AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2006 > December > 27
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Recruiting report: Little ready to pick FSU; Heyward to visit UGA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Got someone whose recruitment you’d like us to update? E-mail deputy sports editor Jeff D’Alessio at jdalessio@ajc.com, and we’ll do our best. Come back to ajc.com/sports every day between now and national signing day to get the latest online-only news on college football recruiting from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. AJC staff writers will update this blog as news develops throughout the day.
Little set to commit to Florida State
The winner of the Chris Little sweepstakes appears to be Florida State.
“I’m thinking FSU but I’m having trouble getting in touch with the coaches because they’re all out at the bowl game,” Little told the AJC’s Jeff Hood shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Little said he wouldn’t make an official announcement until he could reach Bobby Bowden, whose Seminoles play UCLA in today’s Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
Little, a 6-foot-6, 340-pound offensive lineman from Twiggs County, had also considered Georgia and Notre Dame.
Why FSU?
“I know they need help on the offensive line and it’s close to home,” Little said.
Heyward visits: Georgia, LSU, Florida, Ohio State
Peachtree Ridge’s defensive tackle Cameron Heyward is enjoying the holiday season and not much has changed as far as the schools he’s considering.
He will make an official visit to Georgia, he told the AJC’s Bill Sanders on Wednesday afternoon. When, he’s not sure.
Heyward said he will visit LSU on Jan. 19 and also plans to visit Florida and Ohio State.
Heyward said he would likely announce a decision sometime before national signing day on Feb. 7, but he wasn’t sure exactly when.
Hargrave’s Chavis: Georgia in the lead
After visiting Georgia two weeks ago, Hargrave Military Academy defensive end Miguel Chavis has a new leader.
“I liked everything about it,” Chavis told the AJC’s Carter Strickland on Wednesday afternoon. “They are my new leader.”
Chavis had originally committed to North Carolina, but said he was naïve to the recruiting process at that point and really didn’t know what other schools had to offer. When he went to Hargrave, the doors to the recruiting world opened wider and Chavis decided he wanted explore a few other options.
Chavis is also interested in Tennessee, Clemson and Maryland. The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder said he would graduate from Hargrave in June, then have to wait for the NCAA Clearinghouse to OK him, hopefully in time fot the second semester of summer school.
Including Chavis, Georgia has five senior targets left on its recruiting board. The others: defensive end Allen Bailey of McIntosh Academy, defensive back Morgan Burnett of North Clayton, defensive lineman Cameron Heyward of Peachtree Ridge and offensive lineman Joe Blaes of Kansas’ Coffeyville Community College.
The Bulldogs also were in the running for Twiggs County offensive lineman **Chris Little”“, who is set to commit to Florida State.
Mobile’s McNeil to check out Auburn, FSU
AJC Super Southern 100 safety Michael McNeil of Mobile, Ala., lists Auburn and Florida State as his favorites right now, but a host of schools are right behind them.
McNeil said he will visit Auburn on Jan. 12, then check out FSU on the 18th. He has already been to Tennessee and will likely visit either Clemson or Alabama, too.
McNeil liked what he saw in Knoxville. “I liked the scheme and the format, with the position I’d be in, is real good. I could play early,” he told the AJC’s Bill Sanders on Wednesday. “I saw the talent they had at my position and not to take anything away from anyone, but I think I could compete.”
McNeil said Alabama could move near the top once a coach is chosen.
Gators recruit looking elsewhere
Sidell Corley, a Super Southern 100 defensive end from Mobile, Ala., wants to be called a Florida commitment — but he also wants to shop around.
Corley said he’ll take a good look “at both state schools” — Auburn and Alabama — before national signing day on Feb. 7. He also recently got back from an official visit to Oklahoma.
“Everything about Oklahoma seemed just about right,” Corley told the AJC’s Bill Sanders on Wednesday. “With Alabama not having a coach, let just say hopefully by then they’ll have one. If not, I won’t be visiting.
“With Florida, I guess I’d say I’m committed, but I’m just wanting to check other schools and will wait till signing day to make it official.”
Tech recruit on the mend
D.J. Donley had a big role in helping Charlton County tie Dublin for the state Class AA football title, and the basketball team needs him badly now.
Donley, a defensive back/wide receiver who committed to Georgia Tech, can’t help, though, because he broke a rib in the state semifinals.
