AC100 On Campus: JAMARKUS MCFARLAND

On my trip through the state of Texas last week, I had a chance to sit down with half a dozen of the top prospects in the state. It turns out, they are also some of the top prospects in the nation.

First up is the top defensive tackle in the nation: Jamarkus McFarland.

Here is the link to the video...

DT Jamarkus McFarland Video

The biggest thing that stood out to me about big J-Mark was his off the field attitude and mentality. He was very humble and honest. He is student body president. He never misses class, practice or workouts. He lives for Lufkin High School. I asked him if he had any favorite teams or players growing up and he said, "I grew up a Lufkin Panther fan."

He is also incredibly strong. He benched 3-bills as a freshman.

It looks like LSU and Texas are the finalist with LSU having the edge. Les Miles and Co. are cleaning up...

2009 Spotlight: Garrett Gilbert

Mack Brown and the Texas Longhorns have accelerated the recruiting calendar more so than any other school in America.

The Longhorns have 17 commitments for the class of 2009. ITS APRIL! That is nearly a full class and none of them have played a single down of their senior seasons - or been to junior prom for that matter.

Of course, the state of Texas has something to do with it. No place in America is high school football a bigger deal than in the Lone Star state. Just ask the parents and fans of Southlake-Carroll who will be paying a premium for a PSL (Personal Seating License) just to get the right to purchase season tickets. This is high school football we are talking about!

At Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, fans do not have to buy PSL's to see the future of Longhorn football. Garrett Gilbert, a 6'3", 190-pound quarterback, put on an absolute clinic in passing efficiency in 2007.

The young signal caller completed 359 of his 555 passes - that's 65% - for 4,826 yards and 52 touchdowns. The completions, attempts and yardage marks were state records. At one point last season, in the state championship game against Houston's top defensive team, Gilbert completed 24 straight passes. Lake Travis won that 4A state title game and their quarterback garnered 2nd team All-State honors.

Just to show how advanced the recruiting process is, Gilbert has been committed to the Longhorns since February 7, 2008. That was Signing Day 2008 - over a year and a half before Gilbert will begin his freshman season.

Gilbert has proven to be a winner, and a very productive one at that. He shows excellent leadership ability and poise. His high completion percentage shows solid accuracy. He is also deceptively mobile. He will not wow defensive coaches but they will have to account for his legs when game-planning because he will make them pay on the ground if ignored. He throws very well on the run as well.

A couple of issues come up immediately with Gilbert. First, he will need to add some weight and strength. He is about the same size as Colt McCoy, who has had issues with injuries his entire career on the Forty Acres. Second, and this is nit-picking, but his arm strength is not elite. He makes up for it with great precision but may never have top-notch, NFL-type arm strength. Last, his mechanics will need smoothing out.

The size and mechanical issues can be fixed very easily with solid coaching and training programs. The arm strength may never be an issue in college, but will certainly effect his draft stock in a few years.

If Gilbert produces in the Big XII like he did in high school, Texas fans will not care one bit.

Gilbert in action:

Top 25 Prospects to Watch for 2009

The 2008 class is in the books, at least for the most part, and coaching staffs everywhere have already turned their attention to their 2009 classes. Some schools already have strong starts on the recruiting trails.

USC already has ten committed prospects for the ’09 class – eight of which are top-100 type players. Quarterback Matt Barkley (Santa Ana, Calif.) is considered by many as the top signal-caller in this class, and he is already committed to the Trojans. He is also the early favorite for the No. 1 spot on the 2009 Athlon Consensus 100.

Florida State has six commits thus far but the quality is astounding. Five of the six have the potential to be top-100 players. Taking care of the local markets and keeping kids at home is essential for FSU in a year where the Tallahassee area is well-stocked. Wide receiver Willie Downs, corner JaJuan Harley, end Brandon Jenkins and linebacker C.J. Mizell all hail from Tallahassee, Fla.

Ohio State already has eight verbal pledges, three of which are almost locks for the AC100. John Simon (Youngstown, Ohio) led his team to the Ohio high school state title game last season only to lose by a single point to Coldwater. Rest assured he will be fired up for his senior season. Chris Fields (Painesville, Ohio) is eerily similar to return specialist Ted Ginn Jr. Fields will be a much better wide receiver and should impact the return game as well.

