Newly Offered: Robinson Twins

Newly Offered: Nic Weishar

• @AllenTrieu Kentucky and North Carolina both watched 2014 quarterback Drew Barker throw this morning 
• @Derek11W #OhioState coach Tom Herman will be by to check in on 2014 QB Drew Barker this week. 
• @JoshHelmholdt 4star 2014 TE Daniel Helm added an offer from #Michigan yesterday. #OhioState #Vols #Vandy also showing interest 
• @JeffSvoboda Per @clarkbmichael, #OhioState visited 2014 standout running back Elijah Hood today http://recruiting.scout.com/a.z?s=73...=1&nid=5928543 #sohood 
• @adamgorney #OhioState just offered Tyree and Tyrell Robinson 
• @MChungOZone A close source to Vonn Bell says it is not just a 2-horse race between OSU and Ala for him. Tennessee is still in it. 
• @GregBiggins #Oregon OL coach Steve Greatwood will visit SoCal OL Cameron Hunt later this afternoon 
• @DerekTysonESPN Oregon ATH commit Dontre Wilson told me in Orlando that if Chip Kelly left he would stay because Helfrich would get promoted to HC. 
• @KippLAdams 2014 Providence (N.C.) OT Bentley Spain has been visited by #OhioSt & #UF (Monday), #Stanford (Tuesday), #SouthCarolina & #Michigan (today). 
• @AllenTrieu #Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen visited Chicago De La Salle (Ill.) junior OT Jamarco Jones today: 
• @EDGYTIM: Chicago Ill. Marist junior tight end Nic Weishar adds offer #13 from #OhioState today 
• @KippLAdams Ravenscroft (N.C.) 2014 TE Avery Edwards says #OhioSt stopped by Tuesday and #ECU came by today.
• @SamWebb77 #FoxSportsNext's @GregBiggins reports #Michigan informed Corona, CA OL, Cameron Hunt today that they're now done OL recruiting for 2013.
• South Carolina offer Jacques Patrick
• Miami offer Jeffrey Holland
• Cincinnati offer Anthony Moten
• Kentucky offer Drew Barker
• Tim Beckman from Illinois visits Dareian Watkins
• Mike Tressel from Michigan State visits Kyle Trout
• Neal Brown from Kentucky visits Ryan Timmons
• Chuck Martin from Notre Dame visits Jamarco Jones

BN $ - Top Michigan RB Has Buckeyes No. 1 '15 MI RB Michael Weber

• Saw Coach Meyer at his school this week...current favorites in order are Ohio State, Alabama and Notre Dame...plans to visit Ohio State, Illinois (offer) and Syracuse (offer) soon.

Scout $ - New ACC offer for Scott '14 NC RB Derrell Scott

• Georgia Tech offered... South Carolina leads followed by FSU and OSU.

Scout $ - All The Latest on Drake Harris '14 MI WR Drake Harris

• By Trieu...Mr. Harris' son is talking about focusing on just football and thus is looking at all his options despite remaining an MSU commit...Drake said if he was just focused on basketball he wouldn't be looking around but now that he is considering focusing on football he is also interested in Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Florida State. 

Rivals $ - Top 2014 recruit: Jr. Day made me like UM more '14 FL LB/TE Vincent Jackson

• From CaneSport...was impressed with the academics during his visit to Miami...no leaders.

Rivals $ - RB with UM offer: 'I really like Miami' '15 FL RB/ATH Jacques Patrick

• From CaneSport...Coach Golden said he is the #1 RB on their board for 2015...plans to start narrowing things down this summer. 

Rivals $ - Curtis embracing change '14 AZ OL Natrell Curtis

• Talks about how the new staff at ASU is trying to get AZ kids to stay home and is impressed...Washington, Fresno State, San Jose State and Arizona were at his school yesterday...says Coach Ragle from Arizona stands out to him and teammate Jalen Brown.

Rivals $ - Four-star plans visit '14 GA DE Andrew Williams

• From the USCe site...says South Carolina, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, FSU, Clemson, and LSU are all after him hard...recaps South Carolina coaches stopping by his school yesterday..visiting Notre Dame this weekend.

Rivals $ - Still early for four-star DB '14 PA S Montae Nicholson

• Has been to Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State...wants to visit Notre Dame and says he and his mom will look into other possible visits.

Rivals $ - Jones gives mother early view into LSU '14 LA DB Laurence Jones

• From the LSU site...says his mom will play a big part in his decision and she went to LSU's junior day with him and they enjoyed it...has offers from LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Stanford and Texas.

