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Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech pursuing Chamblee RB Norman
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Chamblee running back Warren Norman has landed a scholarship offer from Vanderbilt.
“I found out Monday night,” Norman said. “Vanderbilt had been recruiting me for two or three months. And I just came back from camp there on Sunday.
“They’ve got great coaches at Vanderbilt. They just want to win. They feel like they need a couple of great players to win, and they said I’m one of them.”
The 5-foot-10, 191 pound back is also weighing offers from Georgia Tech and Iowa State.
“I really like Georgia Tech,” said Norman, who attended a camp at Tech on June 14. “It’s real close to home and downtown. And they run the same offense we ran last year with [former Chamblee] coach [Jim] Showfety.
“But I’m probably going to take my time and check out other schools.”
When asked which school might be the next in line to offer: “That’s very hard to say,” Norman said. “I’d probably say South Carolina, but I don’t really know.”
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Kell TE Middleton rethinks South Carolina commitment, likes Rutgers
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Kell tight end Will Middleton has backed off his verbal commitment to South Carolina and now considers Rutgers, Indiana and Louisville his top three.
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound senior committed to the Gamecocks in early May, then de-committed in mid-June, deciding to look at other schools.
“I just made my decision too soon,” Middleton said. “I’d really just like have more time to think about my options. There’s a lot to think about when you’re looking at these schools.”
The Gamecocks had already landed the commitment of one other tight end prospect in Justice Cunningham out of South Carolina. Middleton will continue to consider South Carolina, Mississippi State and Auburn through the process. Last season, he caught 25 passes for 350 yards and two scores for the Longhorns.
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Georgia Tech frontrunner to net basketballer Glen Rice Jr.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Georgia Tech appears to be the frontrunner for Walton guard Glen Rice Jr., son of the former NBA standout.
Rice is expected to make a college decision Thursday in Orlando, where he is playing in an AAU tournament with the Georgia Stars.
“I haven’t talked to Glen, but I’ve talked to his family and … I’m pretty sure he’s going to announce [Thursday], and I’m pretty sure it’s going to be Georgia Tech,” Walton coach Joe Goydish said.
Tech, Miami, and Florida State are the finalists for the 6-foot-4 shooting guard, who averaged 25.6 points and 6.4 rebounds last year as a junior. Goydish said Rice’s close relationships with Tech coach Paul Hewitt and assistant Charlton Young may have been the deciding factors.
“Glen really likes those guys, and he really seems to fit well into that system,” Goydish said.
Another factor in Tech’s favor is that two of Rice’s teammates on the Georgia Stars, Hancock Central forward Kammeon Holsey and Miller Grove point guard Mfon Udofia already have committed to the Yellow Jackets.
Udofia, who is 6-3, has been the starting point guard at the DeKalb County school the past three years. Last season, he averaged a DeKalb County-leading 24.3 points, 3.7 steals and 5.4 assists. He is rated the No. 6 point guard prospect in the country by Scout.com.
“I think it is a good fit for Georgia Tech and Mfon,” Miller Grove coach Sharman White said. “Tech is Point Guard U. He will fit in well with the guys they are bringing in.”
(Staff writers Matt Winkeljohn and Derrick Mahone contributed to this article.)
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Miami offers Newnan OL Beno
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Newnan offensive lineman Raymond Beno is no longer flying under the recruiting radar.
Miami recently offered Beno, a 6-foot-2, 280-pounder. Beno already had offers from Wake Forest, Southern Miss, Army, Navy and Air Force, among others. And his coach, Robert Herring, expects more colleges to get involved.
“Beno has so much going for him,” Herring said. “He’s a 4.0 student; he’s got size; he’s real aggressive, and he blocks very well. There’s a lot to like about him.”
Beno projects to play guard in college.
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Ridgeland’s Bowman considers offers from UGA, Auburn, others
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Ridgeland receiver Michael Bowman (6-5, 222) is touted by some to be the top receiver in the state and already has offers from Georgia, Auburn, LSU, Alabama and Oregon, among others.
But he’s working out as if he didn’t have any offers at all. It’s one of the tidbits of advice he has been getting from his big brother, Adarius Bowman, a star rookie receiver in the Canadian Football League. He’s trying to keep his little brother from making the same missteps that led Adarius to the CFL instead of the NFL.
