RecruitingNation has been ranking the top 10 battles for elite college football recruits for the past few months, and with signing day coming up Feb. 6, we'll finally get to see who wins the nation's hottest recruits. Before that happens, though, we have one more set of battles to rank: the ultimate #BlueChipBattles. The 10 recruits on this list represent the most hotly contested signing-day wars of the past decade.
Here is this week's panel of writers: Brad Bournival (@bbournival), Gary Laney (@glaneyESPN), Kipp Adams (@KippLAdams), Erik McKinney (@EMcKinneyESPN), Derek Tyson (@DerekTysonESPN), Corey Dowlar (@cdowlar), Jeremy Crabtree (@jeremycrabtree), Bob Przybylo (@BPrzybylo) and Greg Ostendorf (@GregO_ESPN).
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Use the hashtag #BlueChipBattles to comment on the list or indicate if you disagree with anything we say. Your tweet could end up on that week's page.
What's your top 10?
Check out our list and then take your shot at ranking the top 10 biggest recruiting battles of the last 10 years.
Fred Rouse
Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln High School | Wide Receiver | Class of 2005
The Finalists: Alabama, Florida State and Texas
The Winner: Florida State
The Verdict from @cdowlar: The Seminoles would end up winning Rouse's decision on signing day in what he said was a close battle with the Crimson Tide that wasn't settled until that very morning. But in the end, nobody really reaped the benefits of Rouse's career, which ended after just one short season. Off-the-field trouble derailed his career, and Rouse would eventually transfer to UTEP and then to Concordia College. He later bounced around in the Canadian Football League without gaining a solid foothold.
RecruitingNation ranks Rouse's recruitment as the No. 10 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Vontaze Burfict
Cornoa (Calif.) Centennial | Linebacker | Class of 2009
The Finalists: Arizona State and USC
The Winner: Arizona State
The Verdict from @jeremycrabtree: Burfict was the center of an ugly recruiting battle between USC and Arizona State. Plenty of mud -- and allegations of NCAA violations on both sides -- was slung back and forth between both programs, but in the end Burfict signed with the Sun Devils, along with three of his high school teammates. Burfict had an up-and-down career in Tempe, going from Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year in 2010 to getting undrafted after he decided to not come back for his senior season. He signed as an undrafted free agent with the Cincinnati Bengals in 2012, started 14 games and finished the season as the team's leading tackler.
RecruitingNation ranks Burfict's recruitment as the No. 9 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Percy Harvin
Virginia Beach (Va.) Landstown High School | Wide receiver | Class of 2006
The Finalists: Florida and USC
The Winner: Florida
The Verdict from @DerekTysonESPN: Harvin went on to win freshman of the year in the SEC and totaled 133 receptions for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns in three seasons in Gainesville. He also rushed for 1,852 yards and 19 touchdowns on 194 carries. His 32 career touchdowns is the most ever by a Florida wide receiver. Harvin teamed with Tim Tebow to help Florida win two national championships during his time in Gainesville.
RecruitingNation ranks Harvin's recruitment as the No. 8 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Reggie Bush
La Mesa (Calif.) Helix High School | Running Back | Class of 2003
The Finalists: Notre Dame, Stanford and USC
The Winner: USC
The Verdict from EMcKinneyESPN: It was thought to be a two-team race between Notre Dame and Stanford until Bush took an unofficial visit to USC and watched the No. 5 Trojans throttle the No. 12 Fighting Irish, 44-13. He set up an official visit a few weeks later and committed shortly after that. While USC benefited immensely from having Bush on the roster during his three years in cardinal and gold, the Trojans have suffered greatly from NCAA sanctions that stemmed from actions taken by Bush and his family while the football star was at USC.
RecruitingNation ranks Bush's recruitment as the No. 7 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Ryan Perrilloux
LaPlace (La.) East St. John | Quarterback | Class of 2005
The Finalists: Texas and LSU
The Winner: LSU
The Verdict from GLaneyESPN: When Perrilloux was dismissed from LSU's team prior to the 2008 season, the year he was to inherit the starting job from Matt Flynn, it set LSU quarterback play back several years. The Tigers wound up relying on walk-ons and freshmen, while Perrilloux resurfaced at FCS member Jacksonville State. When he flipped from Texas to LSU, perhaps Longhorns fans should have breathed a sigh of relief.
RecruitingNation ranks Perrilloux 's recruitment as the No. 6 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Manti Te'o
Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou | Linebacker | Class of 2009
The Finalists: Notre Dame and USC
The Winner: Notre Dame
The Verdict from @jeremycrabtree: Te'o lived up to the hype that surrounded one of the most intense recruiting battles in the past 10 years by finishing second in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting and helping Notre Dame reach the national championship game. Nobody expected a player from Hawaii who is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to pick a Catholic school in South Bend, Ind., but that's exactly what happened when former Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis -- aided by ace recruiter and now Nevada coach Brian Polian -- convinced Te'o to pick the Irish on national signing day. Many assumed he would sign with the Trojans, who had landed three straight top 10 classes and were a true national recruiting power.
