One consensus five-star prospect will come off the board in August, Carrollton (Texas) Hebron safety Jamal Adams revealed via his Twitter page on Sunday:
Jamal Adams sets announcement date for August
The versatile Texas safety will also participate in the Under Armour All-America game.
Will your team win out? RT "@ThaJudgeKO: I will officially commit sometime in August"
— Damon Sayles (@DamonSayles) June 23, 2013
Now committed to play in the Under Armour All-America game, the 6’0, 200-pound Adams was expected to make his decision following his senior season and official visits to his finalists, a list that currently stands at six. But those six teams won’t be battling to get him on campus as the recruitment of the scheme-versatile safety who could play nickel back in college takes on a more urgent tone.
Ohio State, Texas, Texas A&M, Florida, Ole Miss, and Notre Dame are the contenders after Adams cut hist list in half recently, but the Gators, Longhorns, and Aggies are thought to make up his top group. Of those schools, the Longhorns were the early leaders, but a visit to College Station for the A&M spring game and a June visit to Gainesville boosted those two schools to the extent that they could both sit ahead of Texas at this point, though Adams has not said so publicly.
Adams told SB Nation Recruiting back in April that the biggest factor in his recruitment would be early playing time, but there's also a growing consensus around his recruitment that playing in the SEC is as or more important than a school's depth chart, though the fact that Florida and Texas A&M can offer both could currently put them in front of Texas. With multiple open starting spots in Will Muschamp's secondary come 2014, the Gators are now a significant leader in the 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions with 71% of the 17 predictions. More than just the depth chart, however, Florida also has a strong connection to the Adams family -- recruiting coordinator Joker Phillips played with George Adams, Jamal's father, while both were at Kentucky in college.
The Adams family has downplayed the connection, but it’s just one more reason why the Gators are currently the favorite to land Adams come August.
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