Top prospects set to commit during the All-American Bowl

Nearly all of the top prospects in the 2023 class are signed, sealed and delivered to their respective college programs. But there are still a few who have either yet to make a decision or have privately signed but will make their decision public over the next week. A few recruits are committing Tuesday during the Under Armour All-America Game, and five more are expected to join them on Saturday, January 7 during the All-American Bowl in San Antonio.

With the help of the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM), we’ll break down which programs could be making late additions to their 2023 classes.

4-star ATH Mikal Harrison-Pilot

School: Temple (Texas)
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 124
On3 RPM: Houston 66.7%, Texas 25.6%, TCU 2.1%

The Skinny: Other schools made a run at Mikal Harrison-Pilot, but three in-state teams have always been at the head of the pack: Houston, Texas and TCU. The Longhorns were considered the favorites to land him earlier in the fall, but the Horned Frogs made him one of their top priorities among the skill players. Sonny Dykes and Co. were considered the strong favorites a few weeks ago, but Houston has made things interesting down the stretch.

4-star OT Caden Jones

School: Gretna (La.) De La Salle
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 436
On3 RPM: Florida 95.8%, Texas A&M 2.2%

The Skinny: Caden Jones has taken his recruiting process down to the final moments, with Texas A&M and Florida considered the two major contenders to land him. He visited both in the month of December — along with Houston. But the Gators are trending just a few days before his decision.

4-star WR Malik Elzy

School: Chicago (Ill.) Simeon
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 321
On3 RPM: Illinois 67.2%, Cincinnati, 30.7%

The Skinny: Malik Elzy committed to Cincinnati over Illinois back in July, but he reopened his recruitment just four months later. With the coaching changes in the Bearcats’ program, the in-state Fighting Illini have become the favorite to land the nation’s No. 44 wide receiver.

4-star S Peyton Woodyard (2024)

School: Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 34
On3 RPM: Georgia 49.4%, Texas 42.9%, USC 2.7%

The Skinny: Among this list, Peyton Woodyard is the only 2024 prospect who will be announcing on the day of the All-American Bowl. Over the summer, Georgia appeared to be the team to beat with the No. 2 junior safety in the country, but the winds have shifted toward Texas in recent weeks, including a pair of expert picks in the Longhorns’ favor.

3-star ATH Jamari Johnson

School: Inglewood (Calif.)
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 449
On3 RPM: Louisville 62.2%, Oregon 36.5%

The Skinny: Jamari Johnson has been committed to Louisville since April, but he didn’t sign with the Cardinals in December. Oregon and Pittsburgh pushed hard for the jumbo athlete, who projects as a tight end at the next level. The Ducks hosted him for an official visit December 16. And he said that trip will have a significant impact on his final decision.

5-star LB TJ Capers (2024)

School: Miami (Fla.) Columbus
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 10
On3 RPM: Miami 27.3%, Florida 23.9%, Louisville 20.5%, Michigan State 17.5%

The Skinny: TJ Capers named a top five last week that included Louisville, Georgia, Colorado, Miami, and USC. The Buffaloes are a late entrant into the race after the hiring of Deion Sanders. And you can never count out Coach Prime. Georgia has impressed Capers with its linebacker production, but Louisville is another school to keep an eye on. The Cardinals have been putting in major work in south Florida lately.

3-star CB Tyler Scott

School: Mableton (Ga.) Pebblebrook
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 554
On3 RPM: Auburn 95.6%, Alabama 1.3%

The Skinny: Few recruits blew up in a bigger fashion this fall than Tyler Scott, who at one point was committed to Arkansas State. But after a strong showing on the field in a few early games, the likes of USC, Auburn, Alabama, Texas, Tennessee and more came into the picture. The Crimson Tide, Trojans and Longhorns all hosted him for official visits in December, but it’s Auburn and new head coach Hugh Freeze who have all the momentum right now heading into the All-American Bowl decision.

4-star LB Jelani McDonald

School: Waco (Texas) Connolly
On3 Consensus Ranking: No. 137
On3 RPM: Texas 98.2%, TCU 1.3%

The Skinny: After being committed to Oklahoma State for a few months last year, Jelani McDonald reopened his recruitment late in the fall. Texas and TCU immediately jumped to the top of the list and have remained there ever since. The Longhorns hold a couple picks in their favor in the On3 RPM, but TCU’s momentum — both on the field and the recruiting trail — is nothing to sneeze at.