AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2007 > January > 25
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Bailey eliminates Bulldogs; Florida lands another
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Bad news, Georgia fans: The Allen Bailey sweepstakes is down to three … and the Bulldogs aren’t in the running.
The mother of the Darien McIntosh County Academy star told the AJC’s Carter Strickland that Bailey has settled on three finalists: Alabama, Florida and Miami.
You’ll find more on that story, with updates throughout the day, in our “latest news” section to the right, along with plenty of other updates throughout the day. Including …
— Florida and Urban Meyer hauling in another prized recruit, this one a defensive end who had been committed to Notre Dame.
— Q&As with a few top Southern prospects, including South Carolina-bound quarterback Stephen Garcia.
— News on one-time Miami linebacker Willie Williams, who has resurfaced at Louisville.
— A update on Mobile, Ala., safety Michael McNeil, who tells our Jeff Hood he’s down to Auburn, Florida State and Tennessee, but still wants to hear new Alabama coach Nick Saban’s pitch. He’ll visit Tuscaloosa today.
— The latest on Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., linebacker Josh Bynes, who’s still thinking about Auburn, Iowa, Louisville and South Carolina.
As always, if you have someone whose recruitment you’d like updated, drop me a line.
Trattou flips from Notre Dame to Florida
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Another day, another big commitment for Urban Meyer and Florida.
Rivals.com reports tonight that Ramsey (N.J) Don Bosco defensive end Justin Trattou has switched his commitment from Notre Dame to Florida.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pounder is ranked 17th nationally at his position.
“I committed to Florida today,” Trattou told Rivals. “[Notre Dame] Coach [Charlie] Weis was in yesterday and Coach Meyer was in today and I just feel I fit better in Florida’s system. To see what those defensive ends can do and how they play at Florida is more of my style of play.”
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List: Early enrollees in the SEC and ACC
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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A look at recruits who enrolled early at SEC and ACC football programs this year and will take part in spring practice:
SEC
Alabama (1)
— High school: Jamar Taylor, RB, Lakeland, Fla.
Auburn (1)
— High school: Brent Slusher, TE/DE, Pineville, Ky.
Florida (9)
— High school: Ahmad Black, DB, Lakeland, Fla.; Joe Haden, WR, Ft. Washington, Md.; Aaron Hernandez, TE, Bristol, Conn.; Cameron Newton, QB, Atlanta; James Pouncey, OL, Lakeland, Fla.; LaShawn Pouncey, OL, Lakeland, Fla.; Bo Williams, RB, Oakland Park, Fla.; Paul Wilson, WR, Lakeland, Fla.
— Junior college: Bryan Waggener, QB, Glendora, Calif.
Georgia (7)
— High school: Trinton Sturdivant, OL, Wadesboro, N.C.; Tanner Strickland, OL, Nashville, Ga.
— Prep school: Justin Anderson, OL, Ocilla (Hargrave Military)
— Junior college: Jarius Wynn, DL, Lincolnton; Scott Haverkamp, OL, Silver Lake, Kan.; Vince Vance, OL, Hinesville; Corey Irvin, DL, Augusta.
Kentucky (2)
— Junior college: Jess Beets, OL, Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Josh Winchell, OL, Southaven, Miss.
LSU (1)
— High school: Joseph Barksdale, DE, Detroit
Ole Miss (2)
— Junior college: Mark Jean-Louis, OL, Palm Beach, Fla.; Ashlee Palmer, DB, Compton, Calif.
Mississippi State (3)
— Junior college: Jessie Bowman, DE, Brookhaven, Miss.; Dominic Douglas, LB, Clinton, Miss.; Josh Ridell, QB, Salem, Ore.
South Carolina (6)
— High school: Stephen Garcia, QB, Tampa; Travian Robertson, DE, Laurinburg, N.C.
— Prep school: Clifton Geathers, DL, Georgetown, S.C.; Ladi Ajiboye, DE, College Park
— Junior college: Jonathan Williams, DT, Augusta; Larry Freeman, WR, Fort Meade, Fla.
Tennessee (4)
— High school: Art Evans, CB, Lakeland, Fla.; Todd Campbell, WR, Franklin, Tenn.; Donald Langley, DT, Germantown, Md.; Darris Sawtell, OL, Birmingham, Mich.
NONE: Arkansas, Vanderbilt
ACC
Clemson (5)
— High school: Xavier Dye, WR, Greenwood, S.C.; Willy Korn, QB, Duncan, S.C.; Brian Linthicum, TE, Farmington, N.M.; DeAndre McDaniel, DB, Havana, Fla.; Landon Walker, OL, North Wilkesboro, N.C.
