Todd Kelly Jr. Junior Highlights
Ohio State Commit Keita Bates-Diop Dominates
- Jaquan Lyle & Jalen Coleman unofficially visits Louisville
- @rivalsmike Mike Farrell: Hearing Tony Stevens and Mike Mitchell are likely to announce at Army Bowl Saturday. Will confirm tomorrow when they arrive.
BN$--Shaw Says Buckeyes Have Offered '14 GA DT Elisha Shaw
- Elisha says Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, and Ohio State have offered. He is wide open at this point. Like two weeks ago OSU offered
BN$--Ohio State Next In Line For Watson '14 GA QB DeShaun Watson
- Deshaun says he plans to enroll early and has tOSU right behind Clemson while also considering Auburn, Florida State, LSU, and Tennessee. He will definitely visit tOSU this spring and loves Coach Meyer.
BN$--Autry has Buckeyes on top '14 GA ATH Myles Autry
- Myles says tOSU is his dream school and Coach Meyer is his favorite coach. He plans to visit in the spring with Raekwon McMillan, Deshaun Watson, and Demarre Kitt.
Rivals$--'Shaq' still feeling Ohio State '16 MD DL Rahshaun Smith
- Rahshaun had offers from Boston College and Maryland before he played a varsity game. However, he has visited tOSU twice and is very high on the Buckeyes and Coach Meyer.
Buckeyes feeling Peachy
ATLANTA, Ga. -- One thing has become abundantly clear at the Rising Seniors Georgia Junior Bowl -- Ohio State is making its presence known in the Peach State.
Raekwon McMillan is one Georgia talent that expects to visit Ohio State in the spring. He isn't the only one.
Consider the following …
-Both five-star inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan and four-star athlete Myles Autry call the Buckeyes their leader. McMillan, the state's No. 2-ranked player for 2014, went so far as to say Ohio State had a pretty good edge over his No. 2 team, Clemson.
-Four-star receiver Demarre Kitt, a one-time Georgia commit who until recently was thought to be a strong Clemson lean, said the Buckeyes now are tied at the top with the Tigers.
-Four-star Clemson quarterback commit Deshaun Watson, a Tigers commit since last February, lists Ohio State as his No. 2 but admits the Buckeyes are giving him much to think about.
-According to numerous players on hand at this event, several of them -- Autry, Georgia safety commit Nick Glass, Kitt, McMillan, defensive back Nicholas Ruffin and Watson included -- intend to visit the Buckeyes together this spring.
At last check, Ohio State already had double-digit offers out for 2014 in Georgia with more likely to come. Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer not only visited several schools here this fall, but was in the Georgia Dome recently to check out some state championship action.
When asked about the group of Georgians that plans to visit the Buckeyes together, McMillan matter-of-factly said, "I would say I'm leading this deal."
McMillan most recently traveled to Columbus for Ohio State's late-season game with Michigan. He described the atmosphere there as "second to none."
For McMillan, the attention Meyer has paid to him also has been an eye-opener, he said.
"He took me into his office before the game, and that was real special to know he'd do that before his biggest game of the season," McMillan said.
Signing day obviously is a long way off for the 2014 prospects, but so far Ohio State has to feel good about the impact it is making in Georgia.
*Twins Lance and Lawrence Austin of Lamar County each sport offers from Marshall, South Alabama and South Carolina. To the brothers, it's a good thing they're being recruited by the same schools because they absolutely, positively plan to play together in college. Both brothers think the two-for-one package they offer is beneficial to colleges -- and to themselves. "We're trying to ride on each other," Lawrence said.
*Albany outside linebacker Juwon Young, who was extremely impressive Friday in practice, told 247Sports he is "very high" on Florida even without an offer. Young said he is hearing from Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and others early on.
*Offensive tackle Christian Harris of Collins Hill, one of the most physically impressive players on hand, thinks Georgia is close to offering him and could on his next visit to Athens in January. Thus far, he claims only an Ohio offer. He's listed at 6-feet-5, 260 pounds but looks bigger than that.
