Former Vanderbilt commitment Bradley Roby chooses Ohio State
NEWS AND NOTES . . .
With all the Tennessee debris blowing around and coaching searches ongoing at Georgia and Georgia Tech, there has been a lot of other recruiting nuggets getting shoved to the side. So let’s play a little catch-up this morning.
Peachtree Ridge playmaker Bradley Roby backed out of his commitment to Vanderbilt to accept an offer from Ohio State. (AJC photo by Josh D. Weiss)
Ohio State has come into the Peach State and plucked away once of her best prospects. Bradley Roby, the No. 12 player in the AJC Top 50, committed to the Buckeyes over Vanderbilt and Auburn on Wednesday. The wide receiver/defensive back had nearly a dozen offers, including Boston College and South Carolina.
“I will be a Buckeye next year, no doubt about it,” Roby told the AJC’s Michael Carvell. “I visited Ohio State last weekend and it was a no-brainer. I knew it was the place for me.”
Roby had been committed to Vanderbilt since this middle of this past summer until he recently decided to open back up his recruitment. He had received overtures from Georgia in early December but the Bulldogs went quiet on him as they entered into the search for three new defensive coaches.
“[Coach Stacy Searels] said they were going to offer me as soon as they found out who he new defensive coordinator was going to be,” Roby said. “But then I never heard back from Georgia again.”
So what if Georgia offers now? “I’m staying with Ohio State,” he said. “That’s the place for me.”
At Ohio State, Roby will join his former Peachtree Ridge teammate Cameron Heyward, ajunior defensive tackle who recently announced he was staying in school. Though Roby earned his reputation as a prospect mainly as a wide receiver, most project him as a cornerback in college. The Buckeyes say they’ll give him a first look on defense but will also consider playing him on offense and/or in the return game.
CONFUSION AT LOUISVILLE
Earlier this week, defensive end Malcom Strong and defensive back Chris Sharpe, both of Stephenson, said they committed to new coach Charlie Strong during an official visit to Louisville this past weekend. But apparently Strong saw it another way and the two players have yet to be acknowledged as commitments. Stephenson assistant Corey Johnson said it remains a fluid situation but clearly is not happy about the way events transpired. Meanwhile, the players are continuing to take visits. Stay tuned. . . .
GA. STATE WELCOMES TRANSFERS
Two transfers enrolled at Georgia State this week. Jocquez Fears is a 5-9, 185-pound defensive back from Northeastern University, which dropped its football program last year. Olufemi Opanubi is a 6-1, 215-pound defensive back from Los Angeles. He attended West Los Angeles Community College last year.
CLEMSON CONVENTION
Heritage’s Garry Peters said it was like a Georgia reunion at Clemson this past weekend. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound cornerback took his official visit there along with two other Atlanta-area defensive backs committed to the Tigers — Westlake’s Darius Robinson and Centennial’s Martin Jenkins. The Tigers have seven commitments from Georgia residents.
“It’s crazy with so many Georgia players going to Clemson, and a lot of them play the same position as me,” Peters said. “But I’m cool with that. When I get to Clemson, if I need to get home, I can catch a ride with one of them.”
Peters said the highlight of his recruiting trip was hanging out at the home of Clemson coach Dabo Swinney. “Most coaches don’t do things like that. His house was awesome. We all shot pool and talked about football.”
ATLANTANS STAND OUT AT COMBINE
Two Atlantans stood out among some of the nation’s top junior prospects during the U.S. Army National Combine last week in San Antonio.
Union Grove defensive back Avery Walls and South Atlanta quarterback Derrick McQueen distinguished themselves as two of the top prospects coming out of the metro area next year.
Walls, a 5-10, 180-pound safety, said he held in one-on-one and pass skeleton drills against what he called “the best competition I’ve ever seen.” McQueen clocked an impressive time of 4.5 second in the 20-yard shuttle and said he also performed particularly well in the one-on-one passing.
Both players are hoping their performances will bring forth more offers. Walls recently added Connecticut to Oklahoma, East Carolina and Stanford. McQueen is still awaiting his first BCS offer but has gotten letters from Auburn, Colorado and Georgia Tech. Each player hopes to land offers from Tech and Georgia.
“I like Georgia Tech a lot,” McQueen said.
Quarterback Tyler Bass of Stockbridge also attended the combine.
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53 comments Add your comment
William Cromwell
January 14th, 2010
10:13 am
I am not a Big 10 fan at all, but who wouldn’t choose Ohio State over Vandy or Auburn??
