Here’s why Colton Underwood will be the next Bachelor star

Colton makes it to hometowns, but here’s why he may score the 2019 Bachelor gig.

The next season of The Bachelor is still seven months away, but there’s already a buzz about which one of Bachelorette Becca’s guys will hand out roses in January 2019.

After just one episode, it’s clear that there are several guys who are quickly becoming fan favorites. Colton is one of them. Aside from his big fan base, there are other reasons why I predict ABC will pick Colton Underwood as their next leading man. Warning: spoilers ahead.

Let’s cut to the chase here.

Colton will get eliminated during the hometown dates episode on The Bachelorette. The drama that takes place on that episode won’t end his TV career – he is reportedly part of the season 5 Bachelor in Paradise cast. (Filming is rumored to start this week!)

Drama in Paradise may be the very reason Colton gets the Bachelor gig!

Colton, a former NFL player, is young — 26. But, Ben Higgins was 26 when his season of The Bachelor premiered in January 2015, so age doesn’t seem to be a factor.

He’s also a virgin, or so it’s been reported. That’s just one storyline producers can use to pimp him out as the 2019 Bachelor. But it’s not the only storyline.

In a preview for an upcoming episode of The Bachelorette, he tells Becca he’s not waiting for marriage, but he is waiting for the right person.

So, we’re to assume Colton didn’t hook up with Tia Booth (Arie’s season) when they met up before he started filming The Bachelorette? Was it just a platonic get-together? Maybe.

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According to Reality Steve, Tia will appear on the hometown dates episode of The Bachelorette and tell Colton she has feelings for him. Becca will send Colton home and he will get a ticket to Paradise.

Tia is one of at least nine girls from Arie’s season who will also be in Paradise this summer. There’s word (gossip, yes!) that Colton wasn’t thrilled that Tia was the reason he was eliminated.

There’s a good chance he wanted to make it to the final two to secure his spot as the next Bachelor.

That didn’t happen. So…

Now that both Colton and Tia are going to be part of the 2018 Bachelor in Paradise cast, I’m going to make a big assumption…

Colton will pull a Nick Viall

I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Colton will dump her on the finale, channeling his inner Nick Viall, who savagely dumped Jen Saviano knowing he was going to become the 2017 Bachelor.

Of course, we won’t know who the next Bachelor is until closer to the end of Paradise. Or, ABC may string us along until November/December and make us think they are going to pick Peter Krauss from Rachel’s season of The Bachelorette.

Reality Steve doesn’t think that will happen and speculates that it will be one of Becca’s final four guys — that leaves us with Colton, Blake, Garrett, and Jason.

And despite all the drama surrounding Garrett’s Instagram “likes,” TMZ has already leaked out photos of Garrett and Becca together at the final rose ceremony.

I’m going stick with my prediction that Colton will be next Bachelor and we’ll learn all about it on the Bachelor in Paradise reunion.

Stay tuned to see if my prediction is right!

Watch The Bachelorette on Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.