*Some up-and-coming athletes would rather not talk about their famous parents or siblings. Not twins Elliott and Evan Berry, younger brothers to former Tennessee star safety Eric Berry, who is now in the NFL. The two standouts from Creekside admitted having a brother in pro football is pretty cool, and said they have no problem talking about him. According to Elliott and Evan, Eric enjoys keeping tabs on their careers and their recruitment.
*Speaking of players with well-known relatives, tight end Milan Richard of Savannah's Calvary Day School is the nephew to Georgia legend Herschel Walker. Not only that, but both of his parents ran track for the Bulldogs. According to Richard, a four-star prospect with double-digit offers (most recently Tennessee), he feels no family pressure to follow in their footsteps. He's going to pick a school that is the best fit for him, he said.
*Autry was supposed to have surgery to repair his torn ACL and MCL on Friday, but delayed the procedure so he could take part in all the Georgia Junior Bowl actives. The players don't just practice at this event, they are coached up about life skills. They also get to meet some pretty cool guest speakers.
*Offensive guard Trent Brown of Norcross was a key member of that team's 2012 state championship squad. One thing he said that has made him a better player is the fact he goes head to head with 2014 five-star defensive end Lorenzo Carter in practice. "It definitely helps," the 6-feet-4, 320-pound Brown said. "You never get to [face] a guy of that talent." Brown is hearing from schools such as Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia and Michigan State, he said. He is still waiting for offer No. 1 to arrive.
Recruiting Awards from Day 1 of RisingSeniors.com
Here are unofficial awards from the first day of practices at the RisingSeniors.com Bowl, which features 95 of the state’s top high school juniors. These are based on observations from players, coaches, scouts and recruiting analysts.
EASTSIDE TEAM
MVP, OFFENSE
- Deshaun Watson, QB, Gainesville (committed to Clemson, but also reviewing offers from Ohio State, FSU, Auburn and Tennessee, among others). The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder looked like the best overall player at the all-star game. He’s got prototypical size, outstanding composure, he’s a running threat, and he can throw with accuracy and velocity on the run. Watson was just about perfect on the short and intermediate throws on a cold and windy day. “He’s as gifted as anybody I’ve ever seen,” said Blessed Trinity coach Tim McFarlin, the Eastside offensive coordinator.
- Runner-up: None.
BIGGEST SURPRISE, OFFENSE
- Christian Harris, LT, Collins Hill (one offer from Ohio): How does this kid not have 20+ early scholarship offers? He will soon. Harris has an outstanding frame at 6-5, 266 pounds — tall and lean, with long arms. He can get off the ball well, he stays on his blocks, and he’s physical. Harris has been talking to UGA and would commit there if he gets an early offer. If the Bulldogs wait until he gets other offers, he will consider all schools.
- Runners-up: Dennis Edwards, OG, South Gwinnett (6-2, 305 lbs., no offers) and Donnie Foster, C, Savannah Christian (6-4, 300 with no offers).
OTHERS TO WATCH, OFFENSE
- Herschel Walker’s nephew, Savannah Calvary Day TE Milan Richard (6-3, 230), who has a dozen early offers, including UGA and Georgia Tech. Needs to improve on blocking but presents a huge mismatch against the defense in the passing game. “He’s got a world of potential,” McFarlin said … Both George Walton Academy RB Stanley Williams (committed to UGA) and Henry County RB Sedrick Palmer (no offers) broke free for long scoring runs.
MVP, DEFENSE
- Raekwon McMillan, LB, Liberty County: McMillan is a 5-star and the top-ranked prospect in the game. On the first play of practice, the 6-2, 249-pounder had a crushing tackle that set the tone. McMillan has Ohio State as his leader among 50 offers.
- Runner-up: Locust Grove safety Cortez McDowell (early offers from UGA, Vanderbilt, UNC and Mississippi State) was the fastest player on defense …
BIGGEST SURPRISE, DEFENSE
- Jeremy Patterson, DT, Wayne County: Some were saying his recruiting situation was somewhat like Clemson with Montravius Adams last year. Clemson was the first to offer, months ahead everybody else. It’s the same deal with Patterson, as the Tigers are his first and only offer. But more are coming for the 6-4, 285-pounder.
