NCAA Recruiting Scoop

Remember the days when the Florida State Seminoles were the cream of the crop in college football? Bobby Bowden could do no wrong back then. Nowadays things aren’t nearly as pretty. Along with this, the 2008-09 football season is shaping up like a must win kind of year for him.

Could anyone have imagined this 10 years ago? Probably not. But the good news for Bowden is that he still hasn’t lost his recruiting touch. And with that comes hope.

Chris Thompson, a 5-foot-8, 173 pound running back from Greenville, Florida (Madison High School) has verbally committed to play for the Florida State Seminoles and head coach Bobby Bowden in 2009.

Then again, we’re talking about a guy that’s slated to play on the offensive side of things. In other words, Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher likely had a little more to do with his decision to sign on with the Seminoles than Bowden may have.

But we digress.

Beyond the speed- we’re talking 4.4 in the 40 yard dash here- and 3.2 Grade Point Average is the production. After all, there are plenty of fast and athletic guys out there these days. But how many of them can play football well enough to rush for 1,529 yards and 29 touchdowns heading into the state semifinals?

Not many, and this is where Chris Thompson separates himself.

And it is for these reasons and more that Thompson falls in at number 92 on the Rivals 100 of 2009. Fact is he would probably be a good deal higher on the list if he were a tad bigger.

In the end, Thompson chose the Seminoles over the Memphis Tigers, Miami of Florida Hurricanes, and Clemson Tigers. So there were some big dogs after him.

Looking forward to seeing what this young man can do in a couple of years. Could be big. And that’s what draws fans into recruiting, isn’t it? The possibilities.

When it comes to college football recruiting, coaches seem to get more than one chance. Said another way, Miami of Florida Hurricanes head coach Randy Shannon didn’t exactly turn things around for one of the more storied college football programs of the modern era last season. However, Shannon still turned an outstanding 2008 recruiting class and is now hard at work on 2009. Speaking of 2009, there’s this prospect by the name of Bryce Brown. . .

Bryce Brown, a 6 foot, 212 pound five star running back from Wichita, Kansas (Wichita East High School) has verbally committed to play for the Miami Hurricanes in 2009. According to Scout as a junior, Brown rushed for over 1,800 yards and scored 26 touchdowns, nabbing him All-City and All-State honors. He also made the Kansas “Fab 11” and was the only junior named a USA Today Prep All-American this past season. This all probably had something to do with the fact that Brown has breakaway speed, great vision, and power to boot.

Brown is simply the entire package. Says Scout: “If you were building a running back from scratch you would try to model him after Brown.”

Enough said on that.

In the end, there were many teams in the running for Brown’s services before he decided on the Hurricanes. Along with this, the Clemson Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Kansas State Wildcats, Kansas Jayhawks, North Carolina Tar Heels, Ohio State Buckeyes, Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks, USC Trojans, Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Longhorns, and West Virginia Mountaineers were all driving hard to the hoop for Bryce Brown. Of course, that’s what happens when a player is considered the 10th best player in their class according to Rivals (the Rivals 100 of 2009).

Don’t we all wish that we were considered the 10th best in the country at the things we do. Of course, with that status comes pressure. But that’s all for later. For now, things are looking good for Bryce Brown.

It’s amazing how much of a difference just a few years can make. It wasn’t too long ago that Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jim Tressel was considered a big game coach. After all, once he took over the Buckeyes they immediately began winning that big game- what is it?- oh yeah, the one against Michigan. On top of it all, Tressel’s Buckeyes club stole that national championship from what many consider to be one of the best college football teams ever in the Miami of Florida Hurricanes club led by quarterback Ken Dorsey and running back Willis McGahee.

But nowadays, removed from two straight national championship losses to SEC clubs, he finds people questioning his ability to win big games. Pretty foolish, actually. But here’s one thing that no one questions: Jim Tressel’s ability to bring in big time recruits. Speaking of this. . .

Chris Fields, a 6 foot, 181 pound four star wide receiver from Painesville, Ohio (Harvey High School) that runs a stellar 4.43 40 yard dash, has verbally committed to play for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2009.

