AJC > Sports > Football Recruiting > Blog > Archives > 2008 > December > 12
Friday, December 12, 2008
Who’s taking an official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
The AJC has confirmed that at least 11 players from the class of 2009 will take an official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend.
Players committed to the Jackets who are expected to arrive on Tech’s campus late Friday or early Saturday include Ray Beno of Newnan, Chris Crenshaw of Jefferson County, Jay Finch of Kennesaw Mountain, Antonio Foster of Valdosta, Stephen Hill of Miller Grove, Jordan Luallen of Center Grove High in Greenwood, Ind., Jeremy Moore of Johnson High in Austin, Tex., Roderick Sweeting of Luella and Jemea Thomas of Fitzgerald.
Two players being heavily recruited by the Jackets, Euclid Cummings of Centennial and Courtney Dalcourt of Franklin-Simpson High in Kentucky are also scheduled to visit Tech this weekend.
Other top recruiting stories
One of Georgia State’s top commitments was involved in the Lowndes-Grayson controversy
Caught on Tape: Ending of Lowndes-Grayson game continues to stir emotion
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech
UGA kicks off biggest recruiting weekend of the year
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Georgia will begin its most important recruiting weekend of the year on Friday.
Why is it so important? UGA will be bringing in its top two remaining in-state targets on official visits, Booker T. Washington cornerback Branden Smith and Carver-Columbus linebacker Jarvis Jones.
If Georgia is able to land one or both, it will likely secure the Bulldogs with one of the nation’s top 10 recruiting classes for 2009. It will also give Georgia, which has 16 commitments, a lot of much-needed momentum heading down the final stretch of recruiting.
Neither Smith or Jones are expected to commit by the end of the weekend, or anytime soon. However, UGA’s coaches will get to spend plenty of quality time with Smith and Jones during the weekend. They will be able to make an assessment on the chances of each player eventually signing with the Bulldogs.
The 6-foot, 170-pound Smith, the 2008 Gatorade Georgia Player of the Year, is ranked as the state’s No. 1 recruit by the AJC and Rivals. He already has taken official visits to Florida, Alabama and FSU. Smith’s mother endorses UGA, but Smith claims to not have any favorites. He will announce his college decision on Jan. 4.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Jones had planned to travel to Georgia in January, but told the AJC he bumped up the trip after his team lost in the state semifinals last weekend. Many have predicted that Jones will play for an out-of-state school, but Georgia reportedly has made tremendous strides with him in recent months.
Jones has taken an official visit to Southern Cal. He said he will take recruiting trips to Florida on Jan. 16, Texas on Jan. 23 and LSU on Jan. 30 before announcing a college decision.
Chestatee linebacker Chase Vasser, Buford lineman Dallas Lee, Valdosta linebacker Mike Gilliard, who are all committed to Georgia, are some of the other prospects scheduled for official visits this weekend. The highlight of the weekend will be Saturday’s night Football Gala for Georgia’s football team.
Georgia’s coaches will meet next week to determine their chances of landing Smith and Jones. If they feel well about how it went, then the Bulldogs will be able to concentrate on other recruiting needs, most notably wide receivers from other states. If Georgia does not feel well about one or both players, then the Bulldogs are likely to offer other players being strongly considered for scholarship offers.
Which player do you think UGA has a better chance of signing? Branden Smith or Jarvis Jones? And why do you feel that way? And which player is more important to UGA’s overall recruiting needs?
Permalink | Comments (23) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, UGA
Georgia State commitment involved in Lowndes-Grayson controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Lowndes safety Marcus Solomon, who became an overnight celebrity on YouTube with his penalty in the Grayson-Lowndes game, confirmed to the AJC that he has committed to Georgia State.
“I felt like it was the best situation I could put myself in,” Solomon said in a text message. “Plus, I wanted to be part of history [with Georgia State’s new football program].”
The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Solomon also had an offer from West Georgia, and was hearing from Middle Tennessee State, Troy and Central Michigan.
Solomon was whistled for a personal foul and ejected near the end of Lowndes’ loss to Grayson in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Other schools
Buford’s Dallas Lee to go from state championship game to UGA recruiting trip
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Making an official visit to the college you’ve always wanted to play for is the stuff of dreams. Competing for a state championship during the final game of your high school career is even better.
Buford’s Dallas Lee will get do both as part of a frantic Friday. Lee will start at offensive line for Buford in the Class AA championship at the Georgia Dome, quickly change clothes after the game and head for Athens to begin his official visit with UGA. Lee was an early commitment to the Bulldogs.
“Yes, it’s going to be a big weekend,” Lee said. “But I’m ready for it. I knew it could turn out this way, but I was hoping it would turn out this way. Because if I was doing both things in the same weekend, then that would mean we would be playing for the state championship.”
Which has Lee been thinking about more? The state championship or his UGA trip? Lee said that was an easy answer. “I’m thinking 100-percent about Buford football. I probably won’t even think about Georgia until I wake up on Saturday morning.”