OTHERS TO WATCH
- Tucker DT Elisah Shaw has ridiculous feet and athleticism at 6-6, 295 pounds. He also kept everybody loose with his jokes. Shaw has early offers from UGA and Alabama, among others … Camden County CB Kalvaraz Bessent (6-1, 185) has early offers from Ole Miss, UNC and Ohio State … Cedar Grove DE Bryson Allen-Williams may be a little smaller (6-2, 215) than listed but is very aggressive and physical. Allen-Williams has 17 offers, including Georgia Tech, Florida and South Carolina.
WESTSIDE TEAM
MVP, OFFENSE
- Nicholas Chubb, RB, Cedartown: Everybody wondered whether Chubb was the “real deal” or another small-town superstar who posted big numbers against weak competition. The 5-11, 210-pounder is actually better than advertised. He simply dominated the Friday session. “He reminds you of an Alabama tailback; he’s got big legs, he’s hard to tackle, he runs hard and he runs behind his pads,” said Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker, the West’s head coach. Chubb has early offers from Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Purdue, and Ohio State. But if he has another day like Friday, his life will radically change. He’s likely the No. 1 RB from Georgia for the 2014 class, and will now appear in national rankings. Chubb is childhood fan of UGA.
- Runner-up: Demarre Kitt, WR, Sandy Creek. 24 offers, led by Clemson, Ohio State, Oregon, USC and UGA.
BIGGEST SURPRISE, OFFENSE
- Cameron Jackson, WR-CB, Creekside: The 5-11, 175-pounder is being looked at more by colleges at DB but was stunning at WR. He’s fast, he has dependable hands, and he can get a lot of yards after the catch. He has no offers yet.
- Runner-up: Jermaine Abron, OG, Warner Robins. The 6-2, 295-pounder was the Westside’s best offensive lineman. He has no offers yet.
OTHERS TO WATCH: Milton RB Treyvon Paulk (5-8, 195, with 12 offers, including Tennessee and Vanderbilt) can do a little bit of everything with running and catching. He may be the most athletic player on the West … Carrollton OG Jake Sanders (6-6, 315, with an offer from Mississippi State) …
MVP, DEFENSE
- Juwon Young, LB, Albany: The 6-2, 230-pounder created a ton of buzz with his athleticism and physicality. “He’s big, he can fly, and he will hit you; I think that’s what you want in a linebacker,” Walker said. Shockingly, Young has no offers. Yet.
- Runners-up: Carrollton DT Dontavius Russell (6-3, 300, offers from Florida and Georgia Tech) …
BIGGEST SURPRISE
- Lawrence Austin, DB, Lamar County: Everybody talked about another set of twins, the Berry brothers, coming into the game. But it was the Austin twins, Lawrence and Lance, who stole the show in the secondary. They are both around 5-10 or 5-9 and 175 pounds but will knock the tar out of you. They both have offers from South Carolina, Marshall and South Alabama, and are considered to be a lean to the Gamecocks.
- Runners-up: South Cobb DT Justin Jones (6-3, 260, no offers) and Lowndes LB Tre Jackson (5-11, 222, no offers)
OTHERS TO WATCH
- Chapel Hill DE Josiah Coatney (6-4, 251, with no offers), Sandy Creek DT Chris Williams (6-1, 283, offers from Ole Miss and Texas A&M) and ECLA DE Andrew Williams (6-4 240), who has a dozen offers and added Alabama on Thursday
UnderArmour Preview: West Region Prospects
UnderArmour All-American Bowl (January 4th, 5:00 EST, ESPN)
The sixth annual UnderArmoru All-America Game will take place at Tropicana Dome in St. Petersburg (Fla.), with the practices being held in Orlando, and there is again, a nice selection of West Coast prospects in the game.
Offense
Stockton (Calif.) Lincoln quarterback Zack Greenlee shined all spring and summer, earning MVP honors at the Las Vegas Elite 11 Regionals and was named to the Elite 11 Finals in Southern California. The Fresno State commit continues his year to remember with a selection to the UnderArmour All-America Game.
