AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 03
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson visits with Carver’s Darren Myles
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson met on Wednesday with Carver-Atlanta safety Darren Myles, one of the nation’s top uncommitted players.
What did Johnson have to say? “He said they really want me, and they wanted to know what it was going to take to get me there,” Myles told the AJC.
Myles said after meeting with Johnson, he has decided to take an official visit to Georgia Tech in January (date to be determined). Myles will take recruiting trips to LSU this weekend and Alabama on Jan. 9. He said his other top schools are Michigan, West Virginia and Purdue.
Myles also said he is no longer consideriing UGA. What went wrong?
Recruiting stories for SEC Championship contenders Florida and Alabama
Spurrier boasts to prospect about the advantages of SEC football over the ACC
Need an analysis of the SEC championship game? Alabama-bound OL Kellen Williams breaks it down
Westlake’s Chance Warmack knows all about those Alabama fans
Auburn-related recruiting stories
Douglass LB affected by Tuberville’s departure, now looking at Florida and Alabama
Peach County DB Reggie Taylor sticking with Auburn, not affected by coaching change
Other top recruiting stories
Hargrave Military’s Bobby Massie could “play in the NFL right now,” says coach
Georgia Tech commitment Will Jackson: Looking for a fourth roommate next year
Georgia Tech-bound QB leads his team to state championship win
Carver DB Darren Myles no longer considering UGA. What went wrong?
Son of former UGA standout Lars Tate commits to North Carolina over Bulldogs
Tennessee recruit Toney Williams will go ahead and visit SEC rival
Note: If any of the links do not work, the recruiting story can also be found in the left column under “Recent Entries”
Permalink | Comments (58) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Tech, UGA
Cartersville’s Donovan Tate commits to North Carolina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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North Carolina coach Butch Davis saw his cell phone ringing only minutes after making an in-home visit with Cartersville’s Donavan Tate on Tuesday night.
It was Tate on the other end of the phone: “So sorry, but my mom forgot to show you something really important,” Tate said. “Can you come back for a second?”
Davis turned his car around. When he knocked on Tate’s door this time, he was greeted with a big hug. Tate had decided to end the recruiting process and commit to North Carolina.
What had happened? After meeting with Davis for nearly three hours, Tate’s strong feelings about the Tar Heels were confirmed. As soon the coach left, Tate told his mom, “UNC is where I feel like I belong. It is a feeling that I really cannot explain, but I know [Davis and baseball coach Mike Fox] are the coaches I want to play for.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Tate picked North Carolina over Southern Cal, Michigan, Georgia and Alabama. Tate is the son of former UGA standout Lars Tate and will play football and baseball if he ever shows up at college. He is ranked as one of the nation’s top prospects for the June baseball draft, possibly a No. 1 pick.
North Carolina was a surprising choice, considering that Tate was injured in a playoff game on Nov. 21, forcing him to cancel an official visit the next day with the Tar Heels.
Tate, who suffered a rib injury and is expected to make a full recovery within five weeks, decided not to make up the recruiting trip to North Carolina. He announced that he was no longer going to take official visits. Tate said he had acquired enough information from long conversations with coaches and taking unofficial visits with his finalists.
After committing to North Carolina, Tate said he felt a “sense of excitement, relief and peace” after Davis left for the second time on Tuesday night.
Tate said on Wednesday that he has scheduled an official visit to North Carolina on Dec. 12.
Recruiting stories for SEC Championship contenders Florida and Alabama
Spurrier boasts to prospect about the advantages of SEC football over the ACC
Need an analysis of the SEC championship game? Alabama-bound OL Kellen Williams breaks it down
Westlake’s Chance Warmack knows all about those Alabama fans
Auburn-related recruiting stories
Douglass LB affected by Tuberville’s departure, now looking at Florida and Alabama
Peach County DB Reggie Taylor sticking with Auburn, not affected by coaching change
Other top recruiting stories
Hargrave Military’s Bobby Massie could “play in the NFL right now,” says coach
Georgia Tech commitment Will Jackson: Looking for a fourth roommate next year
Georgia Tech-bound QB leads his team to state championship win
Carver DB Darren Myles no longer considering UGA. What went wrong?