Texas, however, is off to arguably the best start of anyone for 2009. They already have 15 commitments. Garrett Gilbert (Austin, Texas) is an incredibly productive high school passer. He threw for nearly 5,000 yards and 52 touchdowns in his junior campaign. Chris Whaley (Madisonville, Texas) looks exactly like Super Bowl champ Brandon Jacobs when he runs through tacklers with his 6-3, 225-pound frame. Mack Brown has once again pushed the recruiting calendar to the limits.

North Carolina and Butch Davis are also off to a great start with a solid group of local talents. Michigan State, Stanford and LSU are also off to great starts for ’09.

A few mid-major programs are making waves as well. BYU and TCU are two of the top non-BCS programs in the nation and it is showing in this recruiting season.

2008 saw maybe the most talented collection ever of wide receiver prospects in one class. This season quarterback and defensive tackle are the two positions that really stand out so far. Both are premium positions and normally very scarce. Not in 2009, both are loaded with talent.

Also, look to the Midwest for extra talent this year. The state of Wisconsin is poised to have its most talented class of seniors in two decades. Minnesota, Michigan and Illinois are also stacked with talent for the 2009 class.

The state of Louisiana also boasts an above average class, with possibly five or six AC100 members.

It is very early but here are some names that will become household very early in the recruiting process:

Matt Barkley - QB - Santa Ana, Calif. (6-3, 225) USC
Shevodrick Beaver - QB - Wichita Falls, Texas (6-3, 190)
Dorian Bell - LB - Monroeville, Pa. (6-1, 220)
Bryce Brown - RB - Wichita, Kan. (6-0, 215) Miami
Marlon Brown - WR - Memphis, Tenn (6-5, 208)
Vontaze Burfict - LB - Corona, Calif. (6-2, 230) USC
William Campbell - DL - Detroit, Mich. (6-4, 320) Mich
Chris Davenport - DT - Mansfield, La. (6-3, 315)
D.J. Fluker - DT - Foley, Ala. (6-7, 325) Alabama
Garrett Gilbert - QB - Austin, Texas (6-3, 190) Texas
Kevin Graf - OL - Agoura, Calif. (6-6, 305) USC
Devon Kennard - DE - Phoenix, Ariz. (6-4, 240)
Dre Kirkpatrick - DB - Gadsden, Ala. (6-2, 185)
Jacobbi McDaniel - DT - Greenville, Fla. (6-0, 285) FSU
Jamarkus McFarland - DT - Lufkin, Texas (6-3, 290)
Lamar Miller - RB - Miami, Fla. (5-11, 208)
Rueben Randle - WR - Bastrop, La. (6-3, 200)
Tyrik Rollison - QB - Sulpher Springs, Texas (6-2, 195)
Tom Savage - QB - Philadelphia, Pa. (6-3, 230)
Russell Shepard - QB - Houston, Texas (6-2, 195) LSU
John Simon - DT - Youngstown, Ohio (6-3, 280) Ohio St
Frankie Telfort - LB - Miami, Fla. (5-11, 195)
Manti Te'o - LB - Honolulu, Hawaii (6-2, 230)
Chris Whaley - RB - Madisonville, Texas (6-3, 225) Texas
Cierre Wood - RB - Oxnard, Calif. (6-0, 195)

2009 Classes to Watch: Texas

Many people credit JoePa with the emergence of the 'early commitment' years ago. Mack brown has taken it to a new level. The newly formed Junior day has gained tremendous popularity amongst coaches in which hundreds of juniors from around the area show up on campus.

Of course, being in Texas provides an added bonus. High School football and the recruiting process is more mainstream and sped up in the Lone Star state more so than any other. Kids and parents are more accustomed, earlier, than any where else. There are more independent film companies promoting high school athletes in Texas. There is dramatically more media coverage of high school football in Texas more so than anywhere else. Hell, fans have to buy PSL's just to get tickets to Southlake Carroll games.

