Archive for the ‘Other SEC Schools’ Category

QB Connor Shaw plays QB for his father, Flowery Branch coach Lee Shaw (right). Connor, one of the nation's top high school quarterbacks, is the younger brother of Georgia Tech's Jaybo Shaw. (AJC)

Big brother played a big factor in one of the nation’s top high school quarterbacks committing to Steve Spurrier and South Carolina over Georgia Tech.

Flowery Branch’s Connor Shaw is the younger brother of Georgia Tech quarterback Jaybo Shaw. Big brother’s presence had its advantages and disadvantages for the Jackets in recruiting.

“Jaybo and I are real close,” Connor told the AJC. “We always talked about how cool it would be to play with each other again after high school. He’s the main reason I wanted to go to Georgia Tech. However, ultimately it came down to us competing for the same job … My parents are excited for me. They are just trying to figure out which games to go to in a couple of years, the games at South Carolina or Georgia Tech.”

Connor picked South Carolina over offers …

Continue reading Georgia Tech QB’s brother commits to Steve Spurrier over Jackets »

Like father, like son.

Buford offensive lineman Kolton Houston committed to Georgia before Saturday’s G-Day, following in the footsteps of his father, former UGA football player Shane Houston. “Yes, I did,” Houston told the AJC. “Georgia is the right fit for me and I can’t wait to get here.”

“It’s a great honor to be a Bulldog and I can’t wait to play in front of 92,000 people ‘Between the Hedges.’”

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound Houston selected Georgia over around 15 offers, including Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Auburn, Florida State, and Michigan State. 

Houston has a lot of red and black in his blood. His father was a backup linebacker at Georgia in the late 1980s. Both of Kolton’s parents attended UGA.

Despite the family connections, Houston was a good catch for the Bulldogs. Kolton had started looking seriously at other schools because Georgia was taking longer than competing colleges with his evaluation. However, everything changed when Georgia’s Mark Richt finally …

Continue reading Buford offensive lineman Kolton Houston commits to UGA »

The reigning BCS champions want James Vaughters (Tucker Tigers Football)

Florida coach Urban Meyer jumped into the sweepstakes for Georgia’s No. 1 sophomore.

Tucker LB James Vaughters made an unofficial visit to Florida, and sat down with Meyer for about 45 minutes. Florida is offer No. 8 for Vaughters, who also has scholarships promised from UGA, Georgia Tech, Alabama, Clemson, Stanford, N.C. State and Central Florida.

“It was great to meet Coach Meyer,” Vaughters told the AJC on Friday. “Florida has won two national championships in the last three years. He let me see the rings and everything.”

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Vaughters claims no early favorites. His eyes got big when he was shown around the campus of the reigning BCS champions. “They definitely put a lot into weightlifting. Florida’s weight room is bigger than gyms I’ve seen. [Meyer] seems very interested in character, which is something else that is very good.”

“[Meyer] was also talking about how the team goes …

Continue reading Florida’s Urban Meyer offers Georgia’s No. 1 sophomore prospect »

Nick and Blake shake on it (Photo submitted by Sims family)

Alabama’s Nick Saban dampened UGA’s national championship hopes last year. Now Saban is returning to the state to inflict more damage.

Gainesville QB Blake Sims is the latest 2010 prospect to pledge to Alabama. Sims picked the Crimson Tide over UGA, Michigan, Tennessee and West Virginia, among others.

Alabama has as many commitments from the state as Georgia Tech (3), and more than UGA (1). The other Tuscaloosa-bound prospects are North Gwinnett OL Austin Shephard and Westside-Macon WR Ronald Carswell.

The big questions are these: Now that Saban is scoring big early in Georgia, will he be able to finish as strong as he started with recruiting? And will he be able to hold on to the commitments he has? So far, so good. 

UGA touched base with Sims this week, asking if he wanted to take another look at the Bulldogs. “[Assistant John Jancek] wanted me to come down there, so they could roll out the red carpet like …

Continue reading Alabama’s Nick Saban rolls into Georgia for 2010 prospects »

Orson Charles, Mark Richt, Marlon Brown, Georgia football, UGA recruiting, Georgia recruiting

Continue reading Orson Charles and other Georgia recruits to crash G-Day »

Derrick Favors will make it official with Georgia Tech on April 15. Favors committed to Tech over UGA, Memphis, and N.C. State. (AJC)

Derrick Favors, who is ranked as the nation’s No. 1 basketball prospect by several recruiting services, said there’s no reason for Georgia Tech fans to worry over the next 10 days. Favors has been committed to the Yellow Jackets since January, and will officially sign the scholarship papers on April 15.

