However, just a glance or two at Twitter, the AJC, or your nearest subscriber message board, and you'll get the idea rather quickly that Clemons is no school's to lose and every school's to gain.
Now, I'll never admit to having any true insiders info on what any prospect will do in the end, but I've followed recruiting long enough to know that where 18-year old boys are concerned, it's all about where they feel the most comfortable. And, as of right now, no one has heard anything lately about that from Harvey-Clemons.
Who they have heard from, however, is his grandfather—Mr. Woodrow Clemons. Mr. Clemons has had plenty to say about each of the schools in his grandson's hemisphere and here is just a smattering of what he's said lately.
About Louisville: "If Louisville doesn’t respond, and Josh talks to Miami and wants to go down there, I will take Josh down to Miami myself this weekend. That will be decided tonight and Josh will make that decision. I don’t know what’s going on with Louisville. Apparently, they think it’s a 'done deal' and they've given up."
The Cardinals have apparently given up their pursuit as Harvey-Clemons is now slated to take a trip to Miami instead. A school that Woodrow Clemons didn't feel was all that interested in his grandson...that is until their ACC foe, Florida State started flashing their Jimbo Fisher around.
About Miami: "After the US Army game, they started calling and coming down. We told them we weren’t interested in an official visit. But since FSU got back into the picture, they've decided to make a last effort. It might work. We’ll see."
Something tells me that Miami's interest is more a "keep away" tactic against Florida State than anything and if this thinly-veiled attempt doesn't impress the grandfather, then you can bet his grandson will likely follow suit.
I figure Miami has about as much of a chance as Louisville, at this point.
And, finally, about Florida State, they are taking advantage of two things here, proximity and current relationships. Several current and former Seminoles attend the church where Mr. Clemons attends has held his membership for better than 50-years. And it's obvious, Mr. Clemons likes Jimbo Fisher and the 'Noles—coming away impressed after their official visit last week.
"It went surprisingly well at Florida State. They had a lot of questions to answer. I was curious to why they didn’t pursue Josh as hard as all the rest of the schools earlier. They explained that it wasn’t from a lack of interest but that they didn’t want to get the reputation of acting like a used car salesman like a couple of the other schools. Coach Fisher wanted to get Josh down there, show him what they’ve got, and let that speak itself. We were impressed."
Wow...used car salesman, huh? I wonder who that particular statement was aimed at?
As for Georgia, they appear to be in the running, but at this point it's anyone's guess how much in it they are, at least that's according to Roy Hart (Clemons' uncle).
"Coach Richt said 'Tell me Roy, how do we look with Josh?'" Hart said. "I said 'Coach, you're in the running. Nobody really knows except for Josh. He’s not saying much. He hasn’t made up his mind so nobody knows except for him.' Then Coach Richt asked if Georgia was still looking good and if they still had a opportunity to get him. I assured him that they did."
Again, nothing from Josh-Harvey Clemons.
Nada.
So, where will the Bulldogs be come Signing Day? I'm sure Bulldog fans are hoping they will land on top of Clemons' head via a 'red and black Georgia' cap, but right now, that young man is preparing to go to Miami—to meet Ray Lewis.
For what it's worth, on a more credible note, Gentry Estes of 247 ($) reported the following yesterday, in the words of the aforementioned Mr. Clemons.
"The distance, whether it's Georgia, Florida or FSU, that's not really a major factor. ... I think it will be family-based. I think it will be based on the family's general consensus as to where he might be better suited. If he picks one of those three, I think he'll be OK. ... All three head coaches and programs have been very attentive to Josh and the family. No major complaints about any of them."
Soooo...he's saying there's 33.33333333333333 percent chance that it's going to go Georgia's way, right?
Again, I say, don't you just looooovvvveeeee recruiting?
