Roundtable: Whose pledge wont stick
The Rivals.com analysts tackle current topics in the recruiting world in a roundtable format.
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What current commitment would shock you if it is still intact on
National Signing Day?
Mike Farrell, National: I wouldn't say shocked would be the right word, but I'd be
surprised if Christian Hackenberg sticks with Penn State. I
know he's saying all the right things now and looks at this as an opportunity to
be a leader and part of a special group of players at Penn State but as the
losses mount and the pressure from other recruits and coaches continues, I think
he finds a new home. I'd like to guess numerous USC players as well
because I think they are short on room and players like
Jason Hatcher and others could end up
elsewhere, but if we're picking just one high profile player I'll say
Hackenberg. But USC will probably have the most movement of any one team down
the stretch.
Rob Cassidy, West: Calling
Eugene Brazley's commitment to Ole Miss "soft" is like calling Antarctica "chilly." People close to Brazley
say the running back remains committed to Rebels but is still "undecided." It's
a statement that only makes sense in 2012, and trying to apply logic to it
results in a headache. Brazley attended a camp at Arizona State this
summer and talked openly about a commitment switch at the time. If the right
offer comes in (or even if it doesn't), everything could come crashing down.
Kynon Codrington, Southeast:
I would be surprised if the nation's top prospect Robert Nkemdiche was
committed to Clemson come February. His recruitment has been a roller
coaster ever since he pledged to the Tigers. Nkemdiche went on record to say
"Clemson would help seal the deal if they offered his teammate
Ryan Carter a scholarship." Dabo Swinney did not comply. This week his mom told
ESPN the Magazine that she was unhappy with Clemson. I wouldn't be shocked if
Nkemdiche's recruitment lasted past signing day.
Adam Gorney, West: I know I'm going to catch hell for this but my guess would
be Penn State quarterback commit Christian Hackenberg from Fork Union (Va.)
Military Academy.
The family is saying all the right things and Hackenberg has acted with class
through his recruitment but I find it hard to believe that when everyone around
him soberly looks at this situation this is what he wants to get involved with.
And this is coming from a Penn State graduate.
Penn State's offense was lackluster at best in a 10-point loss to Ohio at home
in the season opener. It could be a long time until the Nittany Lions are among
the nation's elite again. Hackenberg has the opportunity to play at many places
where there aren't harrowing sanction hanging over the program for a long time.
Mid-September talk is different than early February talk. When all is said and
done I'd predict Hackenberg heads elsewhere.
Josh Helmholdt, Midwest: I still think Clemson has a fighting chance to sign Avon,
Ind., four-star defensive end
Elijah Daniel, but they have a lot of
work ahead of them to get that done. Daniel will take all five of his official
visits, starting with one this weekend to Marshall where his brother
plays. He visited Indiana last weekend, and the Hoosiers should not be
counted out. He is also looking at Florida, Ole Miss and potentially
several more schools for official visits. It truly is a long way until Signing
Day in this recruitment.
Jason Howell, Southwest: Shocked may be too strong of a word, but there are a few I
have in mind from the Southwest region. Missouri City (Texas) Fort Bend Marshall
Rivals250 linebacker
Deon Hollins Jr. is the first. He is committed to
UCLA, but has openly talked about taking visits since pledging to the
Bruins. The second is North Little Rock, Ark., running back
Altee Tenpenny. The talented runner is currently committed to Alabama, and he says he is solid. However, he does plan to take official visits to
Arkansas and Oklahoma St., and you can bet Arkansas is going
to fight for him until the end.
Woody Wommack, Southeast: While I think he's still solid to UCLA, late interest and a new position at defensive end might change things for Memphis (Tenn.) East OT Christian Morris. He picked up an offer from Oklahoma this week and Nebraska is making a push after falling behind the Bruins over the summer. I wouldn't be shocked if he stuck with UCLA, but I also wouldn't be shocked if he changed his mind.
Are there any sophomores on your radar this fall, or is that simply too
early?
Mike Farrell, National: I'm seeing Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall defensive back
Dionte Austin this weekend and I'm looking forward to it. The 2015
corner already has offers from
Boston College and UConn as far
as BCS teams and he could be one of the top cornerbacks in the region for his
class. Jaason Lewis from Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes is a monster
for a 2015 prospect and it will be interesting to see what position he grows
into.
Rob Cassidy, West: When a player grabs an offer from an out-of-state program
during his freshman season, you deposit his name in the back of your mind.
That's exactly what happened with Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro wide receiver
Christian Kirk. Standing just 5-foot-9, Kirk will need to grow a bit to
be a top-level prospect, but he did pull in an offer from UCLA during his first
year in high school after catching 34 passes for 589 yards and nine touchdowns.
He has since added an offer from
Arizona State. There are plenty more
scholarship offers in Kirk's future, and if he continues to progress (as well as
grow), there's no predicting the kind of force he could become.
Kynon Codrington, Southeast:
Jordan Scarlett's performance against Trotwood-Madison in a nationally
televised contest caught my eye. I saw him last year at the Miami NIKE Camp and
he passed the eye test.
Jacques Patrick and
a Florida State pledge, have been on my radar after seeing them both in
camp and game action a year ago. Don't sleep on Jaquan Johnson either;
he has big time ability.
Adam Gorney, West: It's not too early for me since some very good ones have
offers and are on the field. I'm not sure how thorough an evaluation I'm getting
but it's worthwhile to get an early look and see which colleges are involved.