Here’s what Lee schedule will look like on Friday: He will ride the Buford team bus to the Georgia Dome for the 5 p.m. contest. After the game, he will change out of his uniform and ride with his parents to Athens. They plan on arriving at the hotel around midnight, and UGA assistant Stacey Searels will try to wait up to greet Lee.
The 6-foot-4, 285-pound Lee said Searels requested that he arrive on Friday night, even if it’s really late, so Lee could fully participate in Saturday’s activities, which include the UGA Football Gala in the evening. Many of UGA top recruiting targets, including Booker T. Washington cornerback Branden Smith and Carver-Columbus linebacker Jarvis Jones, are also scheduled to make recruiting trips this weekend.
Lee starts at offensive tackle for Buford, and also plays at defensive tackle. He had 16 tackles and two sacks against Thomson in the playoffs. Lee has also averaged 7.5 pancake blogs in the two playoff games.
Other stories of interest
Caught on Tape: Ending of Lowndes-Grayson game continues to stir emotion
Did Tucker’s Jonathan Davis lose his scholarship offer to Georgia Tech?
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
Georgia quarterback commitment Murray makes quick recovery
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Georgia-bound quarterback Aaron Murray could start for his high school team in the Florida state semifinals on Friday night, according to The Tampa Tribune.
If so, it would mark an improbable return for a player who was thought to have suffered a season-ending injury around two months ago. Murray, who picked Georgia over 53 scholarship offers, broke his left leg on Oct. 16 and underwent surgery a week later to insert pins in the leg.
According to the Tribune, Murray rested for a week, and then began doing two hours of rehabilitation every day. He made his celebrated return to football practice this past Monday. Murray’s trainer said the bone has healed and that his “only obstacle is pain.”
Plant High continued winning games without Murray at quarterback, and last week pulled off an upset over Armwood, which had defeated Plant earlier this year. The victory set the stage for Murray’s improbable return this week. He was expected by doctors to be out of action for at least another month.
“It was his goal to come back, that he’d be back if the team got this far,” Murray’s mother, Lauren, told the Tribune. “So, I’m not surprised. If Aaron sets a goal, he gets it. He ‘wills’ himself to get better. He’ll put the work in. If he wants something bad enough, he can get it.”
Other stories of interest
Caught on Tape: Ending of Lowndes-Grayson game continues to stir emotion
Did Tucker’s Jonathan Davis lose his scholarship offer to Georgia Tech?
Permalink | Comments (17) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina, Tennessee, UGA
Georgia’s top high school senior recruits on display during football finals
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
The spotlight in state championship games always shines a little brighter for high school seniors who are fortunate enough to advance to the big stage. And with the football finals moving to the Georgia Dome for the first time in history, that spotlight will be much larger.
Some of the top players in Georgia’s illustrious high school history have won state titles — Herschel Walker, Garrison Hearst, Fran Tarkenton, Ray Guy, William Andrews, Jeff Francoeur.
And some of the best — Charlie Ward, Champ Bailey, Jamal Lewis, Eric Zeier, Charles Grant, Eric Berry — have not.
But it’s always a pretty good bet that the stars will shine when championships are on the line. So here are 12 of the top senior players — and most heavily recruited — who will be on display this weekend in the Dome:
Drayton Calhoun, Tucker
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Calhoun admits that he likely would be committed to Georgia, rather than LSU, had circumstances been different. LSU moved very quickly with the speedy Calhoun, offering him last February before Georgia could finish its evaluation.
Calhoun fell in love overnight with LSU and has remained committed to the Tigers despite hometown pressures to consider Georgia. He is being recruited as an athlete.
Izaan Cross, Flowery Branch
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Cross is considered one of the state’s top prospects who has not made a college decision. Cross, a defensive end, is the most heavily recruited player in school history, with nearly 20 offers, including Oklahoma and Florida State.
Cross told the AJC that Georgia Tech is his No. 1 choice, but Clemson has regained some of the momentum it lost after the coaching change.
Jonathan Davis, Tucker
The 5-foot-7, 205-pound Davis is arguably the state’s most accomplished player and a respectable college prospect at the linebacker position. Height has hurt Davis with some schools, but he has shown enough athleticism and speed to earn offers from Georgia Tech, South Carolina and Boston College.
The Gamecocks appear to have an edge over Tech for Davis, who is the nephew of former Georgia All-SEC linebacker Mitch Davis. Don’t be surprised if Georgia and numerous other schools get involved with Davis in the weeks before signing day in February.
Daniel Drummond, Flowery Branch
The 6-3, 230-pound Drummond is a longtime commitment to Georgia Tech who really did not get statewide respect until he began putting on a show during the playoffs. Even LaGrange coach Steve Pardue admitted he underestimated Drummond.
In last week’s semifinals, Drummond rushed for 248 yards and three touchdowns, including an 81-yard scoring run, at LaGrange, which has three seniors committed to Kentucky.
