AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2006 > December > 28
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Recruiting report: Georgia Tech to host California star; Florida WR leaving
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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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.
AJC exclusive: California star to visit Tech
Malachi Lewis, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound uber-athlete from Oxnard, Calif., has scheduled an official visit to Georgia Tech for the weekend of Jan. 19-21, the AJC’s Matt Winkeljohn reports. Lewis, who already has visited Cal, Oregon and Ole Miss, also is considering Southern Cal and Georgia.
He rushed for 1,406 yards last season at Rio Mesa High, where he also worked at wide receiver. Some recruiting analysts, however, believe he might be one of the top linebackers in the 2007 recruiting class while others feel he might play safety in college.
Tech is likely to sign 19 or 20 players in Feb., and has 18 commitments, 17 if Houston wide receiver Tyler Melton — who recently had reconstructive knee surgery — waits until January 2008 to enroll.
Lewis is one of four athletes the Yellow Jackets are still ardently recruiting. The others are North Clayton safety Morgan Burnett (who has made an official visit to Tech but no other school), Orlando linebacker Lorenzo Edwards and Baton Rouge defensive end Jason Peters.
Report: Quarterback switcheroos continue
Just more than a week after Ocala, Fla., quarterback John Brantley switched his commitment from Texas to Florida, the Longhorns raided Baylor for a recruit to replace him.
Gilmer, Texas quarterback G.J. Kinne has switched his commitment from Baylor to Texas, Rivals.com reported Thursday night. It’s considered a big blow for Baylor, which hired Kinne’s father as linebackers coach last summer, helping convince his son to pick the Bears over Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
Kinne was recently named Texas’ Class 3A Offensive Player of the Year by The Associated Press after completing 149 of 218 passes for 2,962 yards and 43 touchdowns.
The Longhorns are need of a young quarterback with the recent news that Jevan Snead was transferring to Ole Miss.
Stay tuned for updates Friday.
Super Southern 100 star eliminates Notre Dame
Scout.com’s Jeremy Patterson informs us at 7:30 p.m. Thursday that Super Southern 100 tailback Joe McKnight has tweaked his top three.
Originally, the River Ridge, La., star had planned to visit Notre Dame, LSU and Southern Cal, the top three schools he was considering. But McKnight has eliminated Notre Dame from consideration and added Ole Miss to his list of finalists.
Patterson says McKnight, Louisiana’s newly crowed Mr. Football, will visit Ole Miss on Jan. 12, Southern Cal on Jan. 19 and LSU on Jan. 26.
Boateng leaving Florida
Another scholarship just became available at Florida.
The school announced Thursday that little-used sophomore wide receiver Nyan Boateng has decided to transfer.
Boateng caught four passes for 77 yards and ran twice for 16 yards as a freshman in 2005. He had ankle surgery in September and didn’t have a catch in two games this season.
No word yet on where he might transfer.
Texan becomes Duke’s 19th commitment
Duke’s class grew to 19 Thursday night when cornerback Randez James of Judson, Texas, announced he’d sign with the Blue Devils. James also had offers from Arizona, Purdue and Tulsa.
The Blue Devils’ class includes one Georgian: South Cobb wide receiver Austin Kelly.
Top Georgia junior likes Clemson
Jefferson County junior A.J. Harmon, expected to be one of the top offensive line prospects in the Class of 2008, told Scout.com Clemson tops his early list.
“Clemson, Auburn, Florida and Georgia are my main four,” the 6-foot-4, 300-pounder told the Web site.
Harmon said his mother has given the OK for him to commit to Clemson. If his father does likewise, Harmon told Scout.com, “I will go ahead and pull the trigger on a commitment.”
Georgia still recruiting ‘five or six guys’
Hargrave Military Academy offensive linemen Ben Harden remains committed to Georgia but still has academic hurdles to clear before making it to Athens. Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College lineman Joe Blaes is also committed to Georgia but is exploring his options.
Without those two, the Bulldogs have 21 commitments for the class that will sign in February. As for how high Georgia might go, recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner isn’t sure just yet.
“You [have to] factor in attrition just knowing that you have got a certain number of guys who could be leaving early for the draft, academic [reasons] or transferring,” Garner told the AJC’s Carter Strickland. “We are probably actively recruiting five or six guys.”
One of those was Twiggs County offensive lineman Chris Little, who told the AJC on Wednesday he was set to commit to Florida State. As for whether or not Georgia has room for the other five …
“We will find out something here with the declaration date [for the NFL draft],” Garner said. “We should know which underclassmen may leave and may not. That is the biggest thing we have got going on: to see if we are going to lose one or two guys that decide maybe to come out early.