Georgia Tech (2)
— High school: Derrick Morgan, DE, Coatesville, Pa.; Steven Threet, QB, Adrian, Mich.
Maryland (1)
— High school: Travis Baltz, PK, Toledo, Ohio
Miami (2)
— High school: Doug Wiggins, DB, Miami
— Prep school: Graig Cooper, RB, Memphis
North Carolina (3)
— High school: Zack Pianalto, TE, Springdale, Ark.; Quan Sturdivant, LB, Oakboro, N.C.
— Prep school: LaCount Fantroy, CB, Washington
Virginia Tech (2)
— High school: Brandon Barden, TE, Lincolnton; Josh Oglesby, RB, Garner, N.C.
NONE: Boston College, Duke, Florida State, N.C. State, Virginia, Wake Forest
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Getting to know … Michigan State recruit David Duran
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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We went one-on-one with Kell tight end David Duran, who next month will sign with Michigan State:
Nickname: “Deno”
If not MSU, I would have picked … Hawaii
Three reasons I chose MSU: Great coaching staff; great education; beautiful campus
What I hope to accomplish at MSU: Get my degree; win a Big Ten championship
Three words to describe me: Tough, hard-working, relentless
My style on the field reminds some of … Jason Witten
Did you know? I go trout fishing all the time
What I drive: 1997 Toyota Corolla
Favorite flick: “Dumb and Dumber”
Funniest recruiting experience: I almost missed my flight on my visit to MSU
Ten years from now, I’ll be … Coaching college football
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Getting to know … South Carolina recruit Stephen Garcia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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We went one-on-one with Tampa Jefferson quarterback Stephen Garcia, who next month will sign with South Carolina …
Nickname: “Achilles”
Where he ranks: No. 4 “dual-threat” quarterback nationally, according to Rivals.com
Three words to describe me: Competitive, fearless, leader
Three reasons I chose South Carolina: Coach Steve Spurrier; the school in general; we will be very good soon
What I hope to accomplish at South Carolina: Start and win the SEC championship
Funniest recruiting story: I answered the phone and pretended to be someone else when a Rivals.com guy called
My style on the field reminds some of … Brett Favre
Did you know … I saw “Troy” in the movie theater 10 times
What I drive: 2001 Ford F-150 4x4
Ten years from now, I’ll be … Playing in the NFL and raising a family
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Getting to know … Maryland recruit Tyler Bowen
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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We went one-on-one with Telfair County offensive lineman Tyler Bowen, who next month will sign with Maryland:
Nickname: “Big Country”
Three words to describe me: Fun, driven, big
Why Maryland? Family atmosphere; academic success; football program as a whole
Funniest recruiting experience: Maryland offered my football scholarship while I was driving a tractor and bailing wheat straw
Proudest high school achievement: Making honor roll all four years
Something people don’t know about me: I am scared of aliens (LOL)
My style on the field reminds some of … Jon Stinchcomb
What I drive: 1999 GMC Sierra Extended Cab 4x4
In my iPod: Lynyrd Skynyrd, George Strait, Jay-Z
Favorite flicks: Rocky I, II, III, IV, V
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Updated: Bailey ‘didn’t feel like he fit’ at UGA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Darien McIntosh County Academy defensive end Allen Bailey has eliminated Georgia from consideration, his mother told the AJC today.
“He said he just didn’t feel like he fit,” Mary Bailey said. “I don’t know if it was personality-wise or what, but he just didn’t fit there.
“It wasn’t too hard for him. He made up his mind and he sat down with me and his daddy last night and told us that was not where he was going to go.”
Bailey, one of the state’s top prospects, will choose between Alabama, Florida and Miami. He canceled his trip to Athens, which was scheduled for this weekend. News of Bailey eliminating Georgia was first reported today by Rivals.com.
There has been some speculation whether the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder will play linebacker or defensive end in college. Bailey said he wanted a chance to try linebacker.
“This is one of the biggest surprises of this recruiting cycle,” Rivals.com analyst JC Shurburtt said. “My best guess is that it had something to do with Bailey wanting to play linebacker in college and not believing that UGA gave him the best opportunity to do that.”
McIntosh County Academy coach Robby Robinson said Bailey “appreciated everything [Georgia] had done for him, but he really just didn’t interest and he didn’t want to waste their time this weekend.”
Robinson said Bailey is finished with his campus visits and will likely make a decision at this time next week.
