Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s thought-provoking Three-Point Stance is here with a look at some big recent commitments, some thoughts on the weekend’s spring games and a few Tiger Woods observations.
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1. RECENT COMMITS
TE Charlie Gordinier, Boston College – The BC offense uses the tight end often, and Gordinier is a big target who can also block.
DB Lorando Johnson, LSU – Johnson is a great get out of Texas with size and a great frame to fill out.
TE Elijah Yelverton, Iowa – Iowa does pretty good with tight ends and Yelverton could be the next in line to dominate the Big Ten.
DB Lejond Cavazos, Ohio State – Cavazos has good size and is very fast, so his second commitment to Ohio State, if it sticks, is a big one.
WR Devell Washington, West Virginia – Washington is a big target who could grow into a tight end and be a guy we are talking about in a few years as underrated.
OL RJ Adams, Penn State – Adams is listed as a tackle but will likely play guard in college and is a huge road-grader.
ATH Jaheim Bell, Florida – Bell can play wide receiver or tight end and he’s a matchup nightmare down the road in the SEC.
OL Turner Corcoran, Nebraska – This is the biggest commitment of the week as Corcoran is a terrific offensive lineman and a great fit in the Nebraska offense.
QB Chayil Garnett, Auburn – Garnett is a good athlete with sold size who is a bit raw but can do a lot of things in the Auburn offense.
DT Cole Brevard, Penn State – Brevard is a big, athletic defensive tackle who can get after the passer, so he’s a great pickup for Penn State.
OL Michael Statham, Pitt – Statham is a massive tackle who could play inside as well. He’s raw, but his upside is excellent.
ATH Jimmy Calloway, Tennessee – Calloway can play offense or defense in college and has excellent speed and athleticism.
CB Dontae Manning, Oklahoma – Manning is a great pickup from Missouri and a big cornerback who likes to hit.
2. SPRING GAMES
There were a lot of spring games this past weekend, and here are some of my random thoughts surrounding those contests.
Jalen Hurts looks good and will be a great addition to Oklahoma and its quest for a national title and a third straight Heisman winner. He’s clearly going to be the starter and looks like a more refined passer, although it’s only spring football. Oh yeah, and the freshmen on offense, especially Theo Wease, look the part, and CeeDee Lamb is an absolute star and the next great receiver in the Big 12.
Justin Fields will still have some growing pains in the Ohio State offense. Despite a 98-yard touchdown pass, Fields struggled a bit with his accuracy and it will take him some time to become comfortable. However, freshman wide receiver Garrett Wilson already looks comfortable, and he made a great touchdown grab over a defender.
Former blue-chip quarterback Phil Jurkovec looked bad, so Notre Dame starting quarterback Ian Book had better stay healthy. The Notre Dame defense looked good and will be a force to reckon with this year in the limited stuff I saw.
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis is going to go fast at Michigan, and it’s going to be a really fun offense to watch compared to previous years under Jim Harbaugh. It wasn’t really a spring game, but the up-tempo and no-huddle stuff looked fun.
Quarterback Bo Nix will be the starter for Auburn. He’s mature and ready and Joey Gatewood is still too raw to trust.
Jordan Whittington is going to be a really good running back at Texas. He was one of the true freshmen I told you to watch a few weeks ago heading into the spring, and he’s going to be a huge part of the Texas offense.
I’m starting to believe in Feleipe Franks, and it scares me, and Trevon Grimes is going to live up to his five-star status in the Florida offense. Yes, I know the Florida Spring Game was just for fun and built for the offense, but Franks looks more confident and Grimes looks great.n
Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano still worries me. In high school he was a kid who was so instinctive and didn’t have to think that much and was more reactionary, but in college I still think he’s processing things too much. I’d love to see the old Guarantano, who was almost a five-star. He had good numbers in the Spring Game, but I still worry how he does against these elite SEC pass rushes. He’ll also have a true freshman in Wanya Morris protecting his blind side, and as good as Morris looked in Tennessee's game that’s always worrisome.
Kellen Mond will be better than he was last year and he has a ton of weapons at Texas A&M. Watch out for this offense. It will be a lot of fun to watch next season.
Watch out for Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford. He’s a very competitive kid and he gives Tommy Stevens a good run for his money in the battle for the starting role.
3. TIGER WOODS' HISTORIC COMEBACK
Tiger Woods has nothing to do with football, but his win at The Masters was so historic, so important and so moving. How can I ignore it? His is the greatest comeback in the world of sports. Period. End of story.
So I challenge you to tell me on Twitter (@rivalsmike) or our message boards: What’s the closest thing you can think of that compares to Woods in the world of football?
The Miracle in Miami when Doug Flutie beat the Hurricanes on the Hail Mary? Tom Brady leading his team back from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Falcons in the Super Bowl? Adrian Peterson coming back from an ACL in record time? Peyton Manning throwing 55 touchdowns just a couple of years removed from a career-threatening neck injury? Nick Chubb now a starter in the NFL after one of the most gruesome injuries you can imagine.
None of them seem to hold a candle to what Woods overcame, but give me a shout and let me know your thoughts.
