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Recruiting "guru" roundtable

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Buckskin86

Buckskin86

Moderator
I just want to know where Nutty is? :biggrin:

http://www.floridatoday.com/recruiting/

This week’s question: Who is the top high school football player in America and which way is he leaning?

Jeremy Crabtree, Rivals100.com

“I’ve seen a lot of great athletes over the years, but Derrick Williams from Greenbelt (Md.) Eleanor Roosevelt is one of the most complete athletes that I’ve seen in the last five years. He’s our No. 1 player in the nation - not just because he can run in the 4.3s in the 40-yard dash. He’s a great competitor, great leader and most importantly he’s a game breaker. When it’s crunch time, Derrick is at his best and we see him doing the same thing on the next level.

“Derrick’s list still is somewhat long, and he’s expected to reduce his list to a final eight to 10 teams here in the next week. But schools like Florida, Florida State, Penn State, Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and Virginia all have great shots at getting an official visit from him.

“It’s going to be tough to really predict where he’ll end up, but anybody that counts out Florida, Penn State or Maryland in this battle might be surprised come signing day.”

Jamie Newberg, national recruiting analyst, TheInsiders.com

“I don’t know if there is one clear-cut guy that you could say is the No. 1 prospect in the country this season. You could make a strong case for several players like wide receiver/cornerback Derrick Williams (Greenbelt, Md.), defensive tackle Callahan Bright (Bryn Mawr, Pa.), wide receiver Fred Rouse (Tallahassee) and quarterback Ryan Perrilloux (Reserve, La.).

“TheInsiders.com selected Derrick Williams as our No. 1-rated prospect and that was more of a consensus among our recruiting team. Right now, Florida, FSU, Miami, Penn State, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas and USC are all in contention. He will graduate early and have to take his official visits this fall throughout the season and just after. It’s really hard to say who has the inside track. Williams wants to play wide receiver and given the opportunity early. Based on that, he may very well end up on a team that doesn’t have much receiver depth. So it could be a surprise team in the end like Virginia Tech, Virginia or Penn State. At the same time, you can never discount Miami, FSU, USC and Oklahoma and his former teammate, Derrick Harvey, signed with the Gators this past season.

“In my opinion, the top prospect is Callahan Bright, TheInsiders.com’s No. 2 overall player. Bright likes a wide range of schools - LSU, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC, FSU, Miami, Ohio State and USC. Early on, I thought Miami had the inside track, but now it appears he has opened things back up.”

Bobby Burton, Rivals100.com

“There’s probably a little bit of difference between who the best ‘player’ is and who the best ‘recruit’ is. I think the best player is Jerrell Powe, a defensive tackle out of Waynesboro, Miss. I’ve been around a long time in this business, and I don’t know that I’ve seen a better player at defensive tackle at this stage of a career. At the same time, Powe is a risk to make it academically, which means he may not be the best college prospect in the country. Auburn’s a big leader because the Tigers signed a couple of his high school teammates a year ago, but he’s just as likely to go to a local junior college and then resurface in a couple of years.”

Miller Safrit, East Coast regional recruiting analyst, TheInsiders.com

“I would say that Derrick Williams is the top player in the nation. His explosion off of cuts, versatility, and team presence makes him the ultimate recruit this year. He is looking at 14 schools right now, but I think Florida, Florida State and Oklahoma are the teams to beat, with an outside shot of Virginia.”

Greg Biggins, recruiting director, StudentSports.com

“My top player would be Derrick Williams. He’s been clocked at 4.31 in the 40 with a 4.18 shuttle time at the Nike camp in Virginia. Looked incredible in the one on one drills, showing a great burst off the line and very good hands despite playing quarterback as a junior. He rushed for 1,363 yards and 22 touchdowns as a junior and picked off four passes, three of which he returned for scores. Maryland and Florida look good right now over a ton of other schools he’s listing, including Florida State, USC, Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State and Tennessee.”

Duane Long, TheInsiders.com

“I think defensive tackle Callahan Bright from Pennsylvania is the best player I have seen this year on tape. He is such an athlete for his size and is one of the most explosive linemen I have seen in the last few years. He is already big enough and strong enough to play as a freshman. He benches 400 pounds and squats 700, packs a real punch at the point of attack and runs so well. When he engages blockers, their heads snap back like they have been hit by Mike Tyson.

