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Monday, February 23, 2009
Georgia Tech, other ACC programs recruiting Centennial DB Jenkins
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Duke, East Carolina, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, N.C. State, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Western Kentucky are among the schools showing strong interest in Centennial junior cornerback Martin Jenkins.
“Wake Forest is the school showing the most interest so far,” said the 5-foot-9, 165-pound Jenkins, who posted a time of 4.35 seconds in the 40-yard dash during a combine hosted by Scout last month.
Jenkins, who is still waiting on his first scholarship offer, recently received a visit from Duke coach David Cutcliffe.
“I was surprised that he wanted to talk to me,” said Jenkins, whose father Lee Jenkins was a three-year starter at Tennessee in the early 80s prior to a brief stint in the NFL with the New York Giants.
“Coach Cutcliffe talked to me about their football and academics and how it works. I was impressed by that.”
Jenkins said he’s been received some solid recruiting advice from senior Centennial teammate Euclid Cummings, who signed a letter of intent with Georgia Tech earlier this month.
“I’m pretty good friends with Euclid,” Jenkins said. “He told me about the schools he visited. He said to pick the best all-around school, not just one for football.”
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to jhood@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (7) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech
Tennessee offers Heritage DB Garry Peters
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Heritage junior cornerback Garry Peters picked up offers from Tennessee and East Carolina on Monday, assistant coach Chris Pack said.
The 6-foot, 173-pounder now has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, South Carolina, Central Florida, Maryland, East Carolina and Tennessee. Peters attended Junior Day at Georgia.
“He is an athlete,” Heritage defensive coordinator Andy Szatkowski said. “Most schools are recruiting him as a cornerback, but he could play many positions like safety, wide receiver and returning kicks.”
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to pgiltman@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (6) | Post your comment | Categories: Other schools, Tennessee
Henry County WR Markeith Ambles in no hurry to trim list
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Markeith Ambles knows it’s nearly a year between now and the time when he’ll need to make a decision about his football future in college, so he’s in no rush to narrow down his list of offers.
The Henry County wide receiver, who had 53 receptions for 993 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, says he’s going to be patient and take it all in. He has 22 offers.
“I’m going to talk to everyone. I’m really not trying to focus on anyone just yet,” he said. “I’m going to just wait it out. Whenever I feel it, I’ll know it’s time to make a decision.”
Ambles has made two Junior Day visits this spring, the latest on Saturday at Alabama, but with baseball season starting — he starts in right field — he’s not planning any more visits right now.
He knows what he’s looking for in a college program. “I’ve got to be real cool with the coaches,” he said. “I’ve got to have a chance to play early. It has to be a good school and a good football program.”
He wouldn’t say Alabama fits those expectations, but said he came away impressed with his visit to Tuscaloosa. “It was nice. [Coach Nick Saban] was awesome,” he said. “I loved it down there.”
Alabama is on an offers list that also includes Georgia Tech, Florida, USC, LSU, Florida State, Clemson, South Carolina, Tennessee, Auburn, Ole Miss, North Carolina and Arkansas.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (16) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, FSU, Florida, LSU, Other ACC schools, Other SEC schools, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
Flowery Branch QB Connor Shaw says South Carolina is frontrunner
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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Flowery Branch quarterback Connor Shaw, the state’s top quarterback prospect for 2010, said that South Carolina moved ahead of Georgia Tech as his frontrunner.
Shaw, the younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw, made the decision after visiting South Carolina on Saturday. He got to speak with his “childhood idol,” Steve Spurrier.
Was Shaw tempted to commit to the Gamecocks? “No, I’m wide open … [but] that’s always in the back of your mind whenever you visit a college that has offered you. I really like South Carolina, but no… I don’t plan on committing any time soon.”
“I want to visit some of these other schools, like West Virginia and Wake Forest, and see what they have to say.”
Shaw has early offers from South Carolina, Tech, Wake Forest, West Virginia and Stanford.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (18) | Post your comment | Categories: South Carolina, Tech
Douglass DT Garrison Smith challenged in checkers by elderly neighbor
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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At 6-foot-3, 250 pounds, Douglass defensive tackle Garrison Smith is an imposing presence on the football field.
That means nothing when he lines ‘em up against a neighbor several decades older. “Mr. Brown,” as Smith knows him, is a neighbor who is in his ‘80s and a former football player at Morris Brown College.
“He’s got old-school skills,” said the talented junior, one of Georgia’s top 2010 prospects who has around 15 scholarship offers from major programs. “He’s the best I ever seen. He’s the only one I can’t beat.”
The game is checkers, in case you’re wondering, one of Smith’s favorite things to do when he’s not in football mode. He frequently visits his neighbor for friendly games and conversation.
Mr. Brown shares his stories of playing at Morris Brown, growing up in Atlanta and life in general. “We talk a lot about life, how he came up, the opportunities I have that he didn’t have,” Smith said. “I think he helps guide me in the right path.”
Smith seems to heading that way, with a 3.5 grade-point average, intentions to graduate high school early and offers from such high-profile programs as Georgia, Florida, Georgia Tech and virtually every program in the SEC. His brother, Greg Smith, plays for Tech.
What he doesn’t have is a win over Mr. Brown, even though Smith beats nearly everyone else, like his father, brothers and most other takers. “If I beat him, it’s because he let me beat him. I can never just beat him flat-out.”