Son of former UGA standout Lars Tate commits to North Carolina over Bulldogs
Tennessee recruit Toney Williams will go ahead and visit SEC rival
Note: If any of the links do not work, the recruiting story can also be found in the left column under “Recent Entries”
Permalink | Comments (28) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Other schools, UGA
Tennessee recruit Toney Williams will visit SEC rival
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Milton tailback Toney Williams decided that he wants to take an official visit to Kentucky this weekend.
Williams, a Tennessee commitment, was excited at the prospects of the Tennessee offense after listening to new head coach Lane Kiffin on Monday. He remains committed to the Vols and will meet with Kiffin personally on Thursday.
But he still wants to take a look at the Wildcats.
“There’s a lot of things I like about Kentucky,” Williams said. “I need to take the trip just to get a chance to see everything and know my options.”
Williams will visit Knoxville for an official visit the following weekend.
Recruiting stories for SEC Championship contenders Florida and Alabama
Spurrier boasts to prospect about the advantages of SEC football over the ACC
Need an analysis of the SEC championship game? Alabama-bound OL Kellen Williams breaks it down
Westlake’s Chance Warmack knows all about those Alabama fans
Auburn-related recruiting stories
Douglass LB affected by Tuberville’s departure, now looking at Florida and Alabama
Peach County DB Reggie Taylor sticking with Auburn, not affected by coaching change
Other top recruiting stories
Hargrave Military’s Bobby Massie could “play in the NFL right now,” says coach
Georgia Tech commitment Will Jackson: Looking for a fourth roommate next year
Georgia Tech-bound QB leads his team to state championship win
Carver DB Darren Myles no longer considering UGA. What went wrong?
Son of former UGA standout Lars Tate commits to North Carolina over Bulldogs
Tennessee recruit Toney Williams will go ahead and visit SEC rival
Note: If any of the links do not work, the recruiting story can also be found in the left column under “Recent Entries”
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment |
Top safety not sure what went wrong with UGA
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Carver-Atlanta safety Darren Myles, one of the nation’s top uncommitted prospects, still isn’t sure why he hasn’t heard from UGA in recent weeks. He is no longer considering the Bulldogs.
“You’d have to ask [UGA], I’m really not sure what is going on,” Myles said. “I guess they found someone else they like better at the safety position. They had one commitment at safety [Early County’s Shawn Williams], and I knew that they had limited scholarships this year.”
“I guess they found someone they liked better for that other scholarship at safety, I don’t really know.”
If UGA tried to get back into the picture, would Myles be interested? “No, I don’t think so. Georgia has moved on, and so have I.”
Did Georgia lose a golden opportunity with Myles? That appears to be unlikely. When asked if UGA was ever at the top of his recruiting list, Myles would only go as far to say that the Bulldogs were in his top 10.
Myles was visited by Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson on Wednesday and agreed to take an official visit to the ACC school in January. Myles will make recruiting trips to LSU this weekend and Alabama on Jan. 9. He is also considering Michigan, West Virginia and Purdue.
Recruiting stories for SEC Championship contenders Florida and Alabama
Spurrier boasts to prospect about the advantages of SEC football over the ACC
Need an analysis of the SEC championship game? Alabama-bound OL Kellen Williams breaks it down
Westlake’s Chance Warmack knows all about those Alabama fans
Auburn-related recruiting stories
Douglass LB affected by Tuberville’s departure, now looking at Florida and Alabama
Peach County DB Reggie Taylor sticking with Auburn, not affected by coaching change
Other top recruiting stories
Hargrave Military’s Bobby Massie could “play in the NFL right now,” says coach
Georgia Tech commitment Will Jackson: Looking for a fourth roommate next year
Georgia Tech-bound QB leads his team to state championship win
Carver DB Darren Myles no longer considering UGA. What went wrong?
