• Dareian Watkins unofficially visits West Virginia
• Tyquan Lewis rated 90 (4*) by 247Sports
• Taquan Mizzell top three schools are UVA, WVU and Clemson -- visiting WVU later this month, Clemson soon as well, been to UVA a ton. Mizzell to visit UNC with Quin Blanding next Tuesday. UNC not in his top five, but could they make it now?
• Standout 2014 WR Josh Malone of TN will visit Vanderbilt on Sunday and the Vols on Monday
• Reuben Foster flips from Bama to Auburn. All eyes set on Tray Matthews and what he will do now, was speculated him and Foster as a package deal, could flip to Auburn as well
• 2014 OT Orlando Brown Jr says he will no longer be visiting ‪Michigan‬ this weekend, but will be at ‪Ohio State‬

BN $ - Florida WR Plans OSU Official Visit ('13 FL WR Levonte Whitfield)

• By BK...visited OSU in June and was pleasantly surprised...no favorites but OSU will be one of his officials. 

Rivals $ - McMillan sets return to Ohio State ('14 GA LB Raekwon McMillan)

• By Birmingham...100% will be at FNL and is looking forward to developing relationships with OSU verbals and targets...also looking forward to playing Coach Pantoni in ping pong. Also says OSU, UGA and Clemson are his current leaders, in no particular order.

BN $ - Don't Sleep On This Florida Star ('13 FL DB Jamal Carter)

• By BK...plans to decide by the end of the summer but will still take officials, including one to OSU. 

247sports $ - No. 1 CB Vernon Hargreaves III names a leader

• Their class is filling up quickly as they got three commitments today (Khaliel Rogers, Nico Falah & Eddie Vanderdoes). 

Tony Brown: Confident and Competitive

Beaumont Ozen DB Tony Brown is not only one of the most talented players in the state of Texas, he's also one of the most competitive and one of the most confident.

Tony Brown won the DB MVP award at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge.

Brown has had an extremely busy camp schedule this summer, attending events all over the Southwest region. In the last few weeks, he's made his way to two camps that featured top talent from across the nation. Brown was one of a handful of 2014 prospects invited to participate in the Rivals100 Five-Star Challenge in Atlanta. He followed that appearance up with a showing at the Rivals.com Underclassmen Challenge last weekend. The blue-chip defender excelled at both.

While a lot of high-caliber players avoid camps because they're fearful that their stock could drop with a bad performance, Brown knows that the only way to maximize his talent is to compete against the nation's elite.

"I strive on competition. You can't get better unless you're competing against guys at the same level or above yours," Brown said. "If you don't go out there and see who is better than you, how are you going to get better just working by yourself all the time? I've gone up against people who are supposed to be the best and I just try to prove I'm the best every time."

At the beginning of summer, Brown was ranked among the best defensive back prospects in the state of Texas. He set a goal to not only be the top DB in the Lone Star State, but to be the top player at his position in the entire nation in the 2014 class. It's a steep hill to climb, but Brown's work at a number of camps has moved him up the recruiting lists.

"I came out here this summer to prove I could guard man because they had moved me to safety and recruiters and everyone thought I couldn't play man-to-man. So that's all I've been working on in practice. I came out here and I proved it and I feel like that was the only factor that was holding me back from being the No. 1 DB," Brown said. "I've proved that I'll compete at any camp, I've got top performer at every camp I've gone to and I've competed against the best of the best."

Brown turned heads at the Rivals Challenge before the competition ever began. A chiseled 6-1 and 185 pounds, he was one of the more impressive looking players at the event from a purely physical perspective. His play backed up his physical appearance.

"It was great," Brown said of the experience. "I saw five-star guys and I know what I have to shoot for to become a five-star. That's my goal. I saw the number one corner, the number one DB, so I know what I have to shoot for. I was in the front of every drill, I was leading everything and I got awarded as a top performer. I know if I can get top performer against guys a year older than me I feel like I can be one of the best in my class."

In watching Brown this summer, one thing that really stands out is his competiveness. Even at the Rivals Challenge, when matched up with players a year older than him, Brown was usually found at the front of the line to take reps in drill work. He always wants to be matched up with the top receivers in 1-on-1 drills. Call it confidence. Call it a chip on his shoulder. Call it what you want, but Brown is determined to be the best of the best and he uses history as a motivator.

"My freshman year, I really had zero offers. Then my sophomore year, I had one offer from LSU. When that first ranking came out, I wasn't in the top-10. It's just that drive to prove I'm the best every day," Brown said. "When I work out, I think about that - how I felt when I first read that I wasn't the number one guy. I felt like I had worked for it and that I had been cheated. So I come out every day and remember how I felt and I never want to feel that again."

Success has helped build confidence, but Brown said a big part of it has also been passed down from his family.

"I think confidence comes from how hard you work. If you know you're working harder than the other guy, then you know he can't beat you. I think it also comes from genetics. My dad and my uncle, my mom's twin brother, they were always corners and when you talk to them, you can tell they were confident guys. My mom is confident. She won a Naismith award in high school for basketball, so I think it's just in my blood to be confident," Brown said.

On the recruiting front, new offers continue to pour in for Brown seemingly every day. This week, he added scholarships from Auburn, West Virginia and Ohio State. Though he continues to weigh all of his options, Brown, ranked No. 3 overall on the 2014 Lone Star Recruiting Top 100, said he could have a list of favorites in the not-too-distant future.

"I really am wide open. I know you don't want to hear it, but I really am wide open. I can probably give a list after the first couple football games," Brown said.

Texas and LSU are schools that have both made strong impressions. Brown admits he does have a healthy respect for both programs, and both are expect to be in the race until the end.

