DJ Shoemate makes me happy...

Now that I have gotten that out of the way. I want to get started with the stuff I actually care about: RECRUITING.

There is no better place for me to start than to start spewing about who I think should be the No. 1 player in the nation for the class of 2008. Yes, Terrelle Pryor is a freakin stud. 6-6 230 lbs QB who glides when he runs? Vince Young you say? Just hold on a minute. Vince Young has a cannon. He does not always know how to use it properly, but a very strong arm. Pryor's arm is not nearly as strong as VY's. Yes, he he looks like Vince when he runs and I love Pryor but maybe my favorite player in the nation this season is from Cali baby. (Ok, maybe Shoemate is No. 2 this season)

DJ Shoemate - Athlete, Servite High School (Anaheim, Ca)
Depending on who you talk to: 6-1, 218 lbs (USC commit)

To give you a break down on where he ranks with the big boyz:
Rivals: #22 overall
Scout: #41 overall
PrepStar: #12 overall
ESPN: #56 overall

Now, these rankings are low due to one thing and one thing only. Shoemate did not play his Jr. season due to injury (broken foot in the first game of the year). Sometimes, the kid is just too good. Ask the Chargers about Antonio Cromartie who just picked off Peyton Manning three times and he did not play a down of his last year at FSU. Injuries create doubt. Fo Sho.

I have none about DJ.

First, let me tell you that the most difficult area to evaluate about a 17-year old, pimply-faced kid is his mental maturity, whether that is leadership, intelligence or work ethic. Shoemate is the leader of his football team. He is well-spoken and worked hard off the field in the classroom during his injury to make sure he got into school.

On the field, he is Percy Harvin plus 3 inches and 30 pounds. His straight line speed may not be that of Harvins, but it is close. He is just as versatile. Is a game against Orange Lutheran DJ carried the ball 36 times for 242 yards and 3 scores. He also registered a sack, forced fumble and fumble recovery (check out the video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=V-H1hjZQjUk ). Did I mention that he is listed as a wide receiver?

He has great ball skills, is not afraid to go over the middle, and can be used out of the backfield much like Percy Harvin is used. The difference? Percy just sat out the South Carolina game because he is injured. DJ is much bigger and thicker. The size-speed combo is unreal.

Percy was No. 1 in the nation by Rivals.com in 2006.

The Unofficial beginning of life....

Yes, this is unofficially the first ever post on this here blog.

What do I know about recruiting? Well, I will tell you. If you read my profile you will have figured out that I worked for the market leader in recruiting news and information: Rivals.com. They eat, breath, sleep, drink and do other things to, recruiting. I produced and hosted a national radio show on Sirius Satellite Radio. If you are a fan of college sports, I recommend that you check out RivalsRadio on Sirius 123. Just a quick plug for my boys still slaving away at 4:00 am. Don't miss that one bit. But I digress....

I have since began work at Athlon Sports, another market leader in the sports media industry. This has allowed me to broaden my scope of focus to include baseball, nascar, etc. As the not-so-great Stevie A. Smith would say, HOWEVA, college football and subsequently college football recruiting are still my favorite sports on the planet. You cannot argue this fact. Not only will you lose but you will look foolish trying to tell me that Tuesday's Bobcats-Raptors NBA game was anything but meaningless.

SO, what does this all mean Mr. Visitor?

Well, after much deliberation and many, many hours pondering the deodorant brand that Terrelle Pryor uses, I have come to the ingenius conclusion that this thirst for recruiting information must be shared. I feel it would be selfish of me to keep it all locked inside. And so your Unofficial Visit has begun and of course your trip comes with complimentary hostesses (and I don't mean those little chocolate fakecakes with the cream in the middle either).