“He could be a great guard but I think that would be a waste. He is listed as having a 4.9 40. If that is accurate, it is another testament to football speed over track speed. He carries his speed onto the football field. He is a one-gap tackle in my mind and a sure Sunday player four years from now - if not three.

“He is playing it close to the vest as far as schools are concerned, but I think either Miami, Texas A&M or Nebraska will have his signature.”
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I have often thought it would be great fun to get a bunch of buddies together and just throw out a recruiting topic and either discuss or debate it over some adult beverages. I unfortunately don't have enough buddies who know enough about recruiting.
 
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Recruiting seems to be a hobby, much like watching college football. The interesting thing to me is that there is a dividing line between the two. All of my friends are OSU football fans. However, if I was to mention the name Rob Schoenhoft only a few would identify him as our most recent commitment and only one of my friends would know that he is a Top 10 QB. The majority of fans don't identify with these players until they have become a fixture on the field. For example, none of my friends know of the name Kirt Lukens, let alone know he's a LB for our beloved Bucks. Two years from now, he might be a household name.
 
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Out-of-state but not out-of-mind

You all are making me homesick. Living in Ohio, you can talk 'Buckeyes' to just about anybody all year long. I'm living in Maryland, outside Washington DC, and have to search out true believers. They're here, but they're way harder to find.

Count your blessings.
 
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they arent that hard to find. i heard once that if you are in a public place and yell "O-H" it is almost a guarantee that somebody will return the favor. i gave it a shot this weekend at six flags darien lake (buffalo, NY).

while waiting for the superman ride to be fixed for the 3rd freaking time that day i gave out a good ol fashioned "O-H" and got a few friendly "I-O"'s in return.
 
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The last few years I have taken several hiking trips to the Adirondacks, Black HIlls, Grand Canyon, and Utah. My hiking wardrobe always includes an OSU T-shirt or Sweatshirt. I never fail to get a comment from another of the Buckeye Nation. Had a lot of great conversations that way.
 
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Oh8ch said:
The last few years I have taken several hiking trips to the Adirondacks, Black HIlls, Grand Canyon, and Utah. My hiking wardrobe always includes an OSU T-shirt or Sweatshirt. I never fail to get a comment from another of the Buckeye Nation. Had a lot of great conversations that way.
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I have had similar experiences...I used to live in NYC and proudly wore my vintage OSU gear frequently. I would constantly run into other Buckeye fans at random bars and restaurants, or especially at touristy places like the South Street Seaport or Grand Central Station. It just always amazed me how you could run into the OSU fan almost anywhere...
 
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Oh8ch said:
The last few years I have taken several hiking trips to the Adirondacks, Black HIlls, Grand Canyon, and Utah. My hiking wardrobe always includes an OSU T-shirt or Sweatshirt. I never fail to get a comment from another of the Buckeye Nation. Had a lot of great conversations that way.
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Where in the canyon did you hike? We did a week trip a few years back to Havasu Falls and we've also done Christmas in the Canyon.
 
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looks like this may be a weekly article- here is this weeks edition

http://www.floridatoday.com/recruiting/

This week’s question: Which school is off to the best start in recruiting, and which programs seem poised to make a run at the No. 1 class?

Jamie Newburg, national recruiting analyst, TheInsiders.com

“Based on sheer numbers, Virginia is off to a blazing start with 20 commitments before August 1. Amazing. And coach Al Groh has some quality kids headed to Charlottesville once again, including the nation’s top offensive line prospect, Eugene Monroe (Plainfield, N.J.). They also have some outstanding, athletic linebackers headed their way.

“Other teams off to good starts are Michigan and Ohio State in the Big Ten, LSU and Florida in the SEC, and Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12. All of these teams will recruit very, very well. It will be interesting to see how things shack out in the team rankings because I know that some of these schools like Texas and LSU don’t have many scholarships this recruiting year. In the end, when you really look at the rankings, numbers (scholarships) do become a factor.

“I failed to mention USC, Florida State and Miami. You know that when it’s all said and done, this trio will all be at or near the top of the recruiting rankings. They are recruiting powerhouses.

