3yardsandacloud
Administrator Emeritus
<font color="#b90000">Monday, January 31, 2005</font> Recruiting News - 01/31/05
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Signed, sealed ... (Lawrence Wilson) - Chicago Daily Herald
Signed, sealed ...
By Adam Rittenberg Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, January 31, 2005
Associated PressIn a communication age charged by BlackBerrys and text messages, the practice of letter writing is widely considered passÈ.
But during the college football recruiting rush, the letter carries supreme value and anticipation, its contents determining a program's future.
The wait ends Wednesday - national signing day - when mailbags are unloaded and 117 Division I-A coaches reveal a stack of national letters of intent, signed and sealed by their newest recruits.
Coaching shake-ups at 22 schools again weighed heavily on the recruiting season. Illinois and Notre Dame were among the programs dealing with change, while longer-tenured staffs at Iowa, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Michigan enjoyed tremendous success.
"In recruiting, it's not over until that last piece of paper comes across," new Illinois coach Ron Zook said. "You can't relax."
Here is an early look at how the local teams fared in recruiting. (Note: coaches were prohibited from discussing specific recruits until signing day, but they could comment generally about the process.)
... Notre Dame
Formerly entrenched in football's upper crust, Notre Dame and Nebraska always used to draw comparisons. Tumbles from the top and unexpected coaching dismissals have again linked the two.
Nebraska assembled arguably the nation's top recruiting class in coach Bill Callahan's second year. Fighting Irish fans only hope Charlie Weis has similar success in 2006.
"Notre Dame will be in the same spot Nebraska is this year with recruiting," Lemming said, "if they do things right."
With Weis commuting between South Bend, Ind., and Foxboro, Mass., he relied on a coaching staff that includes three former recruiting coordinators. Ex-Wisconsin recruiting boss Rob Ianello led the effort.
"Notre Dame hasn't had a dynamic recruiter for the last couple staffs, so (Ianello's) definitely an upgrade," said Pete Sampson, who covers Irish recruiting for Blue and Gold Illustrated.
Despite the strong additions, the chaos following Tyrone Willingham's firing hurt recruiting.
Notre Dame lost verbal commitments from cornerback Brandon Harrison and wide receiver David Nelson. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson is expected to choose Ohio State over Notre Dame.
"It wouldn't be difficult to argue they were the three most talented guys," Sampson said.
Don't expect any Darius Walker-like saviors in this Notre Dame class, but tight end Joey Hiben and wide receiver D.J. Hord should help an inconsistent passing attack. Rivals.com ranked Hiben the nation's ninth-best tight end.
The Irish answered their primary need on the offensive line with tackles Michael Turkovich and Paul Duncan. Despite having the nation's 116th-ranked pass defense last season, Notre Dame didn't nab any cornerbacks - "a big bust," Sampson said.
"Everyone here would agree that one thing we need to do is upgrade the skill positions," Weis said on Jan. 7.
As of Sunday Notre Dame had only one verbal commit from the Chicago area, linebacker Scott Smith (Highland Park). The Irish heavily pursued local standouts Dan Doering and Dace Richardson, but they lost steam during the coaching change.
"Notre Dame doesn't have a home base for recruiting like Michigan or Texas," Sampson said, "but if there was one, it would be Chicago. Getting back to Chicago and re-recruiting it is going to be important.
"Next year's recruiting couldn't be any more critical for Notre Dame."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
NCAA needs to tighten recruiting regulations - MSNBC
NCAA needs to tighten recruiting regulations
Process puts too much pressure on coaches and teenagers
COMMENTARY
By Ray Glier
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 11:23 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2005
National signing day is Wednesday and by Thursday morning college football coaches will be able to stand upright again. They have been made to crawl for two months by teenagers fast enough to run down rabbits and strong enough to lift a VW by the back bumper.
Actually, the coaches have been made to do worse than crawl. They have had to spend more money to re-recruit a kid who announced one day for U, but two days later declares for State.
The word the coach hates most is the word you will not find in the dictionary or on your spell check.
De-commit.
A year later, Perrilloux was visiting Mississippi State, entertaining Florida State coach Bobby Bowden in his home, and giving second thoughts to LSU. He found out others loved him, too.
Perrilloux is wavering on Texas and eyeing the Tigers.
He is not alone. Demetrice Morley of Miami, who recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates the best high school cover cornerback, committed to Florida, then abruptly announced for Tennessee. This was before the coaching change at Florida.
Derek Shaw, a quarterback from Oceanside, Calif., committed to Miami, but is now headed off to Arizona State.
Jason Gwaltney, a running back from Long Island, N.Y., said he was off to play for West Virginia. Whoops. He really meant the West Coast and de-committed to WVU and announced for USC, but is also considering Ohio State.
Now we can understand the recruiting bills. A kid wavers and it sends the assistant coach back to the airport to re-coddle the recruit.
Oregon, as reported in the Oregonian newspaper, spent as much as $600,000 on recruiting. Its athletic director won’t apologize for the largesse, saying it’s his money and he will do with it what he pleases. The University of Georgia, even with fertile recruiting ground all around it, spends almost $500,000 on football recruiting.
The plane rides, the lodging, the dinner bill for the mom and dad and player, it all adds up. Schools in the BCS conferences are spending a half-million dollars on recruiting.
And we’re not even sure the kids they are recruiting can write a one-page essay.
Don’t feel sorry for the schools. The scholarships they offer are good for one year and if a kid doesn’t measure up, the school can run him off. The schools say the practice is not routine; others disagree.
Lemming has seen enough of the recruiting prostitution to know the proposed NCAA rules limiting recruiting excesses are not enough.
The NCAA is cutting out the limousine rides for the player and his posse. There will be no more extravagant dinners or charter flights. The recruit will not be able to run out on the field with a team or have his highlights shown on a video board during college games as schools show him the love.
Willie Williams of Miami, a high school All-American linebacker in 2003, wrote a diary about eating lobster tails and taking private jet trips for his visits. The University of Colorado was investigated after complaints the football office set up recruits with women.
The party may be over, but Lemming said the rules need to tighten up even more. He said the next step is to tell schools they cannot make an offer to a high school player until Sept. 1 of their senior season.
“Players need to be better educated about schools,” Lemming said. “A lot of times they might commit right after attending a school’s summer camp their junior year. Then they get bullied into living up to the commitment.”
Many times the local Division I school will be on to a terrific player early in the sophomore or junior year before the player is on the national radar. The local school will swoop in with an offer, but with conditions to get the player to commit and end the process.
Lemming said some schools will tell the player he has the scholarship even if he is injured, but if you get injured before you accept, we’ll take it back.
“The player is scared into committing,” Lemming said.
It goes on and on. Schools will say they are running out of scholarships or running out of scholarships for that position, but if you look at the commitment lists for schools most had scholarships available just two days before the signing date.
Oh, but the kids get even. They are kids and they waffle.
At least the word de-commit will disappear Wednesday. Once a kid signs the letter of intent, other schools are barred from recruiting him. It is a binding document and a player must attend that school for a year. If he decides in June he doesn’t want to go to that school, too bad, it’s too late. He can’t play at another school for at least a year as a penalty unless he is released from the scholarship.