“In the Georgia Dome [against Early County] on the first punt return, I broke my ninth rib on the right side, but I played the final three quarters with it,” he told the AJC’s Matt Winkeljohn on Wednesday. “It was bothering me, but I didn’t tell anybody because I was afraid they wouldn’t let me play.”
Donley donned extra armor, a flak jacket, to play at Dublin in the title game, where he scored the tying touchdown on a pass reception.
“We played [Early County] on a Saturday, and I was X-rayed on Monday,” he said. “They told me it was broken all the way through, but non-displaced. For the championship game I had some trouble getting to play. They had to call paramedics in Dublin and tell them to be on stand-by.”
Weight-lifting is out of the question now for Donley, who’ll drive 45 minutes to Jacksonville on Monday to watch Tech play in the Gator Bowl. He hopes to return to the basketball team, which has been hit with player suspensions and quitters, in five or six weeks. He’ll enroll at Tech next summer.
“It’s worst in the morning,” Donley said of his broken rib. “I’ll take some Ibuprofen in the morning, and that’s it. I hope to get back to basketball in February. We’ve been having some player issues.”
Dunlap decision on hold
North Charleston (S.C.) Fort Dorchester defensive end Carlos Dunlap, the nation’s top weakside defensive end prospect according to Rivals.com, will not make an announcement about his college choice this week, according to his father, Carlos Dunlap Sr.
“He’s just not ready to decide yet,” Dunlap Sr. told Rivals.com. “He wants to make sure to let all of the schools that have recruited him know and wants to thank them because they all have been excellent.”
Dunlap Jr., named last week to the AJC’s Super Southern 100, is considering South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. He has visited all three schools unofficially and took an official visit to Columbia in December. Dunlap Sr. said that his son may make scheduled official visits to Knoxville (Jan. 13) and Gainesville (Jan. 20).
Dunlap Jr. will particpate in the inagural Offense-Defense All-American Bowl on Jan. 4 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (7 p.m., ESPNU)
Kentucky recruit to visit Georgia, Auburn
LaGrange defensive lineman D.J. Stafford insists he’s committed to Kentucky. But the 6-foot-3, 251-pound Stafford still plans to move forward with official visits to Auburn and Georgia in January.
“I just want to see if they’ve got something better to offer,” Stafford told the AJC’s Jeff Hood.
One of the primary reasons Stafford is leaning toward Kentucky: the fact that three of his former LaGrange teammates are on the Wildcats roster. “I’ve got some good friends up there who play for Kentucky,” he said.
South Carolina’s McKinley inspires Duke-bound Kelly
The success of South Carolina sophomore wide receiver Kenny McKinley gives confidence to his former South Cobb teammate, Austin Kelly, who hascommitted to Duke.
McKinley, South Carolina’s second-leading receiver with 48 catches this year as a sophomore, was a four-year starting quarterback at South Cobb. Kelly has been South Cobb’s starting quarterback for most of the past two seasons.
Kelly says he and McKinley get together whenever McKinley is back in town. “He sort of like a mentor,” Kelly, who started at receiver McKinley’s senior season, told the AJC’s Todd Holcomb. “He says you’ve got to out-work the guy in front of you. I watch him all the time. I feel I can do that too. I know I can be as successful as him if not more.”
McKinley is faster and quicker than Kelly, but Kelly is much bigger (6 feet 3, 200 pounds compared to McKinley’s 5-11, 181). Kelly says he has a 38-inch vertical leap run the 40-yard dash in 4.48 seconds.
Kelly declined an invitation to play in the Georgia North-South all-star game in order to focus on basketball and not risk aggravating an ankle injury first sustained in a football playoff game Nov. 10.
Massaquoi may take junior college route
Coveted by many Division I-A programs, academics may force Central Gwinnett linebacker Sam Massaquoi to sign with Kansas’ Butler Community College instead.
“For right now, I would say his core GPA is what is hurting him,” Central Gwinnett coach Brad Warren told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “If he gets his core GPA up, then he’ll sign with a Division I-A school. If he doesn’t, he’ll go to Butler.”
Big offers coming for Rozier?
Bleckley County coach Sam Barrs thinks running back Zeke Rozier has the talent and ability to play on the Division I-A level. Currently, the 6-foot, 197-pound Rozier has offers from Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, and Georgia Southern. But Barrs believes offers from Florida, Florida State, Georgia and/or South Carolina will come in January for Rozier, a participant in Friday’s North-South all-star game in Columbus.