All this means that the Texas Longhorns are at the precipice of the recruiting calendar. As Brown and staff were inking their No. 11 recruiting class as ranked by Athlon Sports in February, the Horns already had 10+ commitments for 2009.

Now, they have the early lead for the No. 1 class in 2009 with 15 commitments. All of them hail from the state of Texas.

There are two names that really catch my eye on film:

Garrett Gilbert - QB - Austin, Texas (6-3, 190)

Gilbert has been nothing if not incredibly productive. Throwing for nearly 5,000 yards and 52 touchdowns (versus 12 INTs) in only his junior year is quite impressive. He throws a great deep ball, shows some escapability and will stand tall in the pocket and take the hit in order to deliver the ball. He shows good arm strength, solid accuracy and good footwork/throwing motion. Gilbert is mechanically sound and VERY productive. To me, those are signs of future success.



Chris Whaley - RB - Madisonville, Texas (6-3, 220)

Whaley is the definition of a work horse. His size and speed combo could be deadly in Austin. He is a smaller version of Brandon Jacobs. He has similar running style and is certainly not afraid of contact. It is fun to watch this kid run the rock. He has quick enough feet to be a factor in the passing game but his strength will be between the tackles. He will wear defenses down and will be a dominant fourth quarter runner.



Greg Timmons (WR, Aldine, TX) and Thomas Ashcraft (OL, Cedar Hill, TX) will both be in the Athlon Consensus 100.

Once again, the Texas Longhorns beat everyone out of the recruiting gate.

Team Recruiting Countdown: No. 11 Texas Longhorns

No. 11 Texas Longhorns (Big 12 No. 2)

2008 Haul: 20 signees, 5 Athlon Consensus 100

Scouting Report:

Mack Brown and the Longhorn coaching staff have turned recruiting into an everyday chore. They have gone out and recruited so well over the past five years that there are no glaring areas of weakness on this roster. Brown has to be commended for the wonderful job he does year in and year out on the recruiting trail and 2008 is no exception.

With the early departure of Jamaal Charles to the NFL, the running back spot is one position that could use some depth. Vondrell McGee has basically staked his claim on the starting spot, so Texas fans should not expect any of the incoming freshmen to start. It is one of the most talented running back classes in the nation, however, so there should be some impact. Of the five ’08 running back prospects Texas signed, DeSean Hales (Klein, Texas) and Jeremy Hills (Alief, Texas) are the two to watch out for. Both are smaller backs that can explode for the big play at any time. Hales is a more complete runner and is certainly the future of the running back spot for the Horns.

On the outside, the Horns bring in two more big, rangy pass catchers. Dan Buckner (Allen, Texas) is the most physically gifted prospect in this class and is not shy about making sure his opponents know it. The verbose Buckner has the tools to back his mouth up, though. D.J. Grant (Austin, Texas) should be another talented, lanky target for future Longhorn quarterbacks.

For all the NFL talent that has been in the Texas’ secondary over the past few seasons (four NFL first day picks and one to be this April), the pass defense has struggled. Texas finished 10th in the Big 12 in pass defense and 99th and 109th nationally in each of the last two seasons. Aaron Williams (Round Rock, Texas) and D.J. Monroe (Angleton, Texas) will look to change that recent trend. Williams is as solid a defensive back prospect as any in the nation and could play corner or safety. Monroe is small but makes up for his lack of size with tremendous tenacity and speed. Nolan Brewster (Denver, Colo.), the son of a coach, is a heady addition to the defense. He is a classic safety/linebacker tweener and should make a big impact wherever he ends up.

The Longhorns added three linebacker prospects as well – not counting Brewster. Dravannti Johnson (Nederland, Texas) headlines this group. With most of the starting spots already accounted for, do not expect any immediate impact from this group.

Along the offensive line, two stellar prospects are headed to the Forty Acres. David Snow (Gilmer, Texas) and Mark Buchanan (Austin, Texas) look to continue Texas’ tradition of strong offensive line play.

As expected, Mack Brown made his living in the football crazed state of Texas once again. All but one prospect in this class is from the Lone Star State (Brewster-Colo.)
 
