Will Arik Armstead and Shaq Thompson be a packaged deal?

Two of nation's top 20 senior football players – Shaq Thompson and Arik Armstead – live about 20 miles apart.

They play in the same Sac-Joaquin Section.

They are both athletically versatile and remarkable.

They both have much of the West Coast recruiting world on pins and needles.

They are both recruiting grade-makers and breakers. The difference between getting either player and not might be the difference between getting an A or B class.

And imagine, if you will, if some lucky school gets them both.

That's a distinct possibility, said Sacramento Bee staff writer Joe Davidson, who has covered both these coveted athletes from about DNA forward.

These guys have grown close, Davidson said. They've talked to all the same people, been wined and dined – figuratively speaking - by all the same recruiters.

Thompson, a 6-foot-2, 210-pound specimen from Grant (Sacramento) – regarded as the nation's top safety but also a potential running back, has committed to Cal but when key recruiter Tosh Lupoi bolted for Washington two weeks ago, he opened things back up.

Oregon, Washington and UCLA are now other options.

The nation's No. 5 recruit overall was 99 percent set on Cal, the same school his brother and current Broncos cornerback Syd attended. Now it appears Oregon is a strong possibility.

According to Davidson, Cal head coach Jeff Tedford did effective damage control, visiting the Thompson house Thursday. The same day, Lupoi and "an army" of Washington coaches visited Thompson as well. On Friday, Chip Kelly closed the deal for Oregon with quite a pitch as did new UCLA coach Jim Mora for the Bruins.

It's been an emotional roller-coaster ride for Thompson.

That's the same for Armstead, a 6-7, 285-pound tackle from Pleasant Grove (Elk Grove), who also doubles as a basketball recruit. Cal also appeared a front-runner, but when Lupoi left, Armstead took an even harder look at Notre Dame, Oregon, Washington, USC, UCLA and Auburn.

The nation's No. 16 recruit overall said he's ready to make his pick public.

He'll announce the first half of this equation 3 p.m. (local time) Sunday at Armstead's family's church in Sacramento.

Will that effect the decision of Thompson, who will announce Wednesday morning? Does Thompson already have his mind set up? Have the two already made a package deal?

Truly, only those two know for sure.

But if they wind up at the same place – plug your hears. There will be a giant eruption from that campus.

Our guess is that it will be at the same place, either Cal or Oregon. One man's guess - after all the jabbering - is still Cal, which boasts one of the best recruiting classes its had in years, hovering around the top 10.

If they land both Thompson and Armstead, the Bears might creep toward the top 5.