Fields managed 51 catches for 879 yards as a junior in high school. Thus, it’s no wonder that he finds himself on the Rivals 100 of 2009 at number 88.

In the end, Fields chose the Buckeyes and Tressel over the Oklahoma Sooners, Penn State Nittany Lions, Tennessee Volunteers, Akron Zips, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Illinois Fighting Illini, North Carolina State Wolfpack, and Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

So another Ohio guy chose to attend Ohio State, huh? Not too surprising, now is it? Now here’s the question: Can all of these guys from Ohio still beat the Michigan Wolverines now that Rich Rodriguez is on board?

Anyone surprised? Hardly. We consistently spoke of Alabama’s stellar recruiting class all season. Further, we noted that if they picked up Julio Jones then they would likely overtake the competition.

And that’s what happened.

Remember all of those problems with Nick Saban that everyone was having at the close of the 2007 college football season? Well, here’s a newsflash. No one in Alabama cares anymore.

Because Saban is setting the stage for a big time return to prominence, just as he did previously at LSU.

Alabama’s 5 stars

Julio Jones: Jones is tall, he’s strong, he’s fast, and he has awesome hands. Oh yeah, and for grins he can also jump very high and was productive in high school.

Said another way, Julio Jones is a star in the coming. In fact, some have wondered outloud if when it’s all said and done he’ll be considered a better player than everyone’s number one 2008 prospect, Terrelle Pryor.

Tyler Love: This massive offensive tackle- we’re talking 6-foot-7, here- has it all. Expect him to be a mainstay by his sophomore season. That said, don’t be shocked if he gets significant playing time during the 2008 season either.

Burton Scott: A do it all athlete with speed to burn.

The rest of Alabama’s stellar recruiting class

Mark Barron
Undra Billingsley
Devonta Bolton
John Michael Boswell
Terrence Cody
Marcel Dareus
Robby Green
Glenn Harbin
Jerrell Harris
Don’ta Hightower
Destin Hood
Mark Ingram
Chris Jackson
Star Jackson
Barrett Jones
Chris Jordan
Alonzo Lawrence
Robert Lester
Brandon Lewis
Tyler Love
Ivan Matchett
Kerry Murphy
Wesley Neighbors
Jermaine Preyear
Melvin Ray
Brad Smelley
Corey Smith
Damion Square
Courtney Upshaw
Michael Williams

So everyone take note. In other words, take a look. Could this class lead the Tide nation to a national championship four years from now? Further, could this class be one that the Alabama faithful remembers for quite a while? Hard to know for sure. But here’s the thing.

Julio Jones is a special player. Further, these recruitniks have proven time and time again to know a little something about what they’re doing.

Said another way, Alabama is looking like a player on the world recruiting scene again. Looking forward to those upcoming Auburn- Alabama games.

Sometimes it’s the coach. Certainly Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins had something to do with Darrell Scott’s decision to sign a letter of intent to play for the Buffaloes. Sometimes it’s the fans. Colorado certainly has some good ones. But the real clincher here may just have been a Colorado Buffaloes player by the name of Josh Smith.

You see, Smith is Scott’s uncle. In other words, Colorado is like family.

Darrell Scott, a 6 foot, 204 pound running back from Ventura, California (St. Bonaventure High) that runs the 40 in 4.4 and possesses a 3.2 GPA, has signed a letter of intent to play for the Colorado Buffaloes next season.

Here’s why that has all of Colorado jumping around happy as loons.

As a sophomore, Scott posted 1,988 yards rushing and 19 touchdowns. Last season as a junior, he managed 3,194 yards and 45 touchdowns. Oh yeah, and as a senior he accumulated a measley 1,697 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns.

Thus, when you put it altogether, this powerful runner with great vision and cutback ability is considered the best running back in the entire 2008 class, the best player coming out of California, the sixth best prospect in the entire nation, the second best inside runner, and the best downhill runner going.

In other words, he’s damned good.

In the end, Darrell Scott chose the Colorado Buffaloes over the Florida Gators, UCLA Bruins, Florida State Seminoles, Miami of Florida Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, North Carolina Tar Heels, Penn State Nittany Lions, USC Trojans, Texas Longhorns, and LSU Tigers.