Sanford
January 14th, 2010
10:54 am
The Gators have the #1 player, the #1 class, and will be a power for years to come.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/columns/story?columnist=shurburtt_jc&id=4822232
Dr. Kenneth Noisewater
January 14th, 2010
11:01 am
gators #s look good on paper, its how the end up playing at UF- so don’t buy into the hype. we’ve all seen 4/5 star recruits become busts or suffer severe injuries.
Gridiron Gator
January 14th, 2010
11:02 am
Agreed.
Tech Forever
January 14th, 2010
11:08 am
Going to Ohio State “a no brainer”…..boy THAT’S an understatement. You can go there for 4 years, play football, hang out and have a good time, and graduate with a BS degree in Attendance.
Buzz
January 14th, 2010
11:14 am
Avery walls will be a stud, bet he wishes he didn’t leave Sandy Creek!!! State Champs!!! for Union Grove….
DamntheButcher
January 14th, 2010
11:24 am
Now that the Gators can’t beat Alabama they are starting to sound like Georgia fans by talking about having the best recruiting class.
Cory
January 14th, 2010
12:02 pm
A BS in attendance? Let’s see: (1) Ohio State has the largest student population among colleges in US, which in turn (2) Largest population of Alumni of any college in the US (3) Top 10 ranked medical college in the US (4) Ohio State is a brand known around the world (5) If football does work out for Mr. Roby, Ohio State is among the top 3 schools that have players in the NFL. Just because you’re a dumb Southern hick with two teeth, a third grade education and a wife who is also your sister doesn’t mean everyone else is as myopic as you. Vanderbilt is a fine school, but no where near the prestige and networking potential of The Ohio State University
Rehab football
January 14th, 2010
12:17 pm
Florida’s HC office is in Ocala at some rehab unit where Uran is managing his 2010 recruiting and when the young men are all locked up and signed, he will be done; basking in the sun. Players reactions? Who cares he will say. after all ……….look at UT’s men and that Blame Kiffen debacle.
Such is life at big time programs. TEBOW is gone and now U of F has to show up like the rest of the teams and play. Meyer? oh he will be gone ………..bye by to the Cuckoos Nest.
Asheville Dawg
January 14th, 2010
12:19 pm
Cory, Ohio State is the university because there isn’t another MAJOR college in the state. Ohio is full of little rinky dinky schools. Everyone goes through Columbus because it is smack in the middle of the state. It’s the Rust Belts finest for networking and getting the hell out!
Vick=Dog killing Thug
January 14th, 2010
12:59 pm
I’ve been to Ohio State. Huge school, good party gig on High Street but it’s a frozen cold state 4-5 months out of the year. You can have that deep icy snow and that cold wind. Every co-ed has 3 sweaters on… No thanks
GeoffDawg
January 14th, 2010
1:18 pm
Cory, THE Ohio State University can’t sniff Vandy’s jock when it comes to academics. Don’t bring a knife to this gun fight son.
obomaisaclown
January 14th, 2010
1:19 pm
Auburn passed on this guy about a month ago.
78 DAWG
January 14th, 2010
1:25 pm
signing 5 star recruits doesn’t translate into wins. Except for when the DAWGS do it! gayturds stink, yech stinks, crybamy stinks
Smart and Muschmouth are traitors, they OWE it to the DAWGS plus WE DIDN’T WANT THEM ANYWAY!
You can cry while we dominate the next few years lol
DX107
January 14th, 2010
1:39 pm
Cory I would rather have Vanderbilt on my degree than Ohio St.
GA Tech Insider
January 14th, 2010
1:45 pm
GA Tech’s new Defensive Coordinator will be announced this afternoon after a 5 PM meeting with the team.
Flo-Ri-Duh!
January 14th, 2010
2:00 pm
New GT DC will be? Willie Martinez!
GeoffDawg
January 14th, 2010
2:13 pm
Rumor is also that Air Force’s Calhoun could be heading to Knoxville. Supposedly he’s called a team meeting for later this afternoon.
Where's Pollack?
January 14th, 2010
2:21 pm
Just waiting for some of Pollack’s tweets… Wait, I think he just said that he’s 100% certain that Mark McGuire used steroids!
Cory
January 14th, 2010
2:33 pm
Ask any intelligent person who has traveled the world, owns a business or flat out has common sense, an Ohio State degree means more to execs in of Fortune 500 companies than one from Vandy. Vandy is a fine school, but not on the level of OSU. And girls from Ohio may wear a sweater 3 months out of the year…but they take those sweaters off. Girls from the South also take something out late at night…their teeth…
DB (NR) Bradley Roby (***) - Page 4 - ScarletBuckeye - Ohio State Sports
January 14th, 2010
2:57 pm
[...] Atlanta Quote: [...]
football fan
January 14th, 2010
3:00 pm
obomaisaclown
You might want to speak what you know and not go off rumors. Auburn didn’t pass on this guy a month ago. They were still recruiting him until he committed to Ohio State. People on these blogs try to tear down these young kids instead of trying to lift them up. First and foremost it should be about getting a degree and using football as a way to pay for that degree. This kid is a good student so I am sure a degree from either Vandy or Ohio State would allow him to have a good career and make a decent living.