Salt Lake City (Utah) Cottonwood quarterback Cooper Batemen didn't have the season quite that Greenlee did, but he's got one of the highest ceilings of any quarterback in this class. The Alabama verbal will be representing the Crimson Tide, with a slew of other future Bama players.
The West will be represented by two receivers from Southern California, both commits to the Pac-12.
Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde receiver Demorea Stringfellow, who's committed to Washington, and is the top big receiver in the region will be joined by Santa Monica (Calif.) receiver Sebastian LaRue, who's committed to USC, but is still considering Notre Dame, Texas A&M, Washington State and UCLA.
The West's top tight end prospect, Riverside (Calif.) J.W. North's Marcus Baugh, will be one of a number of Ohio State verbals playing in the game.
Up front, the West will have three offensive linemen playing in the game.
West Linn (Ore.) tackle Evan Voeller is the Pacific Northwest's top offensive linemen and the four-star will stay in-state and play at Oregon.
Encinitas (Calif.) La Costa Canyon center Scott Quessenberry has committed to play at UCLA, the third brother in his family to play FBS football, but the first named to an All-American Game.
Rounding out that trip is Corona (Calif.) Centennial's Cameron Hunt, a four-star offensive guard prospect who's committed to Cal, but will visit Michigan and Oregon in January.
Defense
The West will only have four defensive prospects playing in the game, but they're a solid contingent.
Leading the way is Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos De Niza cornerback Priest Willis. The five-star corner will likely play safety during the week, and he may announce his decision on Friday, choosing between Arizona State, LSU, Nebraska and UCLA.
Mission Viejo (Calif.) safety Max Redfield had been committed to USC for some time before he decommitted. He will announce a final decision between USC and Notre Dame the day of the game.
Also announcing on game day is Honolulu (Hawaii) Punahou middle linebacker Isaac Savaiinaea, the West's top middle linebacker who will choose from Texas A&M and UCLA.
Another Hawaii native in the game is defensive tackle Kennedy Tulimasealii from Waianae (Hawaii), who's staying home to play for Norm Chow and the Warriors
Undefeated Buckeyes left out of bowl season
COLUMBUS, Ohio -Jack Mewhort loves college football. Yet he likely won't go out of his way to watch a single bowl game in the coming days.
What's the point, the thoughtful, red-haired Ohio State offensive lineman says, not really seeking an answer.
"Now that the season is over, you can sit around and think to yourself a little bit,'' he said in a voice a lot softer than you might expect coming from a body measuring 6-foot-6 and 312 pounds. "Your mind kind of wanders. We accomplished everything we possibly could.
"But you've got to keep the demons out.''
The Buckeyes aren't allowed, due to NCAA violations committed by those no longer with the team, to play in a bowl game. They did all they could during the 2012 season, going 12-0.
So while Notre Dame and one-loss Alabama fight it out for the national championship, and while lesser teams play in sunny climes and get maximum exposure, Mewhort and the rest of the Buckeyes are left with their thoughts.
Coach Urban Meyer is perfectly willing to move on, to cease all the talk about NCAA crimes and punishment.
But that doesn't mean, the Ohio State coach still doesn't have a lingering regret: What might have been.
"It's very difficult,'' concedes Meyer, not one to spend a lot of time dealing with the what-ifs of daily life. "After we won our last game (against rival Michigan) and we saw we couldn't go play in the Big Ten championship game, and then if we would have won that we might have been playing for the national championship - you can't help but think about it.''
There's plenty of regret to go around at Ohio State these days. There's regret that former coach Jim Tressel, who wrote books about integrity, morals and leading a Christian life, found out in 2010 that some of his best players took money from a suspected drug dealer and yet did nothing about it. He played those players anyway and they were later ruled ineligible for taking cash and free tattoos. A 12-1 season, including a Sugar Bowl victory two years ago, was wiped off the books.
Tressel was forced out of the job in disgrace after 10 years and all of the players involved either graduated, moved on to the NFL or went elsewhere.
