Three-Point Stance: Benedict Umeh's cancer fight, flip watch, Penn State
Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman has thoughts on a Stanford commit's most important fight, emerging flip candidates and a monster opportunity for Penn State.
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PULLING FOR BENEDICT UMEH
Football and recruiting take a backseat when it comes to situations like the one Benedict Umeh is facing. The Rivals250 Stanford defensive line commit revealed yesterday that he had finished a round of chemotherapy. The Canadian who transferred to Avon (Conn.) Avon Old Farms last year, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the same cancer that James Conner and Eric Berry faced. When reached for comment, Umeh explained that the Stanford coaching staff knew there was a medical situation that needed to be checked out when he committed to the Cardinal back in July.
It is wonderful to see Umeh working out again now that he has finished this round of treatment. He isn't back with Avon Old Farms just yet but those plans are in the works. There isn’t a person, college football fan or not, who isn’t rooting for Umeh to reach his full potential on and off the field.
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MORE FLIP CANDIDATES EMERGING
As predicted last week, more flip candidates in the East are emerging. Here are a few more names to keep an eye on and the latest with some we've already highlighted.
Anderson committed to NC State in August but it's a well-known fact that Georgia is a program he's had his eye on for years. He was back in Athens this past weekend but it doesn't appear as if a commitment is right around the corner. Georgia is casting a wide net after losing Ny Carr's commitment so don't expect Anderson to be the last receiver the Bulldogs go after.
We highlighted Black as a potential riser in the rankings a few weeks ago and it appears his recruiting profile is rising as well. NC State offered the longtime Rutgers commit this week, which could spell trouble for the Scarlet Knight. Black committed to Rutgers in June but the option to play closer to home might be enough to sway Black's decision.
Even though Lee has been committed to South Carolina since April, the program he's visited multiple times in recent months has been Maryland. The Gamecocks are hoping he returns this weekend for the Florida game but Lee is certainly one prospect to keep a close watch on as the next few weeks play out.
Tennessee reeled in a commitment from Staley in June but he didn't have an offer from South Carolina at the time. That changed last week when the Gamecocks offered the in-state four-star. It would be a little surprising to see Staley flip without taking another visit to the Columbia campus so that's something for fans of the Gamecocks and Vols to keep an eye on.
Williams has his Ohio State official visit set for the Penn State game but the Florida commit is also being pursued by Tennessee. Assistant coach Rodney Garner went to Williams' game this past weekend and the Vols remain very much in the mix as his recruitment seems to be expanding.
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LOOKING AHEAD TO OHIO STATE VS. PENN STATE
Arguably the second-biggest game of the regular season is coming up in two weeks when Penn State travels to Ohio State to take on the Buckeyes. The ripple effects from the result of the game will be felt on and off the field but it seems like Penn State has more to gain from a win than Ohio State.
The Nittany Lions are perennially just outside the "national title contenders" conversation but a win at Ohio State should signal to the college football world that Penn State is a legitimate College Football Playoff contender. A win over the Buckeyes should also give Penn State a jolt on the recruiting trail. Beating Ohio State in front of the star-studded recruiting section at Ohio Stadium could open up plenty of additional opportunities for Penn State on the recruiting trail. Prospects Penn State and its fans had previously written off could come back around if they play to their potential next Saturday. Just don't screw it up this weekend against UMass and rob everybody of the big game atmosphere.