get mentioned the most with Treadwell. Michigan recently took its third wide receiver commit, which was noticed by Treadwell, but most of the schools he is considering have a few receivers already committed as well. His decision will come before signing day, but there is no set date as of now.
RecruitingNation ranks Treadwell's recruitment as the No. 4 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Ricky Seals-Jones | @RickySealsJones
Sealy (Texas) High School | WR | 6-5/230 | ESPN Rank: No. 13
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 2
Commitment status: There are only two suitors that Seals-Jones is still considering: LSU and Texas A&M.
Who's in the driver's seat: LSU and Texas A&M.
Other candidates: Baylor, Florida State and TCU.
Dark horse: Texas was once in this spot, but the Longhorns have stopped recruiting him. It's LSU and Texas A&M all the way.
@skhanjr's take: Now the waiting game begins. Seals-Jones made his visit to LSU last weekend for the Alabama game in what was an electric atmosphere in Death Valley. Having already visited Texas A&M, Seals-Jones now returns his focus to his high school team as Sealy needs a win Friday to get in the state playoffs. He has consistently said that his intention is to announce after his high school season concludes. Both of his options are good: LSU is a championship contender annually and the Aggies are on the rise in the SEC and have a high-powered aerial attack.
@skhanjr @rickysealsjones @recruitingespn With Johnny Football's arm and Kliff's offensive mind the choice is clear #BlueChipBattles
— Matthew V Parker (@MVPtvnews) November 9, 2012
RecruitingNation ranks Seals-Jones' recruitment as the No. 3 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Mission Viejo (Calif.) HS | Ath. | 6-2/181 | ESPN Rank: No. 36
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 4
Commitment status: Redfield decommitted from USC Sunday night.
Who's in the driver's seat: Notre Dame.
Other candidates: USC, Oregon, Washington and LSU.
Dark horse: Washington. The Huskies have a chance to make their pitch to Redfield this weekend when the four-star recruit takes his official visit. The timing couldn't be better with Washington facing a winnable game against Utah at CenturyLink Field and Redfield less than a week removed from his decision to decommit from USC. If the Huskies are going to make a move with the highly touted prospect, it will happen while Redfield is in Seattle this weekend.
@masonkelleyESPN's take: This appears to be a three-team race right now with Notre Dame and Oregon posing serious threats to USC in the competition for Redfield's services. There is also the chance that the Trojans fill his spot with another prospect, leaving the Irish and Ducks to battle it out. Notre Dame caught his attention during his official visit in October, but he still plans to take a trip to Eugene. The wild card in all of this is Washington with its talented recruiters. The Huskies don't have the résumé and ranking to compete with Oregon and Notre Dame, but the Huskies have had success pitching a program on the rise.
@recruitingespn Nkemdiche will go to Georgia. With J. Jones, Ogletree and Jenkins moving on UGA needs defensive playmakers #BlueChipBattles
— Austin Masters (@BossAus) November 9, 2012
RecruitingNation ranks Redfield's recruitment as the No. 2 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Loganville (Ga.) Grayson | DE | 6-5/265 | ESPN Rank: No. 1
Last week's #BlueChipBattles rank: No. 1
Commitment status: The nation's No. 1 recruit decommitted from Clemson on Wednesday.
Who's in the driver's seat: Ole Miss.
Other candidates: Clemson.
Dark horse: Georgia and Alabama.
@KippLAdams' take: What has been rumored for over two months became a reality on Wednesday as Nkemdiche's high school coach, Mickey Conn, confirmed that the No. 1 prospect in the country had indeed decommitted from Clemson.
With his mother openly lobbying her son to join his older brother, Denzel, at Ole Miss and a planned trip to Oxford, Miss. on Saturday, there is a chance that the Rebels are close to securing the five-star defensive lineman.
At the same time, his mother has said no decision will be made until signing day. Robert said in his recruiting diary this week he is not planning to commit to Ole Miss this weekend.
"I am not planning on making any changes in my recruitment this weekend."
He left open the possibility of an earlier decision though.
"My recruitment might go until signing day. I am not sure. If I am feeling a school, then that is where I am going to be."
Alabama is a school that many felt led early and his mom likes the program. Georgia hosted Nkemdiche last weekend and made a positive impression. Official visits could come in January. Clemson is not out of it either. They still have commitments from two of his teammates, as well as another close friend in walk-on quarterback Nick Schuessler.
RecruitingNation ranks Nkemdiche's recruitment as the No. 1 battle in the country. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Dropped out:
Robert Foster (No. 6)
Past top 10:
Let the debate continue
#BlueChipBattles is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to voice your opinion on our list or to view other fans' reactions as the commitments begin to roll in.
Get recruiting updates on the players above as well as the nation's other top football prospects here: @RecruitingESPN.