Top Prospect: Dan Buckner – WR – Allen, Texas (6-4, 210) AC100 No. 40

As has been stated many times, the 2008 class is loaded will big, fast wide receivers. Buckner fits the mold perfectly. He uses his huge wingspan to high point most passes. He uses tenacious ball skills and solid leaping ability to outwork defensive backs for most balls thrown his way. He will be a great red zone target. Buckner shows great body positioning and control; playing in traffic does not phase the big wideout.

He is at his best in the vertical passing game, using his size and leaping ability to beat smaller corners. He has solid straight-line speed but will never be a slot-type, open-field playmaker. He will, though, make an immediate impact in the deep passing game and in the red zone.

Most of the time, Buckner’s physical ability is a huge advantage. At times, however, he can be too physical. He will need to be careful when putting his hands on smaller defensive backs. Officials on the next level will not be as kind as the Texas high school zebras.

Buckner’s fabulous ball skills were on display in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl when he made a spectacular touchdown reception over Boubacar Cissoko. He is the next in a recent line of big, powerful NFL-type wide receivers (Roy Williams, Limas Sweed).

Best of the Rest:

Aaron Williams – Round Rock, Texas (6-1, 180) AC100 No. 62
Jarvis Humphrey – DT – Cedar Hill, Texas (6-2, 295) AC100 No. 64
DeSean Hales – RB – Klein, Texas (5-10, 165) AC100 No. 77
D.J. Monroe – CB – Angleton, Texas (5-9, 170) AC100 No. 87
David Snow – OL Gilmer, Texas (6-4, 300)
Dravannti Johnson – LB – Nederland, Texas (6-2, 230)
D.J. Grant – WR – Austin, Texas (6-3, 200)
Nolan Brewster – DB – Denver, Colo. (6-1, 200)
Jeremy Hills – RB – Alief, Texas (5-10, 180)
Mark Buchanan – OL – Austin, Texas (6-6, 280)

Sleeper: Antoine Hicks — ATH — Mansfield, Texas (6-3, 200)

Watching film on this young athlete, one thing is very apparent: he is a playmaker. No matter what position he plays, look for Mack Brown to put the ball in his hands. He is impossible to tackle in the open field. His position in high school was quarterback. He is very familiar with the ever-so-popular spread-zone-read-option that won a national championship in Austin three years ago. He also throws a nice deep ball so it would not be shocking to see him get reps at quarterback.

Darrell Scott Goes Buffalo!!!

In what might be the biggest land in Colorado history, the No. 1 running back in the nation Darrell Scott from Ventura, CA has decided to head to Boulder, CO.

Darrell Scott is the most complete running back prospect in the nation. He has not only the durability, size and power to run between the tackles 20-25 times a game but also has the speed and agility to get to the outside and beat defenders to the edge. He shows exceptional feet for a bigger back and has great balance and power for a guy who can play in the open field. He has great vision and patience while allowing his blocks to develop. Scott is also one of the better receivers out of the backfield in this class.

Scott rushed for 3,194 yards and 45 touchdowns his junior year.

Scott has lived in Florida, Texas and California, so he has played against top-flight competition his entire career. Colorado freshman wide receiver Josh Smith is Scott’s uncle but is more like his brother as they lived together in Ventura. This relationship will be a key factor in where Scott ends up.

This puts the Colorado class in rarefied air. The Hawk is really doing a great job.

Signing Day Watch List:

There will be fans of every school in America wasting many man (or woman) hours at the office Wednesday.

That is because tomorrow is college football’s National Signing Day. It is the first opportunity for head coaches to officially claim players as their own. It is also the first time head coaches can publicly comment on recruits.

Needless to say, it is an exciting time for everyone involved. Fans, coaches, players and recruiting junkies everywhere will be glued to a medium of choice waiting for those faxed letters of intent to come in.

This season, more so than in recent years, the names left yet to commit are extraordinarily talented. The top quarterback, running back and wide receiver have yet to pick a school. The 2008 recruiting national championship, very much so, still hangs in the balance.