“This kid is legit,” Barrs told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “He made an unofficial visit to Florida State a couple of weeks ago and got to meet coach [Bobby] Bowden following a practice. Some schools are recruiting him as an outside linebacker and some as a running back. He’s tall enough that he can add 10 to 15 pounds and carry it well.”
Star receiver sets four visits
Dwight Jones, an AJC Super Southern 100 wide receiver from Burlington, N.C., told Scout.com on Wednesday he has set up four official visits: to North Carolina (Jan. 6), Tennessee (Jan. 12), Clemson (Jan. 19) and Florida (Jan. 26).
Jones committed to North Carolina but has had second thoughts since John Bunting was let go as coach.
LSU, Oklahoma finalists for Super Southern lineman
AJC Super Southern 100 defensive end Luther Davis of West Monroe, La., told Scout.com on Wednesday he will choose between LSU and Oklahoma.
“When it comes to Oklahoma, they are losing four defensive ends, and during my freshman year they will have two other seniors so I will be right there playing,” Davis told Scout.com. “Then by my sophomore year there is a good chance I will be starting. That fact is a major positive to look at. LSU is the home team and I don’t live far from there here in Monroe. That in itself is a real terrific thing.”
Louisiana star eliminates Irish
Notre Dame is out of the running for Louisiana Mr. Football Joe McNight, the tailback told Scout.com.
McKnight told the Web site he’ll visit Ole Miss (Jan. 12), Southern Cal (Jan. 19), LSU (Jan. 26) and Arkansas (TBA), and also is “debating” between trips to Clemson and Miami.
“They all play hard and win games,” McKnight, named last week to the AJC’s Super Southern 100 team, told Scout.com. “They are all good programs and have good coaching staffs.”
Hester: Sticking with Tide
Mike Shula’s recent dismissal at Alabama has had no impact on Marist linebacker Jennings Hester’s decision to sign with the Crimson Tide in February.
“I committed to the school, not the coaches,” Hester told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. Hester, however, is a big fan of Tide interim coach Joe Kines. Hester remains hopeful that Kines and fellow Tide assistant Charlie Harbison will be retained on the staff of the next coach.
“I definitely want to see Coach Kines and Harbison return,” Hester said.
Illinois, Louisville court Baldwin star
After rushing for 2,153 yards and scoring 28 touchdowns during his senior season, 5-foot-10, 183-pound Baldwin running back Darius Marshall is on the radar of several Division I-A schools.
“Darius has a visit set up with Illinois in the next few weeks,” Baldwin coach Jesse Hicks told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “And Louisville has been courting him, too.”
Bonner to Hargrave?
Baldwin wide receiver Wayne Bonner is still awaiting college entrance test scores, which will determine whether he is academically eligible to play at the Division I-A level. Bonner had been considering Florida and South Carolina, but now appears likely headed to Virginia’s Hargave Military Academy.
“Wayne had been looking at some SEC schools,” Hicks told the AJC. “But right now, it looks like he’ll be headed to prep school. There are some Division I-AA teams that are showing interest. We’re just waiting on those test results.”
Another big honor for UGA recruit
Sommerville (S.C.) High wide receiver A.J. Green, who says he’ll sign with Georgia in 2008, was the only junior named Wednesday to USA Today’s All-USA first team.
UGA-bound offensive lineman Trinton Sturdivant of Wadesboro, N.C., was named to the All-USA second team, as was uncommitted Darien McIntosh Academy defensive end Allen Bailey.
Peachtree Ridge back to check out Carolina schools
Peachtree Ridge running back Chris Thomas plans to schedule visits to Coastal Carolina and East Carolina and also is getting attention from Ohio University
Gainesville lineman down to 3
Gainesville offensive lineman Charles Wood has narrowed his choices to East Carolina, Marshall and Memphis, according to Gainesville coach Bruce Miller.
“I would think that Marshall is his favorite, but East Carolina and Memphis are starting to push real hard,” Miller told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “I think it will be one of those three.”
The 6-foot-4, 275-pound Wood will play alongside Gainesville teammate Nick Claytor, who has committed to Georgia Tech, in Friday’s North-South all-star game in Columbus.