The rules should be even tougher. Tell kids to wait. It will be easier on them and coaches won’t have to crawl as much.
Ray Glier is a free-lance writer and a frequent contributor to NBCSports.com.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ohio linebacker says U still is his choice - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio linebacker says U still is his choice
From Staff, News Services
February 1, 2005 GOPH0201
Despite an 11th-hour sales pitch by Ohio State, linebacker Alex Daniels of Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, said he still intends to sign a national letter of intent to play football for the Gophers on Wednesday.
Daniels (6-2, 230 pounds) is a four-star linebacker who is the fifth-best prospect in Ohio and the 11th-ranked athlete overall nationally, according to the Rivals.com recruiting service.
Daniels, who also was recruited by Oklahoma, visited Ohio State unofficially at the request of the Buckeyes coaching staff late last week. But Daniels said the purpose of his visit was strictly to inform the Buckeyes coaches that he is firmly committed to the Gophers.
"I just told them that I was going to Minnesota for sure," Daniels said. "There is a lot of opportunity to play at Minnesota."
The Gophers are expected to sign three members of Brookhaven's state championship team. Brothers Dominic Jones and Keith Massey also are committed to Minnesota.
The Gophers received a commitment Monday from cornerback Michael McKelton of West Palm Beach, Fla. McKelton, who visited this past weekend, is believed to be the Gophers' 19th commitment.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Local athletes scattered across Ohio - Warren Tribune Chronicle
Local athletes scattered across Ohio
By DAVID BURCHAM Tribune Chronicle Sports Editor
While Ohio State University appears to be shut out in the 2005 recruiting wars in the Mahoning Valley, Ohio University is making inroads.
Frank Solich, the former head coach at Nebraska, got commitments for the Bobcats from Brian Mellott of Austintown Fitch and Mike Philibin of Cardinal Mooney. He's also on the waiting list of Howland offensive lineman Dustin Rose.
Solich, a native of the Cleveland area, returned to the coaching ranks last month when he accepted the job in Athens, Ohio.
Youngstown State University also appears to faring well on the pick list. LaBrae quarterback Todd Rowan and Hubbard defensive lineman Ben Lane should strengthen the Penguins on each side of the football.
National signing day will be Wednesday, when commitments become binding. Many area athletes have given verbal commitments to schools and most are expected to honor them.
Kyle McCarthey, who led Cardinal Mooney to the Division III state title last month, will play under the Golden Dome at Notre Dame.
The Big Ten Conference will tap only a few players from the valley this year, and two of them come from Warren G. Harding High School.
Mario Manningham is looking to another link in the great chain of receivers from the University of Michigan and offensive lineman Rocco Cironi will take his talents to East Lansing and play for the Michigan State Spartans.
Rose, a 6-3 and 300-pounder, could be the third Big Ten recruit if an offer comes from Glenn Mason and the University of Minnesota. Pitt and Toledo are other schools that might pick a Rose.
Dante Campbell, an offensive lineman, is Harding's third Division I-A product and the area's only selection by Kent State.
Akron will get Ursuline's yardage-gobbling tailback Alex Allen while the University of Cincinnati has landed Irish wide receiver Derrick Stewart.
Mineral Ridge running back Levi Leigh, the Trumbull County Player of the Year, has decided to play for Findlay University.
Hubbard lineback Rob Zingale will play at Cornell and teammate Bryan Boyce has apparently narrowed his choices to Bowling Green and Mercyhurst.
Liberty's Marty Bowman will play at Boston College, where he could be joined by Leopard teammate Brandon Cornwell if he passes the muster at junior college first.
Keith Forestall, another Liberty athlete, will line up for the University of Toledo.
Merecyhurst, a Division II school in Erie, Pa., landed offensive linemen Rocco Bello of John F. Kennedy and Alan Stevens of Champion.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Recruiting trail paved with money - Springfield News Sun (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Recruiting trail paved with money
By MIKE KNOBLER
Cox News Service
Monday, January 31, 2005
ATLANTA — Chan Gailey and his assistant coaches can be pretty persuasive when it comes to convincing football players to attend Georgia Tech. After all, it's their job.
But it never hurts to have a little help.
So when many of the Yellow Jackets' most sought-after recruits visited campus Dec. 10-12, they got a talk from sports psychologist Kevin Elko, flown in from Pittsburgh for the occasion.
The cost: $1,035.
"I talk with them about how to make a choice," said Elko, who also makes about eight trips to Atlanta per year to work with Tech's football team.
"It was deep. It was inspirational," said Martin Frierson, a receiver from Columbia who committed to Tech. "What keeps you going? What's your drive? Would you be able to achieve that at Georgia Tech?"
Elko's fee is one of the most unusual expenses found in four months of Tech and Georgia football recruiting invoices the Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained under the state's open records law. The invoices provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the not-so-glamorous life of an assistant coach on the recruiting road, from Giff Smith's on-the-go lunch of Honey Buns, cheddar crackers, Big Red chewing gum and Mountain Dew in Hinesville to Brian Jean-Mary's 6,300-miles-in-10-days trip to visit prospects from Colorado to Pennsylvania and points in between.
Tech budgeted $556,703 for 2004-05 football recruiting, which works out to more than $25,000 for each of the 18-20 players expected to sign with the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday. But that per-player figure is misleading: In recruiting, like in fishing, you spend much of your effort on the ones that got away.
Jacksonville linebacker Marvin Sapp reneged on a commitment to attend Tech and said he'll sign with South Carolina. But the Yellow Jackets still are out the $907.12 spent on meals, mileage, parking and expense money for his three-day visit to campus (and that doesn't include his two-night bill from the Georgia Tech hotel). The Sapps and their host dined on filet mignon at the hotel one night and ate a $487.96 meal at Buckhead's Capital Grille the next.
Recruits don't get to travel in private planes or chauffeured limousines, and they don't get to stay in luxury penthouses. New NCAA rules have banned those excesses. But the food and hospitality still make an impression. A month after his visit to Atlanta, lineman Brad Sellers remembers the future teammates he met and the steak and shrimp he ate.
Recruits eat well; traveling coaches eat economically. Georgia's recruiters get $28 a day in meal money, Tech's $26, whether they're tracking talent in rural Alabama or in the high-dollar cities of the Northeast.
But appearances count, so Tech's recruiters rent full-size cars. And because it wouldn't do to lose their way and show up late, they rent cars with GPS navigation systems that tell them how to get where they're going.
Assistant coaches do much of their recruiting alone, although they team up for visits to the homes of the top prospects. On Nov. 28, Georgia sent six assistant coaches to the home of Houston County's Kyle Moore, whom Rivals.com calls the nation's second-best defensive end prospect. On Dec. 16, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt and four of his assistants visited the Moore house to make their case. All that teamwork, however, apparently didn't work. Moore has said he's deciding between Miami and Southern California.