The big three are obvious:

Terrelle Pryor - QB - Jeannette, PA
Finalists: OSU, Michigan, Oregon, Florida, LSU, PSU
Prediction: if it happens tomorrow...OHIO STATE

Julio Jones - WR - Foley, AL
Finalists: Alabama, FSU, Florida, Oklahoma, Texas Tech
Prediction: ALABAMA

Darrell Scott - RB - Ventura, CA
Finalists: Colorado, Texas
Prediction: COLORADO

Pryor is set to announce on ESPNU at 12:05 pm ET. Pryor has hinted at taking a visit to Oregon this upcoming weekend, which would push back his announcement past Signing Day. Jones is set to announce at 12:30 pm ET on ESPNU. Scott is set to announce at 12:50 pm ET on ESPNU.

Here is a list of some of the other big names announcing Wednesday, my prediction is in bold:

E.J. Abrams-Ward - ATH - Thomasville, NC
Finalists: Tennessee, North Carolina

Aaron Boyd - WR - Lexington, KY (10:30 am)
Finalists: Kentucky, Oregon

T.J. Bryant - CB - Tallahassee, FL
Finalists: USC, FSU, Miami, Florida, Alabama, LSU

Quinton Coples - DE - Chatham, VA (10:45 am)
Finalists: North Carolina, Tenn, NC St, FSU

Enrique Davis - RB - Chatham, VA
Finalists: Maryland, Oregon, Auburn, Ole Miss, Tenn

Roderick Davis - DT - Aldine, TX
Finalists: Texas A&M, Texas, Florida

J.B. Fitzgerald - LB - Princeton Junction, NJ
Finalists: Michigan, Rutgers

Jarmon Fortson - ATH - Columbus, GA (12:45 pm)
Finalists: Florida St, Auburn

Jamie Harper - RB - Jacksonville, FL (12:20 pm)
Finalists: Clemson, FSU, Florida, Miami

Brandon Harris - CB - Miami, FL
Finalists: Florida, Miami, Ohio State

Jerrell Harris - LB - Gadsden, AL (3 pm)
Finalists: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Tenn, USC

Josh Jenkins - G - Vienna, WV (9 am)
Finalists: Ohio St, WVU, Florida State

Ben Jones - OL - Miami, FL
Finalists: Clemson, Miami

Datone Jones - DE - Compton, CA
Finalists: Oregon, UCLA

T.J. Lawrence - WR - Lakeland, FL
Finalists: S. Car, Va. Tech, Florida, Michigan

Antoine McClain - OL - Anniston, AL
Finalists: Tenn, LSU, Clemson

Charles Mitchell - S - Clarksdale, MS
Finalists: Southern Miss, Nebraska, Miss St

Nick Perry - DE - Detroit, MI (3 pm)
Finalists: Michigan, USC, Mich St, Miami

Robert Quinn - DE - North Charleston, SC (10:30 am)
Finalists: Auburn, Alabama, North Carolina

Hamani Stevens - C - Hemet, CA (3 pm)
Finalists: UCLA, BYU, Oregon

Tommy Streeter - WR - Miami, FL
Finalists: Miami, Oregon, S. Car, USF

Note: Time = Player's expected announcement. All times Eastern.

Pre-Signing Day Team Recruiting Rankings:

In the middle of November, the first edition of The UV's Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings debuted. Notre Dame was the best class in the nation after the first unofficial rankings. Things have changed a bit since then.

Athlon's ranks were USC-1, UGA-2, OSU-3, ALA-4, MIA-5. Our rankings only act as one-fourth of the overall team rankings. Much in the same way that the Athlon Consensus 100 works, these team rankings are compiled using four expert sources. ESPN, Rivals, Scout and Athlon.



Rivals and Scout use a computer system that calculates a point total based on individual rankings and quantities. ESPN's list is a subjective group put together based on one man's opinion. Athlon's rankings are obviously subjective as well. This gives The Unofficial Team Recruiting Rankings equal parts computer and human.

Georgia's consistency at No. 2 across the board gave the Bulldogs enough to overcome Notre Dame's two No. 1's. USC and OSU have the best bang for their buck with the highest level of quality. But schools like Miami and Alabama have put together much bigger classes at the moment so they got the nod in most rankings.

