AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2008 > March > 31
Monday, March 31, 2008
Tech among schools to offer Stephenson LB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Leading Stephenson in tackles as a junior last fall merely confirmed what many college scouts already suspected about linebacker Nigel Mitchell-Thornton.
The 6-foot-2.5, 220-pounder is a defensive playmaker.
“I’d say the thing that caught everybody’s eye was when he had 16.5 sacks as a sophomore,” Stephenson coach Ron Gartrell said. “Playing the people we do, that’s pretty dang good.”
Schools such as Duke, Central Florida, Georgia Tech, Marshall and Mississippi State have already offered. Alabama, Auburn and Georgia continue to express strong interest.
“He likes Tech,” Gartrell said. “He and his mom had a chance recently to sit down with [Tech] coach Paul Johnson on their visit. He likes the staff and the direction they’re talking about going in.
“He’s a Tech kind of guy. He wouldn’t have any trouble fitting in there.”
When the recruiting dust settles, Gartrell thinks Mitchell-Thornton may be forced to commit earlier than originally expected.
“At one point, he was going to try to take it the distance [and commit near signing day in Feb. 2009],” Gartrell said. “But now, people are committing so early.
“I don’t like it, but it may force him to make an earlier commitment.”
But Gartrell is convinced that Mitchell-Thornton will make a sound decision when he chooses a college.
“He’s visited Alabama and had a sit down with coach [Nick] Saban,” Gartrell said. “And he’s been to Auburn and Georgia.
“He went to Mississippi State and met coach **[Sylvester] Croom. He’s been out there and he’s doing his homework.”
Permalink | Comments (19) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech
Georgia Tech QB signee arrested
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Georgia Tech quarterback signee Jaybo Shaw of Flowery Branch was arrested early Sunday morning on a charge of underage drinking, a misdemeanor.
Shaw was arrested at 12:30 a.m. and released the same day on $500 bond, Hall County jail records show.
Shaw was the first player to commit to play for Paul Johnson after Tech hired Johnson as coach last December. Shaw ran for 1,500 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior after throwing for 2,700 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior. He was No. 10 on Rivals.com’s national list of dual-threat quarterbacks, and No. 33 among prospects overall in Georgia.
Shaw and his father, Flowery Branch coach Lee Shaw, declined comment late Monday evening.
Permalink | Comments (76) | Categories: Tech
Only one offer so far for M.L. King’s Kight
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
M.L. King linebacker Joel Kight has drawn interest from a lot of schools on the recruiting front, but Miami-Ohio has made the only concrete offer.
Kight, the AJC’s Class AAAAA defensive player of the year, said several schools, including Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma State, Central Florida, Auburn and West Virginia, have not offered, but he said they have been impressed with his game film. Kight, who said he has a 3.9 grade-point average, is awaiting his test scores.
“Several people want me to come to their camps this summer,” Kight said. “I’m going to sit down with my dad, and we will see which ones we will attend.”
Kight, a 5-foot-9, 205-pound all-state selection, had 153 tackles, eight sacks and 21 tackles for losses. He also had an interception and fumble recovery. He also played running back for the Lions, which made the Class AAAAA quarterfinals. He will play running back, linebacker or safety on the next level.
“I’m not real surprised that more offers haven’t come in,” Kight said. “What comes, comes. I’m happy with the offer I have so far, but several schools are still talking to me. I have no favorites. I like them all.”
Kight will seek the advice of his older brother, Kevin, a former standout at Lithonia High. The elder Kight signed with Florida. This past fall, Kevin played some with the New England Patriots.
“He has gone through the process before,” Kight said. “He knows what type of questions to ask and what response I should look for.”
Permalink | Comments (12) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Other schools, UGA
