Terps, Vols in line for Georgia OL visits
Three-star Lovejoy (Ga.) offensive lineman Anthony Parker has scheduled his first two official visits and has a third ready to finalize.
“I’m going to Maryland on Dec. 12 and Tennessee on Jan. 17,” he said. “The other one is N.C. State, but we haven’t decided on a time for it.”
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Why those three schools?
“Maryland has been building a strong program the last few years,” he said. “I like the coaching staff there. They were the first one to offer me, and they’ve stayed on me hard ever since then. They’ve really shown me how much they want me there. That means a lot.
“Tennessee is just… Tennessee, you know? It’s a great program. I’ve always watched them on TV and thought about what it would be like to play there. They’ve had a lot of great linemen play there.
“I took an unofficial visit to N.C. State earlier this year, and liked the campus a lot. I liked the atmosphere there with the people. The coaches and players were all cool. I felt like I fit in with them. They also have a good opportunity for me to go in and get some early playing time.”
Parker (6-4, 290, 4.7) is rated the No. 42 offensive guard in the nation by Rivals.com, but his stock could be on the rise with an offer sheet that includes Tennessee, N.C. State, Maryland, Virginia, Kentucky, Louisville, Indiana, Wisconsin, Mississippi State and Oklahoma State.
Asked who was likely to emerge as other official visit candidates, he said: “I haven’t narrowed that down yet. It’s a pretty tough decision on the other two.”
Parker has helped lead Lovejoy to an 8-0 record this season. He’s graded out at 90 percent on the year. This past week, he was matched up with three-star defensive tackle Earnest Mitchell Jr. from Newnan High School. He’s rated the No. 24 player in the nation at his position.
“I graded out at 88 percent,” he said. “The game was on TV, and the announcers kept bragging about me. They said I was winning that matchup. He’s a great player, so that made me feel really good.”
Academically, Parker carries a 2.87 GPA and has scored an 880 on the SAT, projecting him as a full-qualifier.