Son of former UGA standout Lars Tate commits to North Carolina over Bulldogs
Tennessee recruit Toney Williams will go ahead and visit SEC rival
Note: If any of the links do not work, the recruiting story can also be found in the left column under “Recent Entries”
Permalink | Comments (59) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Tech, UGA
Lithia Springs QB nearly committed to Georgia State
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Lithia Springs quarterback Kelton Hill Jr., a member of the AJC’s updated The Georgia 150, was close to committing to Georgia State before the Panthers got a commitment from Henry County’s Drew Little, his father, Kelton Hill Sr., said.
The two quarterbacks employ different styles: Little, who fell just short of the state’s career passing yardage record, is a pocket passer, while Hill considers himself a dual threat as both a passer and a runner.
“Georgia State’s not going to have a lot of great linemen,” said Hill Jr, “and Drew isn’t going to get away from pressure like I can.”
Hill Sr. said his son decided to wait on his commitment to the Panthers because of the decided differences in style.
“They were talking to us about running the spread to take advantage of his running ability and moving the pocket, things like that,” Hill Sr. said. “It kind of felt like a mixed message.”
Hill Jr. is planning visits to Middle Tennessee, Georgia State, Jacksonville (Ala.) Sate, Alabama State and Charleston Southern.
Got some recruiting news? mcarvell@ajc.com
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Alabama, Auburn battle over Worth County DE
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Meshack Williams, the Worth County defensive end who made 23 sacks in 10 games this season, is headed to a junior college, but that doesn’t keep SEC schools from trying to get a commitment from him. That will give them the inside track on signing him again in two years.
Auburn assistant coach Hugh Nall visited Williams on Friday, and coaches from South Carolina and Alabama have called in the past two weeks to offer official visits, according to Worth County coach Harris Rainbow. Williams will visit those three schools. He has been to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to see the Alabama-Mississippi State game.
“What they’re telling him is don’t commit to a junior college yet; commit to us, then we want to place you,’ ” Rainbow said.”This is a kid who will play on Sundays.”
Rainbow said he began tracking Williams’ sack totals on film because the numbers are almost unbelievable. Williams is 6-foot-4, 220 pounds. He’s a defensive tackle in high school but probably will play linebacker in college due to his speed, which is 4.55 seconds over 40 yards.
”I’ve never had anyone to compare him to,” Rainbow said. “You watch film, and the other team has to change what they do because of where he’s at on the field. There’s probably only 20 players in the state like that.”
Got some recruiting news? mcarvell@ajc.com
Click below to see the following:
Are you a senior prospect “overlooked” by colleges? Here’s what to do about it
Note: Any inappropriate comments will not be tolerated, along with offensive “screen names.” Your posts are identified by the AJC with logging your IP address, not your screen name or email address. We encourage your comments and opinions, and only request that you use good judgment.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina
Spurrier may offer five Georgia Military JC players
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Steve Spurrier watched practice at Georgia Military Junior College on Tuesday, according to GoGamecocks.
South Carolina already has commitments from two Georgia Military linebackers, Tony Straughter and Josh Dickerson. The Gamecocks are also looking at three other players, according to the website: Offensive linemen Kevious Watkins and Lamar Leon, along with wide receiver Brandon Nolley.
Permalink | Comments (8) | Post your comment | Categories: South Carolina
Did Tennessee’s Kiffin break NCAA recruiting rules?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Lane Kiffin has already discovered one thing that comes with the job of being Tennessee’s coach: needling from Steve Spurrier.
The South Carolina coach, who had a history of taking verbal jabs at Kiffin’s predecessor, Phillip Fulmer, questioned whether Kiffin broke NCAA recruiting rules by contacting Tennessee recruits before he was cleared to do so.
Jarvis Giles, a running back recruit from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., told several media outlets that Kiffin contacted him early Sunday morning - a day before he was scheduled to be introduced as the Vols’ new coach.
Spurrier noted that he didn’t retake the recruiting test until after he was introduced as the Gamecocks’ new coach and joked that Kiffin might have called Giles as “an interested observer.”