Still, Georgia and Georgia Tech work hard to ensure most of their recruiting investments pay off. They make travel plans so as to see as many prospects as possible in the shortest amount of time. For example, Richt and then-Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder visited four South Florida prospects on Dec. 1 and stopped in later that day to see a high school coach. And Georgia and Georgia Tech screen prospects carefully before inviting them for expense-paid recruiting visits.
"We don't do anything frivolously," Gailey said.
That includes booking the team's sports psychologist for one of Tech's biggest recruiting weekends. Elko worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers when Gailey was offensive coordinator and worked with the Dallas Cowboys when Gailey was head coach. Other college clients have included Miami and LSU. Gailey said Elko is an asset to the Yellow Jackets, and it can't hurt to let the prospects know about it.
"We just say, 'Hey, this is another part of who we are and what we can provide our players,' " Gailey said.
Mike Knobler writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
OU moves to No. 1 with USC, Miami lurking - Rivals 100
January 31, 2005
OU moves to No. 1 with USC, Miami lurking
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Crabtree
Rivals100.com Editor *
The nation's No. 1 defensive tackle was enough to push Oklahoma to the top spot in the Rivals.com team rankings. When the Sooners landed DeMarcus Granger on Sunday night it pushed the Sooners ahead of Tennessee and Nebraska. But USC, Miami and others continue to lurk ready to strike toward the top of the rankings. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree breaks down the entire updated Rivals.com top 25 team rankings.
School Total Commits Stock On 1/26 Points Breakdown
1 Oklahoma 23 2 2,298 DeMarcus Granger bumps OU to the top spot for now. OU is still waiting on a few more, too.
2 Tennessee 22 1 2,210 Darius Myers was added to the Vols' list this past weekend, and UT is hoping for a few other signing-day surprises.
3 Nebraska 30 3 2,178 The Huskers added Bryan Wilson and are waiting on one more big fish.
4 Michigan 20 4 1,878 Signing day could be kind to Michigan as it awaits word on Rivals100 members Nic Harris and James McKinney.
5 Southern Cal 14 5 1,825 Jason Gwaltney, DeSean Jackson, Luthur Brown, and Brian Cushing are still on the board for USC.
6 Iowa 23 6 1,745 Iowa cleaned up in Illinois thanks to the job that coach Lester Erb did.
7t Georgia 18 7 1,684 Rodney Garner is still one of the best recruiters in the SEC and was a big key in UGA's top-10 class.
7t Texas A&M 23 7 1,684 Martellus Bennett will announce tonight between the Horns and the Aggies.
9 Miami-FL 15 13 1,584 Lavar Lobdell the next gamebreaker WR for the Canes?
10 Virginia Tech 21 10 1,570 The biggest surprise in the nation? Tech continues to pick up steam.
11 Auburn 19 9 1,554 Tray Blackmon is still the star in the Tiger's top 15 class.
12 Texas 15 11 1,542 Martellus Bennett will announce tonight between Horns and Aggies.
13 Ohio State 16 12 1,466 Donald Washington III was a sleeper pick up for the Buckeyes.
14 Virginia 22 19 1,417 Mikell Simpson was a nice late-season recruiting victory for UVa.
15 California 19 14 1,414 The Bears are waiting for a few more big names, but this class is very solid, led by linebacker Anthony Felder.
16 Maryland 23 18 1,394 Melvin Alaeze was about as big as it gets for any team in the nation.
17 Clemson 24 20 1,353 Chris Chancellor and Demerick Chancellor were two very nice additions for Clemson late in the process.
18 Alabama 27 17 1,314 Roy Upchurch helps bolster an already strong running back class for the Tide.
19 Arizona 21 16 1,290 Arizona might miss on a few big names down the stretch but still has one of the nation's top surprise classes.
20 Florida 16 15 1,267 Florida is waiting on the word of several key recruits, including Brandon LaFell, who announces tonight.
21 UCLA 21 21 1,107 Russian born Aleksey Lanis is one of the toughest offensive linemen in the country.
22 Florida State 12 22 1,101 Fred Rouse is still a key recruit for the Noles, who will close strong - count on it.
23 South Carolina 25 25 1,021 Mike Davis' addition today was a very solid pickup. He's a talented running back.
24 NC State 21 NR 1,017 Extremely strong running back and offensive line class for the Pack.
25 Oregon 21 NR 1,012 Jonathan Stewart helped spark the Ducks to a good late-season flurry.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Gwaltney Still Undecided - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Gwaltney Still Undecided
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vernon Bailey
WVSports.com *
Earlier today New York's Newsday.com reported that they received word through a family source that Jason Gwaltney had chosen to sign with West Virginia University this Wednesday. Having just spoken with Gwaltney, his mind is still not made up.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Is Gwaltney committed? - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Is Gwaltney committed?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Farrell
Rivals100.com *
Long Island (N.Y.) North Babylon running back Jason Gwaltney was expected to announce his college destination on Tuesday at 5:20PM EST on ESPNews. However, an article released on the New York Newsday website said he committed to West Virginia and will announce at a press conference at 10:00AM EST Tuesday. So what's the real deal?
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Franklin Central football star picks Ohio State - Indianapolis Star
Franklin Central football star picks Ohio State
By TJ Brammer
[email protected]
January 31, 2005
*
Franklin Central star defensive back and wide receiver Donald Washington III committed to Ohio State on Saturday.
Washington was set to choose between Indiana and Illinois last weekend, but the Buckeyes called and extended a scholarship offer.
The two-time all-state selection visited the Ohio State campus over the weekend. He was leaning toward the Buckeyes before he set foot on campus, and informed Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel of his decision in a meeting Saturday.
"It's a challenge for me," said Washington, the state's two-time defending long jump champion. "If I come in and show them I'm a good athlete, I can get some playing time."
Washington said Ohio State's aura and proximity to home sealed his commitment.
"A good program like that, being close to home, I don't think you can get too much better than that," he said. "Who wouldn't want to go to Ohio State?"
Washington caught 42 passes for 675 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. He also snared four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
He averaged 29.2 yards per kickoff return, 19.8 returning punts.
He was also selected to The Star's 2004 Super Team.
The senior boasts a 39-inch vertical leap. His 3.4 grade-point average merited scholarship offers from Duke and Stanford.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Robiskie becomes latest member of OSU's class - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Robiskie becomes latest member of OSU's class
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Nida
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Writer *
For most of the recruiting process, it appeared that the Ohio State coaching staff was comfortable signing the two wide receivers who had committed to play the position at OSU early ñ Andre Amos and Brian Hartline. However, the coaches recently decided to bring in another receiver, and Brian Robiskie was next on their list.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Rosters Announced For North-South Game - Buckeye Sports Bulletin
January 31, 2005
Rosters Announced For North-South Game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Reports
*
Sixty-eight of the best high school football players in Ohio will be in Columbus on Thursday at a luncheon to announce the rosters for the 2004 Grange Insurance Ohio North-South Classic, the longest-running high-school all-star game in the nation.Rivals.com
Alex BooneThe luncheon will be held at noon Thursday at the Columbus Hilton, located adjacent to Easton Town Center.