If you need anymore proof that Dan Hawkins will put the Buffaloes back on the national map you may need glasses. Two- three years from now Colorado will be looking like a power again.

Well, everyone in the state of Alabama- that roots for the Crimson Tide, anyway- can breath a collective sigh of relief. That’s right: Julio Jones has committed to play for Nick Saban and the gang next season.

Yes, there are some upset fellows at Oklahoma, Florida, Florida State, and Texas Tech. But in the end was there really any doubt?

Julio Jones is a 6-foot-4, 215 pound five star wide receiver from Foley, Alabama (Foley High) that runs the 40 in 4.48. Those measurables already sound good. Now check these out: Jones also benches 315, squats 505, possesses a soaring 41 inch vertical, and has good hands.

What does all of that translate to? How about a sophomore season where he pulled in 51 balls for 805 yards and eight touchdowns; a junior season where Jones caught 75 balls for 1,306 yards and 16 touchdowns; and a senior season in high school where he managed a mere 68 catches for 1,181 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Dan Henderson vs. Anderson Silva

Wait, we forgot the 168 yards rushing, 168 yards in kickoff returns, and 314 punt return yards he accumulated as a senior.

Thus, when you put it altogether Jones is considered the fourth best prospect in the entire 2008 class by Rivals. He’s also believed to be the best state of Alabama prospect, the third best wide receiver after the catch, the fifth best deep prospect in the country, and the best overall wide receiver period.

By the way, we here at NCAA Recruiting Scoop believe that Julio Jones is the second best prospect in the land, and is quite close to being the best. After all, look at the measurables. He’s got the right combination of size, speed, strength, and jumping ability.

In the end, Jones chose the Crimson Tide over the Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Oklahoma Sooners, and Texas Tech Red Raiders.

This is huge, Tide fans. Huge!

Here’s the thing: The Alabama Crimson Tide are currently ranked in NCAA Recruiting Scoop’s Top 5 of 2008. Now we could update that ranking right now, but why?

Wonder if the masses will still be jumping on the ‘I hate Nick Saban’ bandwagon then?

Mark Ingram, a 5-foot-10, 195 pound athlete from Flint, Michigan (Southwestern Academy High School) has verbally committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Here’s why people out in Tuscaloosa are stoked:

Ingram runs the 40 yard dash in 4.4 seconds.

Well, that’s not it by itself, actually. You see, Ingram also managed to rush for 846 yards and 14 touchdowns and catch 22 passes for 260 yards and two touchdowns in high school.

Wait, that was when he was a junior. As a senior, Ingram managed a measley 1,700 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns.

In other words, Mark Ingram has game.

Thus, when you put it altogether Ingram’s four star status certainly isn’t surprising. Neither, by the way, is his ranking at number 17 in terms of 2008 athletes.

And just for grins we thought we’d also let you know that Ingram is considered the sixth best prospect coming out of the state of Michigan.

In the end, Mark Ingram chose the Tide over the Arizona State Wildcats, Florida Gators, Iowa Hawkeyes, Michigan State Spartans, Tennessee Volunteers, Washington Huskies, and Wisconsin Badgers.

Good luck to him. And while we’re at it, good luck to all the SEC teams that will have to account for him in the coming years.

Larry Fedora just took over as the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles head coach after serving as Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s offensive coordinator. By the way, in case you were wondering, Fedora runs that in offense- what do you call it again?- oh yeah, the spread.

Not many. By the way, we couldn’t find a picture of Larry Fedora, so we threw this one up.

DeAndre Brown is a 6-foot-6, 208 pound five star wide receiver from Ocean Springs, Maryland (Ocean Springs High School) that runs the 40 yard dash in 4.62 seconds and possesses a 28 inch vertical leap.

Not bad, huh? Talk about a big target.

What’s more, this kid is an athlete. As a junior in high school he managed 340 yards rushing on 22 carries with six touchdowns and 359 yards receiving on 21 catches for seven touchdowns. But then came his senior season.