Illini interested in Newnan QB
Newnan quarterback Thomas Darrah is drawing little interest from Division I-A programs. But I-AA Elon and Western Kentucky are both making a push for Darrah to commit, the player said.
The lone big-name school in the mix is from the Big Ten.
“Illinois is still looking at me,” Darrah told Rivals.com. “We’re still sending out stuff. I don’t know yet.”
Zook reels in another one
Scout.com is reporting another commitment for Illinois coach Ron Zook, this one coming from Bloomington (Ill.) Central Catholic’s Josh Brent, the Web site’s 12th-ranked defensive tackle nationally. He’s the fifth player ranked among the top 15 at his position to commit to Illinois. The headliners landed so far by Zook, the former Florida coach: Washington (D.C.) Dunbar wide receiver Arrelious Benn and Chicago Simeon defensive end Martez Wilson.
Three offers for Central Gwinnett linebacker
Central Gwinnett coach Brad Warren confirmed Wednesday that Black Knights inside linebacker Bryce Smith has been extended offers by three schools. “Coastal Carolina, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and Samford have each made offers to Bryce,” Warren told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. The 6-foot, 230-pound Smith anchored the Central Gwinnett defense at middle linebacker.
Nissley stands by UCF commitment
South Forsyth tight end Adam Nissley said the commitment he made with Central Florida earlier this year remains solid, despite recent reports that he might be wavering and considering Louisville and Southern Miss.
The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Nissley credited UCF coach George O’Leary for luring him to the Orlando school. “Yeah, he had a pretty big role in recruiting me,” Nissley told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “I know his past and where he came from at Georgia Tech. And he’s had some professional experience too.”
Kenney eyes junior college
Dacula’s Cameron Kenney, a first-team all-state selection as a specialist, is expected to attend a junior college next fall. Kenney’s mother, Patti Roth, told the AJC’s David Purdum her 6-foot-2, 188-pound son has visited Dean College in Massachusetts and also is interested in Georgia Military College and Pearl River Community College.
Davis decision postponed
Memphis Wooddale wide receiver Roderick Davis was scheduled to announce his college decision before Christmas at a press conference at his school, but that was called off because of technical issues.
“They announced the press conference, but then had to have it rescheduled,” Wooddale assistant Brock Green told Rivals.com.
The 6-foot, 192-pounder holds scholarship offers from Ole Miss, Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas Tech.
He has previously stated that the Rebels are his leader over the Red Raiders and that he plans to visit Oxford and Lubbock officially, along with Division I-AA Tennessee State.
Bolden favors Washington
Ontario (Calif.) Colony standout Omar Bolden, Scout.com’s 15th-ranked cornerback, tells Scout’s Allen Wallace he favors Washington over Oregon State, but is still also considering UTEP, Nebraska and Washington State.
Jayhawks enter race for Bradenton lineman
Kansas is making a strong push with little-known Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee offensive lineman Spencer Hodges, Rivals.com reports. Florida Atlantic, Ball State, Akron and Liberty also are involved.
In case you missed it …
— North Clayton safety Morgan Burnett told the AJC he is no closer to a decision and still has a list that includes Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Tech. Surgery set for Lincoln County QB
— Lincoln County quarterback and Virginia Tech recruit Brandon Barden told the AJC he’ll have arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Thursday.
— A.J. Green, the Summerville (S.C.) High junior wide receiver who says he’ll sign with Georgia in 2008, was named a first-team South Carolina all-stater by The Associated Press.
— Georgia Tech quarterback recruit Steven Threet told the AJC he’ll enroll early and begin classes at Tech on Jan. 8.
— Griffin running back Bobby Rainey has visited Eastern Michigan and told the AJC he hopes to visit Western Kentucky, East Carolina, Georgia Southern and Appalachian State prior to signing day.
— Greater Atlanta Christian quarterback Lee Chapple told the AJC he’s considering six schools: Central Florida, James Madison, Memphis, Miami (Ohio), Richmond and Southern Miss.
— Rolando Melancon, a 6-foot-2, 260-pound defensive tackle from Louisiana’s Lutcher High, picked Tennessee over Arkansas, LSU, Michigan and Ole Miss, among others.
— Olive Branch (Miss.) linebacker K.J. Wright selected Mississippi State over Auburn and South Carolina, among others. “MSU is a place that I think I can go in and make an impact and play early,” Wright told Scout.com.
