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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Division I scouts eyeing recruits from Roswell
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Roswell’s football team fell short of repeating as state champions, but the Hornets may end up leading the state in the number of players who sign major-college scholarships.
Roswell has eight seniors who have either been offered or are being heavily scouted by Div. I schools, including linebacker Ebele Okakpu (committed to North Carolina), wide receiver Garrett Embry (Oregon) and tailback Alex Daniel (Northwestern).
“I’d rather lead the state in wins and state championships, but I’m proud of these guys,” Roswell coach Tim McFarlin said.
“As much as I’d like for our program to take credit, the credit goes to the kids. They’ve worked hard and earned everything, and our staff is happy to be a small part of it.”
McFarlin has been an assistant or coach of the Hornets for 28 years, and says this is - “by far” - the most seniors that will sign with major colleges, or colleges at any level. He said he knew this was a special group while observing them years ago in middle school.
“They were good and they pushed each other hard at such a young age, which made each other better. The common denominator was talent, but the main thing that binded this group together was an intense desire to win.
“It was a wonderful group, and they had a wonderful two-year run at Roswell High School.”
Here is a closer look at the recruiting situations of Roswell’s eightsome:
ALEX DANIEL, RB Daniel was the most recent senior to make a decision, committing to Northwestern after an official visit to the Big 10 campus last weekend. Said Daniel: “I thought it was a great town and there was a lot of things to do. The campus is only about 20 minutes from Chicago. I liked the team and the coaches. And they have great facilities.” Daniel picked the Wildcats over offers from East Carolina, Tulane, Ball State, and Utah. He rushed for 1,86 yards and 20 touchdowns, and proved his toughness last year by participating in the championship playoff run with a knee injury that later required surgery.
CURTIS HAZELTON, DE Hazelton was committed to Duke, but decided to open things back up after the Blue Devils fired coach Ted Roof. Duke’s administrators have said the offer stands, but defensive end opted to study additional options after meeting with McFarlin. “We don’t know what the situation is going to be at Duke, and when they hire a coach [Hazelton] may not be their first choice,” McFarlin said. “Duke is not entirely out of the picture, but we want it to be a win-win for both sides. We’ll just have to see what happens there. Meanwhile, Curtis is listening what other schools have to say.” Hazelton’s next best choice appears to be Central Florida, while his other offers are from Air Force, Navy, Furman and Elon. He had 82 tackles and 5 sacks.
EBELE OKAKPU, LB The speedy linebacker was one of Roswell’s most recruited players in school history, picking North Carolina over nearly 20 offers. South Carolina and Clemson have made overtures at Okakpu, but he has remained true to the Tar Heels. Okakpu had 151 tackles and 2 interceptions. “It’s hard not to like anything about Ebele, he can run and he can hit,” McFarlin said.
DUSTIN TALIAFERRO, QB McFarlin is baffled to why more colleges aren’t chasing after Taliaferro, who was All-State as a junior. He had another banner year as a senior, completing an astounding 59-percent of his passes (115 of 194) for 1,941 yards and 19 touchdowns with only five interceptions. Southern Miss appeared to be the leader for Taliaferro until the abrupt resignation of coach Jeff Bower, who was a former Roswell quarterback himself. While Southern Miss has said it will still honor the offer, Taliaferro has ruled out the school. He has offers from Furman, Elon, William & Mary, along with a trio of Ivy League schools in Penn, Columbia and Dartmouth. “Dustin is going to take his visits and select a school that challenges him athletically and academically,” McFarlin said. “It is amazing to look at all the qualifications of the Ivy League schools, and Dustin met them.” Said Taliaferro: “I’m just going to take my time and check out every school I can.”
GARRETT EMBRY, WR Possibly no other player increased his value more over the course of his senior season than Embry, who was an early commitment to Oregon. If Embry was undecided, he would probably be among the state’s top 15 most heavily recruited players after a breakout season. “I’m staying with Oregon,” Embry said. “I like it there, and I’ve gotten close to their coaches.” Embry is a big and fast target, finishing with 43 receptions for 853 yards and 8 touchdowns. He dominated down the playoff stretch. “He probably played as well in the second half of the season as any receiver I’ve seen here,” McFarlin said. “It just took time to develop chemistry with Dustin and they had it at the end of the season. [Embry] became the big-time playmaker we always knew he could be.”
ZACK WADDELL, LB The tough-nosed linebacker got his first Div. I offer this week from Louisiana-Monroe and more could follow. He also has generated interest from Air Force, Tennessee Tech, Georgia Southern, Furman and Murray State. Waddell finished as Roswell’s second-leading tackler with 114, along with 7 tackles for loss and 4 sacks.
JIM BROADWAY, K Kicker might be the toughest position to earn a scholarship, as colleges prefer that kickers and punters walk on the team initially. Broadway was offered by Navy’s staff before it moved over to Georgia Tech. “We’re hoping to hear good things from Georgia Tech, but they have to evaluate what they have in the program before making any offers,” McFarlin said. “They loved him at Navy, so we’re hoping they will love him now that they are at Georgia Tech.” Broadway could kick or punt in college. He converted 12 of 15 field goal attempts, with a long of 50 yards. He averaged 41.4 yards per punt.
P.J. BEIDEL, WR The sure-handed Beidel was the team’s leading receiver during the state championship season, but missed his entire senior year with a knee injury suffered over the summer. McFarlin feels strongly that Beidel has the skills to play at the next level, but that he will likely have to walk on to prove himself. He has a scholarship offer from Navy Prep School, and has been invited to walk on at Georgia Southern and Tennessee Tech.
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Jackson bolts for Bama
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Henry County wide receiver Chris Jackson backed out of his commitment to Georgia Tech Tuesday morning, announcing he’ll instead attend Alabama.
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