Let’s just get it out: DeAndre Brown posted 1,100 yards rushing and 700 yards receiving. Oh yeah, and he also accrued 64 tackles and three interceptions.

Now that’s talent. (Lyoto Machida vs. Tito Ortiz)

Altogether the aformentioned managed to nab Brown the number 22 spot on the Rivals 100 of 2008. He’s also considered the fourth best wide receiver in the nation, the best prospect coming out of the state of Mississippi, and the fourth best wide receiver after the catch in the nation.

And did we say that he’s going to Southern Mississippi? He chose the Golden Eagles over the Tennessee Volunteers, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, LSU Tigers, Miami of Florida Hurricanes, Ole Miss Rebels, and Mississippi State Bulldogs.

Could we be on the verge of watching a mid major graduate? Well, DeAndre Brown is certainly a good place to start.

Wondering what the thought process was for Jurrell Casey was? Well, you’ll find out in this installment of NCAA Recruiting Scoop thanks to some quotes gathered at Rivals.

Jurrell Casey is currently labeled a soft commitment to the USC Trojans. The 6-foot-1, 280 pound defensive tackle seems pretty sure, though. Check out the following comments:

“I got the offer from SC, but I was really waiting for the offer from Oregon to come,” said Casey. “I was all about Oregon at that point, and I thought they were going to offer me right off the bat. They didn’t, but that’s when USC came in and offered.

“I was like, ‘Alright, let me wait and see what happens with Oregon’. I waited, but they still didn’t offer. That’s when I started to get closer with the coaches from SC. Oregon wasn’t really around until later. Once they did offer, I still had to see what they were about. I wasn’t ready to do anything until I took some visits.”

“With SC, every part of the trip was fun,” said Casey. “Everything we did was fun, so I never got bored or started thinking about being somewhere else.”

So that’s how the Trojans managed to nab Casey. By the way, since this is a somewhat unorthodox attempt at what we normally do here, let’s get on with the stats:

Casey managed 114 total tackles and seven sacks during his senior season at Poly High in Long Beach, California. Along with this, he’s considered the 15th best defensive tackle prospect in the entire 2008 class. Casey is also considered to be the 26th best prospect coming out of the entire state of California and the fifth best run stuffing defensive tackle in the nation.

USC has apparently known about his commitment since January 19th. Beyond the Ducks, the other contenders had been the Arizona Wildcats, Michigan Wolverines, and Nebraska Cornhuskers.

Another big time score for recruiting guru Pete Carroll.

Brock Lesnar vs. Frank Mir Preview

The last time that NCAA Recruiting Scoop put out their top five, the Alabama Crimson Tide were in it. Will they be in it after signing day? Hard to say, even if we sure do like their chances.

Here’s what we do know right now. Glenn Harbin is one of their commits, and that sure doesn’t hurt their chances. A commitment by Julio Jones, just for argument’s sake, wouldn’t either.

Glenn Harbin, a 6-foot-6, 250 pound four star strongside defensive end from Mobile, Alabama (McGill Toolen High School) has verbally committed to play for the Alabama Crimson Tide and head coach Nick Saban in 2008. Harbin runs the 40 yard dash in 4.8 seconds, possesses a 32 inch vertical leap, and reports a Grade Point Average of 3.0.

Not bad.

Harbin managed 75 total tackles, including 25 for a loss and 10 sacks as a junior in high school a couple of years ago. As a senior, he accumulated 52 total tackles and five sacks.

So he can do some damage.

Thus, it’s really no surprise that Rivals considers Harbin the 17th best strongside defensive end in the 2008 class. He’s also considered the 16th best overall 2008 Alabama state prospect.

In the end, Harbin chose the Alabama Crimson Tide over the Auburn Tigers, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Kentucky Wildcats, North Carolina Tar Heels, Oklahoma Sooners, and South Carolina Gamecocks. Can you blame him?

After all, we’re talking about an Alabama resident here. Besides, the rest of the world seems to be putting Nick Saban down every chance they get. But in Alabama they realize that they’ve got a coach that can bring them back to the promised land.

The promised land, of course, being the BCS National Championship Game. Or at the very least, an SEC title game.

