Less than three weeks away from national signing day, several of America's premier college football prospects are officially on commitment watch. Count 5-star defensive back Devon Hunter among them.
The Indian River High School (Chesapeake, Virginia) senior announced intentions this week to reveal his collegiate choice Jan. 20, with six programs in the picture:
Hunter's half-dozen finalists consist of four SEC teams—Alabama, Auburn, Florida and Ole Miss—along with ACC squads North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
"I'm ready to get to college and work on becoming a better player," he told Bleacher Report. "It's been a long recruiting process to get to this point."
Hunter, rated the No. 1 safety and No. 5 overall recruit in Scout.com rankings, briefly considered committing last weekend at the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio but opted to further extend his evaluation of universities.
This approach includes official visits, which he views as the final step in an exhaustive process.
"I got a list of pros and cons for each school, and official visits are basically the cherry on top," he said. "That's how I found out the last things I need to know about a school."
The 6'1", 205-pound playmaker previously used official visits at Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Florida is next in line, set to host Hunter this weekend, but beyond that things are a bit murky.
Despite initially anticipating travel plans during the final two weekends of January, he is no longer certain those will occur. A trip to Tuscaloosa was set for Jan. 27, while Ole Miss and Auburn were battling to bring him to campus next weekend.
Now that he's set commitment plans for Jan. 20, it's unclear—even to Hunter—whether Florida will be the only SEC school to secure an official visit.
However, his recruitment has included unofficial visits to each finalist aside from Ole Miss. The Rebels entered this equation late after the December hiring of defensive coordinator Wesley McGriff, who previously spearheaded Hunter's recruitment on behalf of Auburn.
He served as the Tigers' co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach this season. Prior to the 2016 campaign, McGriff spent three years working with NFL defensive backs as a member of the New Orleans Saints' staff.
"He was the main reason why I was really considering Auburn," Hunter said. "He's a great coach who can help me develop into the player I want to be. Now he's got a bigger role at Ole Miss, so that got my attention."
This transition seemingly hurts Auburn's chances here, while thrusting Ole Miss into contention. However, if the Rebels are unable to lock in an official visit with Hunter it's likely inconsequential to his final decision.
Alabama hosted him in late November, when he watched the Crimson Tide defeat Auburn. Unless Hunter makes a post-commitment journey to Tuscaloosa, it will be his last up-close look at the SEC champions.
Head coach Nick Saban, vying for a seventh consecutive composite No. 1 recruiting class, already claims commitments from a pair of stud safeties considered top-200 overall prospects—Daniel Wright and Xavier McKinney. His depth chart has become notoriously difficult to climb, and All-American high school prospects must routinely be patient while waiting for expansive reps with the Crimson Tide.
Hunter admits Alabama's roster presents a challenge, though he isn't dissuaded due to confidence in his abilities.
"I'm a competitor, so I want to play with the best," Hunter said. "I have no problem going in there and competing for somebody's job."
Conference rival Florida is the only sure bet to spend extensive time with the lauded defender before his announcement. Expect an established rapport with Gators defensive backs coach Torrian Gray to play an integral role during those days in Gainesville.
"My relationship with Coach Gray is great," Hunter said. "Being down there with a bunch of DBs going first round [in the NFL draft] helps a lot. They've produced some of the best DBs in the SEC."
Prior to his arrival at Florida, Gray was a mainstay on Virginia Tech's staff. The Hokies have pushed for Hunter's pledge throughout much of his high school career, and that effort may soon pay off.
Virginia Tech is the unanimous favorite to land his commitment in 247Sports' crystal ball, securing every prediction from 22 experts.
"I always hear about the Hokies," he said.
Hunter understands the potential impact of head coach Justin Fuente finishing his first full recruiting cycle in Blacksburg with the state's No. 1 player on board.
"I know I'm probably one of the most important recruits in the history of Virginia Tech, so if I were to commit there, it would be big," he said. "That's one thing I really like about Virginia Tech—the effect I would make."
Another intriguing aspect of his Hokies outlook is the program's interest in implementing Hunter on each side of the ball. He notes both Virginia Tech and North Carolina have discussed carving out an offensive role for him.
"They want the ball in my hands, kind of like [Michigan star and 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist] Jabrill Peppers," Hunter said. "Your NFL draft stock goes up a lot higher when you do more on the field."
Defensively, each of his six finalists project him to line up at safety. Hunter provided evidence of prowess at the position Saturday during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl, tying an East team high with four tackles.
Erik Richards, the event's national recruiting director, issued a compelling comparison after watching Hunter compete throughout the week. He believes whichever program's name is called Jan. 20 will benefit for years to come.
"They're getting a Jalen Ramsey," Richards said. "That's the best comparison of who I've scouted. We all see where Ramsey got drafted and what he did in the league this year."
Ramsey, a former 5-star recruit himself, started for Florida State as a true freshman during the Seminoles' 2013 national championship run and earned All-American honors in Tallahassee. The Jacksonville Jaguars selected him fifth overall in the 2016 NFL draft, and he led the team in interceptions and finished fourth in tackles as a rookie.
If Hunter manages to approach that production, his college commitment will have been well worth the wait.
Tyler Donohue is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. Quotes and observations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Prospect ratings courtesy of Scout.
Follow Tyler via Twitter: @TDsTake.