Texas has the top running back class with five nice prospects. They would have one of the best classes at the position in history if land Ventura (Cali.) running back Darrell Scott, whom they seem to be leading for after Longhorn tailback Jamaal Charles declared for the draft. Scott is the No. 1 running back prospect in the nation. If the Gators were to add Jacksonville star Jamie Harper and DeSoto (Tx.) product Cyrus Gray, they might be able to challenge. If the experts want to count USC transfer Emmanuel Moody, Florida might be leading.

USC is pulling off the same feat along the offensive line with six outstanding prospects. Ohio State could challenge if they were to land a kid like Josh Jenkins and Notre Dame might have something to say if they could snag Kenneth Page from the southeast.

The depth of this wide receiver class is special and there is still a lot of work to be done. With names like Muskogee's (Okla.) Jameel Owens and Foley's (Al.) Julio Jones still hanging in the balance, any number of teams could claim the title.

Florida would certainly clinch this position if they can somehow pull the upset and land Jones. Carl Moore, Omarius Hines and Frankie Hammonds round out a very well-balanced class for the Gators.

USC's class is special. D.J. Shoemate is Percy Harvin plus two inches and 30 pounds. Brice Butler might be the most polished wideout in the entire class. Oklahoma would challenge if they land Owens - which seems likely. Notre Dame recently pulled Deion Walker off the east coast and Michael Floyd is a very special player. Miami could join the action if the 6-6 Tommy Streeter gives The U a clean sweep of the Northwestern-7. (Ben Jones would have to commit as well...work with me here)

Spain Park defensive end William Green would give Alabama the best defensive line class. Miami boasts the best interior group led by Marcus Fortson, Texas A&M leads on the edge with six commits. Georgia has the second best overall class. Clemson and Oklahoma bring in the best two defensive line prospects in DaQuan Bowers and R.J. Washington respectively.

Miami has the linebacker class locked up. This class is so deep that the Canes might have five starters in the group: three linebackers, one safety and one defensive end. Michigan and Virginia Tech both have great depth in the linebacker corp. If the Buffaloes can hang onto Lynn Katoa, Colorado will have a dynamite group at linebacker.

LSU is atop the list of defensive back classes, led by Ely's (Fl.) Patrick Johnson. If Rick Nueheisel can hang onto Rahim Moore, E.J. Woods and company, UCLA might get my nod, however. It just seems so unlikely that will happen. The Gators claim the top safety group with New Jersey product Will Hill and Auburn High's Dee Finley.

The final team rankings will be released post-signing day.

Early Enrollee Tracker:

As time progresses, the list of spring enrollments will get larger and larger. In this first edition of the Early Enrollee Tracker, three southern powers, the Oregon Ducks, Sly Croom and Mack Brown will be reaping the benefits of kids getting into school early. Learning the campus, getting used to the schedule and starting a college level weight program all will dramatically aid in developing prospects.


Clemson Tigers:

DaQuan Bowers - DE - Bamberg, SC
Kyle Parker - QB - Jacksonville, FL
Tarik Rollins - LB - Hollywood, FL
Spencer Benton - K - Myrtle Beach, SC
Stanley Hunter - Duncan, SC (2007 signee)

Clemson has to be happy to see Bowers and Parker show up early. Parker, a quarterback, can never work too much on his game and Bowers is arguably the best defensive prospect in the entire nation. This Clemson team should already be really good next season, adding Bowers could make this defense very dangerous.


Florida State Seminoles:

Nigel Bradham - LB - Crawfordville, FL
Terrance Parks - CB - Creekside, GA
Vincent Williams - LB - Davenport, FL

FSU DC Mickey Andrews should be happy to see these three prospects step on campus early this spring. Like Bowers at defensive end, Bradham is arguably the best as his position nationally. Parks is also a very solid prospect.


Florida Gators:

Janoris Jenkins - CB - Pahokee, FL
Brendan Beal - LB - Bethlehem, PA
Matt Patchan - OT - Tampa, FL
Jeremy Brown - CB - Orlando, FL
Earl Okine - DE - Gainesville, FL
Caleb Sturgis - K - St. Augustine, FL

Florida's group is sick. Jenkins, Beal and Patchan are all top-100 type players. Beal and Patchan are both in the top-50 of the Athlon Consensus 100. They also enroll the top offensive JUCO player in the nation, 6-4, 220-pound wide receiver Carl Moore.

