Feb. 02--The visits, both in-home and on-campus, are done. The suspense remains, though, for college football coaching staffs as they await letters of intent to begin rolling in Wednesday morning on national signing day.
With one day to go in the recruiting cycle, we take a last look at where the classes stand for Notre Dame, Northwestern and Illinois. (All rankings and star ratings are according to the 247Sports.com composite.)
Notre Dame
Current commitments: 22.
Available spaces: 2-3.
Current rankings: 10th nationally.
THREE QUESTIONS
Will the Irish land the nation's top-ranked receiver, Demetris Robertson?
Filling Will Fuller's shoes won't be easy, so Notre Dame pulled out the big rig -- its equipment truck -- and drove it to Savannah, Ga., to make its last pitch to a player expected to choose between Notre Dame, Georgia, Alabama and Stanford. When Robertson chooses, though, is up in the air. He reportedly is scheduled to visit Georgia after national signing day. He has taken official visits to Notre Dame, Cal and Georgia Tech.
QB or not QB?
Three-star Ian Book from outside Sacramento, Calif., is the only quarterback the Irish are expected to sign Wednesday. That's probably not a bad thing, with DeShone Kizer, Malik Zaire and Brandon Wimbush expected to give the coaching staff enough decisions to make this season. Notre Dame has commitments from seven defensive backs, adding depth to a secondary that struggled last season.
Who will fill the remaining slots?
It won't be safety Jordan Fuller, who pledged to Ohio State on Monday night. It also likely won't be five-star linebackers Caleb Kelly, who is expected to choose Oklahoma, or Ben Davis, who looks like a lock for Alabama. The Irish are, however, the favorite to sign linebacker Jonathan Jones of Orlando, Fla., who is expected to choose between Notre Dame and Michigan on Wednesday.
Paul Skrbina
Northwestern
Current commitments: 20.
Available spaces: 0-2.
Current rankings: 48th nationally, 10th Big Ten.
THREE QUESTIONS
Can any incoming freshmen help NU's anemic passing game?
Libertyville's Riley Lees has the athleticism and moxie to transition quickly from quarterback to slot receiver. Receiver Ben Skowronek of Fort Wayne, Ind., has good hands and decent speed, not to mention a 6-foot-3 frame. He reminds some of Nebraska's Jordan Westerkamp. Running back Jeremy Larkin of Cincinnati has the "quicks" to help the running game.
How's the quarterback in this class?
Aidan Smith of Fort Wayne is a 6-foot-3, 188-pound pro-style passer who didn't draw much interest from other Big Ten schools. Analysts say he has decent arm strength, a sharp mind that limits mistakes and a "blocky" frame that makes him hard to take down.
Who is the highest-rated player?
247sports.com has Larkin at the top, while Rivals.com rates cornerback Roderick Campbell Jr. as the lone four-star player in the class. The St. Louis native turned down an offer from Iowa. And coincidentally, Rivals analyst Mike Farrell likens Campbell to Desmond King, the Hawkeyes' Thorpe Award winner.
Teddy Greenstein
Illinois
Current commitments: 23.
Available spaces: 4-5.
Current rankings: 66th nationally, 12th Big Ten.
THREE QUESTIONS
How hard was it for Bill Cubit to recruit with only a two-year contract?
The Illini staff was in a hard place because of a contract situation that made recruits wonder what's in store long term. Despite a low ranking in the conference, the staff held on to some solid recruits and added 12 new ones since Jan. 1. Illinois has also seen six players decommit over the last three weeks -- and another one or two might before Wednesday -- although some were for academic reasons.
Who is the standout of the class?
Monday's commitment from linebacker Dele Harding should help fill a void left by T.J. Neal's decision to transfer. The three-star recruit from Maryland also considered Michigan, Rutgers, Indiana, Maryland and Penn State, and he's ranked 28th nationally at his position.
How wild was Illinois' recruiting season?
Take Monday as an example. Two days before signing day, the Illini lost three-star offensive tackle Tre Johnson of Orlando, who flipped to Miami, and received an oral commitment from three-star offensive tackle Eddy Johnson out of Massachusetts. Then Harding also jumped on board. Is more drama in store?
Shannon Ryan
