Big East Blitz: WR options
West Virginia missed out on four-star wide receiver Ace Sanders, and while the Mountaineers still have an outside shot at four-star receiver Kadron Boone, they are more likely to land four-star wideout Ivan McCartney.
We break down the conference in a special edition of the Big East Blitz.
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UConn scored big late last week with the surprise commitment of Pennsylvania defensive end B.J. McBryde, who chose the Huskies over Boston College and others. He's not an early impact guy but has plenty of untapped talent. Three-star wide receiver Kody Williams is still going to largely determine whether the Huskies are happy with how Signing Day goes. Running back/linebacker Jayrone Elliott surprised some in choosing Toledo in spite of holding offers from UConn and plenty of others in BCS conferences. All told, this is a solid class and a typical one of late for UConn. They added some needed quality help at defensive end.
Convincing Deon Rogers to switch from Georgia was huge for the Cardinals. While he will need to put on some weight before he is ready to contribute at linebacker in the Big East, Rogers has excellent speed and athleticism and gives this class a big boost. Jamaine Brooks, a sleeper offensive/defensive lineman from Miami, turned down offers from Illinois and Minnesota in favor of Louisville as well. The class could get even better if four-star wide receiver Kadron Boone pulls a shocker and chooses the Cardinals. Louisville landed a huge commitment from quarterback/athlete Dominique Brown from Ohio.
The Panthers pretty much know what they're going to have on National Signing Day. With 24 commitments, this is clearly one of the Big East's top classes. Pittsburgh loaded up at wide receiver with five commitments. All in all, this class is clearly weighted to the offensive side of the ball. T.J. Clemmings and Bryan Murphy are a pair of four-star defensive ends that could compete for early playing time. Landing them is a testament to Pitt's recruiting strength in New Jersey.
It will be interesting to find out whether the Scarlet Knights decide to extend an offer to in-state linebacker Joe Falato. They haven't yet. Whether they do largely hinges on what some other recruits this week. It's a good bet Falato would commit if he gets that offer. Rutgers dealt with some bad news when it comes to running backs. Mustafa Greene recently chose NC State, and Casey Turner switched his commitment to UNC. The news wasn't all bad, as three-star back Jawan Jamison of Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles chose the Knights. On Signing Day, four-star cornerback Rashad Knight will choose between Rutgers and Michigan. Four-star wide receiver Brandon Coleman is expected choose between RU and Maryland on Wednesday.
The recent news for USF hasn't been great. Talented athlete Ace Sanders chose South Carolina over the Bulls. Perhaps more problematic was the situation with four-star quarterback Brion Carnes. USF pulled their offer from Carnes, who had been committed. Carnes' high school subsequently said USF was no longer welcome to recruit their student-athletes. There have been some good developments, however. Four-star cornerback Terrence Mitchell switched from Florida State to the Bulls, and the Rivals100 recruit is one of the top prospects USF has ever landed.
There has been some buzz concerning Jeramiah Kobena, a two-star running back who has been committed to Syracuse for several months now. Other schools have shown interest in the sleeper, and it will be interesting to see if he signs his LOI with the Orange on Wednesday. Beyond that, Syracuse appears to be just about done with the Class of 2010. A decision from Pennsylvania offensive lineman Sean Hickey is still expected. Hickey is down to Illinois, Boston College and Syracuse. The coaching staff made the offensive skill positions a huge priority in this class, signing two quarterbacks, two receivers and five running backs. They also hope they have found some help at linebacker, where they appear poised to sign five prospects.
It appeared as though the Mountaineers had a shot at landing four-star wide receiver Ace Sanders, but Sanders committed to South Carolina. WVU still has an outside shot at Kadron Boone, a four-star receiver that is a soft verbal for Texas Tech. WVU is much more likely to get four-star wideout Ivan McCartney. Atlanta (Ga.) Washington athlete Qudral Forte will choose between WVU and a few others. The Mountaineers hope to hold on to five-star Latwan Anderson, who is rumored to be considering a very late flip to Ohio State. Anderson said on Monday that he will wait until after Signing Day to make his decision.
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