There is no question in the last few years the recruiting process has moved up.
Sophomores across the country have been offered. Some have already committed. In
our profession, that means we're forced earlier than we'd probably like to
follow them almost as closely as seniors and juniors.
Josh Helmholdt, Midwest: There are definitely sophomores on my radar. In fact,
I've identified a handful of freshmen prospects in games I've scouted this fall
already. In the 2015 class, though, St. Paul (Minn.) Cretin-Derham Hall
defensive end Jashon Cornell had five sacks in his career debut and
running back Damien Harris is piling up yardage down at Berea (Ky.)
Madison Southern High. Then, there are at least 12 more class of 2015 prospects
I have seen play live this season I expect become Division I prospects.
Jason Howell, Southwest: Simply put there are several. The first one that leaps to
mind is Rodney Anderson. The Katy, Texas running back was a standout on
the summer camp circuit and already has the attention of Alabama, where his
uncle Mark Anderson was a standout defensive end. Celina, Texas signal caller
Nathan Elliott has attracted interest from Texas and is
entering his second year as Celina's starting quarterback. Saginaw Boswell
defensive lineman Dominic Hill is the guy I have not seen in person yet
that I cannot wait to check out. He earned district newcomer of the year honors
as a freshman after recording 35 tackles and 4 sacks. Hooks, Texas linebacker
R.J. Williams is a monster in the weight room and on the field.
Charleston, Ark., signal caller
Ty Storey has the full attention of the
Arkansas Razorbacks at 6-3, 205, and was one of the more impressive prospects of
the summer. River Ridge (La.) John Curtis safety Hunter Dale already
there is defensive end Hale Hentges of Jefferson City (Mo.) Helias who
Iowa State and Wisconsin. That's just the beginning and I know I left
some really good ones off.
Woody Wommack, Southeast: There are a number of 2015 guys I've got my eye on this fall, including Brentwood (Tenn.) Academy WR C.J. Sanders. His dad was a talented player at Ohio State, and he's already picked up offers from Stanford, Tennessee and Mississippi State. He could be one of the top prospects in the Southeast in his class when all is said and done, so I'll be keeping an eye on his progression this fall.
Has any prospect of any age played his way onto your radar so far this high
school season?
Mike Farrell, National: Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) University School running back
Jordan Scarlett is already on the radar with offers from Alabama, LSU
and others as a 2015 prospect, but seeing him for the first time in live action
even if it was on a DVR replay I was beyond impressed and think he's one of the
top kids I've seen early for his class.
Rob Cassidy, West: Tempe (Ariz.) Marcos de Niza quarterback
Josh Eckley wasn't on anybody's radar until this season, his first as a starter.
I watched the junior start his second career game and came away impressed.
Eckley is a true dual-threat that possesses speed, elusiveness, the ability to
throw on the run and an accurate-enough arm. He looked indecisive in the pocket
at times, but that's to be expected of a player with limited experience. His
skill set needs refined, but all the tools are present. The fact that he ran for
an 11-yard touchdown to win the game on the final play only served as an
exclamation point.
Kynon Codrington, Southeast:
St. Thomas Aquinas quarterback
John O'Korn has played his way onto my
radar. O'Korn started a couple of games last year, but struggled with turnovers
and confidence. This year he is a different player. He has established himself
as one of the top quarterbacks in the area. The Houston commit has his
best football ahead and if he continues playing at a high level look for BCS
schools to actively recruit him.
Adam Gorney, West: Not really so far this season since I've only seen
powerhouse programs play but this summer one guy in particular stood out and
that is Los Angeles Crenshaw athlete Mossi Johnson.
I saw Johnson at the B2G Elite Camp and he was among the best receivers there
and that included four-star
Laquon Treadwell, who has offers from all
over the place.
Johnson only has an offer from UNLV and is hearing from Arizona State and some
others and that's a surprise. Send some tape out from that camp and I'm sure
he'd get some more offers. He has great hands, he's athletic, catches everything
and if he ends up at UNLV it would be a major steal.
Josh Helmholdt, Midwest: I saw Hamilton, Ohio class of 2013 linebacker
Marcus Oliver in week one, and he is playing his way onto everyone's radar early
this fall. The 6-foot-1, 225-pound Oliver has 35 tackles in two games and is
making plays all over the field.
Ohio State is showing new interest,
while Iowa, Indiana and Boston College are watching closely as well.
There are still plenty of teams in need of linebackers in the 2013 class, and
Oliver is definitely worth a look.
Jason Howell, Southwest: Before the season I saw Liberty, Texas 2014 wide receiver
Aaron Mosley at the Texas 7-on-7 State Championships in College
Station, Texas. I know it's not the season, but he went from a no name to a must
know very quickly. The 6-4, 175-pound pass catcher has the frame to add weight,
great body control, and used his hands very well. Andrew Billings of
Waco, Texas is another prospect. It's not that he was not on my radar, but I had
him way too low. After watching him during preseason he has firmly established
himself as one of the more intriguing offensive and defensive linemen in Texas
for the 2013 recruiting class.
Woody Wommack, Southeast: After seeing him in person for the first time this year on Friday night, I came away impressed with Naples (Fla.) running back Manny Morgan. He's a senior who has yet to pick up an offer, but after going for 278 yards and four touchdowns agains North Miami last week and carving up a prospect-filled Immokalee defense for 176 yards and four more scores, his star is on the rise. If he can get things taken care of academically, he could be a nice fit for a C-USA or Sun Belt school.
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