John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Shaun Dion Hamilton (Montgomery, Al. Carver) is to announce his college decision on Wednesday between a trio of SEC programs anxiously awaiting word from the four-star recruit. Alabama, Tennessee and Auburn are the finalists for the 6-1, 225-pound inside linebacker 247Sports.com ranks as the No. 12 player at his position.
Rivals.com recently named him as the recruit of the week and according to 247Sports, Hamilton making one last visit to Auburn on Friday after visiting Alabama on Tuesday and last visited Tennessee Mar. 9. I think the last minute trip to Auburn is a clear indication that the Tigers are in the lead five days before his decision.
Further evidence that leads me to believe that his heart is with Auburn is that he has visited them a plethora of times in the past year. This will be his 12th visit according to his timeline of events on 247Sports. In comparison, he has visited the Crimson Tide four times and only once has he visited The Volunteers.
It would be an upset if he chooses Alabama or Tennessee at this point, but you have to believe that both Nick Saban and Butch Jones will continue to keep tabs on Hamilton into next year if they are not chosen on Wednesday. But he won’t have a great deal of time, because Hamilton is expected to graduate high school early and enroll at his college of choice in January.
As a junior, Hamilton had 81 tackles, five for loss, two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery en route to earning all-state honors. If my prediction holds firm it would be the latest blue-chip defensive recruit for Gus Malzahn after adding defensive linemen Carl Lawson, Montravious Adams and Elijah Daniel last winter.
Patrick’s a college football writer for Rant Sports and radio host on Sportstownchicago.com. Follow him on Twitter and add him to your Google network.