“I guess they could also decide to return and then they could go into the supplemental draft. You just don’t know. You have got to build in a little cushion.”
Tech-bound Morgan: ‘Comical, hard-working, humble’
The AJC went one-on-one with the headliner of Georgia Tech’s recruiting class: Coatesville, Pa. defensive end Derrick Morgan. What he had to say:
— Three reasons I chose Tech: Education; great opportunity with football, as well as school; close-knit recruiting class and the people associated with Georgia Tech
— Three words to describe me: Comical, hard-working, humble
— My style on the football field reminds some people of … Julius Peppers
— My sports hero: Jerry Rice
— If I wasn’t going to Tech, I’d go … Wherever God led me
— Ten years from now, I will be … Successful
Florida State recruit back on the market
AJC Super Southern 100 wide receiver Ahmad Paige of Sterlington, La., told Scout.com he’s backing off his commitment to Florida State.
“I think I’m pretty wide open,” Paige told the Web site. “I don’t really want to say decommitted, but I would say a soft commit. I’m really interested in four schools — Florida, Florida State, USC and Tennessee. … They’re all in the mix right now.”
Paige told Scout.com that Florida and Tennessee have been recruiting him the most aggressively. He is Scout.com’s 14th-ranked wide receiver nationally.
Nine offers for Norcross sack master
Norcross defensive end Brooks Cunningham, who piled up a school-record 18 sacks this past season, has offers on the table from Tulane, UAB, Colgate, Murray State, Gardner-Webb, Army, Navy, VMI and Tennessee Tech.
Cunningham is scheduled to take official visits to Tulane (Jan. 13) and UAB (Jan. 20).
Auburn, Arkansas await word from Ziemba
AJC Super Southern 100 offensive lineman Lee Ziemba of Rogers, Ark., will announce his decision between Arkansas and Auburn in about three weeks.
Ziemba took his official visit to Arkansas a couple of weeks ago and loved it. But he grew up only 15 minutes away from Fayetteville, Ark., so he’d been to games and campus so many times, there wasn’t much more to learn on his official visit.
“It was great, but pretty much what I already knew,” Ziemba told the AJC’s Bill Sanders on Thursday. “I’m looking forward to see what there is at Auburn.”
Ziemba, a 6-foot-7, 295-pound tackle, will visit Auburn on Jan. 12 and said he’d announce his decision shortly after that. “I’m 50-50 right now,” said Scout.com’s fourth-ranked tackle prospect.
Scout.com releases new rankings
And here comes Illinois. Ron Zook’s Illini are third in Scout.com’s latest class rankings, trailing only Texas and Florida, Zook’s old team. Scout.com’s entire top 25: 1. Texas 2. Florida 3. Illinois 4. Southern Cal 5. Notre Dame 6. Nebraska 7. Tennessee 8. Georgia 9. Michigan 10. Georgia Tech 11. Virginia Tech 12. Auburn 13. South Carolina 14. West Virginia 15. Ohio State 16. LSU 17. Ole Miss 18. Pitt 19. Texas A&M 20. Washington 21. Oregon 22. Colorado 23. Penn State 24. Cal 25. Virginia
UCLA enters picture for Hoover twins
This just in at 5 p.m. Thursday, care of Scout.com’s Brandon Huffman: Brandon Clear, a wide receiver from Hoover, Ala., and his twin brother Byron, a defensive end, have both been offered scholarships from UCLA and the two have scheduled an official visit out to Los Angeles for Jan. 12.
The pair will both visit Syracuse on Jan. 19, Illinois on Jan. 23 and Northwestern on Jan. 26. Byron is scheduled to visit in late January while Brandon is leaving his fifth visit open and will decide on that trip following the U.S. Army All-American Game in San Antonio, Texas next weekend.
UGA class: ‘About 80 percent’ qualified
After losing two signees to Hargrave Military Academy last season, Georgia appears in better shape when it comes to the academics of its 2007 recruiting class. Three UGA recruits — linemen Justin Anderson, Tanner Strickland and Trinton Sturdivant — are scheduled to enroll in January. Of the others, Georgia is only biting its nails on a couple of players.
“This class that is committed so far, the good thing about it [is] probably about 80 percent of them are already qualified,” Bulldogs recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner told the AJC’s Carter Strickland. “That is a good thing so you don’t have that buffer in there where you have a large number that is not [qualified]. You just have a couple guys that haven’t qualified yet.”
Landmark Christian star to walk on at Tech?
More good recruiting news for Georgia Tech: Landmark Christian quarterback Matt Moody tells Scout.com he’s considering playing for the Yellow Jackets — as a walk-on. “As of right now, that’s the way I’m leaning,” he told the Web site. Stay tuned.