The frontrunner?
“Nobody,” Robinson said. “There’s never really been a frontrunner.”
— Staff writer Jeff Hood contributed to this article.
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Kentucky recruit Keye mourned at funeral
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Indian Springs — John Keye anticipated wearing his first college football jersey in two weeks when he would sign to play for the University of Kentucky.
Instead, the bright blue No. 82 shirt passed limply from the arms of the coach who recruited him to Keye’s bereft mother Thursday at a memorial service.
That simple gesture said more about the fervor surrounding the state’s best young football players than any Web site ranking or scouting prediction.
Keye, a wide receiver from Jackson High School, might have been years away from playing for the Wildcats, but the recruiter and some Kentucky fans grieved as if they lost a big star.
“This is a reminder,” said coach Steve Brown as he presented the jersey, “of what John meant to us.” Strangers like Steve Wheeler sent online condolences.
“[We] will miss John not wearing the big blue of Kentucky,” wrote Wheeler, 59, of Owenton, Ky. Later by phone he added, “We won the Music City Bowl and our program is on an upbeat after several years on probation, so this is a real interesting period for Kentucky fans. I hope these kids can slow down and put their seat belts on.”
Keye, 18, died Saturday as the unbuckled passenger of an SUV that crashed near the Henry County line, about 50 miles south of Atlanta.
On paper, Keye’s statistics stood out to recruiters: He started 41 games, caught 148 passes, gained 2,443 yards, scored 29 touchdowns.
His death highlighted other, troubling statistics in this community.
Keye was the second University of Kentucky football recruit from his high school to die in a car wreck in Butts County. In July 2004, running back Cornelius Watts died just before two a day practices began.
Keye was the sixth student at Jackson High School (enrollment 1,050) to die in the past six years, said principal Duane Kline.
“It’s uncanny,” Kline said in an interview. “Much bigger schools won’t average one a year and we are at a loss to say why, especially with another football player. We don’t know where to respond to that — that’s where we are. We wish we didn’t have to spend time telling students to put their seat belts on, but they have to take of themselves, that’s part of being responsible.”
As a senior, Keye’s star was rising as a football player and as the man of his family.
Ever since his twin brother had passed away a month after birth, Keye shouldered expectations of success beyond his years. He had five brothers and two sisters. Family members said their father lived in Savannah, and Keye helped support his mother, Judy Williams of Flovilla.
“That’s not easy when you are 16, 17 or 18 and he did it with a smile on his face,” Kline said.
“With all that great physical ability and promise he had, he never came across that way, with a lot of braggadocio,” said his AAU basketball coach Harold Thompson.
A teammate recalled his leadership in a poem: “I remember that time you caught a two-point conversion/I remember the time you were very encouragin’ ”
A year ago, Keye and his girlfriend Dominique Fears had a baby boy, Javontae.
For Keye, the college scholarship and the possibility of a career in pro football represented the means to step up for his family.
“That was his dream. All he wanted was to play ball,” said his grandmother, Denise Williams of Savannah.
“It was his way of getting a free education and doing something with his life,” said his best friend Neland Ball, 17, a defensive end who will sign with Georgia on Feb. 7.
Other teammates plan to make their intentions official the same day, to attend smaller teams, and later have a big party at the local recreation center.
Those plans loomed bittersweet Thursday. His teammates wore their shiny Red Devil jerseys and shaved “JK” into their scalps. Adults pinned on red lapel ribbons and cheerleaders cried.
Javontae peeked over his father’s open casket Thursday before the service at Rock Creek Baptist Church. His mother wasn’t there, having just been released from the hospital from her injuries. She was behind the wheel of the Ford Expedition when the wreck occurred.
On Highway 42, the same road that turns into Moreland Avenue and Briarcliff Road in Atlanta, five pink roses marked where Keye died. On this dangerous stretch of road, the couple would have passed several roadside wreaths and crosses before their accident.
Nearby resident Debbie Bettis heard the car thump as it rolled over and called 911. In the wreckage were red and blue party favors and cake plates for Javontae’s first birthday party.
The Georgia State Patrol is still investigating.
For Butts County coroner Ralph Wilson, Keye’s death stood out in light of all his shining moments on the field.
“I went to the ball games to watch him and standing in the end zone, he amazed me,” Wilson said. “I watch all the kids grow up, and he was a tall boy, and I loved watching how he could get off the ground and fly.”
If Keye had worn his seat belt, Wilson said, he’d probably still be alive to sign up for his Kentucky football scholarship.