JUCOS:
Carl Moore - WR - Roseville, CA
Troy Epps - DT - Union, SC


Oregon Ducks:

The Ducks bring in one of my favorite players in the nation: Darron Thomas. Thomas is a lighting quick Dennis Dixon clone with 20 more pounds of weight. Among the other early signees/enrollees are three JUCO kids as well. Bruising running back LaGarrette Blount could be an immediate fix to a running game that could lose Jonathan Stewart. Don't let Blount's power and size fool you, he can really move well in space too. Blount decommitted from FSU and signed with Oregon on JUCO Signing Day.

Darron Thomas - QB/ATH - Aldine, TX
John Boyatt - S - Napa, CA
Carson York - OL - Coeur d’Alene, ID

JUCO signees:
LaGarrett Blount - RB - Perry, FL
Lonnell Rice - DT - Palm Desert, CA
Justin Thompson - DT - Los Angeles, CA

Texas Longhorns:

Dan Buckner - WR - Allen, TX
Mark Buchanan - OL - Austin, TX
Tre Newton - RB - Southlake, TX
David Snow - OL - Gilmer, TX
Dravannti Johnson - Nederland, TX
Brock Fitzhenry - WR - Giddings, TX
Blake Gideon - S - Leander, TX
Justin Tucker - K - Austin, TX

Just another huge group of early enrollees. Buckner had a nice game in San Antonio in the U.S. Army AA Bowl. Snow, Buchanan, Newton and Johnson are all promising prospects.


Mississippi State Bulldogs:

Phillip Freeman - OT - Wesson, MS (JUCO)
O'Neal Wilder - WR - Carthage, MS (2007)
Mike Hunt - S - Meadville, MS (2007)
Nelson Hurst - TE - Plainfield, IN

Hurst is technically the only actual early enrollee but I am sure that Sly is happy to have them on campus this spring.

Stayed tuned to The Unofficial Visitor for more of the Early Enrollee Tracker.

Athlon Consensus 100: 81-90

The latest ten names of the Athlon Consensus 100 have been released.

81. Lamaar Thomas - ATH - Friendly, MD (OSU)
82. Garrett Goebel - DT - Lombard, IL (OSU)
83. DeSean Hales - ATH - Klein, TX (Texas)
84. D.J. Monroe - CB - Angleton, TX (Texas)
85. E.J. Woods - S - Culver City, CA (UCLA)
86. Brandon Thompson - DT - Thomasville, GA (und.)
87. Jerrell Harris - LB - Gadsden, AL (und.)
88. Nick Perry - DE - Detroit, MI (und.)
89. Josh Jarboe - WR - Ellenwood, GA (und.)
90. Joe Adams - ATH - Little Rock, AR (USC)

This is a very athletic group. Thomas, Hales and Adams will all find themselves on offense although Adams could be used in both defensive and offensive capacities. Woods and Harris play like missiles and can really hit.

The state of Georgia is off to a great start with five players in the first 20 names. Cali and Texas both have three.

Corner and the mysterious 'athlete' position each have four prospects. However, this might be a bit misleading as at least Thomas and Hales will be playing WR, which has two players. WR might be the deepest position in the AC100.

Ohio State and UCLA each have three prospects committed. Texas and UGA have two.

The Big Ten and Pac-10 each have four commits. The SEC and Big XII have three each.

MOST UNDERRATED: Lamaar Thomas, this kids is a bigger version of Percy Harvin. Expect him to get the ball out of the backfield (maybe in a few sets as QB), as a wide receiver and especially a return man. He is a game-changer.

MOST OVERRATED: Goebel/Thompson. Now, they both could end being good. Goebel needs what Thompson has and Thompson needs what Goebel has. Goebel is very technically sound and plays very smart football but lacks burst and raw athleticism. Thompson has great explosion and athletic ability but lacks fundamentals and technique. Both could be good though. I actually like all ten of these kids but these two seem to have the most work to do.