The 60th Annual Ohio All-Star Classic will be held Saturday, June 18 at Columbus Crew Stadium. It will feature 68 of the top graduating seniors in Ohio, most of whom will sign letters of intent with Division I schools on Wednesday. Nineteen of the 68 have verbally committed to play for schools in the Big Ten conference, while eight others will play in the Big East, Southeastern Conference or at Notre Dame and two have verbally committed to the Mid-American Conference. A majority of the others are also expected to receive scholarships to play major-college football.
"We are proud to bring together the best high school football players in Ohio for this game," said Ed Terwilliger, president of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association and head coach at Olentangy. "This is the premier all-star football game in the nation and the last chance to see these players before many of them go on to play at some on some of the
best Division I teams in the nation."
Here are the rosters for the annual Grange Insurance Ohio North-South Classic All-Star Game, set to be played June 18 in Columbus Crew Stadium.
SOUTH ROSTER
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High School College
Andre Amos WR 6-2 175 Middletown Ohio State
Josh Bloomsfield LB 6-2 220 Lima Shawnee
John Buckner OL 6-5 290 Cols. Beechcroft Air Force
Cory Burcham DB 5-10 155 Symmes Valley
David Bruton WR 6-3 185 Miamisburg Notre Dame
Brady Minturn DL 6-5 245 Loveland
Terrill Byrd DL 5-11 287 Cin. Colerain Cincinnati
Tyler Clifford DL 6-4 215 Portsmouth Cincinnati
Joe Crawford OL 6-6 245 Watkins Memorial
Alex Daniels LB 6-4 230 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Jovon Davis OL 6-4 306 Cin. Withrow
Jess East OL 6-4 240 Cambridge
Brandon Harrison DB 5-10 195 Dayton C-J Michigan
Dominic Jones DB 5-9 182 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Jared Humphreys QB 6-1 175 Jackson
Dante Love QB 5-10 175 Cin. Withrow
Kevin Mahoney OL 6-6 305 Springfield North Bowl. Green
Keith Massey DB 6-1 200 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Derek Moore DL 6-4 270 Newark Catholic
E.J. Morton-Green WR 6-4 205 Cin. Princeton Miami, Ohio
Brady Minturn DL 6-5 245 Loveland
Andrew Moses OL 6-4 261 Cols. Watterson
Greg Orton WR 6-4 195 Hubert Hgts. Purdue
Bruce Palmer LB 6-3 215 Indian Creek
Damien Palugher TE 6-4 230 Hardin Northern
Rob Schoenhoft QB 6-6 230 Cin. St. Xavier Ohio State
Matt Schumaker RB 6-2 235 Delphos St. Johns
Mark Sexton TE 6-3 235 New Philadelphia
Mister Simpson RB 5-11 200 Cin. Colerain Michigan
Austin Spitler LB 6-3 230 Bellbrook Ohio State
Gary Stubbs DB 5-9 172 Steubenville
Tom Stuck OL 6-2 285 Lancaster
Cedric Tolbert RB 6-2 205 Xenia Cincinnati
Nick Yahl WR 6-1 190 St. Mary's Memorial
Arthur Zurcher K/P 5-11 160 New Philadelphia
Head coach ñ Karl Johnson (Dublin Scioto).
Assistant coaches ñ Andrew Connor (Indian Creek), Matt Dennison (New Philadelphia), Charles Gamble (Cincinnati Withrow), Jeff Starkey (St. Henry), Rusty Webb (Symmes Valley).
NORTH ROSTER
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High School College
Alex Boone OL 6-8 330 Lake. St. Edward Ohio State
Ryan Brinson RB 5-9 175 Canton McKinley
Rocco Cironi OL 6-6 285 Warren Harding Michigan St.
W.C. Clements OL 6-3 245 Mentor Lake Catholic
Billy Cundiff QB 6-5 205 Green
Kendall Davis DB 6-0 195 Alliance
Chris Dyko OL 6-3 305 Tol. Cent. Catholic
Steve Gawronski OL 6-3 295 Toledo Rogers
Mike Godsil DL 6-2 260 Mansfield Madison
Mike Gray LB 5-11 200 Tallmadge
Tim Hiller QB 6-5 212 Orrville
Joe Kleinsmith P/K 5-11 185 Lake. St. Edward Indiana
Fred Lenix LB 6-0 205 Cleveland Glenville Ohio State
Brandon Long DL 6-3 230 Canton GlenOak Michigan St.
Marion Manningham WR 6-0 180 Warren Harding Michigan
Anthony Marsano LB 6-3 225 Marion Harding
Jared Martin DB 6-1 175 Clyde Cincinnati
Kyle McCarthy DB 6-0 195 Youngs. Mooney Notre Dame
Brian Mellott DL 6-3 254 Austintown Fitch
Andrew Means DB 6-2 205 Avon Lake Indiana
Greg Micheli DB 6-2 185 Upper Sandusky
Jamario O'Neal DB 6-1 200 Cleveland Glenville Ohio State
Jim Ramella TE 6-4 230 Cleve. St. Ignatius Boston Coll.
Tim Reed OL 6-3 285 Trotwood-Madison
Brian Robiskie WR 6-4 195 Chagrin Falls Ohio State
Nick Simon LB 6-2 225 Shaker Heights
Derrick Stewart DB 5-11 170 Youngs. Ursuline
Trey Stross WR 6-4 190 Avon Lake Iowa
Tyrell Sutton RB 5-9 195 Akron Hoban Northwestern
B.J. Travers LB 6-1 245 Westlake Iowa
Marcus Waugh RB 5-11 228 Toledo St. John's
Aaron Waldie WR 5-11 167 Sylvania Southview
Lawrence Wilson DL 6-5 240 Akron SVSM
Stephen Zywotek DL 6-3 245 Avon Lake
Head coach ñ Brian Cross (Canton McKinley).
Assistant coaches ñ Mike Bell (Mentor Lake Catholic), Dick DeWitt (Upper Sandusky), Neil Kopp (Austintown Fitch), Jerry Rutherford (Eastwood), Joe Vassalotti (Tallmadge).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
OSU Recruiting Effort Hits Homestretch - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
OSU Recruiting Effort Hits Homestretch
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
We're counting down now in hours rather than days until National Signing Day 2005. Thought to have its recruiting efforts pretty well wrapped up two weeks ago, Ohio State awaits word from four prospects -- running back Jason Gwaltney, defensive end Lawrence Wilson, defensive lineman Walker Ashley and receiver Brian Robiskie. Here is the very latest we know about when those four players will announce their intentions and which way we believe they're headed.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Robiskie Verbals To Ohio State - Bucknuts PREMIUM
Robiskie Verbals To Ohio State
By Duane Long
Date: Jan 31, 2005
Chagrin Falls, Ohio, standout Brian Robiskie verbaled to Ohio State today, picking the Buckeyes over Miami (Fla.). Robiskie becomes OSU's 17th verbal commitment.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Signed, sealed ... (Lawrence Wilson) - Chicago Daily Herald
Signed, sealed ...
By Adam Rittenberg Daily Herald Sports Writer
Posted Monday, January 31, 2005
Associated PressIn a communication age charged by BlackBerrys and text messages, the practice of letter writing is widely considered passÈ.