KJ
January 14th, 2010
3:11 pm
LOL, it appears Suckeyes fans are just as delusional about their academics as they are about their football team. It’s not even close:
Vanderbilt: 17th in academics
Suckeyes: 53rd in academics
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/national-universities-rankings
The Grinch
January 14th, 2010
3:20 pm
THIS JUST IN – word is that the local Wal Mart Manager has called an employee meeting for 5PM today. Items to be addressed are: stocking the store with new valentine candy, getting the spring wear line of clothing out on display, and the HC position at UT, the DC position at tech and UGA, and announcing the employee of the month. Stay tuned.
GeoffDawg
January 14th, 2010
3:31 pm
Wow Cory, that punchline about the teeth was quite the zinger. Are you going to smash some watermelons for us next?
football fan
January 14th, 2010
3:38 pm
KJ
Not that I am a Vandy or Buckeyes fan but I believe Vandy is ranked higher than most football teams across the country. What matters the most is what the kids accomplish when they go to school to play football. Using the link you provided the closes SEC school to Vandy is Florida and they come in at #47 slightly about the Buckeyes and all of the other SEC schools are after them.
Vick=Dog killing Thug
January 14th, 2010
3:40 pm
Ha Cory did put his foot in his mouth didn’t he ??? Hahaha
Joe
January 14th, 2010
4:17 pm
78, UGA is not good enough for Kirby!!!!
Ashley
January 14th, 2010
4:45 pm
It’s a well-known fact that no matter where, when, or how you slight Ohio State, an extremely defensive OSU graduate or student will appear within seconds spouting random and mostly irrelevant facts about the supposed greatness of their school. Example: Ohio State is a brand known around the world! Ohio State leads the nation in highly insecure graduates and erectile dysfunction! Go State!
KJ
January 14th, 2010
4:55 pm
football fan
Read the whole blog. The Suckeyes tool was actually arguing that OSU > Vandy, from a purely academic standpoint.
Ron Mexico
January 14th, 2010
4:57 pm
What is there no papers in Florida? Get a life gators fans.
Rabun Dawg
January 14th, 2010
5:14 pm
78 Dawg… surely you jest?
Big C
January 14th, 2010
5:19 pm
Hey Corriiii. Here’s some facts for ya: Major colleges and universities ranked in the top 200 in the world. (THE WORLD)
#14-Duke
#16-Stanford
#19-Michigan
#32-UCLA
#39-CAL
#61-Wisconsin
#63-Illinois
#76-Texas
#78-UNC
#80-Washington
#86-GEORGIA TECH
#87-Purdue
#100-Rice
#105-Minnesota
#112-SoCal
#114-Pitt
#120-Penn State
#122-Maryland
#128-UVA
#129-The Ohio State University
#140-Vandy
#166-Zona
#179-Texas A&M
#183-Rutgers
#186-Colorado
#193-Indiana
#199-Notre Dame
wow
January 14th, 2010
5:38 pm
the amazing thing about blogs is that people throw around “facts” when in reality they have no idea what the hell they are talking about.
Big C – cite your source and some random website doesn’t count
Vandy and OSU are both great schools academically. Let’s be honest here though – OSU football is head and shoulders above Vandy. The kid is going to football, not academics.
SuperB
January 14th, 2010
6:10 pm
Searels should have gotten off his ass. Maybe he thinks Byron Evans was a D-I player?
clean up in aisle 5
January 14th, 2010
7:01 pm
Hey Grinch, just admit it: that Wal-Mart manager you refer to was you. With any luck, you’ll move up to a Super Wal-Mart in 10 years or so.
RomeDawg
January 14th, 2010
7:17 pm
Hey Morons,
This is a SPORTS website! Tech is clearly a better academic school over Georgia but on the sports field we dominate. The results look something like this: (30-24) (8 of 9) (339) (73-66). Hey Argo, “HIGH SCHOOL OFFENSE”! CPJ outcoached my Willie and Hewitt outcoached by Fox. It has to suck to be a Tech fan.
Gator in the Hootch
January 14th, 2010
7:56 pm
Butcher…the last time I checked Florida beat Alabama in last year’s SEC championship game….again, how is that about the Gators “can’t beat” Bama. Gators win one. You win one. It has kinda been that way with the Gators and Bama in the SEC title game over the years. I wouldn’t get too cocky about beating the Gators this year….what you did was just made the Gator more hungry…sound familiar? And, dude, comparing Florida fans or the Florida team to anything in Athens is really funny….and this year’s recruiting class is truly special.