24/7 $ - Tech offers top in-state junior '14 TX DB Edward Paris

• Texas Tech has offered and is definitely interested in all the in-state schools...education and defensive scheme will be big parts of his decision. 

Rivals $ - Robinson twins reopen '13 CA S Tyree Robinson

• Tyree says ND and USC are the only two schools he has on his mind but says there will be others...both brothers are high-level basketball recruits as well...Tyrell couldn't be reached for comment.

Rivals $ - Tigers offer FSU legacy '15 FL TE Garrett Williams

• Clemson, Florida State and Virginia have offered with Ohio State and Georgia showing interest.

ESPN $ Cornelius Elder breaks down final schools '13 TN ATH Cornelius Elder

• Says tOSU has a great coaching staff & great facilities. Also talks about his interest in Auburn & UCLA. May take officials to Auburn, Georgia Tech & Vanderbilt before announcing on NLOID.

Ohio State recruiting: State Secrets, 1/16 - Drake Harris to stick to football

New Ohio State offer Drake Harris has some interesting news that could bode very well for the Buckeyes.

We first heard yesterday that Urban Meyer and Ohio State had officially thrown their hat into the ring for '14 WR Drake Harris. Today, the reasons for optimism get a bit louder. Before we get into the specifics of why Buckeye fans should feel especially good about their chances with the Grand Rapids area two-sport star, let's look at what the senior-to-be brings to the table from a logistical standpoint:

• Measures in at a legit 6-4
• Just 180-pounds with room to grow in a college caliber conditioning program
• Caught eight passes for 243 yards and a touchdown to lead Grand Rapid Christian to a Michigan Division 3 state championship this past year
• Finished 2012 with 2013 receiving yards on the season; just an astronomical number

Perhaps craziest of all is that Harris has implied that he hasn't even begun to tap into his full potential as a football player. He's spoke candidly about fully applying himself at basketball, his first love, but approaching football as more of a hobby. He's almost seemed at times talking about it like he's sort of impressed he's been as a prolific of a player as he's been without the full focus and dedication.

Of course with his dreams of playing for Tom Izzo and the home-state Michigan State Spartans, even though he's intent on playing two sports at the next level, it's tough to imagine his love of basketball ever taking a back burner... until now.

Drake took to Twitter late Tuesday evening with some news that should ring true with just about everyone out there reading this and hoping the receiver lands with OSU:

For everyone that is wondering what's going on... I'm still committed to Msu but I'm planning on just playing football in college so

— Drake Harris™ (@drizzygetbusy01) January 16, 2013

I'm opening my recurring back up but I have not Decommited from Msu just starting to look at more schools

— Drake Harris™ (@drizzygetbusy01) January 16, 2013

Sounds like Harris, despite being a 4-star basketball prospect, has made a business decision of sorts, and instead decided to focus exclusively on his future as a football player.

The "I'm still committed...but" certainly can't present much in the area of confidence for Spartans faithful. And if it comes down to just playing one sport at one school, you have to think Ohio State has the edge there.

And speaking of the state of Michigan, we're now approaching three days since Urban Meyer nabbed '14 4-star CB Damon Webb from Cass Tech in Detroit. Isn't it about times the Buckeyes made inroads with another high profile prospect from the Michigan pipeline?

Accordingly, the top sophomore running back in the state of Michigan, '15 RB Michael Weber has Ohio State as his new #1 school ($). Of course with Weber still a semester away from being a junior in high school, there's a ton that could happen between now and National Signing Day 2015.

Sticking in The Mitten, Urban Meyer and Kerry Coombs made an appearance at the high school of '14 DE Lawrence Marshall. Michigan, thought to be the leaders for Marshall, also were in attendance at Southfield High School in South Field, Michigan, but Marshall did speak with Meyer on the phone Monday evening. The Buckeyes definitely remain very much in it, and Marshall is expected to make an unofficial visit to Ohio State February 17th. Looks like another showdown between two hated rivals.

A few parting shots:

• '14 OL Kyle Berger had himself a busy day Tuesday, being offered by both Penn State and Michigan. Ohio State remains the favorite for Berger as of this juncture and it's expected he'll commit in either April or May after making visits to both Columbus and Ann Arbor.
• '14 DT Enoch Smith spoke with the Buckeyes' head coach on Tuesday after he visited Smith's Illinois high school. The 3-star tackle doesn't have an Ohio State offer as of yet, but with defending national runners up Notre Dame and Tommy Tuberville at Cincinnati already making their intentions known, it might not be long.
• Late 3-star WR offer Kyrin Priester is going to visit Ohio State the weekend of January 25th. If the Buckeyes don't have the services of Corey Smith or otherwise then, Priester might serve as a class closer.
• '13 Colorado OT Dan Skipper (and Tennessee commit) will be visiting Ohio State this weekend. If the Buckeyes roll out the hard sell, it's not out of the question that Skipper begins to pivot.

