SEC Rebounds!

After and early morning period in which four of the better prospects switched and left the conference, the SEC has begun to make its move.

Ole Miss and Arkansas pulled upsets to start the SEC run. Houston Dale Nutt pulled off a major recruiting coup in landing 5-star Hargrave running back Enrique Davis. He signed with Auburn last season but did not qualify. Davis could start right away and is easily the best player in this Ole Miss class - Darius Barksdale aside.

Bobby Petrino also made big news around noon today. Longtime USC commit Joe Adams is a dynamic prospect. He switched and signed with the Razorbacks.

Adams is a special, do-it-all type athlete. He does not run — he glides. Even his lateral, open-field movements are very smooth. He runs the underneath routes as well as any other prospect in the nation. Once he’s got a step, he is gone. Adams’ top-end speed is blistering, and he will get to the edge consistently. He is comfortable carrying the ball out of the backfield and has the potential to be a really solid return specialist also.

Then again, Adams could be a cornerback. In the mold of a Champ Bailey or Charles Woodson, Adams could find himself on both sides of the ball. He has the room to get bigger and stronger. There is no doubting his raw athletic ability. With the physical tools that he has, Adams could find himself at a variety of positions on the next level. His natural instincts are strong and will carry him a long way into the early development process.

Kentucky also won a nice prize in homegrown wide receiver Aaron Boyd. He should step in and help right away and is likely the top prospect in this Wildcat class - at the minimum he is the best prospect in the state of Kentucky.

Vols fans had a nice start to the day with the signing of Thomasville, NC athlete E.J. Abrams-Ward. This tall, lanky prospect could play on either side of the ball.

Early Theme in Signing Day: SWITCHES

Florida has already lost two prospects in LB/S Ramon Buchanan and C Ricky Barnum.

Now Auburn has lost one of its top playmakers: wide receiver Jarmon Fortson from Columbus, GA has signed with FSU. Fortson is a great looking pass catcher. He is built like a tank and had a stellar performance in the Georgia Dome in the state semis this season. Auburn will miss Mr. Fortson.

It does not end there, however. Georgia lost one its top players in tight end Dwayne Allen. Allen signed with the Clemson Tigers.

That is four top SEC targets that have left the league.

Purdue also lost one of its top targets too. Troutwood, OH wide receiver Ray Roundtree signed today with the Michigan Wolverines. Rich Rod and Co. are making a very strong push on Signing Day.

Ramon Buchanan: DOUBLE SWITCH

Urban Meyer and company once again take an early hit on Signing Day. After stealing Melbourne, FL linebacker/safety Ramon Buchanan away from the Hurricanes, a second dose of their own medicine early on Signing Day has the linebacker/safety prospect bailing on the Gators and signing with Miami.

Listed at both linebacker and safety, what position he ends up at depends more upon team need than his ability. Florida has young linebackers who all return, so safety might be a better fit. In addition, Buchanan would need to add at least 30 pounds if he expects to play linebacker.

There is no doubting his physical play and explosiveness, though. He will get handled by bigger offensive linemen but will never back down from any match-up. His attitude and demeanor are that of a linebacker. In the secondary, this should transform him into a hard-hitting enforcer of a safety. His burst and explosion are essential and will give him plenty of range, but he will need plenty of work on his deep coverage ability. Buchanan is already comfortable around the line of scrimmage, so run support will be an immediate asset.

Who’s Got It Right: PrepStar

Ricky Barnum: The Ole Switcharoo!!

The Florida Gators got a bit of their own medicine this morning. One of the top centers in the nation has switched his commitment from the SEC power to the newly energized Michigan Wolverines.

Ricky Barnum is a 6-2, 250lb center from Lakeland, FL (Lake Gibson High). Interestingly enough, the city of Lakeland sent 7 prospects to Florida last year. No such luck this season.

A couple more names fall for Michigan and they could end up in the top-5 nationally.

They need Terrelle Pryor and Nick Perry though.

Josh Jenkins Stays Home!!!

Its about time West Virginia got some good news. Highly rated offesnive lineman from Vienna, WV Josh Jenkins has signed his letter of intent to play ball for the Mountaineers.

This thick o-line prospect plays tackle for his high school team but is likely to be offensive guard in college. He lacks the height and quickness to play tackle on the next level. He does have a nice, bulky frame with the ability to add some size. With some added power from a college weight program, Jenkins could develop into a very strong run blocker. He already shows great push up the middle on inside run plays.

He is comfortable in pull-blocking schemes, which again indicates a move to guard. He has a strong burst and great initial contact. It would be nice to see him maintain consistency throughout the entire play; after the burst he can at times lose focus.

All in all, he is a solid overall player. He shows a nice grasp of the overall skills needed to play on the offensive line. If he develops a killer instinct, he could turn into an all-conference type player.

Jenkins is the gem of this WVU class.

Deion Walker Says Yes to Fighting Irish

This morning Christchurch, VA wide receiver Deion Walker is the first big name on Signing Day to announce his school.

Big Pick up for the Irish - although he is not nearly as good as Mike Floyd.

The very familiar terms ‘tall, rangy wide receiver’ once again applies to this prospect. Walker did play some safety in high school and shows great ability in playing the high point position and patrolling the deep secondary. These strong ball skills also make him a playmaker in the vertical passing game.

He has good speed and has some ability to make people miss in the open field. He is not, however, a ‘quick-twitch’ kind of player. His speed will be more than adequate when combined with his ability to make the big play.

Walker is going to need to add some thickness as Division I athletes will throw him around without added weight. That raises another issue: level of competition. The players he was going up against were nowhere near his equal in athleticism.