Ranking the Contenders: Justin Edwards
The No. 4 prospect in the 2023 class is set to come off the board on July 25, when five-star forward Justin Edwards announces his commitment. Officially, Edwards has a list of seven finalists but only Kentucky and Tennessee seem like true threats to land his pledge.
Below, Rivals.com’s Rob Cassidy breaks down the odds of each program landing the talented wing.
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1. KENTUCKY
Kentucky seems to be on the verge of assembling a special class, as a number of high-level prospects are trending toward the Wildcats. In recruiting, however, the hay is never in the barn until the door closes and locks, so nobody in Lexington is at all comfortable with simple projections. Edwards would become John Calipari’s second 2023 commit on July 25.
Edwards was once once seen as a Tennessee lean, but things became a bit murky in recent months when Kentucky started making its push. These days, the momentum began to shift a bit back in April, following UK sending its entire staff to make an in-home visit. Still, there’s not a massive gap between Kentucky and Tennessee. Stranger late twists have certainly taken place, after all. This certainly isn’t a bet-your-mortgage situation.
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2. TENNESSEE
Rick Barnes’ program is the only real threat to steal Edwards away from Kentucky. The Vols looked to be in cruise control when it came to the five-star’s recruitment not long ago. In fact, things seemed to be a near done deal early in 2022. The tide slowly turned as UK began to press, however, and now the programs seem to be locked in stride down the stretch.
The longstanding and strong relationship between Barnes and Edwards gives UT fans something on which to hang their hats, as the five-star forward has long been exceedingly comfortable with Tennessee and its coaching staff.
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3. EVERYONE ELSE
Officially, Edwards has a list of seven “finalists,” but programs not named “Kentucky” or “Tennessee” are simple window dressing. In-state Villanova was once seen as a peripheral player. As was Auburn, which made some waves a few months back and seemed like it might be a real player for a bit. Those days are over, however, as anyone but the Wildcats or Vols would be viewed as a historic surprise.