Adoree’ Jackson Signing Day Prediction Roundtable

Adoree’ Jackson is without a doubt the most intriguing and high-profile uncommitted player in the Class of 2014. With a final four of USC, UCLA, Florida and LSU, and both family and track playing a big role in his decision, Jackson’s been a wild card for months.

USC was the initial leader last spring, then fell off as Lane Kiffin’s Trojans imploded in September, and even Tennessee once looked like a favorite as recently as last month. But with National Signing Day just two days away, no one really knows what Jackson is going to do.

That said, we’re not afraid to make our predictions on which hat Jackson will put on around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning, live on ESPNU.

Matthew Moreno: UCLA

Come Feb. 5, Adoree’ Jackson will be a member of UCLA’s class.  Many, including myself, were a bit surprised with the Bruins inclusion in his final four, but I think we’ll soon learn there was good reason for that. The Bruins do have two of Jackson’s high school teammates — Jordan Lasley and Dwight Williams — who are current verbal commits and I think that’s a factor. Yes, the Trojans also have their own pair of Serra commits — Jalen Greene and Olajuwon Tucker — but I get the sense Jackson has a closer relationship to Williams. Perhaps Jackson took the unofficial visit over the weekend just to finally kick the tires but typically where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Alicia de Artola: Florida

The uncontested wildcard of USC’s recruiting season, it is hard to get a read on what Jackson is thinking. While he has narrowed his choices down to four, the sense is that there is no true leader in the race for his signature. Of the local schools it would stand to reason that USC has the edge. After all, Jackson has unofficially visited USC on numerous occasions over the past year and he even attended the Trojans’ bowl game in Las Vegas. However, the southern schools definitely present trouble for USC. Ultimately, I think Florida’s elite track program may help them hook the big fish, as Jackson’s long-jump aspirations push the Gators to the front of the pack. Of course, if anyone were to deliver a signing day surprise, Jackson is the one.

Michael Castillo: LSU

A year ago at Fox Sports West’s local Signing Day special, Adoree’ Jackson had glowing remarks to speak about a number of schools including USC, but spoke of LSU in a different light. He called it his dream school, but was adamant that he’d take his visits and give everyone a chance because ‘you only live once’. Here we are 12 months later, and Jackson has taken just one official visit to the schools making up his final four: LSU. While he’s still unofficially visited USC, UCLA and Florida, I have trouble overlooking his first on-air remarks about LSU. Maybe it means something, maybe it doesn’t, but with the Tigers being a top-tier track school and having been in the mix from the beginning in a recruitment that every analyst is in the dark on, it’s enough for my prediction. Adoree’ Jackson will be an LSU Tiger.

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Now it’s your turn to make a prediction. Vote in our poll below and sound off in the comments on where you see Adoree’ Jackson going for college ball.

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