RecruitingNation ranks Te'o's recruitment as the No. 5 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Terrelle Pryor
Jeannette (Pa.) High School | Quarterback | Class of 2008
The Finalists: Ohio State and Michigan
The Winner: Ohio State (sort of)
The Verdict from @bbournival: Pryor was the top-ranked quarterback in the nation and No. 4 overall player coming out of high school. He finished his career with the Buckeyes with 6,177 yards passing, rushed for 2,164 yards and scored a combined 76 touchdowns. He also notched a 31-4 record, but his career was tainted with off-field issues, forcing him to leave early. As a result of missing on Pryor, the Wolverines picked up Denard Robinson in 2009. Robinson went on to become one of the best quarterbacks in Michigan history. He is the FBS career-record leader in rushing yards by a quarterback (4,480 yards).
RecruitingNation ranks Pryor's recruitment as the No. 4 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Jadeveon Clowney
Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe | Defensive End | Class of 2011
The Finalists: Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina
The Winner: South Carolina
The Verdict from @KippLAdams: Alabama, Clemson and South Carolina fought hard throughout for Clowney, the No. 1 prospect in the country and considered by many to be the most talented recruit of the past decade. Just like ESPN 150 running back Marcus Lattimore in 2010, Clowney took trips and toyed with the thought of signing elsewhere, but proximity to home was always a huge factor for the 6-foot-6, 230-pound defensive end. Clowney was destined to sign with the Gamecocks from the start, which he did almost two weeks after signing day on his birthday, Feb. 14.
Through two seasons, Clowney has racked up 90 tackles, 35.5 tackles for loss, 21 sacks and eight forced fumbles, earning SEC Freshman of the Year in 2011 and being named the Hendricks Award winner for the nation's best defensive end in 2012, as well as a 2012 consensus All-American.
Clemson got former 2010 signee Corey Crawford on campus after a semester at Hargrave Military Academy, and Crawford has been solid so far, with 55 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one fumble recovery for a touchdown in his first two seasons for the Tigers.
Alabama took three other pass-rushers in 2011 in Xzavier Dickson, Jeoffrey Pagan and juco transfer Quinton Dial. While none of them have equaled the success of Clowney, they have combined for 103 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, eight sacks and two fumbles forced. Oh, and the trio has combined for six national championship rings.
RecruitingNation ranks Clowney's recruitment as the No. 3 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Julio Jones
Foley (Ala.) High School | Wide receiver | Class of 2008
The Finalists: Alabama, Florida State and Oklahoma
The Winner: Alabama
The Verdict from @GregO_ESPN: To this day, Jones is arguably Nick Saban's biggest recruiting victory in his illustrious career. The in-state wide receiver was ranked No. 2 in the nation, and now he's thought of as the recruit who started the turnaround at Alabama. Jones chose a 7-5 Tide team over Florida State and Oklahoma, two of college football's top programs at the time. The move paid off. He went on to win a national championship while at Alabama and was selected No. 6 overall in the 2011 NFL draft.
RecruitingNation ranks Jones' recruitment as the No. 2 Ultimate #BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Adrian Peterson
Palestine (Texas) High School | Running Back | Class of 2004
The Finalists: Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M
The Winner: Oklahoma
The Verdict from @BPrzybylo Peterson's impact is still being found on the recruiting trail. When younger running backs bring up OU, the first name they mention is Peterson and how great he did in the program. If a recruit knows nothing else about OU's running backs, he knows about how A.D. Peterson stuck with the Sooners despite numerous last-minutes efforts by the Aggies and Longhorns. Following three successful seasons at OU, Peterson has gone on to become one of the best players in the NFL, for the Minnesota Vikings. He was nine yards shy of breaking the all-time record for rushing yards in a season, totaling 2,097 yards in 2012.
RecruitingNation ranks Peterson's recruitment as the No. 1 Ultimate BlueChipBattle. Tweet us your opinion using the hashtag #BlueChipBattles @RecruitingESPN.
Past top 10s
Oct. 5 edition, Oct. 12 edition
Oct. 19 edition, Oct. 26 edition
Nov. 2 edition, Nov. 9 edition
Nov. 16 edition, Nov. 30 edition
Dec. 7 edition, Dec. 14 edition
Dec. 21 edition, UA Game edition
Jan. 11 edition,Feeding Frenzy
Jan. 25 edition
Let the debate continue
#BlueChipBattles is the Twitter hashtag to use if you want to voice your opinion on our list, or view other fans' reactions to our football frenzy-themed #BlueChipBattles.
Get recruiting updates on the players above, as well as the nation's other top football prospects, here: @RecruitingESPN.