There's also regret that athletic director Gene Smith, who once worked on the NCAA's Committee on Infractions, didn't give up a meaningless Gator Bowl bid after the 2011 season as a pre-emptive strike to mollify the NCAA. The thinking is that, had he surrendered that game - what would be the seventh loss in an utterly forgettable year of suspensions, innuendo, investigations and sanctions - perhaps the current Buckeyes might still be pursuing that elusive national championship berth.
Smith, for one, refuses to play the blame game. He said he doesn't feel any remorse for his decision whatsoever.
"No. As I've said before, with the information we had at the time we made the decisions at the time that we felt were the best decisions,'' he said. "So we've moved on. I guess that's the challenge. We've moved on. We're looking at what we accomplished this year, we're looking at the future and we're recognizing the opportunities ahead of us that are exciting because of how we stayed focused on helping this team and this coaching staff be successful.''
Of course, the players affected the most by the bowl ban are Ohio State's seniors. They overcame doubts and questions to post just the sixth unbeaten and untied season in the program's 123 seasons. Yet, for the sins of others, they're deprived of the reward of going on a good bowl trip.
"I can't stay here and live in the past and wish and hope,'' said a wistful Etienne Sabino, a senior linebacker. "There's nothing I can control. I try not to think about it.''
But the underclassmen feel a void, as well.
Star quarterback Braxton Miller says it's an injustice that the Buckeyes paid the price for others' mistakes in judgment.
"I'm really disappointed,'' said Miller, who will be a junior next fall. "They got in trouble before I got here. With the probation, it's very disturbing for the players. We put in the hard work and went 12-0 and, you know, should have had an opportunity to go to the national championship game. It's not fair.''
There are other considerations, of course. The lack of a bowl game denies Ohio State weeks of practice that even a mediocre bowl-bound team with a 6-6 record gets. It also denies a national stage to an unbeaten team, perhaps preventing the seniors from another opportunity to impress pro scouts. And it eliminates an additional high-profile chance for Meyer to show off the rebuilding project he's overseen at Ohio State, one that might be very appealing to potential recruits who are glued to the TV during the postseason.
Meyer believes the players will just have to work harder to make up for those missed practices. And that the coaches must work even harder to reach recruits and spread the word of the rebirth at Ohio State in the wake of the Tressel trauma.
Those are still minor considerations, he believes, compared to what the seniors lost.
"Everybody has a dream of playing for a national title and our guys don't get that opportunity,'' he said softly.
Despite the premature end to their season, the players take great pride in that perfect record. NCAA rules allow players to leave a team - without having to sit out a transfer year - when a team gets hit with major penalties. Yet none of the Buckeyes left under those circumstances. They stuck around, and will be rewarded with rings for winning their Big Ten division and will be remembered as a unit that provided a cornerstone for what's to come.
"This season just kind of sets a tone for the future years,'' senior fullback and linebacker Zach Boren said.
That doesn't mean being left behind isn't painful.
"We're really proud of what we did going 12-0. We accomplished everything we could. We won our division, we won our big game (Michigan) at the end,'' Mewhort said. "I want to stress how important that was to us to win every game possible for these seniors. They led us. It was all for them. But it does get a little frustrating as you get close to bowl season.
"Because you still have that fire burning, you know. You want to go out there and compete.''
Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor to make first NFL start
Former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor is scheduled to make his first NFL start.
Pryor, who’s seen little action for the Oakland Raiders, is slated to start at quarterback in Sunday’s season-finale against the San Diego Chargers.
The team announced the development through the Raiders’ official Twitter account, @OAKLAND.
“Head Coach Dennis Allen names @TerrellePryor staring QB for Sunday,” the tweet read.
Pryor was given the nod over former USC quarterback and 2004 Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart after Raiders quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a bruised lung and broken ribs in a 17-6 loss against the Carolina Panthers last Sunday.
In his NFL career, the 6-foot-6, 230-pound signal-caller has completed 1-of-2 passes for five yards and rushed once for two yards.
It’s Pryor’s first start since the 2011 Allstate Sugar Bowl, which OSU defeated the Arkansas Razorbacks, 31-26.
In what would be his last outing as a Buckeye, the Jeannette, Pa., native amassed 336 yards of total offense and was named the game’s MVP.
