Luke Bryan won’t play favorites, but he recognizes Jordan McCullough as a legit contender for the American Idol Season 24 crown.

American Idol Season 24 Odds

Most fan polls have McCullough, Hannah Harper and Keyla Richardson as the Top 3, with the order changing depending on the date and website.

Richardson has the largest social following of the group, but it’s not clear if that leads to votes.

In fact, Harper is most frequently listed as the favorite to win, which is good news for country fans.

Taste of Country’s Evan Paul visited with Luke Bryan last weekend ahead of his show with Jason Aldean at the University of Georgia, and he lit up when asked about McCullough.

“He is definitely in the hunt,” Bryan shares.

It’s worth noting that Bryan says he never looks at vote tallies, so he has no insider knowledge. Also, McCullough was the only artist ToC had time to ask him about.

Who Is Jordan McCullough, Gospel Singer on American Idol? 

McCullough is a 27-year-old worship leader from Murfreesboro, Tenn., who along with Harper have offered the most for country fans in recent weeks.

She’s been consistently country, while he’s let his gospel roots flirt with the genre on covers of songs by MercyMe and Taylor Swift.

His hometown is already making plans for him to continue on the show. Should he get to the Top 3 after Monday night’s (May 4) episode, he’ll be the guest of honor for a parade and concert on Wednesday evening (May 6).

The same thing is happening for Harper in Willow Springs, Mo., and Richardson in Pensacola, Fla. Both of those events are also scheduled for May 6.

Chris Tungseth and Braden Rumfelt are the other two Top 5 finalists, and they also have parades and days scheduled in their honor if they move on.

Last week, Tungseth was in the bottom three but survived.

Source: tasteofcountry.com