But during the college football recruiting rush, the letter carries supreme value and anticipation, its contents determining a program's future.
The wait ends Wednesday - national signing day - when mailbags are unloaded and 117 Division I-A coaches reveal a stack of national letters of intent, signed and sealed by their newest recruits.
Coaching shake-ups at 22 schools again weighed heavily on the recruiting season. Illinois and Notre Dame were among the programs dealing with change, while longer-tenured staffs at Iowa, Tennessee, Southern Cal and Michigan enjoyed tremendous success.
"In recruiting, it's not over until that last piece of paper comes across," new Illinois coach Ron Zook said. "You can't relax."
Here is an early look at how the local teams fared in recruiting. (Note: coaches were prohibited from discussing specific recruits until signing day, but they could comment generally about the process.)
... Notre Dame
Formerly entrenched in football's upper crust, Notre Dame and Nebraska always used to draw comparisons. Tumbles from the top and unexpected coaching dismissals have again linked the two.
Nebraska assembled arguably the nation's top recruiting class in coach Bill Callahan's second year. Fighting Irish fans only hope Charlie Weis has similar success in 2006.
"Notre Dame will be in the same spot Nebraska is this year with recruiting," Lemming said, "if they do things right."
With Weis commuting between South Bend, Ind., and Foxboro, Mass., he relied on a coaching staff that includes three former recruiting coordinators. Ex-Wisconsin recruiting boss Rob Ianello led the effort.
"Notre Dame hasn't had a dynamic recruiter for the last couple staffs, so (Ianello's) definitely an upgrade," said Pete Sampson, who covers Irish recruiting for Blue and Gold Illustrated.
Despite the strong additions, the chaos following Tyrone Willingham's firing hurt recruiting.
Notre Dame lost verbal commitments from cornerback Brandon Harrison and wide receiver David Nelson. Defensive end Lawrence Wilson is expected to choose Ohio State over Notre Dame.
"It wouldn't be difficult to argue they were the three most talented guys," Sampson said.
Don't expect any Darius Walker-like saviors in this Notre Dame class, but tight end Joey Hiben and wide receiver D.J. Hord should help an inconsistent passing attack. Rivals.com ranked Hiben the nation's ninth-best tight end.
The Irish answered their primary need on the offensive line with tackles Michael Turkovich and Paul Duncan. Despite having the nation's 116th-ranked pass defense last season, Notre Dame didn't nab any cornerbacks - "a big bust," Sampson said.
"Everyone here would agree that one thing we need to do is upgrade the skill positions," Weis said on Jan. 7.
As of Sunday Notre Dame had only one verbal commit from the Chicago area, linebacker Scott Smith (Highland Park). The Irish heavily pursued local standouts Dan Doering and Dace Richardson, but they lost steam during the coaching change.
"Notre Dame doesn't have a home base for recruiting like Michigan or Texas," Sampson said, "but if there was one, it would be Chicago. Getting back to Chicago and re-recruiting it is going to be important.
"Next year's recruiting couldn't be any more critical for Notre Dame."
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
NCAA needs to tighten recruiting regulations - MSNBC
NCAA needs to tighten recruiting regulations
Process puts too much pressure on coaches and teenagers
COMMENTARY
By Ray Glier
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 11:23 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2005
National signing day is Wednesday and by Thursday morning college football coaches will be able to stand upright again. They have been made to crawl for two months by teenagers fast enough to run down rabbits and strong enough to lift a VW by the back bumper.
Actually, the coaches have been made to do worse than crawl. They have had to spend more money to re-recruit a kid who announced one day for U, but two days later declares for State.
The word the coach hates most is the word you will not find in the dictionary or on your spell check.
De-commit.
A year later, Perrilloux was visiting Mississippi State, entertaining Florida State coach Bobby Bowden in his home, and giving second thoughts to LSU. He found out others loved him, too.
Perrilloux is wavering on Texas and eyeing the Tigers.
He is not alone. Demetrice Morley of Miami, who recruiting analyst Tom Lemming rates the best high school cover cornerback, committed to Florida, then abruptly announced for Tennessee. This was before the coaching change at Florida.
Derek Shaw, a quarterback from Oceanside, Calif., committed to Miami, but is now headed off to Arizona State.
Jason Gwaltney, a running back from Long Island, N.Y., said he was off to play for West Virginia. Whoops. He really meant the West Coast and de-committed to WVU and announced for USC, but is also considering Ohio State.
Now we can understand the recruiting bills. A kid wavers and it sends the assistant coach back to the airport to re-coddle the recruit.
Oregon, as reported in the Oregonian newspaper, spent as much as $600,000 on recruiting. Its athletic director won’t apologize for the largesse, saying it’s his money and he will do with it what he pleases. The University of Georgia, even with fertile recruiting ground all around it, spends almost $500,000 on football recruiting.
The plane rides, the lodging, the dinner bill for the mom and dad and player, it all adds up. Schools in the BCS conferences are spending a half-million dollars on recruiting.
And we’re not even sure the kids they are recruiting can write a one-page essay.
Don’t feel sorry for the schools. The scholarships they offer are good for one year and if a kid doesn’t measure up, the school can run him off. The schools say the practice is not routine; others disagree.
Lemming has seen enough of the recruiting prostitution to know the proposed NCAA rules limiting recruiting excesses are not enough.
The NCAA is cutting out the limousine rides for the player and his posse. There will be no more extravagant dinners or charter flights. The recruit will not be able to run out on the field with a team or have his highlights shown on a video board during college games as schools show him the love.
Willie Williams of Miami, a high school All-American linebacker in 2003, wrote a diary about eating lobster tails and taking private jet trips for his visits. The University of Colorado was investigated after complaints the football office set up recruits with women.
The party may be over, but Lemming said the rules need to tighten up even more. He said the next step is to tell schools they cannot make an offer to a high school player until Sept. 1 of their senior season.
“Players need to be better educated about schools,” Lemming said. “A lot of times they might commit right after attending a school’s summer camp their junior year. Then they get bullied into living up to the commitment.”
Many times the local Division I school will be on to a terrific player early in the sophomore or junior year before the player is on the national radar. The local school will swoop in with an offer, but with conditions to get the player to commit and end the process.
Lemming said some schools will tell the player he has the scholarship even if he is injured, but if you get injured before you accept, we’ll take it back.
“The player is scared into committing,” Lemming said.
It goes on and on. Schools will say they are running out of scholarships or running out of scholarships for that position, but if you look at the commitment lists for schools most had scholarships available just two days before the signing date.
Oh, but the kids get even. They are kids and they waffle.
At least the word de-commit will disappear Wednesday. Once a kid signs the letter of intent, other schools are barred from recruiting him. It is a binding document and a player must attend that school for a year. If he decides in June he doesn’t want to go to that school, too bad, it’s too late. He can’t play at another school for at least a year as a penalty unless he is released from the scholarship.
The rules should be even tougher. Tell kids to wait. It will be easier on them and coaches won’t have to crawl as much.
