August 12, 2009
[h1]Whispers: Floyd, Prater make changes[/h1]
Mike Farrell
Recruiting Analyst
Two of the nation's top 10 prospects have made major changes when it comes to their recruitment, with one moving up his timetable following a great unofficial visit and the other beginning to lose interest in the school that most thought was his favorite.
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Is USC set to land Kyle Prater? | |
So where do things stand with Illinois wide receiver
Kyle Prater and Pennsylvania defensive tackle
Sharrif Floyd?
Prater, a 6-foot-5, 205-pounder from Hillside (Ill.) Proviso West who is the No. 4 prospect overall in the nation, was expected to take most of his official visits and make a decision sometime in December. But after an unofficial visit to USC this week, Prater is scheduled to announce his decision Sept. 2 at his school.
There are four finalists for his services - USC, Illinois, Oklahoma and Tennessee - and most sources are saying
Pete Carroll and the Trojans have pushed their way to the top following the visit. Prater recently visited Tennessee, has been to Illinois numerous times and also has visited Oklahoma.
Before the Tennessee and USC trips, Prater favored Oklahoma slightly over Illinois, but it was too close to call. While his Tennessee visit was a good one, most sources feel that this will come down to USC, Oklahoma and Illinois. But confidence is high only in Los Angeles.
As for Floyd, from Philadelphia George Washington, a few leaders have emerged. Most were thinking Penn State was the team to beat. Shockingly, though, sources close to Floyd say Penn State doesn't appear to be one of Floyd's top teams right now. Some recent off-field issues at Penn State are said to be a factor in Floyd's diminished interest.
Floyd hasn't eliminated Penn State, as he has some other schools, such as Georgia, and the Nittany Lions remain on his short list. But he hinted last week that he wants to take official visits to Florida and South Carolina, with the Gamecocks becoming a major player. The same can be said for Ohio State, although the Buckeyes haven't offered in writing.
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A few leaders have emerged for Sharrif Floyd. | |
Rutgers and Boston College also are in the mix, while North Carolina seems to be fading along with the Nittany Lions.
Floyd wants to take his official visit to South Carolina the weekend of Nov. 13, when the Gamecocks face Florida, and the Gamecocks, Scarlet Knights and Buckeyes (if they offer) appear to be on top right now. But Floyd is far from making a decision and plenty of things could change.
Interestingly, LSU recently contacted Floyd's coach, but it appears to be too late for the Tigers to get involved.
Five-star QB resurfaces
Quarterback
Cameron Newton of Blinn CC in Brenham, Texas, is a familiar name to recruiting fans. Newton, an Atlanta native, was a five-star recruit when he signed with Florida in the class of 2007. Now, after getting into some trouble in Gainesville, he has resurfaced at Blinn and interest is growing.
Arizona and Kansas State have offered, and there has been interest from Mississippi State, coached by former Florida offensive coordinator Dan Mullen. K-State appears to be the team to beat right now, and comparisons to Josh Freeman have been made based on Newton's size and athletic ability.
There had been talk of Tennessee getting involved with Newton, especially because he is good friends with Vols wide receiver commitment
Markeith Ambles, but the Vols want California quarterback
Tyler Bray first and foremost.
Bray, a San Diego State commitment, will visit Tennessee on the weekend of Sept. 11 and is getting the full-court press from
Lane Kiffin and his staff. If Tennessee can land Bray, they will have the quarterback they desperately need in this class and a prospect who is a perfect fit for Kiffin's offense. If not, they could try to get involved with Newton, but by that time, it could be too late.
Switching states
Hogansville (Ga.) Callaway defensive end
LaMichael Fanning, a 2011 prospect, is moving to Alabama and will play his junior season at Auburn High.
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LaMichael Fanning is on the move. | |
Fanning was rumored to be one of Georgia's first commitments for the class of 2011, but this move could change things. Offers already have arrived from Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina, and he believes Florida will offer as well. You also can expect Auburn to offer soon.
Auburn and Alabama would like to make it an in-state battle, but don't overlook Georgia or Florida, the team that pulled safety
Dee Finley out of Auburn High in 2008.
Bulldog talk
Georgia is focused on a few remaining prospects.
The Bulldogs want one more cornerback and it seems they are down to Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas'
Cody Riggs or Tampa Hillsborough's
Terrence Mitchell.
They likely will take yet another defensive lineman, in Stone Mountain (Ga.) Stephenson tackle
Mike Thornton.