“Keep a close eye on three other teams. Tennessee and Georgia should fare very well. There’s a lot of top-end talent in Tennessee this season and the Vols should land all or most of these players, and we all know they recruit exceptionally well out of state. Georgia should have a big season this year on the field and that will obviously help them off the field in the recruiting battles. And of course, they own the talent-rich Peach State.

“My sleeper team is Nebraska. They have been a pleasant surprise without even playing a down of football yet. Coach Bill Callahan and company are everywhere and they have the attention of many super recruits.

“That’s a lot of teams and it’s really the who’s who of college football today. It’s the usual suspects.”

Scott Kennedy, Southeastern Recruiting Analyst, TheInsiders.com

“Coming off of a BCS title, LSU is being very choosy in the South this year. They have been able to sell kids on the idea that they better jump on board early, or there might not be room for them come signing day. I think they were probably disappointed that The Insiders.com’s No. 1 quarterback, Ryan Perrilloux, chose to go to Texas, but so far, that is really the only instate player that LSU has lost.

“The usual suspects in the East appear to be doing very well early. Tennessee doesn’t have a lot of quantity yet, but they have commitments from the No. 1 running back in the South in LaMarcus Coker and a stellar quarterback in Jonathan Crompton out of North Carolina. Florida came out of the summer camp season and picked up several blue-chip prospects, including defensive end Gerald Williams. Georgia has gone out of state earlier than usual this year, including a pitch and catch combination from North Carolina’s Independence High School in quarterback Joe Cox and wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi.”

Stacey Dean, Big 12/Texas analyst, TheInsiders.com

“I’d give Ohio State the early nod. Commitments from a couple of five-star prospects, such as cornerback Jamario O’Neal (Cleveland) and offensive tackle Alex Boone (Lakewood, Ohio), plus oral pledges from five prospects carrying four-star designations, have the Buckeyes boasting a star average rating north of 4.0, which is pretty salty.

“Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia and Florida - in that order - would fill out my top five based on how they stack up in the race to signing day at this juncture.”

Bob Lichtenfels, TheInsiders.com

“I like what Ohio State has done so far. Jim Tressel has secured eight verbals, including five-star players Jamario O’Neal and Alex Boone. The Buckeyes have five four-star recruits - Jim Cordle, Todd Denlinger, Brian Hartline, Rob Schoenhoft and Kevin Bemoll - and three-star Californian Ryan Williams rounds out the group. The Buckeyes lost out on quarterback Mark Sanchez, but they recovered well with Schoenhoft. Tressel is in on a number of elite kids, such as Maurice Wells and Justin King, so they should finish as strong as they’ve started.

“Runner-up would be Virginia. Al Groh has accrued 20 verbals, including, in my opinion, the best offensive lineman in the nation in Eugene Monroe. The Cavaliers have landed three top-notch linebacker prospects in Antonio Appleby, Lamont Robinson and Daryl Gresham. Overall, the class may not be filled with stars, but it has depth and a number of prospects with huge upside.

“A strong contender for me is Maryland. The Terrapins have secured four-star tight end Jared Harrell, and a number of underrated players who could be come stars such as Dave Philistin and Anthony Wiseman.”

Miller Safrit, East Coast regional recruiting analyst, TheInsiders.com

“The Virginia Cavaliers have stormed out to the lead in the recruiting rankings. They have filled up all but five of their allotted slots for the year, and still look great for players at positions of need in addition to supremely talented players such as Brian Cushing. The Virginia strategy worked well for them in getting marginal players early, filling up spots and getting the ball rolling for the elite players to commit early before their slot closed. It is much easier to maintain a committed player than it is to recruit 40 players for 20 spots.

“Ohio State is a close team at the moment, and could easily move into the top spot depending on how they finish out the year. It will be tough to beat the type of recruiting year USC finished with on signing day, but Jim Tressel has the Buckeyes poised to take the nation’s top spot when all is said and done.”
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Great to see the experts are giving us our due props so far. Hope we keep things rolling. Maurice Wells, AM-W, Rico McCoy, Doug Worthington and some others would go a long way to helping us secure a Top 5 class. And I feel we have a great shot at all of them.
 
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