Ray Glier is a free-lance writer and a frequent contributor to NBCSports.com.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Ohio linebacker says U still is his choice - Minneapolis Star Tribune
Ohio linebacker says U still is his choice
From Staff, News Services
February 1, 2005 GOPH0201
Despite an 11th-hour sales pitch by Ohio State, linebacker Alex Daniels of Brookhaven High School in Columbus, Ohio, said he still intends to sign a national letter of intent to play football for the Gophers on Wednesday.
Daniels (6-2, 230 pounds) is a four-star linebacker who is the fifth-best prospect in Ohio and the 11th-ranked athlete overall nationally, according to the Rivals.com recruiting service.
Daniels, who also was recruited by Oklahoma, visited Ohio State unofficially at the request of the Buckeyes coaching staff late last week. But Daniels said the purpose of his visit was strictly to inform the Buckeyes coaches that he is firmly committed to the Gophers.
"I just told them that I was going to Minnesota for sure," Daniels said. "There is a lot of opportunity to play at Minnesota."
The Gophers are expected to sign three members of Brookhaven's state championship team. Brothers Dominic Jones and Keith Massey also are committed to Minnesota.
The Gophers received a commitment Monday from cornerback Michael McKelton of West Palm Beach, Fla. McKelton, who visited this past weekend, is believed to be the Gophers' 19th commitment.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Local athletes scattered across Ohio - Warren Tribune Chronicle
Local athletes scattered across Ohio
By DAVID BURCHAM Tribune Chronicle Sports Editor
While Ohio State University appears to be shut out in the 2005 recruiting wars in the Mahoning Valley, Ohio University is making inroads.
Frank Solich, the former head coach at Nebraska, got commitments for the Bobcats from Brian Mellott of Austintown Fitch and Mike Philibin of Cardinal Mooney. He's also on the waiting list of Howland offensive lineman Dustin Rose.
Solich, a native of the Cleveland area, returned to the coaching ranks last month when he accepted the job in Athens, Ohio.
Youngstown State University also appears to faring well on the pick list. LaBrae quarterback Todd Rowan and Hubbard defensive lineman Ben Lane should strengthen the Penguins on each side of the football.
National signing day will be Wednesday, when commitments become binding. Many area athletes have given verbal commitments to schools and most are expected to honor them.
Kyle McCarthey, who led Cardinal Mooney to the Division III state title last month, will play under the Golden Dome at Notre Dame.
The Big Ten Conference will tap only a few players from the valley this year, and two of them come from Warren G. Harding High School.
Mario Manningham is looking to another link in the great chain of receivers from the University of Michigan and offensive lineman Rocco Cironi will take his talents to East Lansing and play for the Michigan State Spartans.
Rose, a 6-3 and 300-pounder, could be the third Big Ten recruit if an offer comes from Glenn Mason and the University of Minnesota. Pitt and Toledo are other schools that might pick a Rose.
Dante Campbell, an offensive lineman, is Harding's third Division I-A product and the area's only selection by Kent State.
Akron will get Ursuline's yardage-gobbling tailback Alex Allen while the University of Cincinnati has landed Irish wide receiver Derrick Stewart.
Mineral Ridge running back Levi Leigh, the Trumbull County Player of the Year, has decided to play for Findlay University.
Hubbard lineback Rob Zingale will play at Cornell and teammate Bryan Boyce has apparently narrowed his choices to Bowling Green and Mercyhurst.
Liberty's Marty Bowman will play at Boston College, where he could be joined by Leopard teammate Brandon Cornwell if he passes the muster at junior college first.
Keith Forestall, another Liberty athlete, will line up for the University of Toledo.
Merecyhurst, a Division II school in Erie, Pa., landed offensive linemen Rocco Bello of John F. Kennedy and Alan Stevens of Champion.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Recruiting trail paved with money - Springfield News Sun (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
Recruiting trail paved with money
By MIKE KNOBLER
Cox News Service
Monday, January 31, 2005
ATLANTA — Chan Gailey and his assistant coaches can be pretty persuasive when it comes to convincing football players to attend Georgia Tech. After all, it's their job.
But it never hurts to have a little help.
So when many of the Yellow Jackets' most sought-after recruits visited campus Dec. 10-12, they got a talk from sports psychologist Kevin Elko, flown in from Pittsburgh for the occasion.
The cost: $1,035.
"I talk with them about how to make a choice," said Elko, who also makes about eight trips to Atlanta per year to work with Tech's football team.
"It was deep. It was inspirational," said Martin Frierson, a receiver from Columbia who committed to Tech. "What keeps you going? What's your drive? Would you be able to achieve that at Georgia Tech?"
Elko's fee is one of the most unusual expenses found in four months of Tech and Georgia football recruiting invoices the Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained under the state's open records law. The invoices provide a behind-the-scenes glimpse at the not-so-glamorous life of an assistant coach on the recruiting road, from Giff Smith's on-the-go lunch of Honey Buns, cheddar crackers, Big Red chewing gum and Mountain Dew in Hinesville to Brian Jean-Mary's 6,300-miles-in-10-days trip to visit prospects from Colorado to Pennsylvania and points in between.
Tech budgeted $556,703 for 2004-05 football recruiting, which works out to more than $25,000 for each of the 18-20 players expected to sign with the Yellow Jackets on Wednesday. But that per-player figure is misleading: In recruiting, like in fishing, you spend much of your effort on the ones that got away.
Jacksonville linebacker Marvin Sapp reneged on a commitment to attend Tech and said he'll sign with South Carolina. But the Yellow Jackets still are out the $907.12 spent on meals, mileage, parking and expense money for his three-day visit to campus (and that doesn't include his two-night bill from the Georgia Tech hotel). The Sapps and their host dined on filet mignon at the hotel one night and ate a $487.96 meal at Buckhead's Capital Grille the next.
Recruits don't get to travel in private planes or chauffeured limousines, and they don't get to stay in luxury penthouses. New NCAA rules have banned those excesses. But the food and hospitality still make an impression. A month after his visit to Atlanta, lineman Brad Sellers remembers the future teammates he met and the steak and shrimp he ate.
Recruits eat well; traveling coaches eat economically. Georgia's recruiters get $28 a day in meal money, Tech's $26, whether they're tracking talent in rural Alabama or in the high-dollar cities of the Northeast.
But appearances count, so Tech's recruiters rent full-size cars. And because it wouldn't do to lose their way and show up late, they rent cars with GPS navigation systems that tell them how to get where they're going.
Assistant coaches do much of their recruiting alone, although they team up for visits to the homes of the top prospects. On Nov. 28, Georgia sent six assistant coaches to the home of Houston County's Kyle Moore, whom Rivals.com calls the nation's second-best defensive end prospect. On Dec. 16, Bulldogs coach Mark Richt and four of his assistants visited the Moore house to make their case. All that teamwork, however, apparently didn't work. Moore has said he's deciding between Miami and Southern California.
Still, Georgia and Georgia Tech work hard to ensure most of their recruiting investments pay off. They make travel plans so as to see as many prospects as possible in the shortest amount of time. For example, Richt and then-Georgia defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder visited four South Florida prospects on Dec. 1 and stopped in later that day to see a high school coach. And Georgia and Georgia Tech screen prospects carefully before inviting them for expense-paid recruiting visits.