PrepXtra Defensive Player of the Year: Webb's Todd Kelly Jr.

The biggest form of flattery for a defensive player is watching the opposing offense run plays away from him.

Offensive coordinators flattered Todd Kelly Jr. so much this past season, he might have been blushing underneath his Webb School of Knoxville football helmet.

Most wanted no part of the 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back.

"Not only is he a great run-stopper," said Webb coach David Meske, "but he's also a great cover guy. Everyone knows where he is on the field.

"Everyone's going to try to stay away from him on both sides of the ball."

Kelly received another form of flattery after the season when he was named PrepXtra Defensive Player of the Year.

The son of former University of Tennessee standout and NFL first-round draft pick Todd Kelly, the junior found his motivation to improve upon a stellar sophomore season by kindling a desire to be the team's chief playmaker in 2012.

"I felt like I needed to be a playmaker this year, since I was going to be an upperclassman," said Kelly. "So I really went to work on being a defensive back and just making plays in the backfield — working on my footwork in coverage and coming up and making big hits."

cont...

Mustipher Set To See ND

Sam Mustipher has been looking forward to visiting South Bend for a while now and the 2014 Maryland offensive lineman will get the chance to do so this weekend when he attends Notre Dame’s Junior Day.

The 6-foot-4, 290-pounder from Our Lady of Good Counsel (Olney, Md.) already holds more than a dozen offers from schools like Florida, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, North Carolina, North Carolina State and Maryland among others. He’s looking forward to seeing the Notre Dame campus, coaches, players and academics, but he’s also hoping to add another offer to his list.

“It would definitely mean a lot to me,” Mustipher said of possibly being offered by the Irish. “It’s a great program with a lot of great linemen coming out of there.

“I go to school right now with Russ Grimm’s nephew. His family is really pushing Notre Dame on me. His dad (Donn) went there and he talks to me about it all of the time. He says if I go up there, I’m going to love it as soon as I get up there. I’m definitely looking forward to getting up there.”

Mustipher has already formed pretty solid relationships with Notre Dame assistants Kerry Cooks and Scott Booker.

He’s made stops at Maryland, West Virginia, Penn State and Ohio State and is planning more trips.

“During the springtime, I’m scheduling visits right now to Clemson, Michigan and maybe South Carolina or Vanderbilt,” he said.

cont...

Oregon Commit - Tyrell Robinson

A look at one of the most dynamic playmakers in the country in Oregon Duck commitment Tyrell Robinson of San Diego, Calif.

Oregon is in the news with the announcement of Head Coach Chip Kelly leaving the Ducks to take the Eagles job in the NFL. Coincidentally, I was working on highlights of one of the most dynamic players in the country who happens to be committed to Oregon.

Tyrell Robinson (6'3/210) plays outside linebacker and receiver for Lincoln High School in San Diego, Calif. He also happens to be a terrific basketball player. His athleticism is on display every time he steps on the field.

Projected as the No. 5 outside linebacker in the country by FOX Sports Next, that may actually be a conservative ranking if Robinson focuses on football full time. Robinson is explosive off the edge, but he's more than just a straight line edge rusher.

Robinson has an excellent change of direction and tackles well in space. He is instinctive in his reads and seals the edge well on read option plays. Because of his ability as a receiver, Robinson is comfortable dropping into the slot and covering a receiver depending on the scheme. 

Robinson and his twin brother Tyree Robinson (Video Link), committed to the Ducks in September and had enjoyed a relatively quiet run up to Signing Day. They can expect a little more action the next two weeks as coaches all over the country will gauge their interest in picking a new school.

Superlative Breakdown: Running Back

We continue our look at superlatives by position for the 2013 class by taking a glance at the running back position. Running backs can be productive in a variety of ways and there is a lot of versatility in the position in terms of prototypical body type, variances of speed and more. With that, here’s a look at the best per characteristic for this class.

Florida five-star running back commit Kelvin Taylor has outstanding vision.