Gator in the Hootch
January 14th, 2010
7:59 pm
Ron Mexico…what? Last time I checked, the University of Georgia was in Athens, not Atlanta. I believe Georgia Tech is located in Atlanta. What? No papers in Athens? Or maybe there is just “no life” anymore in Athens…certainly, no DCs want to have a life there!!!!
Gator in the Hootch
January 14th, 2010
8:08 pm
John Brantley replaces Tim Tebow. Ronald Powell (a monster player) replaces Carlos Dunlap at DE. William Green and Justin Troutou combine to replace Cunningham at the other DE position. Will Hill (much faster and just as hard a hitter) replaces Major Wright at FS. Mike Pouncey replaces his twin brother, Maukeese Pouncey, at center. Jeremy Brown (who almost beat out Jenkins at the other CB position last spring) replaces Joe Haden at CB. Joe Bostic (almost as big but much faster and tougher and just as much a leader) replaces Spikes at MLB. Everyone else returns and then you add this recruiting class. SPELLS: SEC EAST TITLE AND PLAYING BAMA AGAIN FOR THE SEC TITLE and the right to PLAY ONCE AGAIN for the NATIONAL TITLE in 2010.
ggal
January 14th, 2010
9:19 pm
Bradley and Schultz ….
Do not post on their sites…. Hacks …. Lets demand some journalist from AJC
ggal
January 14th, 2010
9:20 pm
Enter your comments here
Bobbi Dud
January 14th, 2010
10:01 pm
Tim Tebow is gone and so are your great seasons. Urban Meyer had a nerveous breakdown after Bama…he knows what waits before him! Payback !
Bernie
January 14th, 2010
10:24 pm
GATORS will be fine…we just keep reloading my friends.
obomaisaclown
January 15th, 2010
12:00 am
football -Auburn stop going after this kid and defense backs about three weeks ago when they closed their recuriting on DB,I do not make things up . You will soon be reading about the Throton kid who was leanig to Auburn now going to GA.
football fan
January 15th, 2010
7:26 am
obomaisaclown
Like I said before talk what you know. This kid committed to OSU weeks ago and it was just announced this week. Also my original post said they recruited him up until he committed, which wasn’t this week.
#1 BAMA FAN
January 15th, 2010
8:23 am
GATOR in the Hooch….I never underestimate the GATORS but you need to look at BAMA’s recruiting and who’s waiting to play. The offense is going to change for the GATORS and I look for the TIDE to take care of business in Tuscaloosa this year. I still thing the GATORS will be in the SECCG against the TIDE. RTR
SEC specialED
January 15th, 2010
4:25 pm
This is hilarious…a bunch of southern hicks cutting on the quality of academics in the Big 10. I guess your lack of support for your public school systems down south and your horrific test scores are a reason to boast. Where do Georgia, Florida and Alabama rank with their public schools. Stupid southerners only want to create good academic environments for those who can afford them…mostly white middle or upper class people. Ohio State ranks very highly in many programs and has 2 Nobel laureates. Like every decent school in the south….GT, Florida and others are hard to get into but easy to stay in, which is the way the south has been since civil rights. Let’s keep certain types out of our schools. I guess you need to know how to gouge someone’s eyes out to be a Gator…stay classy SEC!
Tech Forever
January 15th, 2010
11:58 pm
CORY!!!! Please. You cannot be serious. Is Ohio State a good school? Yes, absolutely. Do the football players at Ohio State pretty much major in Attendance like every other powerhouse college football team? YES, ABSOLUTELY!!! From this year’s roster:
Out of 78 players declaring a major:
- 32 (including 11 of the Rose Bowl starters) are majoring in either African American Studies, Home Ec., Sports & Leisure, or Communication….seriously, Attendance.
- 3 JUNIORS are still undecided
- 32 (including 9 of the Rose Bowl starters) are in the degree programs in the Business, Engineering, or Physical Science departments
- 11 remaining are a mix of Sociology, Physical Education, and a couple of other obscure programs
So basically 59% of your team is majoring in Attendance.
By contrast Out of the 65 players on the Vanderbilt roster who have declared a major:
- 24 are in the Business, Engineering, or Physical Science departments
- 6 are GRADUATE STUDENTS
- 35 are in their Human and Operational Development Program majoring in Pre-Med, Pre-Physical Therapy, or Sports Medicine
Gt4ever
January 16th, 2010
10:49 am
Cory, Just shutup. Your the one who looks stupid, for stating that BS on this blog….. He is a football player that is going to a football factory. Period! I think Tech Forever says it best…. Ohio State, please…..