Thursday, the Keye family carried the unworn blue jersey as a sad souvenir of what might have been. The hearse carrying his body pulled away for the trip to Savannah. Keye will be buried in that city, next to his twin, on Saturday.
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Troupe’s dilemma: Bulldogs or MLB draft?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Tifton — Israel Troupe has made his choice.
Georgia. It’s where the Tift County wide receiver wanted to be. Troupe even dreamed it one August night — complete with a vision of Bulldogs coach Mark Richt coming out of the star recruit’s closet and “asking me to come to Georgia.” The next day, Troupe made it come true.
But then there’s this other dream of his. One that wouldn’t include Georgia, football, even college. One that has Troupe signed and delivered to a Major League Baseball organization. One that may still come true.
So Troupe has another choice yet to make.
For now, he is Georgia’s. In a dozen days, Rivals.com’s 15th-ranked wide receiver will sign a national letter of intent with the Bulldogs, joining a highly regarded class of 23.
Four months later, a pro baseball team will likely make another offer. Money, something colleges can’t give, will be involved. How much, no one knows. But almost assuredly, Troupe has been told, some team will pick him in the early rounds of the amateur baseball draft. Big league scouts are already attending practices. One from the Angels was against the backstop of the diamond at Tift County High earlier this week.
So what’s it going to be?
“It’s going to be up to him,” said Troupe’s mother, Denise.
“It depends on what I want and what the best situation is going to be for me,” Troupe said. “I don’t know what I am going to do.”
In the beginning
Six years ago, Troupe knew exactly what he wanted to do.
“Ohhh, he wanted to play football,” his mom said. “But I wouldn’t let him. Not my baby.”
Baseball was his sport. No pads. No serious collisions. It was just a pastoral game where ACL, concussion and MRI were not part of the vernacular. And it suited Denise Troupe just fine.
But not her son. Sure, he loved baseball. But the other seventh-grade boys in Tift County were playing football. And as soon as Troupe got to ninth grade, so was he.
“But I didn’t tell my mom,” he said. “I had to sneak and play.”
“I was under the assumption she knew,” said Troupe’s ninth-grade coach, Chuck Beale. “I didn’t know anything about it.”
All Beale knew was that he had an athlete on his hands. Beale stuck that athlete, in his first year of organized football, at quarterback.
“He fit right in,” Beale said.
That was until Troupe wasn’t able to fit into his shoe anymore. Before his freshman season even began, Troupe tore a ligament in his ankle. Until then, all injuries had been simply explained by a little white lie.
“I got hurt at P.E.,” he’d tell his mother.
But this was an injury he couldn’t hide.
“If you get hurt again,” his mom told him, “you’re not playing anymore.”
It’s football, so of course, Troupe got hurt again. And again. And again.
But Denise had come to realize how much her son loved the game. She still couldn’t watch it.
“I just talk to people in the stands so I don’t have to see it, especially when he catches the ball,” she said. “I don’t want to see what happens after that.”
Her fears are not assuaged by the fact that not many can catch her son after he catches the ball. As a senior, Troupe had nearly 700 receiving yards on 60-plus catches.
And, truth be told, Denise saw just about every one of them.
“Even though I don’t watch at the game, I sneak into a room at the house and watch the replay on Sundays,” she admitted.
Mom keeps him in check
Sundays are something Troupe dreams about. Like just about every other college prospect, he hopes to one day play in the NFL.
According to NCAA statistics, about 2 percent actually make it. At Georgia, that number is significantly higher. Almost 25 percent of the players Richt has signed have at least been selected in the NFL draft.
Troupe could someday fall into that number. But at 6-foot-1, he has average receiver height. His 4.47-second speed in the 40-yard dash is good, but doesn’t set him apart.
But in baseball, Troupe looks like he can cover more grass than the sun. As a ninth-grader, he was put on the varsity team and told by his coach, “I don’t care if you hit a lick. If we just get you to cover the field for us, that’s OK.”
Troupe played center field.
Then he came up to bat. His consistent average in .360s, combined with his fielding ability and speed on the basepaths, have all led to what will become a decision that shapes his future.
Denise Troupe has tried not to influence her son. But Georgia is first and foremost in her mind.
Education, she preaches over and over to her son. Once you have that, you can do anything you want. Troupe understands that. Maybe even more than a typical 17-year-old.
“[He is] a great student with a solid background, and very smart,” siad Mike Duck, the principal at Tift County High. “[I’m] very proud to be a small part of his life.”