Losing that Patrick Johnson commitment was tough on Randy Shannon and the gang. After all, we’re talking about the highest rated defensive back in the entire country. But after a little soul searching, maybe a little comfort food, ole Shannon is back in the saddle again.

In other words, he and the Canes just picked up a commitment from a highly sought after safety from California by the name of. . . Well, just keep reading.

Vaughn Telemaque, a 6-foot-2, 180 pound four star safety from Long Beach, California (Poly High School) has verbally committed to play for the Miami of Florida Hurricanes and head coach Randy Shannon in 2008. Telemaque runs the 40 yard dash in 4.53 seconds and possesses a 34 inch vertical leap; so he certainly has some athleticism. But it’s his production that has people most stoked.

We’re talking about 52 tackles and two interceptions in his junior year, and a whopping 89 tackles and nine interceptions during his senior season.

Thus, Vaughn Telemaque is considered the 12th best safety in the 2008 class by Rivals. He’s also considered the 23rd best prospect coming out of the state of California, and the safety with the second best ball and cover skills.

So they sure did get themselves a good one.

Telemaque took a while to commit to the Canes but he’s solid. The teams he chose them over? How about the Michigan Wolverines, North Carolina Tar Heels, Oregon Ducks, Southern California Trojans, and Texas Longhorns?

Count on Vaughn Telemaque being a good one. And the way that the 2007 Miami of Florida Hurricanes played, they sure do need a good one. Actually, that’s untrue.

They need a great one. So here’s to hoping.

The Auburn Tigers are a team known for developing outstanding running backs. William Andrews, Joe Cribbs, Bo Jackson, Carnelly “Cadillac” Williams. . . You get the point. However, what’s missing on most people is that they also do an outstanding job developing defensive linemen and linebackers.

Enter Jomarcus Savage, a defensive lineman that certainly has a nice upside and is an excellent pickup for Tommy Tuberville and the boys. Betcha new defensive coordinator Paul Rhoads is rather stoked too..

Jomarcus Savage, a 6-foot-2, 260 pound defensive tackle from Huntsville, Alabama (J.O. Johnson High School), has verbally committed to play for the Auburn Tigers and head coach Tommy Tuberville next season. Savage runs the 40 yard dash in 4.6 seconds, benches 325 pounds, squats 510 pounds, and possesses a 30 inch vertical leap.

Said another way, this is a very strong guy with good speed for his size.

What’s more, he’s also been quite productive as a high school player, having posted 79 total tackles and nine sacks as a junior, and 76 tackles- including 24 for a loss- and 12 sacks as a senior.

So Jomarcus Savage is a guy that makes plays in the backfield.

Altogether this has compelled Rivals to consider him the 47th best defensive tackle in the 2008 class. He’s also considered the 28th best prospect coming out of Alabama; and that’s a state with talent, people.

In the end, Savage chose the Auburn Tigers over the Clemson Tigers, Kentucky Wildcats, South Carolina Gamecocks, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles, and Tennessee Volunteers. The final decision, however, seems to have been between Phil Fulmer’s crew and the Tigers.

Though he’s only considered a three star prospect by Rivals, Savage might be a good guy to bet on in the college game. He possesses the kind of athleticism one needs to compete on the SEC gridiron. Besides, his speed and strength seems awful impressive, no?

Remember all of the shouting about Tennessee Volunteers football coach Phil Fulmer back in the beginning of the season? The reality was that he was looking about as enticing as then Nebraska head coach Bill Callahan. In other words, it looked like he was a goner. But these days Fulmer is looking just a little different. There’s a spring in his step, a smile is always painted on his face. Well, maybe not.

We would be remiss not to mention Marlon Walls.

Marlon Walls, a 6-fot-2, 225 pound outside linebacker from Olive Branch, Mississippi (Olive Branch High School) has verbally committed to play for the Tennessee Volunteers and head coach Phil Fulmer next season. Walls runs the 40 yard dash in 4.55 seconds, so he’s quite quick for the position. In fact, he served as a sprinter in high school.

Beyond that, Walls has been quite productive during his high school career. Said another way, we’re talking about a guy that put up 92 tackles his junior season in high school.