Kiffin, who announced Monday he had hired South Carolina’s former quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator David Reaves, his brother-in-law, to help with recruiting, must have heard what Spurrier had to say.
“As far as recruiting, we’ve hit the ground running. I took the test a few days before I got hired here so that we could do that,” he said Monday
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, UGA
Oregon looking at Southwest DeKalb RB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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With an official visit planned this weekend, a new offer, visits from recruiters and a nibble on what seemed like a shot in the dark, Southwest DeKalb wide receiver Jacoby Mitchell has had a busy week.
Mitchell, an AJC The Georgia 150 prospect, will go on an official visit this weekend to Western Carolina, which offered scholarships to him and three of his teammates in October. He will make the visit with linebackers Brandon Brant and Richard Hughes and running back Michael Johnson. “It should be fun,” Mitchell said.
Recruiters from Western Kentucky and William & Mary were at Southwest DeKalb Monday to talk to Mitchell and other SWD players. No offers were made, but Mitchell came away thinking there would be an offer from both schools.
Last week, Delaware made an offer, adding to Mitchell’s list, which includes Furman, Georgia Southern, Western Carolina, Eastern Michigan, Bowling Green, Alabama-Birmingham, Middle Tennessee and Akron.
The highlight of the week, however, was interest from Oregon, which requested more information and video. The Pac-10 school had not contacted Mitchell until now, but he has dreamed of attracting their attention.
Mitchell has been interested in the Ducks — and their distinctive green-and-gold uniforms — for quite some time. So he sent a highlight video of his first four games on the off chance that they’d be interested. They bit.
“They saw the first four games, and they liked it. I’m going to make a highlight tape of the whole season and send it,” said Mitchell. “I love their spread offense. I know I can make plays in it.”
Got some recruiting news? mcarvell@ajc.com
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Are you a senior prospect “overlooked” by colleges? Here’s what to do about it
Note: Any inappropriate comments will not be tolerated, along with offensive “screen names.” Your posts are identified by the AJC with logging your IP address, not your screen name or email address. We encourage your comments and opinions, and only request that you use good judgment.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Other schools
McNair RB Arnold Walker commits to Alcorn State
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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McNair running back Arnold Walker committed to Alcorn State on Tuesday night.
“Alcorn State head coach [Ernest Jones] said I could be an impact player and a difference maker,” said Walker.
Walker said Jones told him he had already recruited one running back but he wanted to secure a second.
“I told him you got your next back, so you can continue recruiting,” he said.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pound tailback also had an offer from Alabama State, and he plans on taking an official visit to Montgomery on Jan. 9.
“I just want to see other colleges and check out the atmosphere,” he said. “If Alabama State offers, I would have to discuss it with my parents and see if it’s the right fit. But right now I’m committed to Alcorn State.”
Got some recruiting news? pgiltman@ajc.com
Click below to see the following:
Are you a senior prospect “overlooked” by colleges? Here’s what to do about it
Note: Any inappropriate comments will not be tolerated, along with offensive “screen names.” Your posts are identified by the AJC with logging your IP address, not your screen name or email address. We encourage your comments and opinions, and only request that you use good judgement.
Permalink | Comments (0) | Post your comment | Categories: Other schools
Peach County’s Taylor already has a plan for defending Bama’s Jones
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Peach County defensive back Reggie Taylor has never wavered from his commitment to Auburn, even though rumors of Tommy Tuberville’s exit continue to pop up.
In fact, Taylor watched last weekend’s Iron Bowl from the mindset of a player and coach, not a fan of Auburn.
“I do that with all of [Auburn’s] games,” Taylor said. “I always look at how I would have done this or that, if I was on the field. I think I can help them on defense, bring them a spark.”
For example, Taylor already has his strategy for defending Alabama freshman phenom Julio Jones, who has established himself as one of the SEC’s top receivers. The 6-4, 210 pound Jones has 46 catches this season for 723 yards and four touchdowns.
“I would try to push him around all day long,” Taylor said. “I would try to make it hard on him, be physical with him the whole game.”
Taylor said he will set up an official visit to Auburn in January.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Auburn