Seminoles out front for Philly’s finest
Philadelphia Roman Catholic junior Nick Moody, expected to be one of the top safety prospects in the Class of 2008, told Rivals.com on Thursday that Florida State is his early leader. Moody was in Tallahassee last summer for the Seminoles’ camp and hit it off with defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.
“I’m too busy during the school year, but in the summer I’m planning on going to Florida, Virginia Tech and Penn State,” Moody told Rivals.com. “I may take a bunch of other visits too.
“IIn general, I’m looking for somewhere that isn’t very cold. I want to head south. I also want the school to have my degree kinesiology or athletic training. That will be a big factor in where I go.”
Tar Heels still top Ingram’s list
McNair’s Fonterrian Ingram is still leaning toward North Carolina, but Maryland, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and West Virginia are still hot on the trail of the 5-foot-11, 195-pound safety.
“I think he’ll make a decision in mid-January,” McNair coach Roderick Moore told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “North Carolina is still No. 1 with him right now. Fonterrian is one of the most talented players I’ve ever coached. He’ll make plays for you.”
Dunwoody star down to five
Dunwoody running back/defensive back Justin Jenkins has narrowed his list of college choices to Appalachian State, Hofstra, Tennessee State, Florida and Tulane. Both Hofstra and Tennessee State have offered scholarships at this point, and he has visits scheduled for both (TSU on Jan. 12, Hofstra on Jan. 26).
Jenkins, a 6-foot, 185-pound senior, told the AJC’s Jeff Haws his final five are all recruiting him to play free safety or cornerback at the next level. He led the Dunwoody team in both overall tackles (73) and solo tackles (50) in 2006.
ESPN: Georgia No. 6 state for football
Interesting piece today on ESPN.com, which ranks all 50 states for football “across all levels.” Georgia checked in at No. 6 overall — ninth for pro, 11th for college, fourth for high school. The top five in order: Texas, California, Florida, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
Florida back likes Louisville; may visit Georgia
St. Augustine (Fla.) star Rai-Shawn Wilson, Scout.com’s 42nd-ranked senior tailback, told the Web site he’ll visit Clemson and Florida State, and may also check out Georgia and Tennessee.
“I really like Louisville, though,” Wilson told Scout.com.
Maryland, Troy, WKU chase Armstrong
Peach County defensive tackle Dion Armstrong has received offers from Maryland, Troy and Western Kentucky. Peach County coach Rance Gillespie said Armstrong has the tools to be a premier nose guard at the next level.
“Dion is 315 pounds, but he’s athletic and can run,” Gillespie said.
Rivals: King, Wynn UGA’s top recruits
Mark Richt’s biggest commitment to date? Rivals.com Southeast analyst JC Shurburtt says it’s Greater Atlanta Christian tailback Caleb King, followed closely by Georgia Military Academy defensive lineman Jarius Wynn, pointing out that the latter will give the Bulldogs “instant help.”
Peach County’s Wright mulls offers
Peach County offensive lineman Jeremiah Wright has received offers from Troy, Central Florida and South Florida, but is still attempting to clear academic hurdles. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Wright is also being actively recruited by Western Kentucky, his coach told the AJC’s Jeff Hood.
Brodie, Southern Miss talk
Dacula running back Cole Brodie recently received a visit from Southern Miss offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, but is still awaiting his first offer. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder told the AJC’s David Purdum he has been invited to visit Charleston Southern in January.
Brodie’s teammate, linebacker Dexter Daffin, said he’ll visit Coastal Carolina on Jan. 12. He also has spoken with Belhaven College in Mississippi and Southern Nazarene in Oklahoma.
Camden County star sets up three I-AA visits
Camden County’s Adam House, who will participate in Friday’s North/South all-star game in Columbus, plans to visit Youngstown State, Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern in January.
“Adam’s a tremendous athlete,” Camden County coach Jeff Herron told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “Statistically, he had the best year of any defensive lineman we’ve ever had. He’s a kid with 4.5 speed in the 40. Had we played him at linebacker, everybody in the country would have been recruiting him.”
Meanwhile, House’s Camden County teammate, linebacker Josh Dickerson, plans to make an official visit to Middle Tennessee State prior to signing day. “Josh is a great athlete with 4.5 to 4.6 speed,” Herron said.
Marist kicker waiting, weighing
Marist kicker Collin Gallagher has been offered by Navy and Army, is still a scholarship candidate at Central Florida, and has the opportunity to walk on at Alabama. Gallagher tied the Marist record with a 49-yard field goal as a junior last year, and had two from 47 this past season.