Altogether, this has caused Rivals to consider Walls to be the 22nd best outside linebacker in the entire 2008 recruiting class. He’s also believed to be the sixth best prospect coming out of the entire state of Mississippi.

Not bad, eh?

In the end, Walls chose the Volunteers over the Auburn Tigers, Louisville Cardinals, Michigan State Spartans, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Ole Miss Rebels, and Mississippi State Bulldogs. The interesting thing is that he’s another one that decided to change allegiances. In his case, it was from Ole Miss to Tennessee.

Can’t blame him. First, Ole Miss lost their coach, and that’s always a good reason to change. Second, this is a kid that was always a Tennessee fan. Thus, he’s perfect for the Volunteers.

Now he’ll be rooting for himself.

The USC Trojans had already nabbed four of the top 100 juniors in the land before they convinced Matt Barkley to come their way. Remember what we here at NCAA Recruiting Scoop said about Pete Carroll late in 2007? Just in case you don’t, here it is in a nutshell.

Pete Carroll may be the best college football recruiter in the history of the game. Now those are fighting words.

Matt Barkley, a 6-foot-4, 222 pound pro style quarterback from Santa Ana, California (Mater Dei High School) has verbally committed to be a part of the University of Southern California’s 2009 recruiting class. Barkley is considered to be the best 2009 prospect in the entire country by Rivals.

In other words, Pete Carroll has scored another big time prospect. But don’t get too into it all yet when it comes to Barkley. After all, all you USC fans will have to wait more than a full season to see what he can do.

Speaking of what Matt Barkley can do. . .

As a freshman in high school, Barkley threw for 1,685 yards and 10 touchdowns with nine interceptions. As a sophomore in high school, Barkley managed a mere 1,349 yards passing with 11 touchdowns and five interceptions (through only 11 games). Then came his junior season in high school.

Whoah Nelly!

In 2007, Barkley accrued 3,560 passing yards and 35 touchdowns. Further, he only tossed nine interceptions. Not too shabby, eh? And he did it all in only 11 contests.

In the end, Barkley chose the Trojans over the Stanford Cardinals, Tennessee Volunteers, University of California at Los Angeles Bruins (UCLA), Washington Huskies, Hawaii Warriors, California Golden Bears, Colorado Buffaloes, Florida State Seminoles, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Ohio State Buckeyes.

Jeesh, talk about a list that’s chock full of great choices. Of course, when you’re the number one quarterback and player in the land, well, that’s to be expected.

Who doesn’t enjoy a little fun in the sun? As we near the end of the 2008 recruiting campaign, don’t be surprised if the USC Trojans and Florida Gators start nailing down tons of big time recruits. What’s more, they’re also likely to compel a few from soft verbal commitments to other schools.

Already started, in fact. Anyway, keep reading.

Malik Jackson, a 6-foot-5, 212 pound weakside defensive end from Lake Balboa, California (Birmingham High School) has verbally committed to play for the Southern California University Trojans and head coach Pete Carroll next season.

Anyone surprised that he decided against Fresno State and turned to the Trojans? Not NCAA Recruiting Scoop, either. After all, in the end most westerners seem to want to go to USC. A lot of easterners too.

But we digress.

Anyway, Jackson is considered the 51st best prospect coming out of the state of California in 2008. In Rhode Island, number 51 isn’t all that great. But in California, that really means something. What’s more, Malik Jackson is also considered the 10th best weakside defensive end prospect in the nation.

Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar at UFC 81

Maybe all of those nice rankings had something to do with the 54 tackles and 13 sacks he managed in high school as a junior. This guy is going to be difficult to deal with when it comes to rushing the passer.

In the end, Jackson chose the USC Trojans over the Utah Utes, University of Nevada Las Vegas Rebels, Fresno State Bulldogs, Nevada Wolfpack, Arizona State Sun Devils, and Colorado Buffaloes.

Speaking of those Buffaloes, could they be getting their hands on the nation’s number one rated running back? Maybe. Then again, maybe not.

And that’s the great thing about college football recruiting. You just never know. Unless, that is, you’re the prospect in question.