Beyond that, they also want a third wide receiver but seem to be on the outside looking in on most of their targets, such as
Chris Dunkley (Florida),
Ivan McCartney (West Virginia),
Ted Meline (Oregon),
Trovon Reed (LSU) and
Kenny Shaw (Florida State). Wayne (N.J.) De Paul Catholic wide receiver
Shakim Phillips recently narrowed his list to five, with Georgia on the outside looking in. Look for Georgia to turn up the heat on Meline if they like what they see this season or perhaps get involved with Miami Northwestern's
Michaelee Harris.
Finally, Georgia has become a major player for Stamford (Conn.) High linebacker
Khairi Fortt. I still think it would be a stunner if Fortt ended up anyplace but Penn State. Fortt will take official visits to Penn State, Georgia, North Carolina and most likely USC, with his fifth visit going to either Tennessee or Michigan. Georgia and North Carolina are the only serious threats for Fortt at this point, but Penn State's linebacker tradition, proximity to home and his relationship with Nittany Lions commitment
Silas Redd have the Nittany Lions in the lead.
The Bulldogs would take either Fortt or Port St. Lucie (Fla.) Treasure Coast linebacker
Jeff Luc if either wanted to sign. Luc's friend and teammate, linebacker
Deon Rogers, is a soft commitment to Georgia.
Etc.
Despite a second trip to Gainesville, Fla., this time for almost a full week, sources say five-star defensive end
Ronald Powell from Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde still has to be considered a strong lean to USC. He's not close to making a decision and likely will take more than a few official visits, so anything can happen. Still, this clearly looks to be a Florida-USC battle, with the Trojans having the edge.
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Will Karlos Williams follow his brother to Florida State? | |
2011 wide receiver
Karlos Williams from Davenport (Fla.) Ridge Community is remaining open to all programs, but it's likely he ends up at Florida State. His brother, Vince, is an FSU linebacker. Right now, the biggest threats to FSU are Florida, Michigan and Ohio State.
Four-star wide receiver
Kenny Stills of Carlsbad (Calif.) La Costa Canyon has three official visits set, and he said he will take only unofficial trips to West Coast schools. Stills will visit Penn State when it hosts Ohio State on Nov. 6, Oklahoma when Texas A&M comes to town on Nov. 13 and Florida when it faces Florida State on Nov. 27. For his two other visits, Still is talking to Alabama, Georgia and LSU. He said he's trying to get involved with Ohio State and has been in communication with Notre Dame. Oklahoma remains the team to beat, and if Prater ends up committing to USC, it will only help OU's chances with Stills.
Michigan already has commitments from three running backs, but the Wolverines aren't done at the position. Dallas Skyline's
Tony Drake likely will move to wide receiver when he gets to Michigan, and the same could happen to Livonia (Mich.) Stevenson all-purpose back
Austin White, given his impressive receiving skills; still, White will get his first look at running back. That leaves Flower Mound (Texas) Marcus running back
Stephen Hopkins as the only pure runner in the class. Michigan would love to land Miami Booker T. Washington's
Eduardo Clements, who is high on the Wolverines and Georgia but will be hard to pull away from the hometown Hurricanes. Michigan also is staying in the mix with Miami Central's
Brandon Gainer, Deerfield Beach (Fla.) High's
Cassius McDowell and La Canada (Calif.) St. Francis'
Dietrich Riley. Riley is being recruited as a safety by everyone except for Michigan.
With 2009 signee
Carlos Hyde headed to Fork Union (Va.) Fork Union Military Academy and chances unknown about whether he'll ever make it to Ohio State, Buckeyes coaches could be in the mix for a second running back in the 2010 class to go with
Roderick Smith. Ohio State is recruiting Pennsylvania stud
Corey Brown as an athlete, so North Canton (Ohio) Hoover back
Erick Howard will be the second back if he gets his grades together.
Speaking of Ohio State, the Buckeyes could end up with a Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas defensive back after all - but it might not be the top one on their board. While
LaMarcus Joyner has delayed his decision, he is considered a Florida State lock by most. Fellow STA cornerback
Keion Payne seems to have a great deal of interest in Ohio State. While Miami leads, the Buckeyes have a good shot with Payne.
Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic wide receiver
James Louis surprised Florida when he committed to Ohio State a little over a week after telling the Gators he was headed their way. Florida wanted Louis to come to Gainesville with his family to commit in person, and numerous attempts were made to set up the trip, including an invitation to "Friday Night Lights." But Louis apparently didn't like going through such hoops and committed to Ohio State sight unseen. But this one might not be over, and it wouldn't be a stunner to see Louis change his mind down the line. In the meantime, Florida's top targets at wide receiver are
Chris Dunkley of Pahokee (Fla.) High,
Christian Green of Tampa Catholic and
Ivan McCartney of Miramar (Fla.) High. Some people think Dunkley already is a silent commitment to Florida, while Green is considered a Florida State lean and McCartney is considered wide open, though West Virginia is mentioned often with him. Torrance (Calif.) El Camino C.C.
Kenbrell Thompkins, a Miami native, apparently is not an option, but Louis hasn't been ruled out if he's still interested.
Norcross (Ga.) High offensive tackle
Max Garcia is down to Vanderbilt, Clemson and Maryland, with the Commodores and Tigers the teams to beat. Vanderbilt currently has the edge, but Garcia visits Clemson this week. If Clemson can't sway him, it could turn up the heat on Middletown (Del.) High tackle
Gifford Timothy, who visited last week.
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The Sooners could be slipping with George Uko. | |
Chino (Calif.) Don Lugo defensive tackle
George Uko once had Oklahoma high on his list, but it seems as if the Sooners are slipping. Uko still lists Oklahoma in his top five, along with Tennessee, Cal, Oregon and USC, and it appears USC is the team to beat, followed by Cal and Oregon. He could make his decision following his official visits to Cal (Sept. 4) and Oregon (Sept. 25), as he has seen USC plenty.
Mississippi State leads over Kentucky and Louisville for Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek three-star running back
Rajion Neal, and he could commit before his season starts.
Cleveland Glenville cornerback
Christian Bryant said he will "for sure" take official visits to Ohio State, Michigan State and Tennessee, and also could see North Carolina and Illinois. Bryant wants to make his decision in December, shortly after his high school season would finish if Glenville made it to the state championship. Virginia could sneak into his top five, and Bryant said Notre Dame and Vanderbilt also are being watched closely. The Buckeyes, Spartans and Volunteers seem to have the best shot at landing him, and it would be a surprise if he ended up anyplace but Columbus.
Olney (Md.) Good Counsel cornerback
Louis Young again has backed off his commitment to Stanford, and it's now likely he'll end up on the East Coast. While Virginia Tech long has been thought to be his favorite if he stays closer to home, sources say Maryland actually has the edge, followed by Boston College.
Arkansas, Baylor and Oklahoma have emerged as the top three schools for four-star defensive tackle
Byran Jones of Junction City, Ark. Ole Miss also is a favorite, but the Rebels haven't had much interaction with Jones recently. He also likes Florida, but that looks like an outside shot at this point. Jones seems to be in no rush to make a decision and wants to take official visits to his top three. It isn't clear if Oklahoma is truly interested, and it looks more and more as if Jones will stay in-state.
It has become evident that Norfolk (Va.) Lake Taylor outside linebacker
Travis Williams probably won't be playing for an in-state school. Williams tentatively has planned official visits to LSU, Penn State, Miami and West Virginia. A fifth trip, possibly to North Carolina or Tennessee, could happen. Getting away from home seems like one of his biggest priorities. Williams' friendship with fellow Virginia prospect
Justin Hunter could make things interesting. Hunter is an early commitment to LSU, but will look at Tennessee and also is interested in West Virginia; all three schools also are on Williams' list. They aren't a package deal, but it wouldn't be a stunner if they chose the same school.
Murrysville (Pa.) Franklin Regional offensive lineman
Sean Hickey could make a decision this week, and it looks as if it will be between Illinois and Boston College, with the Illini in the lead. Illinois also leads for cornerback
Rashad Knight of Jacksonville Trinity Christian; his father played running back for Illini co-defensive coordinator
Dan Disch in high school. And the Illini like their chances with lineman
Parker Mack of Little Rock (Ark.) Pulaski Academy, although Arkansas will be tough to beat.
Shelby (N.C.) Crest athlete
Reggie Wilkins could be making a decision soon between North Carolina and North Carolina State.
G-Town, the dropping PSU rumor is going to bring out the Urban haters.� Someone will post a rumor about what Urban told Floyd. I just find thisrumor to be hilarious with how much publicity UF has received about our arrest record recently.