Vision

Often undervalued, but never without, vision is a characteristic top running backs must have. In the 2013 class, Florida commitment Kelvin Taylor (Belle Glade, Fla./Glades Day) stands above the rest as he has shown since taking handoffs as an eighth grader on varsity. The 5-foot-10, 216-pounder not only sees the hole develop quick, and faster than most, but reacts with his feet and body accordingly. It’s not only the designed hole Taylor quickly sees, but also the backside cut back lane that forms at times, as well as the vision bursting to the second level that enables Taylor to maximize runs without having ideal big play speed.

Also considered – Alabama commitment Tyren Jones (Marietta, Ga./Walton), Oklahoma commitment Keith Ford (Cypress, Texas/Cypress Ranch), TCU commitment Kyle Hicks (Arlington, Texas/Martin), Derrick Green (Richmond, Va./Hermitage) and Ke’aun Kinner (Little Elm, Texas).

Feet in the hole

Almost as important as vision are feet in the hole. With the feet in the hole and the ability to work vertically and laterally, vision at times is rendered less meaningful. This is an area in which Oklahoma commitment Oklahoma commitment Keith Ford (Cypress, Texas/Cypress Ranch) excels. The 5-foot-11, 203-pounder has very quick feet in the hole with the ability to jump cut, skip cut, get small while working vertically, make multiple moves in the hole without wasted motion and reacts to everything quickly moving around him with sound, confident and productive movement.

Also considered – Green, Alex Collins (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./South Plantation), Taylor, Virginia commitment Taquan Mizell (Virginia Beach, Va./Bayside), Jones, Hicks and Ohio State commitment Ezekiel Elliott (Saint Louis, Mo./John Burroughs).

cont....

Predicting the Five Stars

As national signing day draws closer for the class of 2013, we a look at the latest and makes predictions on the 12 five-star prospects still in play with three official visit weekends remaining.

The nation's top prospect, defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, is likely Ole Miss-bound to play with his older brother.

Robert Nkemdiche, SDE, Loganville (Ga.) Grayson

The prospect – No. 1 in the 2013 Top247

The scoop- News broke on Tuesday that the 6-foot-4, 285-pound Nkemdiche would be making an official visit to Florida this weekend. While the Gators and LSU continue to receive mention, with Florida’s being more recent, it’s the following weekend’s visit to Ole Miss that has the recruiting worlds attention. The Rebels have been the favorite for a few months, and there is no reason to think anything has or will change. Prediction – Ole Miss

Laremy Tunsil, OT, Lake City (Fla.) Columbia

The prospect – No. 1 offensive line prospect in the class.

The scoop- The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Tunsil visited Alabama over the weekend and the national champions have the momentum entering the rest of the week. This weekend, the U.S. Army All-American will be in Athens for his official visit to Georgia, who has been long thought to be the favorite behind the scenes. While visits remain scheduled to Ole Miss Jan. 25 and Florida State Feb. 1, expect the decision to come down to the two programs that have been long favored unless Seminoles assistant Jeremy Pruitt can pull the late upset. Prediction – Georgia

cont...

Kelly's departure changes Oregon outlook

Two weeks ago, it was believed to be a mere formality. One week ago, it wasn't happening. Wendesday, it happened.

Chip Kelly has left Oregon for the Philadelphia Eagles, ending his on-again, off-again flirtation with the professional ranks.

The good news for the Oregon football program is that it can finally escape the shadow that has cloaked its recruiting and begin moving forward, with National Signing Day just three weeks away. The bad news is, that's not much time to name a coach and build a class without the program's top selling point: Chip Kelly.

As rumors about Kelly's possible departure swirled, it was genrally assumed that Oregon athletic director Rob Mullens would name offensive coordinator Mark Helfrich as Kelly's replacement in the interest of continuity. But there has been no official word out of Eugene yet.

Rivals.com national recruiting analyst Mike Farrell said this is one of the most important transitions since Alabama hired Nick Saban.

"Chip Kelly was the reason that Oregon became a national power," he said. "The facilities and attention with the uniforms are fringe benefits, but it is his offense that is scoring a ton of points and making every player want to go there."

cont...

DeSoto RB Dontre Wilson might be ‘back to square one;’ Oregon coach Chip Kelly leaves for NFL

Last week DeSoto running back Dontre Wilson told SportsDayHS columnist Matt Wixon that if Oregon coach Chip Kelly left the school then Wilson “would be back to square one.”

Wilson, a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com, was offered a scholarship to Oregon in March, and his response was as blazing fast as one of his 37 touchdown runs last season.

“Took it on the spot,” Wilson said.

While Wilson played in the Under Armour All-America Game last week, he thought about whether he would want to play for another coach.

“I worried about it a lot,” he said. “It would be back to square one.”