"We don't do anything frivolously," Gailey said.
That includes booking the team's sports psychologist for one of Tech's biggest recruiting weekends. Elko worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers when Gailey was offensive coordinator and worked with the Dallas Cowboys when Gailey was head coach. Other college clients have included Miami and LSU. Gailey said Elko is an asset to the Yellow Jackets, and it can't hurt to let the prospects know about it.
"We just say, 'Hey, this is another part of who we are and what we can provide our players,' " Gailey said.
Mike Knobler writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
OU moves to No. 1 with USC, Miami lurking - Rivals 100
January 31, 2005
OU moves to No. 1 with USC, Miami lurking
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeremy Crabtree
Rivals100.com Editor *
The nation's No. 1 defensive tackle was enough to push Oklahoma to the top spot in the Rivals.com team rankings. When the Sooners landed DeMarcus Granger on Sunday night it pushed the Sooners ahead of Tennessee and Nebraska. But USC, Miami and others continue to lurk ready to strike toward the top of the rankings. Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Jeremy Crabtree breaks down the entire updated Rivals.com top 25 team rankings.
School Total Commits Stock On 1/26 Points Breakdown
1 Oklahoma 23 2 2,298 DeMarcus Granger bumps OU to the top spot for now. OU is still waiting on a few more, too.
2 Tennessee 22 1 2,210 Darius Myers was added to the Vols' list this past weekend, and UT is hoping for a few other signing-day surprises.
3 Nebraska 30 3 2,178 The Huskers added Bryan Wilson and are waiting on one more big fish.
4 Michigan 20 4 1,878 Signing day could be kind to Michigan as it awaits word on Rivals100 members Nic Harris and James McKinney.
5 Southern Cal 14 5 1,825 Jason Gwaltney, DeSean Jackson, Luthur Brown, and Brian Cushing are still on the board for USC.
6 Iowa 23 6 1,745 Iowa cleaned up in Illinois thanks to the job that coach Lester Erb did.
7t Georgia 18 7 1,684 Rodney Garner is still one of the best recruiters in the SEC and was a big key in UGA's top-10 class.
7t Texas A&M 23 7 1,684 Martellus Bennett will announce tonight between the Horns and the Aggies.
9 Miami-FL 15 13 1,584 Lavar Lobdell the next gamebreaker WR for the Canes?
10 Virginia Tech 21 10 1,570 The biggest surprise in the nation? Tech continues to pick up steam.
11 Auburn 19 9 1,554 Tray Blackmon is still the star in the Tiger's top 15 class.
12 Texas 15 11 1,542 Martellus Bennett will announce tonight between Horns and Aggies.
13 Ohio State 16 12 1,466 Donald Washington III was a sleeper pick up for the Buckeyes.
14 Virginia 22 19 1,417 Mikell Simpson was a nice late-season recruiting victory for UVa.
15 California 19 14 1,414 The Bears are waiting for a few more big names, but this class is very solid, led by linebacker Anthony Felder.
16 Maryland 23 18 1,394 Melvin Alaeze was about as big as it gets for any team in the nation.
17 Clemson 24 20 1,353 Chris Chancellor and Demerick Chancellor were two very nice additions for Clemson late in the process.
18 Alabama 27 17 1,314 Roy Upchurch helps bolster an already strong running back class for the Tide.
19 Arizona 21 16 1,290 Arizona might miss on a few big names down the stretch but still has one of the nation's top surprise classes.
20 Florida 16 15 1,267 Florida is waiting on the word of several key recruits, including Brandon LaFell, who announces tonight.
21 UCLA 21 21 1,107 Russian born Aleksey Lanis is one of the toughest offensive linemen in the country.
22 Florida State 12 22 1,101 Fred Rouse is still a key recruit for the Noles, who will close strong - count on it.
23 South Carolina 25 25 1,021 Mike Davis' addition today was a very solid pickup. He's a talented running back.
24 NC State 21 NR 1,017 Extremely strong running back and offensive line class for the Pack.
25 Oregon 21 NR 1,012 Jonathan Stewart helped spark the Ducks to a good late-season flurry.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Gwaltney Still Undecided - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Gwaltney Still Undecided
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Vernon Bailey
WVSports.com *
Earlier today New York's Newsday.com reported that they received word through a family source that Jason Gwaltney had chosen to sign with West Virginia University this Wednesday. Having just spoken with Gwaltney, his mind is still not made up.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Is Gwaltney committed? - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Is Gwaltney committed?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike Farrell
Rivals100.com *
Long Island (N.Y.) North Babylon running back Jason Gwaltney was expected to announce his college destination on Tuesday at 5:20PM EST on ESPNews. However, an article released on the New York Newsday website said he committed to West Virginia and will announce at a press conference at 10:00AM EST Tuesday. So what's the real deal?
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Franklin Central football star picks Ohio State - Indianapolis Star
Franklin Central football star picks Ohio State
By TJ Brammer
[email protected]
January 31, 2005
*
Franklin Central star defensive back and wide receiver Donald Washington III committed to Ohio State on Saturday.
Washington was set to choose between Indiana and Illinois last weekend, but the Buckeyes called and extended a scholarship offer.
The two-time all-state selection visited the Ohio State campus over the weekend. He was leaning toward the Buckeyes before he set foot on campus, and informed Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel of his decision in a meeting Saturday.
"It's a challenge for me," said Washington, the state's two-time defending long jump champion. "If I come in and show them I'm a good athlete, I can get some playing time."
Washington said Ohio State's aura and proximity to home sealed his commitment.
"A good program like that, being close to home, I don't think you can get too much better than that," he said. "Who wouldn't want to go to Ohio State?"
Washington caught 42 passes for 675 yards and seven touchdowns his senior season. He also snared four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns.
He averaged 29.2 yards per kickoff return, 19.8 returning punts.
He was also selected to The Star's 2004 Super Team.
The senior boasts a 39-inch vertical leap. His 3.4 grade-point average merited scholarship offers from Duke and Stanford.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Robiskie becomes latest member of OSU's class - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
Robiskie becomes latest member of OSU's class
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Nida
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Writer *
For most of the recruiting process, it appeared that the Ohio State coaching staff was comfortable signing the two wide receivers who had committed to play the position at OSU early ñ Andre Amos and Brian Hartline. However, the coaches recently decided to bring in another receiver, and Brian Robiskie was next on their list.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Rosters Announced For North-South Game - Buckeye Sports Bulletin
January 31, 2005
Rosters Announced For North-South Game
------------------------------------------------------------------------
BuckeyeSports.com Staff Reports
*
Sixty-eight of the best high school football players in Ohio will be in Columbus on Thursday at a luncheon to announce the rosters for the 2004 Grange Insurance Ohio North-South Classic, the longest-running high-school all-star game in the nation.Rivals.com
Alex BooneThe luncheon will be held at noon Thursday at the Columbus Hilton, located adjacent to Easton Town Center.