Under the direction of former OSU coach Jim Tressel, Pryor and the Buckeyes finished the year 12-1 with a Big Ten Championship.
The season, though, has since been vacated because of NCAA violations stemming from the program’s “Tattoo-Gate” scandal.
Pryor, who was one of five players suspended for the first five games of 2011 because of his involvement in trading tattoos for Buckeye memorabilia, opted to forgo his senior season in response to mounting allegations and a separate investigation regarding his use of multiple automobiles while in Columbus.
Pryor, who arrived on campus in 2008 as arguably the nation’s most heralded recruit in recent memory, helped guide the Buckeyes to a 31-4 record as the team’s starting quarterback, a role he assumed against Troy on Sept. 20, 2008.
In addition to the his Sugar Bowl performance, Pryor earned MVP honors en route to a 26-17 win against Oregon in the 2010 Rose Bowl. The game, which was dubbed by some as Pryor’s coming-of-age party, saw Pryor throw for 266 yards and two touchdowns on 23-of-37 attempts. He also ran for 72 yards on 20 touches.
Pryor amassed 8,341 yards of total offense and 76 touchdowns as a Buckeye.
Oakland (4-11) is set to face the Chargers Sunday at 4:25 p.m. at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.
Georgia Junior Bowl Day 2 Notes
ATLANTA, GA. -- Several players arrived at the 2012 Rising Seniors Georgia Junior Bowl with multiple offers.
Meanwhile, there are others that don't have any at all yet.
Those players are hoping a solid showing at practice or a stellar performance in Monday's game could change that.
Two players that fit into the second group are quarterbacks Brooks Barden of Cartersville and Cole Garvin of Sandy Creek. Both are coming off outstanding junior seasons. Garvin, in fact, helped lead his team to a state title.
At this stage, however, each is offerless.
"I've heard quarterbacks are the last to get offers, because they want to see how you're going to progress through high school," Garvin said. "Playing in a game like this with so much media should help."
One thing the 6-feet-3, 200-pound Barden and 6-feet, 180-pound Garvin, who are teammates for this event, might have working in their favor is their accuracy, and that has been on display during the first two days of practice.
"Being a son of a coach, I think I understand the game and know where to go with the ball," said Barden, a lefty.
Thus far, both players are hearing from Duke. According to Barden, he also is communicating with North Carolina, which plans to visit his school in 2013, he said.
Barden, Garvin and the others on hand that have yet to earn an offer can take solace in the fact that Carl Lawson and Joshua Dobbs, standouts at last year's Georgia Junior Bowl, had no FBS offers when they took part in this event. Today, Lawson is a five-star defensive end committed to Auburn while Dobbs, a standout quarterback, is committed to Arizona State.
*Four-star receiver Demarre Kitt of Sandy Creek had a little bit of a scare at practice Saturday, when he was injured while leaping to make a catch on a slant route. After landing on his stomach, Kitt writhed on the ground, obviously in a good bit of pain. A few minutes later, though, he was up and walking around, though he watched the remainder of the practice from the sideline.
"I felt like something just popped out of place," Kitt said.
According to Kitt, who calls Clemson and Ohio State his co-leaders, he strained his hamstring but should be able to play in Monday's game.
As for his recruitment, Kitt, most recently offered by Michigan State, said he thinks Oregon and Texas A&M could be next.
*Four-star defensive end Andrew Williams of Eagle's Landing Christian, who claims 28 offers, said he is close to narrowing things down. Williams, who was offered by Alabama earlier in the week, expects to have a top five or top seven sometime in the next month. Asked which teams would definitely make the cut, he replied, "Clemson. The've been there since I was in the ninth grade. That was my first offer." Williams recorded 18 sacks in 2012.
*Terry Googer, a four-star receiver from Atlanta's Woodward Academy, also hopes to trim his list of possible schools very soon. In fact, he said he might release a top five as soon as Tuesday. Look for Notre Dame, South Carolina and Vanderbilt to be on that list. "Notre Dame, my family wants me to go there because of academics," Googer said. "Vandy, I've just got a good relationship with the coaches. And South Carolina, I just like the atmosphere." According to Googer, Florida also might be a team to watch. The Gators haven't offered yet, but he thinks it is possible.
