With National Signing Day looming, notable five-star players still undecided

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National Signing Day is just around the corner, and it’s time for the country’s elite young athletes to conclusively announce for which college they will continue their football careers.

On Wednesday Feb. 1, the final commitments will be set for the 2012-2013 college football season, and there are many highly rated players who have yet to make a definitive decision. We’ll take a look at the top five recruits who have yet to commit.

College football’s No. 1 recruit is wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham. This 6’6”, 220 pound athlete towers over his competition. He has the size, speed, quickness, and hands of glue to excel at the next level. All of these qualities set him apart from every other athlete in his class and makes him a stand out No. 1 prospect. Many scouts have categorized him among the best ever, along side big names like Calvin Johnson, Julio Jones, A.J Green and Robert Woods. Green-Beckham is desired by every school and wherever he decides to play he will have an immediate impact. Not only has the Missouri native been admired for his athletic ability, but his character has been mentioned in only positive ways. The top schools under consideration for Green-Beckham are Arkansas, Missouri, Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama.

The biggest recruit out of California is the 6’8”, 290 pound defensive end Arik Armstead. Although many coaches believe he would excel at the offensive line position, recruiters cannot argue with his preference to play defense. Armstead’s older brother, Armond, currently plays at USC. Arik initially committed to play with his older brother, but eventually decommitted and has left everyone wondering where this five-star athlete will go. His brother also announced he will transfer to which ever school Arik decides.

The University of California was thought to be locked in after Armstead decommitted from USC, but this was before Cal’s defensive end coach Tosh Lupoi left to take a raise in salary and job title at Washington. The schools thought to still be in the running are Cal, Oregon, Auburn, Notre Dame and now possibly Washington.

Another powerful player coming out of California is offensive lineman Kyle Murphy. He is the top rated offensive tackle on the West Coast. At 6’7” and 275 pounds, Murphy is a consensus five-star player who comes with a complete game. He’s tough, has quick feet, always plays hard and plays smart. The two schools Murphy has said he will choose between are Stanford and USC.

One of the fastest players still uncommitted is Maryland native Stefon Diggs. This 6’1”, 190 pound wide receiver has the extreme speed of a track star without sacrificing his size. Diggs has been one of the more difficult recruits to get information out of, but many sources say his decision will come down to Auburn or Florida, with the majority claiming Florida. He has had two visits to Florida and his mother has made it known she is hoping to be cheering with the Gators.

Ronald Darby is another speedy prospect out of Maryland. The 5’11”, 175 pound cornerback may be the fastest in this class. He was once committed to Notre Dame, but backed out soon after to explore more options. He took official visits to Maryland, Florida State, Clemson, and Auburn, but many have speculated that Florida State will be his final decision. One reason for choosing Florida State would be immediate playing time. The Seminoles don’t have much depth at cornerback and Darby can be guaranteed playing time as a freshman.

As of Jan. 23, ESPN.com has reported Alabama as the top team in the football recruiting race. The previous leader was the Texas Longhorns, who held No. 1 since June 23, according to ESPN.

Ultimately the top recruiting class will be decided after these big stars decide where they want to continue their careers. There are many other notable five-star recruits still undecided, but we can only guess and assume where these young athletes will end up.

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