Stories that will dominate recruiting leading up to Signing Day

We’re one week away from National Signing Day. While more than 85% of the nation’s top recruits already have signed or committed, there still are some high-profile players who haven’t decided and key recruiting battles that need to be won. Here are the top storylines heading into National Signing Day on Feb. 2.

What happens with Harold Perkins before Signing Day?

Five-Star Plus+ linebacker Harold Perkins dropped a recruiting bombshell when he decommitted from Texas A&M on Monday. According to the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine, LSU now has a 38.3% chance of landing the 6-foot-2, 210-pound linebacker out of Cypress (Texas) Cy Park.

Texas A&M, the school Perkins committed to at the Under Armour All-America Game, still is listed by the RPM as the favorite with a 55.4% chance. Florida is listed with a 4.8% chance. But the move by LSU in the RPM is noticeable. That’s especially true since Perkins is expected to take an official visit this weekend to Baton Rouge.

A&M is not going down with a fight. Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher is scheduled to make an in-home visit with Perkins on Wednesday. Plus, some insiders say to not discount Florida’s chances with Perkins.

What happens between now and Signing Day is anybody’s guess. That’s especially true since Perkins’ recruitment has seen plenty of twists and turns over the past two years.

It’s going to make for some high drama that will keep A&M, LSU and Florida fans on the edge of their seats until next week.

Shemar Stewart has key visit coming up

Miami Monsignor Pace five-star defensive lineman Shemar Stewart was at Georgia last weekend, and he’s set to take his final official visit to Miami this weekend.

The trip to Coral Gables is an important visit in Stewart’s decision-making process.

Heading into the final stretch before Signing Day, Texas A&M was viewed as the team to beat. In fact, the Aggies still lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine. But momentum has been shifting toward Miami and the Bulldogs before his Feb. 2 announcement.

“The school with the most buzz around it is Miami, but after the visit to Athens, this could go three different ways,” On3’s Chad Simmons wrote earlier this week.

Things are so tight that Stewart’s defensive line coach, Moe Marquez, said it’s going to be an agonizingly tough decision. “The race is so close that you could put the names in a hat and just pick one,” Marquez said.

Status quo for Devon Campbell before Signing Day?

While Perkins’ and Stewart’s recruitment have dominated headlines, On3 Consensus five-star offensive lineman Devon Campbell of Arlington (Texas) Bowie has kept things quiet since he returned from the Under Armour All-America Game.

Campbell is set to sign with Oklahoma or Texas on Signing Day.

Oklahoma coach Brent Venables and his staff have done everything they can to recruit him. But the Longhorns are in a position to add to their impressive offensive line haul this cycle.

The Longhorns are the clear favorites – a 96.7% chance, according to the On3 RPM – so now we just wait to see if anything somehow, someway changes over the next week.

Can Florida shock LSU for Jacoby Mathews?

Most insiders believe On3 Consensus five-star safety Jacoby Mathews of Ponchatoula, La., will end up in-state and play for the Bayou Bengals.

But Florida has made this much more interesting than people initially thought it would be. Yes, A&M technically remains on his list. But this race is down to the Tigers and Gators.

Mathews’ relationship with former LSU assistant and current Gators cornerback coach Corey Raymond is strong. The Gators laid out their plan and vision to Matthews on a visit last weekend. Gators coach Billy Napier made his in-home visit with Matthews on Tuesday.

Behind the scenes, the buzz still points toward the home-state school. Plus, LSU is expected to make its final in-home visit Wednesday or Thursday.

But if Florida can somehow pull it off on Signing Day, it would create national headlines and signal the Gators can beat LSU on the Tigers’ home turf.

What happens out West with USC, Oregon?

Coaching changes at Oregon and USC dramatically altered the trajectory of recruiting on the West Coast.

Both the Ducks and Trojans have secured quality recruiting victories, like four-star CB Jalil Tucker picking Oregon and five-star CB Domani Jackson signing with USC. But now we wait to see if the new coaches can close in the run up to Signing Day.

The Trojans seemingly have been focused mostly on the transfer portal. And the biggest target in the country still remains on the board in quarterback Caleb Williams.

In On3’s new transfer portal tracker, Williams is the No. 1 player to enter during the cycle. After being rated 98.08 coming out of high school, he is now rated a flat 98 as a transfer. According to the On3 RPM, there is a 99.5% chance Williams ends up picking the Trojans.

Oregon definitely has focused more on high school players and a long list of targets remains. How the Ducks do with players such as RB Andrew Paul, ATH Arlis Boardingham, EDGE Emar’rion Winston, CB Khamari Terrell and RB Jordan James will go a long way toward judging how Dan Lanning’s staff did with its first class.

Another telling battle will be for four-star cornerback Jahlil Florence, who is picking between the Ducks and the Trojans. Heading into the week before Signing Day, the Ducks are generating the most buzz.

Can Nebraska close out Ajay Allen?

Nebraska had four-star running back Ajay Allen of Monroe (La.) Neville on campus this past weekend. He called it a “perfect visit.” Now the question is whether Huskers coaches can get him to officially flip from TCU.

Nebraska lost two running backs to the transfer portal, signed Minnesota three-star running back Emmett Johnson in December and recently picked up a junior college commitment. But the Huskers are all-in on Allen and have made him a priority target.

Landing Allen would soften the blow of the struggles the Huskers had this recruiting cycle. Nebraska has the No. 51 class in the nation and ranks 12^th in the Big Ten. And if coaches can’t seal the deal, then it might be a sign of continued struggles.

Can Miami crack top 10 on Signing Day?

As mentioned above, Miami remains in it for some five-star targets. But new coach Mario Cristobal’s staff is also working on a lot of other four- and three-star prospects to round out the Canes’ class.

Currently, Miami has the No. 12 class in the On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rank. There does seem to be enough still on the board for Miami to pass Clemson and North Carolina and move into the top 10.

The Canes are involved with big names like five-star OL Josh Conerly Jr., four-star RB TreVonte’ Citizen, four-star DL Christen Miller, four-star EDGE R Mason Thomas, three-star DL Ahmad Moten and several others.

But things still have to go Miami’s way over the next week and on Signing Day. If they do, it could be the momentum Cristobal needs to really make a move in the 2023 cycle.