Adarius was considered the top high school receiver in the state of Tennessee in 2003. During his sophomore season at North Carolina, he was dismissed from the team after an arrest for marijuana possession. He re-established himself as one of the nation’s top receivers at Oklahoma State and was poised to be a first-round draft pick in April. But poor workouts and another marijuana arrest caused him to go undrafted.
“We talk about it all the time,” Michael Bowman said. “He’s always giving me advice on the decisions I need to make.”
Michael Bowman says he is working hard to pattern his on-field game after his brother’s, who is having a standout season for the Saskatchewan Roughriders. He had 112 yards receiving on six catches, including a 74-yard touchdown reception, in his CFL debut last month.
“I want to be more physical this season and aggressive like him,” Bowman said.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Other schools, UGA
Henry County WR Patterson unsure about new Ga. Tech offense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Henry County wide receiver Jamal Patterson, who has about 50 scholarship offers, said he is taking a wait-and-see attitude with Georgia Tech.
“I met all the new coaches and really liked them,” Patterson said. “And they told me that they are going to throw the ball out of the [flexbone]. But I need to watch a few games first and see what’s going on before I really know how I feel about Georgia Tech.”
The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Patterson said Tech’s coaches have been understanding and invited him to some of the early home games to see the offense up close.
Patterson already has a closer feel to the situation than most other recruits. His teammmate last season at Henry County, wide receiver Chris Jackson, was an early commitment to Tech, but expressed concerns about the offense after the coaching change and signed with Alabama.
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North Cobb DE Lott to visit South Carolina, Oklahoma State
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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North Cobb may have had a disappointing ending last season with a loss in the first round of the playoffs, but that hasn’t stopped college recruiters from flocking to the school.
Twelve players signed college scholarships last season, and three more Division I prospects are on the roster this year. Michael Emerson and Rico Mack are battling for the quarterback position, but both are being recruited as receivers. But the big catch at North Cobb is defensive end Derrick Lott.
“He’s a freak,” said North Cobb coach Shane Queen. “He is the total package.”
The 6-foot-4, 265 pounder has sub-4.8 speed in the 40 and already has offers from South Carolina, Southern Cal, Oklahoma State, Louisville and Ole Miss. He will take official visits to South Carolina and Oklahoma State, but is undecided on his other visits. Don’t expect an early commitment.
“I am going to let the process play out,” Lott said. “I will plan out my other visits, but I just want to play well my senior season and get more colleges to offer me so I have plenty of choices.”
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UGA quarterbacks gather near Los Angeles for Elite 11 camp
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Georgia’s quarterbacks of the present and future are working out together on the other side of the country.
Georgia starter Matthew Stafford is a camp counselor at the Elite 11, which is held near Los Angeles. Oconee County’s Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla., who have both committed to Georgia, are two of the 12 high school quarterbacks from across the nation participating in the four-day camp that ends Thursday.
“There’s a lot of Bulldogs in the house,” said camp instructor Tee Martin over the telephone. Martin was quarterback for Tennessee’s 1998 national championship team.
Murray is Georgia’s most prominent 2009 commitment, choosing the Bulldogs over 53 other scholarship offers. The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder plays in the shotgun formation at Plant High, but has been switched to a different offensive scheme at camp.
“If there are question marks about Aaron, it’s if he can make the transition to taking snaps under center, which is what he’ll have to do when he gets to Georgia,” Martin said. “He has been doing it 100-percent of the time here and … looks phenomenal.”
Will Murray’s height be a concern in college? “There’s only a couple of inches that separate Aaron and [Stafford]. He’s shorter, but I don’t think he’ll get his passes knocked down a lot because he has such a high release point. Also, he’s very fast and athletic, and will be able to [scramble] to throw in the passing lanes.”
The 6-5, 235-pound Mettenberger is a classic pocket passer and has won rave reviews with his arm strength. Said Martin: “He was standing flat-footed and throwing balls to me 50 yards away with a zip. You just don’t see many high school kids with that type of velocity.”
Stafford is one of several Elite 11 alumni serving as counselors, along with Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Colt McCoy of Texas, among others. Georgia begins preseason practice next week.
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