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (3) | Post your comment | Categories: Clemson, Florida, Other ACC schools, Other SEC schools, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
M.L. King RB Mack Brown planning trip to Georgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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One of the nation’s top juniors, M.L. King running back Mack Brown will make a visit to UGA this Friday. He was invited by Georgia’s new running backs coach, Bryan McClendon.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound tailback said this is his second visit to UGA, but his first visit was for the Georgia Tech game. “I never met the coaches, I’ve only talked to them over the phone,” he said.
Brown, who received an invitation to play in the Under Armour All-American Bowl in Orlando on Jan. 4, has nearly 20 offers, including UGA and Tech.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to pgiltman@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Other schools, Tech, UGA
Newnan’s Alec Ogletree gets Oklahoma offer out of the blue
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Alec Ogletree, the big safety from Newnan High, was a bit surprised by what he received in the mail last week.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound junior with 4.5 speed opened a letter from the University of Oklahoma that said the coaching staff wants him to be a Sooner.
“It just said ‘You are one of the top players and we’re offering you a scholarship,” said Ogletree, who added he hasn’t had any conversations with Oklahoma recruiters. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
Ogletree expects to talk to an Oklahoma recruiter this week, “probably [Monday].”
Ogletree is a leading candidate to be the state’s No. 1 prospect for 2010. So what does he take from an offer without some conversation first?
“You take it and put it with the rest of them,” he said, referring to what he thinks are about 30 offers.
Other top offers: Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Florida, Florida State, Oregon, Maryland, South Carolina, North Carolina and Clemson.
Ogletree says the Georgia offer, directly from coach Mark Richt, came last summer after he attended a camp in Athens. “I guess he liked the way I move my hips with I’m flying around the field,” he said.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (9) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Clemson, FSU, Florida, LSU, Other ACC schools, Other SEC schools, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, UGA
Gainesville WR Tai-Ler Jones the next “Sanjay Gupta”?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Gainesville High receiver Tai-Ler Jones has nearly 30 early offers to play college football at places like Oklahoma, Ohio State and Notre Dame, where his father Andre played defensive end in the late 1980’s.
That’s also the number he scored on the ACT test, further evidence the junior has plenty to offer off the field, too. He’s an honors student who takes advanced-placement classes and carries a 3.56 grade-point average.
And, the 25 on the ACT? “That was after taking it the first time and not really studying for it,” he said. “My coaches told me with a 25 on the ACT there’s no need to take the SAT.”
Jones’ academic numbers are as impressive as his receiving numbers (81 receptions, 1,000 yards, 21 TDs), so you wonder what he wants to do if football doesn’t lead to something after college.
“Broadcast Journalism or Pre Med,” was his response.
Talking sports on ESPN would be great, he says. He found that he was a natural doing on-camera spots for his high school’s in-house news reports.
His interest in medicine comes from being around it often because some family friends are doctors.
Mixing the two could be pretty fun, maybe as a TV medical expert.
“I get that a lot,” he said. “A lot of people say I could be a doctor on CNN, like [Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent].”
There’s no question Jones’ football ability will take him places. Along with the above-mentioned schools he has received offers from Georgia Tech, Cal, UCLA, Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt and North Carolina, along with a dozen more.
Jones is a 6-foot, 178-pound junior who runs a 4.45 40. His strengths are sure hands and route-running.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (2) | Post your comment | Categories: Alabama, Other ACC schools, Other SEC schools, Other schools, South Carolina, Tech, Tennessee, UGA
Both Mississippi schools make advances toward South Paulding DB
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
Maybe it was a strange coincidence, but both of Mississippi’s SEC schools offered South Paulding cornerback Ryan Ayers on Sunday.
Ayers, who some recruiters call “the state’s fastest player,” was offered first by Ole Miss assistant Terry Price. The Rebels told South Paulding coach Tim Glanton they also have interest in lineman Zach Hemmila (6-foot-4, 310 lbs.), but did not offer.
About an hour later on Sunday, Mississippi State assistant David Turner followed with a scholarship offer for Ayers, who has around 15, including Georgia Tech, UGA, Oklahoma and Florida. Ayers has appeared to be favoring Tech.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (1) | Post your comment | Categories: Tech
South Carolina asks M.L. King RB Mack Brown about its chances
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Categories
M.L. King’s Mack Brown, one of the nation’s top 2010 prospects at tailback, went to South Carolina over the weekend.
Brown said he didn’t get to meet Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier, but talked to a few assistants. And they all wanted to know the same thing: Do the Gamecocks really have a chance at signing Brown?
“I said, ‘Yes sir, you have a chance … everybody has a chance,’” Brown recalled. “They [South Carolina] were happy, they just want a chance to recruit me.”
Brown has around 15 offers, including UGA and Georgia Tech.
Got a recruiting item? Please send an email to mcarvell@ajc.com
Here are briefs on the day’s top recruiting stories. Click on the headline of each story to read more.
You just want to read about UGA? Click here to go directly to all the UGA recruiting stories
You just want to read about Georgia Tech? Click on this link to go directly to all the Georgia Tech recruiting stories
Do you want to talk about UGA and Georgia Tech recruiting? Or have questions about the state’s top prospects? Then go to the AJC’s “Inside Georgia Recruiting” forum with Michael Carvell
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: South Carolina, Tech, UGA