“It’s disappointing that a lot of colleges don’t take kickers more seriously out of high school, but it is understandable at the same time, after seeing some All-America high school kickers not do anything in college,” Gallagher told the AJC’s Michael Carvell.
Wylie: ‘An ACC and SEC kid’
Ball State and Connecticut have each made offers to Washington-Wilkes running back Kelmetrus Wylie, who ran for 2,024 yards and 21 touchdowns on 206 carries for the Tigers this past season.
Washington-Wilkes coach Russell Morgan said Kentucky and Maryland are actively recruiting his star back, but have yet to tender offers. “I feel like he’s an ACC and SEC kid,” Morgan told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “We’ve had some good backs come out of this program, but he may be the best ever.”
Three offers for Hawkinsville’s Bembry
Hawkinsville defensive back Dequan Bembry has offers from Georgia Southern, Indiana and Kentucky on the table, and is now drawing moderate interest from South Carolina and Marshall. “Dequan can play a lot of positions,” his coach, Lee Campbell, told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “He’s got good speed, is explosive and can play both offense and defense.”
Books come first for Dunwoody’s Olsen
Dunwoody offensive lineman/linebacker Brandon Olsen added Appalachian State last week to his list of offers that includes Elon and Hofstra. He’ll start a busy month Jan. 5 when he visits Elon before heading to Louisville (Jan. 12), Coastal Carolina (Jan. 19) and Hofstra (Jan. 26).
He’s also leaving open the possibility to visit Appalachian State late in the month. He told the AJC’s Jeff Haws that his main consideration in choosing a college is education: “I don’t really have aspirations to get to the NFL. What I want to get in college is an occupations degree or an engineering degree. Football comes next.”
Gamecocks back in Carter running?
Hawkinsville linebacker Sacoby Carter is considering offers from Georgia Southern, Middle Tennessee and Indiana. South Carolina had offered a scholarship earlier this year, but withdrew after filling defensive needs from other commitments. But Campbell says Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks may take another look at the 6-foot-2, 250-pounder.
“He had been offered earlier [by South Carolina], but he waited and they got guys committed at his position,” Campbell told the AJC’s Jeff Hood. “It’s just one of those things. But Sacoby is extremely quick off the ball. He’s a good size, but he can fly. He’s as quick as [Georgia junior end and former Hawkinsville star] Charles Johnson was when he was in high school.”
Fort Lauderdale star likes Auburn, FSU, WVU
Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard defensive end Antoine Carter told Scout.com he has scheduled visits to Florida State (Jan. 12) and West Virginia (Jan. 19). Auburn is also in the running for Scout’s 21st-ranked end.
Dacula’s Butler sets Liberty visit
Dacula offensive lineman/tight end Michael Butler told the AJC’s David Purdum on Thursday that he will visit Liberty on Jan. 19. The 6-foot-4, 250-pounder also has talked with the staffs at Navy, Virginia Tech, Georgetown and Colgate.
Peachtree Ridge back lines up visits
Running back Chris Douglas of Class AAAAA co-champion Peachtree Ridge is busy arranging official visits to schools interested in extending a scholarship offer to the Suwanee resident.
“In January, I will go to Coastal Carolina and I am talking to Memphis about setting one up and I will visit East Carolina,” Douglas told Rivals.com. Ohio has also expressed interest in the 5-foot-9, 183-pound back.
Dyer considers Butler CC, Valdosta State
Central Gwinnett wide receiver Rolando Dyer tells the AJC’s David Purdum he is considering attending Kansas’ Butler Community College or Valdosta State.
In case you missed it …
— 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 shortly before 4 p.m. Wednesday. Little said he wouldn’t make an official announcement until he could reach Bobby Bowden, whose Seminoles beat UCLA in Wednesday night’s Emerald Bowl in San Francisco.
— Peachtree Ridge 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 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.
— 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 on Wednesday. “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.
— 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 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.”
— 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 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.”
— 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 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.
— 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. is considering South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.
— 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.
— 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. “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.”
— 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. “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.”
— 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.
— 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.”
— 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.”
— 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. 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. The Tide play Oklahoma State in Thursday’s Independence Bowl.
— 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. “And Louisville has been courting him, too.”
— 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.”
— 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 running back Chris Thomas plans to schedule visits to Coastal Carolina and East Carolina and also is getting attention from Ohio University
— Gainesville offensive lineman Charles Wood has narrowed his choices to East Carolina, Marshall and Memphis, according to Gainesville coach Bruce Miller.
— 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.”
— Scout.com reported 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.
— 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. The 6-foot, 230-pound Smith anchored the Central Gwinnett defense at middle linebacker.
— 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.
— 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 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.
— 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.