“There’s always rumors going around, but I’m 100-percent committed to Georgia Tech,” Favors told the AJC on Sunday night. “When I made my commitment, that was it. There haven’t been any reasons to change things. Georgia Tech hasn’t had a coaching change, and I’m real cool with the team, so I’m staying with them.”

The rumor mill for college basketball recruiting is at its peak. John Calipari was named Kentucky’s coach, and high-profile prospects committed or signed elswhere may follow him. If you recall, Calipari’s former school, Memphis, was a …

Continue reading Nation’s No. 1 basketball recruit, Derrick Favors, counting down days to sign with Georgia Tech »

DT Denzel McCoy committed to Georgia Tech (AJC)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson said he felt like he could recruit against any school in the nation for the state’s top prospects.

Northview defensive tackle Denzel McCoy committed to Georgia Tech over 34 offers on Saturday. McCoy picked the Yellow Jackets because “they felt like home and they were close to home, along with great academics.”

The 6-foot-4, 270-pound McCoy said his second choice was Florida State, while he was also heavily considering Auburn, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Tennessee.

“Georgia Tech really cares about you as a football player and a person, they want to get you suited up for life,” McCoy said. “A lot of colleges talk about only ‘football, football and football.’ Georgia Tech talks about academics first, and then football.”

McCoy attended Georgia Tech’s spring practice on Saturday. He had been thinking about holding off with his college decision, but changed his mind after meeting with school officials …

Continue reading Denzel McCoy picks Georgia Tech over FSU, Auburn, UNC, Notre Dame and Tennessee »

Paul Johnson already has two in-state prospects committed to sign with Georgia Tech next year (AJC)

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson and UGA’s Mark Richt say they expect to battle it out more this year over the state’s top prospects.

Westlake linebacker Michael Taylor is the latest homegrown talent to be recruited by the archrivals. Georgia Tech offered Taylor on Thursday; UGA extended the scholarship papers on his 17th birthday in February.

“It means a lot to get offered by both Georgia and Georgia Tech,” Taylor said. “Both are great schools. Georgia is one of the top teams in the SEC, while Georgia Tech is one of the best in the ACC. It doesn’t seem to happen a lot, when [an in-state] player gets offered by both of them.”

It’s still early in recruiting for the 2010 prospects, but at least a dozen of the state’s top names have dual offers from the rivals. Some of the headliners are M.L. King tailback Mack Brown, Booker T. Washington wide receiver Antonio Goodwin, Gainesville …

Continue reading Georgia Tech and UGA lining up to battle over state’s top prospects »

Lane Kiffin: Pete works out more than me. (AP)

Lane Kiffin finally answered The Question. If his mentor, Southern Cal coach Pete Carroll, went shirtless in front of recruits, then why didn’t Kiffin?

“Pete works out more than me, he’s in better shape,” Kiffin told the AJC, while laughing. [First reported by the AJC, click here for a full recap]

Kiffin and Tennessee recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron brought the idea along from Southern Cal, where they both worked under Carroll.

However, the LA scene and Rocky Top are two totally different cultures. What gave Kiffin the confidence to try the shirt-ripping stunt in SEC territory? “Players are players no matter where they are. Great players, for the most part, love energetic coaches that are passionate, that make them better, that motivate them out there. We are a very high-energy staff. We want to make sure our players stay at high energy through the day. It wasn’t only that particular [tactic], but the whole Junior Day in …

Continue reading Lane Kiffin reveals why he didn’t rip off his shirt in recruiting stunt »

Buford OL Kolton Houston has UGA and Georgia Tech offers (Photo by Brandi King)

Shane Houston tried his best to hide the excitement over his son, Buford’s Kolton Houston, being offered a football scholarship by Georgia. Shane played at UGA, and there’s just something special when your son is offered by your former team. It’s one of those father-son things. Shane tried to put on his best “game face” but it wasn’t really working.

“It definitely means a lot for Georgia to offer,” Shane said on Monday evening. “Any father would think that. It was honor. It felt special. Now it’s in Kolton’s hands on what to do with the recruiting process.”

The son is not sure what to do just yet. For Kolton, Georgia is offer No. 13, including Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Clemson, Auburn and Michigan State. The 6-foot-5, 270-pound offensive lineman said the lack of a Georgia offer, especially with the family connections, created an uneasy situation.

“It started getting a little discouraging,” Houston …

Continue reading Kolton Houston given opportunity to follow father’s footsteps to UGA »