*Wayne County defensive tackle Jeremy Patterson is an impressive-looking player, but as of Saturday the 6-feet-3, 275-pounder had only one offer. It came from Clemson after he attended a camp there last summer. According to Patterson, though, he expects things to pick up next year. He said he is hearing from programs such as Alabama, Georgia, LSU and South Carolina. Patterson expects to visit the Tide and Bulldogs sometime soon.
*Defensive tackle Chris Williams of Sandy Creek sports offers from Ole Miss and Texas A&M, and he also has interest from Clemson. Williams plans to visit the Rebels in February, and will check out the Aggies next summer. He plans to camp in College Station, Texas.
Coming off a junior season in which he caught 76 passes for 1,236 yards and 11 touchdowns, returned a punt for a touchdown, and helped his team to a 15-0 record and AAAA state championship, ESPN Watch List wideout Demarre Kitt (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) has become one of the most sought-after Class of 2014 prospects in the Southeast.
As it stands now, two programs are on top for the 6-foot-1, 185-pound junior.
Running back Nick Chubb (Cedartown, Ga./Cedartown) made a name for himself in Georgia this season. The 5-foot-11, 208-pound junior rushed for 2,721 yards and 38 touchdowns, more than any running back in state history in a 10-game regular season.
For those that follow recruiting, Chubb could soon become a household name. Tennessee, Ohio State, Purdue and Georgia Tech have offered Chubb so far, and two of those offers stick out in his mind right now.
Look forward to your Quick Bits everyday! Thanks
QuadrupleZ
If anyone can land all these studs and close the deal on a visit it Is UFM. So jacked for the future
Honest I really believe OSU will get many from GA and a few from FL (McMillan, Glass, Kitt and Brown<(6'8 370), and possibly D. Watson may all come...which if all those guys commit...WOW). Either way, OSU's going to get players from the south...there's a reason for it;-) Speed, speed and more speed. Granted...I know there's speed in Ohio and Midwest. However, the REAL fast guys are going to come from the south (and I can't wait to see who it's going to be;-).
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
If Raekwon is leading the recruitment of this group of kids we will get them book it!
Great info as usual Gene! I think alot of these kids coming to TOSU depend on whether Chad Morris takes a HC job at the end of next season. If we can flip Watson, Kitt will come. I love how Raekwon is making it known TOSU is a clear #1. '14 class is gonna be something special!
I agree that Chad Morris can have an effect as to how big we shall see. The biggest thing I see with these kids is the fact that they are talking about playing at ONE school only and its not UGA not Clemson thats mentioned its only tOSU.
These buckeyes are going to look A LOT different than what we are used to. I still remember being in shock in 06 in that bowl game. The speed and size of the Dline and the 4 and five kids with speed like Ten Ginn Jr. This is where we will shock the big 10 and rest of the country...
That '06 game was a poorly coached game by J.T, thats why we lost it. We were averaging 5+ yards a carry, and went completely away from the run to the pass, and our tackles were over matched by the speed of Florida's DE's. We didn't run a single screen play or anything, no adjustments were made in that game from what I saw, and remember. Florida didn't have a player on their team w/T.Ginn speed.
After the kickoff return for a td, we didn't have anyone with ted ginn speed either. You can't blame it on the loss of one player, but that one player was a huge part of what we did offensively. And in special teams. Fact of the matter is our bookend tackles had no answer for the speed of harvey and moss off the edge. Troy couldn't even finish his dropback before one or both of them were in his face. I agree we shouldn't have abandoned the run game. Easiest way to negate a speed rusher is to run right at them. Once you get one dimensional, and they can pin their ears back and come after your qb, you're done. Either way, we just got outplayed, outcoached and outclassed that night in glendale.
I love this Georgia thing, It would be so cool to go down to SEC country and steal an entire states recruits.
Love the interest that all these young studs have in the bucks! Who knows if any of them actually get here but the talk being thrown around is exciting! God I love what Urb and co are doing!
