Cai Bates to announce college commitment on Wednesday

Florida four-star cornerback Cai Bates will reveal his college choice on Wednesday, July 26 at 6:30 p.m. ET from Edgewater High in Orlando, Fla.

Bates recently trimmed his double-digit scholarship offer list down to seven teams: Alabama, Colorado, Florida State, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, and Ohio State.

Florida State, Alabama, Tennessee and LSU landed official visits in June, and the four-star defensive back made an unofficial visit to Ohio State’s campus.

LSU continues to hold the lead on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (24%), but Tennessee, Alabama and FSU are all close behind.

Following five visits in the month of June, Bates told On3 that he was using the month of July to mull over a final decision before revealing his choice.

“It’s a tough decision, because you can’t go wrong with anyone,” he said. “You have to put feelings to the side and focus on the development and the facts. Is this somewhere I want to live? Is this somewhere I feel comfortable with other players around? All that. You really have to dig deeper.”

Bates is the No. 12 cornerback prospect and a Top 100 overall recruit on the On3 Industry Rankings.

Bates began the month with an Alabama official visit

The Crimson Tide have been one of the top teams in the mix for the Florida four-star, and he began his busy month of June with an official visit to Tuscaloosa.

“I have a good relationship with them,” Bates said. “I talk with them often.

“(Cornerbacks Coach Travaris Robinson), I have a lot of connections with him, especially with the people I know.”

Bates said the official visit to Tuscaloosa was an impressive one, and after leaving campus, the results from Alabama’s program under Nick Saban, and Saban’s history with coaching defensive backs, stuck with him as a key piece to his interest in the Tide.

“If any DB coach ever leaves, Coach Saban is still a DB coach at the end of the day,” he said. “There’s always a sense of stability.”

Florida State becomes lone in-state school to host Bates in June

The Edgewater High (Orlando, Fla.) rising senior has offers from Florida State, Florida and Miami, but the Seminoles were the only Sunshine State program to make his final seven teams.

“FSU, that was an official visit during the week on a Monday,” Bates said. “It’s always comfortable at FSU. That’s my third or fourth time being there. They got the second official visit, and the coaching staff really welcomed me.”

Bates has grown close to a number of FSU staffers throughout his recruiting process, including head coach Mike Norvell.

“Coach Norvell wants to coach a guy like me,” Bates said. “It was good that I went during the week. I got away from the glitz and glamour of an official visit and got to experience what a normal week is like.

“My takeaway is the program is back on the rise. I think, in my opinion, they’ll be the best program in Florida. They will compete for championships. They can compete at the highest level.”

Tennessee makes a big splash on Vols official visit weekend

Tennessee received the third official visit from Bates, and the Top 15 cornerback on the On3 Industry Rankings left Knoxville with an entirely new outlook on the program.

“It definitely gave me a better view of Tennessee,” Bates said. “(Head coach Josh Heupel) is one of my favorite head coaches I’ve talked to. He came from UCF, which is right in my hometown.

“Coach Heupel took time out of his day to really interact with us and talk to us. There’s also a lot of resources, from position coaches to the people who don’t have anything to do with football. They look out for you mentally and physically. When life kicks in, they look out for you.”

Thanks to a successful visit weekend, the Volunteers are firmly in the mix.

“The coaching staff was really just welcoming,” Bates said. “It was more than I expected. I went in and didn’t expect as much as I got there. It was really eye-opening for me.”

Ohio State lands a June unofficial visit

Bades made a multiple-day stay on Ohio State’s campus in June, which he used as an unofficial visit.

“I spent two days there, so I got to spend a lot of time with (secondary coach/cornerbacks coach Tim Walton),” Bates said. “It was kind of crazy because they had official visits going, but coach spent most of his time with me. He wants to add a guy like me. They talked about how Ohio State’s players are really looked out for in life after football.

“And the other thing is, Ohio State can compete with anyone when it comes to college football, whether that’s for championships or putting guys in the NFL.”

LSU wraps up June with the final official visit

The month of June ended with Bates making an official visit to Baton Rouge, a city he’s visited multiple times during his recruiting process.

LSU cornerbacks coach Robert Steeples was one of the first assistants in on Bates before his recruitment took off, and that relationship has become stronger from the time he was offered to when he made the official visit to end the month of June.

“Coach Steeples and I talk a lot, multiple times a week,” he said. “On my official visit, they let it be known I am still the No. 1 (target) on their board. The whole staff treats me that way.”

While on his official visit, Bates got some extended time in with head coach Brian Kelly that went beyond meetings and dinners with the staff.

“I had a good time with Coach Kelly,” he said. “I watched LSU in the College World Series at his house. We spent a lot of time with him and my family.

“I was the only DB there, so I know I’m a priority. I got a lot of individual time in, so it was great.”

When it comes to what stood out from the weekend, Bates said he left Baton Rouge with a clear vision of the direction of the program under Kelly, Steeples and the rest of the staff.

“I would say the culture really stands out,” he said. “Coach Kelly came in and changed the trajectory of it with the people around the program and staff.

“Then the fans and players and area, that won’t ever change. I feel like that’s really big.

“They also have everything planned out as far as my brand. They want me to come in and compete to play as a true freshman. They really let that be known.”