Everyone around him echoes this, so Troupe’s ego can get inflated at times.
“But when it does, my mom sets me straight,” he said. “I’m the same old Israel who has to wash the dishes.”
The same one who’s picked up every day after practice by mom or dad. The same one who still hangs out with the same friends he always did. The same one who’s worried about the dirt on his white baseball shoes that aren’t even a year old.
But also the one who soon will have a big decision to make — college football, with 92,000 fans screaming his name on Saturdays, or pro baseball, which could bring instant riches?
“I’ve just got to make sure it is what I want to do,” he said.
Troupe may not be sure until he does it.
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Willie Williams resurfaces … at Louisville
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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One-time Miami Hurricanes linebacker Willie Williams has decided to revive his college football career at Louisville.
Williams was one of the top high school football players in the country out of high school, but also has a troubled past that includes multiple arrests.
The linebacker spent a year at Miami, left there in August and played four games this past season for West Los Angeles College.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pound Williams will have two years of eligibility left.
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Milton’s Attig says yes to Eastern Kentucky
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Milton’s Emory Attig, a Northside Super 11 pick last fall, has committed to Eastern Kentucky.
Attig, a 6-foot-3, 260-pound defensive tackle, also had offers from Charleston Southern, Chattanooga, Murray State and Virginia Military Institute.
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Union Grove’s Price to check out Coastal Carolina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Matt Price, a 6-foot-2, 275-pound offensive tackle, plans to visit Coastal Carolina prior to national signing day on Feb. 7.
Price, a three-year starter for Union Grove and AJC All Clayton/Henry first-team player, is also receiving attention from Charleston Southern.
“Matt was all-region for us for two years,” Union Grove coach Mike McDonald said. “He’s a good football player with very good feet. He’s powerful, and especially strong in the legs.”
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Valdosta State in mix for Morgan County’s Benkoski
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Morgan County’s Bryant Benkoski, a 6-foot-4, 315-pound offensive tackle, is being recruited by Valdosta State.
“Bryant was out strongside tackle,” said Morgan County coach Bill Malone. “When we needed a few yards, we went behind him.”
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Mays’ Walker impressed by Grambling visit
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Mays running back Cornelius Walker came away impressed following a visit to Grambling last weekend.
The 5-foot-11, 180-pound back, who runs the 40 in 4.4 seconds, was tempted to commit on the spot. Instead, he plans to wait and take an official visit to UAB on Feb. 2.
“The visit turned out good,” said Walker, who rushed for 1,570 yards and 16 touchdowns last season. “I got to meet the coaches and see the school and facilities.”
Walker said UAB must make a compelling case for him not to sign with Grambling.
“Grambling is looking good right now, but I’m going to wait before I decide,” he said.
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Petrino’s replacement makes up ground at Louisville
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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New University of Louisville football coach Steve Kragthorpe and his staff are quickly making up ground in the land of recruiting.
The Cardinals have landed another major commitment as Palatka (Fla.) athlete Josh Miller has said he’ll sign with U of L on Feb. 7.
The 6-foot-3, 185-pound Miller played quarterback in high school but will likely be used as a wide receiver. He met with Kragthorpe and U of L assistant head coach Jeff Brohm on Wednesday night and informed them of his decision.
“When I was in Louisville, I made up my mind that was the place I wanted to be,” Miller told the Palatka Daily News. “Since coach [Bobby] Petrino left [to take over the Falcons], Coach Brohm took over my recruiting and stressed that they wanted me and I was the No. 1 guy they were recruiting.”
Miller, who was scheduled to visit Miami this weekend, was also considering South Florida and Central Florida.
As a senior, Miller rushed for 850 yards and passed for 512 yards and was a third-team All-State utility player in AAA. He made the Florida Times-Union Super 24.
Miller is the 12th known commitment for the Cardinals, who picked up Lakeland (Fla.) running back Bilal Powell on Monday and No. 1 junior college rated player in the country — Woodny Turenne on Tuesday.
U of L is also likely going to get a commitment from former Miami linebacker Willie Williams, who was one of the top five prospects in the nation coming out of high school in 2004. He played at West Los Angeles College this season and is expected to sign with U of L on the first day of the signing period.
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LSU, Alabama, WVU on Devine’s radar
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Noel Devine, a 5-foot-8, 170-pound running back for North Fort Myers (Fla.) High, still hopes to visit LSU and at least two other Division I powerhouses prior to national signing day on Feb. 7.