"Who knows if any of them actually get here"
Haha true! Very high risk (only high risk in holding off offers to players like Drew Barker), high reward game here. I could see a situation where OSU snags all of them, but I could also see a situation where Clemson snags all of them (being that Clemson is #1 or #2 on all of their lists w/the exception of Autry). The one positive though, is McMillan seems to me like a young man who wants to make his own decisions, and at the moment he's leaning heavily OSU. At least as of the last couple years, I don't feel Clemson has much to offer someone defensively. They've had quite a few high defensive recruits go in, and not many of them make a big impact. The appeal of Clemson to me is offensive, and as others mentioned, Chad Morris seems pretty open to moving on (was one of two finalists for the Texas Tech job here recently). McMillan and Autry (perhaps even Glass) may decide to do their own thing, while Watson and Kitt could do another. You just never know! I like that the player who seems to be the most outspoken/has the strongest voice (in McMillan), is an OSU lean.
It'll be a fascinating year!
Heres to hoping! Would be amazing to grab all these guys, if not only a few of them! Talent level is incredible
Those helmets look like they came out of the movie Tron.
I was thinking the same thing! Ha!
Think we have monster recruiting class on 2014.Maybe not the numbers,but if we land half these kids from Georgia,sprinkled in with a few Ohio kids,as well as national recruits, we may have #1 or #2 class easy!!!
SCOTTC.
Gene how in the world do you do this every single day. My gosh, thank you for doing this!
I don't follow recruiting news as tightly as most other people but recently 11W has been doing follow ups with the players after their visit to the Shoe. I was wondering, did you or Alex have a follow up for McMillan after The Game? I would love to know what else he said after the game since OSU is one of his favorites. If so, this would be helpful. Thanks.
Ohio State's band SLAUGHTERED Michigan's band. If this were a football game, it would have been Florida State vs. Savannah State. - SB Nation following OSU vs. UM 2012
BME - here's Raekwon's interview with 11W after his visit for The Game.
http://www.elevenwarriors.com/2012/11/16902/catching-up-with-raekwon-mcmillan-the-game-visit
Thanks Tennbuckeye, I swung you an upvote!
Ohio State's band SLAUGHTERED Michigan's band. If this were a football game, it would have been Florida State vs. Savannah State. - SB Nation following OSU vs. UM 2012
This part right here is why I have a hard time with Tatgate (and forgetting about who was involved like so many have these days). Good luck to TP in his first start tomorrow and hope he actually gets to play next year...considering he just used OSU to get where he is now. Sure hope it was worth it.....considering now he can afford to buy or sell "trinkets" that aren't important apparently these days (just imagine if he had the gift of common sense to think how he could buy whatever the hell he wanted once getting into the NFL...genius concept...right??). And good luck to Tressel...I hope he coaches again one day, the right way this time in all facets of the game. OSU and YSU he put too much faith in players he shouldn't have...both being "star" QBs.
"There's nothing that cleanses your soul like getting the hell kicked out of you."
"I love football. I think it is most wonderful game in world and I despise to lose."
Woody Hayes 1913 - 1987
love raekwon the chef. Wish he'd committ early n really start recruiting
O'Deez330
stark county football
DeShawn Watson sounds like a couple National Championships for the Buckeyes. Flip baby flip!!
"There is a force that makes us all brothers, no one goes his way alone, all that we send into the life of others comes back into our own." -WWH
Great info. We are looking good well into the future!
I absolutely love the recruiting we have done in Georgia! If McMillan can get even a couple of these guys up to tOSU this spring, I cannot help but think we can get a few early commits out of it. Raekwon is hesitant to pull the trigger before next years UA game, but I think he will if he gets even a couple of these guys to join in.
Updated and should be all
I can't blame tress at all for the bowl and it bothers me that people do. After tress was fired the NCAA came out and said that we wouldn't get a bowl ban. It wasnt untill after devier and boom got outed for the get paid without working scheme up in Cleveland. That's when the NCAA said enough is enough. I'm not saying tress is an angel by any means but he can't take the blame for the bowl ban.
Hardly home but always reppin