Washaun Ealey, Emanuel County Institute
The 6-foot, 205-pound Ealey is one of the most ballyhooed players in the state history, rushing for nearly 8,000 career yards and breaking records for career and single-season touchdowns.
Ealey, who was an early commitment to Georgia, has looked rather average during the playoffs, but that could be because of nagging ankle and back injuries. Ealey confessed last week that he is around 80 percent healthy.
J.C. Lanier, ECI
The 6-3, 335-pound Lanier has been overshadowed by his teammates, but may turn out to be the team’s best prospect. He has committed to Georgia Tech.
Lanier gets rave reviews for his physical style of play on the offensive line, hustling on every snap and being the team leader. Lanier surprised Wilkinson County in last week’s semifinals when he charged 20 yards downfield to block the safety — which is something you rarely see 300-pounders do in high school.
Dallas Lee, Buford
The 6-4, 295-pound Lee hurt himself in the recruiting rankings when he accepted a scholarship offer from Georgia. Lee likely would have added 10-20 offers within the next few months, but Georgia was his top choice, so he committed.
Lee quietly has enjoyed a stellar senior season and has proven to be dominant on offense and defense. He projects to play offensive line in college.
Eric McDaniel, Calhoun
How does Purdue land one of the state’s best defensive linemen? By recruiting McDaniel as hard as possible before other colleges could make inroads.
The 6-2, 295-pound McDaniel committed to Purdue over North Carolina State, Louisville and East Carolina. McDaniel made a concentrated effort to take football more seriously as a senior, and the result has been a season worthy of All-State consideration.
Kevin Minter, Peachtree Ridge
The 6-foot, 230-pound Minter was another early commitment to LSU. Alabama later offered, but Minter, a linebacker, has remained loyal to the Tigers.
Minter is likely one of the state’s best players you have never heard about. Why is that? This year’s group of linebackers is the state’s best in more than a decade.
Dexter Moody, ECI
The 6-2, 215-pound Moody is every bit the prospect as his celebrated teammate, Ealey. Moody, who has committed to Georgia, plays defensive end in high school, but projects to play inside linebacker or fullback in college. He’s known for his bone-jarring hits and for being able to play nearly every position on the field, including punter.
Angelo Pease, Cairo
Perhaps no one has more to gain this weekend than the 5-10, 180-pound Pease, who has offers from Middle Tennessee State and Georgia Southern, but is being scouted by numerous other schools, including Georgia Tech.
If Pease plays well at quarterback in the finals, then the floodgates could open with new offers.
DeAngelo Smith, Camden
The 6-3, 185-pound Smith already has heard all the jokes about being a wide receiver in Camden’s run-oriented offense. Right now, Smith is just fine with doing whatever it takes for Camden to win, even blocking.
Smith committed to the Gamecocks before Florida and Georgia could get better looks, although both have stayed in touch.
BEST OF THE REST
A look at some of the other top seniors at the Georgia Dome this weekend who are being recruited by numerous colleges:
Buford
Andrew Sachais, DL - Offer from Air Force, Ball St.
Cody Getz, RB - Offer from Air Force
Cairo
Logan Bennett, DE - Offers from Middle Tenn. St., South Ala., Georgia Southern
Anthony Brown, DE - Offers from Middle Tenn. St., Georgia Southern
Reginald Bryant, RB - Offers from North Carolina St. and Louisville
Montavious Williams, DT - Committed to Troy
Camden County
Robert Williams, FS - Offers from Navy, Toledo
Marquevious Myers, FB/DE - Offers from Memphis, Middle Tenn. St., Georgia St.
Michael Green, DB - Offers from East Carolina, Indiana, Illinois
Ryan Attaway, OL - Offers from Memphis, Fla. International, Georgia St.
Justin Orr, LB - Committed to Georgia St.
Emanuel County Institute
Mark Flott, LB - Offers from Georgia Southern, Furman
Flowery Branch
Greg Palmer, DB - Interest from Ala.-Birmingham, Wofford
Chris Lipscomb, DB - Offer from Presbyterian
Marist
Chris Williamson, P - Committed to South Ala.
Peachtree Ridge
Mitchell Williford, WR/DB - Offer from Air Force
Connor Norman, DB - Offer from Army
Tucker
A.J. Bouye, DB - Committed to Central Fla.
Tevin Holliman, LB - Offers from Central Fla., Buffalo, Akron, Georgia St.
Deion Roberson, DE - Offers from Louisville, NC St., West Virginia, Iowa St., Memphis
Wesleyan
Josh Parrish, OL/DL - Offer from Tenn. Tech
Andrew Patrick, OL - Offer from Air Force
Who’s the best of the Top 12? Tell us who you’d most like to see join your favorite college squad next season. Who’s overrated and who deserves much more respect in college circles?
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.
Other stories of interest
Caught on Tape: Ending of Lowndes-Grayson game continues to stir emotion
Did Tucker’s Jonathan Davis lose his scholarship offer to Georgia Tech?
Permalink | Comments (58) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, Kentucky, LSU, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