“[The LSU visit] had to get postponed due to the SAT that was conflicting, and we didn’t realize that,” North Fort Myers coach James Iandoli told Scout.com. “So that’s getting changed. And right now we’re in middle of setting up two [official visits] — one with Alabama and one with West Virginia.”
Devine, who rushed for 2,148 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, is also trying to squeeze in a visit to Florida State. North Carolina and new coach Butch Davis have apparently lost interest.
“I haven’t heard back from them after the initial contact,” Iandoli said. “I don’t know [the situation with UNC].”
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Auburn, South Carolina await Bynes’ Feb. 2 announcement
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Auburn, Iowa, Louisville and South Carolina remain in contention for 6-foot-2, 228-pound linebacker Josh Bynes of Boyd Anderson High in Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
Bynes has hinted that he is favoring Auburn or South Carolina.
He visited the Gamecocks’ campus last weekend.
“I loved the players,” Bynes told Scout.com. “They really stood out. They seem real honest and told me that it’s hard work. They have a great chemistry, and I like that so many of them are from out of state.”
Bynes said he will likely hold a news conference on Friday Feb. 2 to announce his choice.
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Easterling high on Rutgers, North Carolina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Antwain Easterling, an AJC Super Southern 100 running back, will visit Southern Miss this weekend. A 5-foot-11, 185-pound tailback for Miami Northwestern, Easterling is also interested in North Carolina.
“I like that I can come in [to North Carolina] and play right away,” Easterling told Scout.com.
Easterling, who rushed for 2,831 yards and 33 touchdowns last season, hopes to set up a trip to North Carolina on Feb. 2 to meet new Tar Heels coach Butch Davis.
Easterling had been leaning toward Rutgers, a school he visited in mid-December.
I like [Rutgers’] academic program and stuff like that,” Easterling said. “I like the historical look of the school. I like how they use their running backs.”
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FSU, Ga. Tech, S. Carolina offer Union Grove junior
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Union Grove junior Steven Sylvester has scholarship offers from Florida State, Georgia Tech and South Carolina.
The 6-foot-2, 215-pound running back/linebacker is also “being recruited pretty hard by Georgia and Virginia Tech,” according to Union Grove coach Mike McDonald.
Coaches from Georgia Tech sat in the stands to watch Sylvester play basketball Tuesday evening. Representatives from Florida State and Virginia Tech will do the same on Friday.
“I think he’ll be a linebacker on the next level,” McDonald predicted. “Steven is just the total package. And he’s got good grades.
“He’s one you don’t get very much. He is getting a lot of interest.”
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Wake Forest lands star kicker
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Covington (Ky.) Catholic kicker Shane Popham has committed to Wake Forest.
Popham told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he had accepted a spot as a guaranteed walk-on and expects to redshirt a season before earning a scholarship.
“The coaches said as long as I progressed and showed my ability, a scholarship should open up to me,” Popham said.
Popham set a state record with 18 field goals as a senior, including three of more than 50 yards. He nailed a school-record 57-yard field goal in a game and was the MaxPreps.com national Special Teams Player of the Year.
He was also in contact with Illinois, N.C. State and Holy Cross.
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Banneker’s Ramsey loses ECU offer
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Banneker’s Andrew Ramsey appeared set to sign with East Carolina next month.
But following an official visit to the college last weekend, the 5-foot-4 1/2, 165-pound scatback learned otherwise when the Pirates withdrew their scholarship offer.
“They said they couldn’t offer me,” said Ramsey, who rushed for nearly 700 yards last season despite missing three games due to an injured ankle.
“It came down to money. And they had two other running backs that had already committed.”
Fortunately for Ramsey, he still has offers from Alabama State, Morehouse and Southern.
He is currently in the process of setting up visits.
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Mobile’s McNeil down to Auburn, FSU, Tennessee
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Michael McNeil, a 6-foot-2, 197-pound safety/wide receiver for W.P. Davidson High in Mobile, Ala., will take an official visit to Alabama on Friday.
An AJC Super Southern 100 pick, McNeil said he has narrowed his choices to Auburn, Florida State and Tennessee.
But he’s still willing to listen to Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban’s pitch.
“I’ve actually already met coach Saban,” McNeil told the AJC. “But I haven’t been to Tuscaloosa in a while. I want to see the campus and meet the players.”
McNeil said he enjoyed meeting legendary coach Bobby Bowden at FSU last weekend.
“I had a good time over there,” he said. “Florida State is definitely in my top three.”
McNeil plans to announce his decision on Tuesday.
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