Recruiting race coming right down to the wire

With one weekend remaining to entertain prospects, the race for the mythical recruiting national championship looks like it'll come down to the wire.

Nothing's really at stake, except fan pride, coaching reputations and the future of your favorite team.

So, with the help of recruiting analysts Tom Luginbill of ESPN and Barton Simmons of Rivals.com, we'll try to break down the race for No.1.

A look at the contenders:

Notre Dame (ESPN's No.3 ranked class/Rivals' No.2) - Charlie Weis has shrugged off a miserable 2007 by convincing blue-chippers such as Dayne Crist to come even though Jimmy Clausen is the incumbent at quarterback.

"Charlie Weis does a great selling job to the kids. He finds guys who want to compete and don't want to be handed a job," Simmons said.

Luginbill has praise for the class, as well as concern. He feels only a couple of prospects can make an impact next fall. While Notre Dame addressed defensive deficiencies, "I wouldn't term this class as fast as the classes in front of them," Luginbill said.

Georgia (ESPN's No.2/Rivals' No.4) - By the rankings, Georgia's fortunes have sagged a little after a fast start. But that's only because Georgia lined up its class so early.

"They got several impact guys, but they also filled their needs," Luginbill said. "Running backs Richard Samuel, Dontavius Jackson and Xavier Avery give them superb depth at running back, behind Knowshon Moreno."

Florida (ESPN's No.7/Rivals' No.1) - A calendar year after winning the national championship, Urban Meyer is building a run at the next one by turning previously committed prospects around, such as defensive back Ramon Buchanan (Miami) and defensive tackle Omar Hunter (Notre Dame).

Florida has climbed from 16th to 1st in Rivals' rankings because "they're filling their needs," Simmons said. "Particularly on defense. Will Hill can step in and play safety right away."

Miami (ESPN's No.1/Rivals' No.8) - The key for the Hurricanes? They've locked down South Florida.

"They did a great job of keeping the local talent at home," Simmons said. "Just look at all the (six) players they've got from Miami's Northwestern High. That's huge."

Alabama (ESPN's No.8/Rivals' No.3) - The Tide has a good class that could end up golden. Simmons considers Gadsden City linebacker Jerrell Harris and Mississippi cornerback Alonzo Lawrence leaning toward Alabama. The Tide also remains in the mix for Foley wide receiver Julio Jones.

"If Alabama lands just a couple of them, they could jump Florida" for No.1 in the Rivals' rankings, Simmons said.

Luginbill doesn't rank Alabama as high, but he believes the real strength is in the middle of the class, naming offensive lineman John Michael Boswell, athlete Mark Barron, quarterback Star Jackson and defensive back Robert Lester as less heralded players who can be key contributors early on.

Ohio State (ESPN's No.4/Rivals' No.8) - Back-to-back losses in the BCS title game haven't slowed Jim Tressel. He owns the talent-rich state of Ohio and is still in the hunt for the top quarterback prospect, Terrelle Pryor.

Clemson (ESPN's No.9/Rivals' No.14) -Tommy Bowden landed the top player on the ESPN 150 list, defensive end DaQuan Bowers.

Luginbill likes the depth and thinks quarterback Kyle Parker is the real deal.

"If he was two inches taller, he would be a national recruit," Luginbill said. "He's another Chase Daniel or Todd Reesing - except he's a better athlete."

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