"I'm born and raised in Texas. Texas is always going to be in the top 10, probably even the top 5 for sure. (DB) Coach (Duane) Akina is a great coach, he's produced great DBs. I have the utmost respect for him and coach (Mack) Brown. They're definitely going to be in the top group.

"It's the love with LSU. That was my first offer. They believed in me at a young age. They'll have to be in my top five just off of trust. They trust me so much."

'14 GA 5-Star Linebacker Raekwon McMillan Talks Friday Night Lights, Ohio State With LGHL

One of the number of concerns on the 2012 Ohio State football team is overall depth at a few critical positions. Linebacker is one of those reasons for pause, which may come as a bit of a surprise when looking at the current roster. The fact of the matter is, while Ohio State may have a solid core group (Ryan Shazier, Etienne Sabino, amongst them), a majority of the linebackers are either incoming freshman or are walk-ons with no previous Saturday experience.

Urban Meyer knew this as soon as he stepped on campus at Ohio State and managed to land some impressive talent at the position in the class of 2012. Names like Camren Williams, David Perkins, Joshua Perry, and Luke Roberts should give Ohio State fans room for optimism in the seasons to come. Not all recruits are going to be stars, however, so the need to keep stacking the deck with linebacker recruits certainly still exists.

As the search continues for Meyer and Luke FIckell to find the best possible talent at each position, the 2014 class may have a linebacker that can match Urban's needs. Raekwon McMillan, a 6'3" 236-pound inside linebacker, hails from the Peach State. McMillan is a 5-star recruit and is also rated the 14th best overall prospect in the country according to 247Sports' recently revised Top 247.

McMillan is also currently the No. 1 recruit from the state of Georgia and is also heralded as the second best inside linebacker in the country. He has multiple high-profile offers from the likes of Georgia, Ohio State, Alabama, Notre Dame, Clemson, South Carolina, Auburn, and Florida.

Raekwon has also recently been selected to participate in the Under Armour and U.S. Army All-American games after being named an All-American for his class in 2011. Last season, McMillan recorded 97 total tackles, 20 tackles for a loss, 5 forced fumbles, a sack, and an interception. An impressive stat sheet to go along with McMillan's overall talent which unsurprisingly has caught the attention of many of those major players across the country.

I spoke with Raekwon about his recruitment and also brought up the possibility of McMillan going to the same school as Nick Glass (and Da'Shawn Hand) to see where he stood on what could be a solidarity pact in the making.

Your friend Nick Glass spoke with us earlier this week about wanting to go to the same school and play on the same team with both you and Da'Shawn Hand. Is this really something that you plan on doing, or is it all just part of having fun with the process?

I mean as our relationship builds , it may be one of those situations where Nick and I will go to the same school that's fits both of our games.

You missed Georgia's Dawg Night because of a dentist appointment. You're planning on attending Ohio State's Friday Night Lights with Hand and Glass. What are you looking forward to the most that day?

Just to be in the Ohio State environment and atmosphere. I'm also looking forward to really getting to know some of my potential future teammates.

On Twitter yesterday you announced the top 3 schools of your choice, Georgia, Ohio State, and Clemson. What are your thoughts on those teams?

I mean, sometimes I just tweet what's on my mind . That isn't really an official "top three". You've seen before that the third school has changed pretty often.

What visits and to what schools are you planning on taking soon?

I am going to take a visit to Clemson next Wedensday. After that, I will probably be heading to Florida sometime in the near future. Of course, I'll also be attending Ohio State's Friday Night Lights on July 27th.

Any idea when you will try to make your decision on where to play your college ball?

I will announce my decision at the Under Armour All-American game my senior year. This is for sure and the announcement date will not change so that I have plenty of time to think about my decision.

What impresses you the most about Ohio State?

Just the feeling as soon as you get in to Columbus, "Pride, Tradition, and Excellence" is read throughout the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. Ever since reading that line, it has really stuck with me.

Are there any Ohio State recruits that have already committed that are trying to get you to join them? What kind of things have they said?

I have probably talked to Jalin Marshall the most from the '13 class. He basically just tells me to come on up to Ohio State. He also says "Let's win some rings with Urban".

Do you talk with any of the current players? If so, what do they have to say?

Not really, but I've talked to Noah Spence. I asked him about the Columbus feeling and we talk from time to time about Ohio State and other football-related things.

Anything else you would like to say to those reading out in Buckeye Nation?

O-H!!! (laughs)

CB Eli Woodard honored by fifth star

After great showings from Eli Woodard (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern) and Ezekiel Elliott (St. Louis/John Burroughs) at The Opening in Beaverton, Ore., last weekend, it wasn’t a matter of if the tandem would fly up the ranks. It was a matter of how much.

Ohio State picked up its first five-star commitment in Woodard and Elliott shot up the charts in the latest ESPN 150 and ESPN 300 rankings, released Thursday.

The Buckeyes have six commitments ranked in the top 150 and 11 in the top 300 among their 14 recruits. They made a move up four spots from No. 9 to No. 5 in the overall rankings. 

DL Frazier transfers from Purdue to OSU

Rashad Frazier's stint at Purdue didn't work out. So he's heading back to his home state.

Frazier hasn't seen action in either of the last two seasons after initially redshirting with the Boilermakers in 2010, and he still won't be eligible to play this year after transferring to Ohio State. But if he's able to shake off some understandable rust, the 6-foot-4, 270-pounder could possibly provide some depth on the defensive line -- though given his level of experience, he's likely a project.

Frazier recorded 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks as a senior at Middletown (Ohio) High School, but that was his only season of action at that level and he didn't appear in a game at Purdue.