The 60th Annual Ohio All-Star Classic will be held Saturday, June 18 at Columbus Crew Stadium. It will feature 68 of the top graduating seniors in Ohio, most of whom will sign letters of intent with Division I schools on Wednesday. Nineteen of the 68 have verbally committed to play for schools in the Big Ten conference, while eight others will play in the Big East, Southeastern Conference or at Notre Dame and two have verbally committed to the Mid-American Conference. A majority of the others are also expected to receive scholarships to play major-college football.
"We are proud to bring together the best high school football players in Ohio for this game," said Ed Terwilliger, president of the Ohio High School Football Coaches Association and head coach at Olentangy. "This is the premier all-star football game in the nation and the last chance to see these players before many of them go on to play at some on some of the
best Division I teams in the nation."
Here are the rosters for the annual Grange Insurance Ohio North-South Classic All-Star Game, set to be played June 18 in Columbus Crew Stadium.
SOUTH ROSTER
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High School College
Andre Amos WR 6-2 175 Middletown Ohio State
Josh Bloomsfield LB 6-2 220 Lima Shawnee
John Buckner OL 6-5 290 Cols. Beechcroft Air Force
Cory Burcham DB 5-10 155 Symmes Valley
David Bruton WR 6-3 185 Miamisburg Notre Dame
Brady Minturn DL 6-5 245 Loveland
Terrill Byrd DL 5-11 287 Cin. Colerain Cincinnati
Tyler Clifford DL 6-4 215 Portsmouth Cincinnati
Joe Crawford OL 6-6 245 Watkins Memorial
Alex Daniels LB 6-4 230 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Jovon Davis OL 6-4 306 Cin. Withrow
Jess East OL 6-4 240 Cambridge
Brandon Harrison DB 5-10 195 Dayton C-J Michigan
Dominic Jones DB 5-9 182 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Jared Humphreys QB 6-1 175 Jackson
Dante Love QB 5-10 175 Cin. Withrow
Kevin Mahoney OL 6-6 305 Springfield North Bowl. Green
Keith Massey DB 6-1 200 Cols. Brookhaven Minnesota
Derek Moore DL 6-4 270 Newark Catholic
E.J. Morton-Green WR 6-4 205 Cin. Princeton Miami, Ohio
Brady Minturn DL 6-5 245 Loveland
Andrew Moses OL 6-4 261 Cols. Watterson
Greg Orton WR 6-4 195 Hubert Hgts. Purdue
Bruce Palmer LB 6-3 215 Indian Creek
Damien Palugher TE 6-4 230 Hardin Northern
Rob Schoenhoft QB 6-6 230 Cin. St. Xavier Ohio State
Matt Schumaker RB 6-2 235 Delphos St. Johns
Mark Sexton TE 6-3 235 New Philadelphia
Mister Simpson RB 5-11 200 Cin. Colerain Michigan
Austin Spitler LB 6-3 230 Bellbrook Ohio State
Gary Stubbs DB 5-9 172 Steubenville
Tom Stuck OL 6-2 285 Lancaster
Cedric Tolbert RB 6-2 205 Xenia Cincinnati
Nick Yahl WR 6-1 190 St. Mary's Memorial
Arthur Zurcher K/P 5-11 160 New Philadelphia
Head coach ñ Karl Johnson (Dublin Scioto).
Assistant coaches ñ Andrew Connor (Indian Creek), Matt Dennison (New Philadelphia), Charles Gamble (Cincinnati Withrow), Jeff Starkey (St. Henry), Rusty Webb (Symmes Valley).
NORTH ROSTER
Player Pos. Ht. Wt. High School College
Alex Boone OL 6-8 330 Lake. St. Edward Ohio State
Ryan Brinson RB 5-9 175 Canton McKinley
Rocco Cironi OL 6-6 285 Warren Harding Michigan St.
W.C. Clements OL 6-3 245 Mentor Lake Catholic
Billy Cundiff QB 6-5 205 Green
Kendall Davis DB 6-0 195 Alliance
Chris Dyko OL 6-3 305 Tol. Cent. Catholic
Steve Gawronski OL 6-3 295 Toledo Rogers
Mike Godsil DL 6-2 260 Mansfield Madison
Mike Gray LB 5-11 200 Tallmadge
Tim Hiller QB 6-5 212 Orrville
Joe Kleinsmith P/K 5-11 185 Lake. St. Edward Indiana
Fred Lenix LB 6-0 205 Cleveland Glenville Ohio State
Brandon Long DL 6-3 230 Canton GlenOak Michigan St.
Marion Manningham WR 6-0 180 Warren Harding Michigan
Anthony Marsano LB 6-3 225 Marion Harding
Jared Martin DB 6-1 175 Clyde Cincinnati
Kyle McCarthy DB 6-0 195 Youngs. Mooney Notre Dame
Brian Mellott DL 6-3 254 Austintown Fitch
Andrew Means DB 6-2 205 Avon Lake Indiana
Greg Micheli DB 6-2 185 Upper Sandusky
Jamario O'Neal DB 6-1 200 Cleveland Glenville Ohio State
Jim Ramella TE 6-4 230 Cleve. St. Ignatius Boston Coll.
Tim Reed OL 6-3 285 Trotwood-Madison
Brian Robiskie WR 6-4 195 Chagrin Falls Ohio State
Nick Simon LB 6-2 225 Shaker Heights
Derrick Stewart DB 5-11 170 Youngs. Ursuline
Trey Stross WR 6-4 190 Avon Lake Iowa
Tyrell Sutton RB 5-9 195 Akron Hoban Northwestern
B.J. Travers LB 6-1 245 Westlake Iowa
Marcus Waugh RB 5-11 228 Toledo St. John's
Aaron Waldie WR 5-11 167 Sylvania Southview
Lawrence Wilson DL 6-5 240 Akron SVSM
Stephen Zywotek DL 6-3 245 Avon Lake
Head coach ñ Brian Cross (Canton McKinley).
Assistant coaches ñ Mike Bell (Mentor Lake Catholic), Dick DeWitt (Upper Sandusky), Neil Kopp (Austintown Fitch), Jerry Rutherford (Eastwood), Joe Vassalotti (Tallmadge).
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
OSU Recruiting Effort Hits Homestretch - Rivals PREMIUM
January 31, 2005
OSU Recruiting Effort Hits Homestretch
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Rea
BuckeyeSports.com Managing Editor *
We're counting down now in hours rather than days until National Signing Day 2005. Thought to have its recruiting efforts pretty well wrapped up two weeks ago, Ohio State awaits word from four prospects -- running back Jason Gwaltney, defensive end Lawrence Wilson, defensive lineman Walker Ashley and receiver Brian Robiskie. Here is the very latest we know about when those four players will announce their intentions and which way we believe they're headed.
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Robiskie Verbals To Ohio State - Bucknuts PREMIUM
Robiskie Verbals To Ohio State
By Duane Long
Date: Jan 31, 2005
Chagrin Falls, Ohio, standout Brian Robiskie verbaled to Ohio State today, picking the Buckeyes over Miami (Fla.). Robiskie becomes OSU's 17th verbal commitment.