Stay tuned to AthlonSports.com every Monday and Thursday as we release ten more names each day until Signing Day on Feb. 6th.

D.J. Grant Dissention

There is a vast difference in opinion about D.J. Grant.

ESPN: #16 player in the nation, #4 wide receiver
Scout: not-ranked as a a defensive end
Rivals: #63 wide receiver
PrepStar: not ranked

As I am currently building the Athlon Consensus 100, which will be a compilation of all four of those sites put into a mathematical formula, Grant has easily the highest discrepancy of evaluation. Grant committed to Texas over the weekend.

After evaluating game film of Grant, I realized that the 6-3, 200 lb LBJ (Austin, TX) product is dramatically underrated. Do I think he is the #16 prospect in all of high school football? No. But he is a 4-star type player.

Because this wide receiver class is so deep its hard to put him ahead of names like Jameel Owens and Brice Butler. But can Grant hang with names like Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammonds or Dan Buckner? Probably.

Grant has excellent speed. When the ball is in the air, he drops the clutch and accelerates away from defenders. His separation speed is great. He also has good ball skills. He gives great effort to make the catch.

Terrelle Pryor headed to Oregon?

Good friend Mike Farrell of Rivals.com, is reporting that Terrelle Pryor has added the Oregon Ducks to his list of suitors. Apparently Mike Bellotti and Dennis Dixon paid him a bit of a visit when traveling to New York for an awards ceremony.

I have been saying since day one that his decision will come down to what type of offense he will be running. West Virginia and Florida would fit his desired style the best. However, no matter how good Terrelle Pryor is, he will never be more popular than Timmy Teabags in Gainesville.

Ohio State has proven that it can adapt. But is Tressell to conservative?

Was Michael Robinson's season enough for Penn St to prove that JoePa has not let the game pass him by?

Tennessee. Manning? Claussen? Ainge? That is twelve years of no chance.

With Dennis Dixon's play this season and no quarterback in sight on that campus, Eugene becomes an interesting option for Mr. Pryor. If it is the system he wants, there might be no better option than Oregon and Chip Kelly's offense.

Prior to Dixon's injury, West Virginia and Oregon were the two most explosive and most difficult to stop offenses of the 2007 season. Would love to see him go to Oregon.

Additionally, Pryor eliminated Texas. Shocking. They were never a serious player.

Photo by Pittsburgh Post Gazette

Team Recruiting Rankings

As we near the end of the actual football season, we begin to head into the heart of another type of season. The recruiting season. The bowl season, for those teams not practicing for such historic bowl titles as the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, means hitting the recruiting trail. I have searched high and low to bring you the first ever Unofficial Visitor team recruiting rankings. With a little help of course...

Rivals and Scout are both completely computerized awarding points for quality and quantity. Hence Ohio St and USC are lower. ESPN is completely objective (Its just some guy ranking classes).

I will be the BCS of recruiting rankings. It will be two parts computer and two parts human poll. I will input my rankings and come up with "The Unofficial Team Rankings:"

Darrell Scott update

Darrell Scott has begun his cross country tour of campuses (or is that campii?). Arguably the best running back prospect in the nation, possibly the best player at any postion, visited Colorado for the beat down Mizzou put on the Buffs. But no worries CU fans. The St. Bonaventure HS (Ventura, CA) star loved Boulder.

According to the Daily (Co.) Camera, the 6-1, 210 lb running back says that Colorado is firmly in the lead for his services. Apparently his uncle, Josh Smith, is a freshman WR at CU and Scott would love to play with him. The math is a little fuzzy on that one but whatever.

Now before you go jumping into some Dan Hawkins Lotus pose, keep in mind that this kid just got back from his visit in Austin, TX (one of the many cities I have lived). He will be soon visiting LSU, Florida, UCLA and of course USC. This process is far from over. However, it is very difficult to see him not getting ALOT of playing time VERY early at Colorado.

Keep in mind that this kid was born in FLA, lived in Texas and now resides in Cali. Not bad football played in any of those states.

If you have not had the pleasure...