Archive for March, 2010

THE TEN AT 10:

1. Quartterrio Morgan, a 5-foot-10, 173 pound running back from Mt. Zion High in Jonesboro, committed to Georgia Tech this morning, his coach confirmed. He joins East Hall’s Chaz Cheeks to give the Yellow Jackets two commitments for 2011 so far. “Actually he made the commitment the middle of last week but it’s just now starting to come out,” Mt. Zion coach Jamie Aull said. “In my opinion, Georgia Tech got in on him early and discovered him before anybody. They’re the only ones to offer him so far but I’ll guarantee you he’ll have 10 offers by June. Tech’s lucky to have him.” Morgan had around 1,400 yards and 22 touchdowns rushing last season, according to Aull, and is approaching 3,000 yards for his career. He was taking the state graduation test Thursday morning and could not be reached for comment. Check back for a full story this afternoon.

2. Jabari Hunt-Days finally got the major college offer he has longed for. The Hillgrove linebacker/running back got a …

Continue reading Ten at 10: Tech lands 2nd commitment in RB Quartterrio Morgan »

A Q&A WITH STEPHON TUITT:

Monroe Area’s Stephon Tuitt lives 43 miles from Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium and 28 miles from Georgia’s Sanford Stadium. And like you’d expect of an elite prospect growing up in such close proximity to two major football programs, both schools are pulling hard in a tug-of-war for his services. At the moment, the handkerchief is on the side of the Yellow Jackets, who Tuitt named this week as his clear leader. But the Bulldogs haven’t given up and they’re pulling back hard. And several other schools are still battling to get in the game with the defensive end who has the perfect frame for the 3-4 defense so many teams are going to. I caught up with Tuitt, a rising senior, and one of the top 10-rated recruits in the state, after an afternoon workout with the Purple Hurricanes earlier this week. Here’s what he had to say:

Q: First tell me about Georgia Tech. I’ve heard you may be on the verge of committing to them?

A: “Being committed to Georgia …

Continue reading Tech leads for Stephon Tuitt, but Dogs fighting for big D-end »

THE TEN AT 10:

1. Watts Dantzler’s “Excellent Adventure” continues. The massive offensive tackle (6-7, 310) from Dalton took a trip up to Knoxville this past weekend to attend a Tennessee football practice. But just to keep us all guessing (actually it had nothing to do with “us”), he left UT and drove all the way back down to Athens to spend the night and hang out with friends at UGA. “It was good, it was real good,” Dantzler said of the Tennessee visit. “I got to meet all the coaches on the new coaching staff and that went over real well. There were only like two or three other prospects up there so it was real nice.” Dantzler, one of the top-rated offensive linemen in the state’s Class of 2011, has more than 20 scholarship offers and has been outspoken about his enjoyment of the recruiting process.

2. Don’t pencil in Stephon Tuitt on Tech’s list of commitments just yet. The Yellow Jackets do indeed lead for the services of the talented defensive end from Monroe Area, but …

Continue reading Ten at 10: Watts Dantzler’s ‘Excellent Adventure’ continues »

Don’t sweat it, Dawg fans. Damian Swann is going to make it up to Athens this spring. He promises.

To date, a busy schedule has kept the highly-recruited athlete from Atlanta’s Grady High School from making it over to Georgia. He was expected there again this past weekend for junior day but did not show for a second time. He insists it’s not some kind of Alabama-concocted conspiracy.

“No, it’s nothing like that,” Swann said with a laugh. “I wasn’t able to make it this time because of a track meet we had. Whenever I find the time to get down there I will. I just haven’t had much time lately.”

Swann, who could play either cornerback or wide receiver at the next level, is playing both baseball and track for the Grey Knights.  He missed the Bulldogs’ last junior day due to a baseball game. He also is a sprinter in track and took two thirds and a second this past weekend. Meanwhile, Swann is taking an SAT/ACT prep course in between actually taking the tests on various …

Continue reading Damian Swann intends to visit Georgia . . . eventually »

UPDATED THROUGHOUT 3 P.M. . . .

The way Tennessee has been recruiting the state of Georgia the past couple of years, it should come as no surprise that the Vols’ first commitment of the 2011 class came from a Peach State player.

Christian Harris had over 80 tackles for coach Bill Stewart's Etowah Eagles last season. (Photo by berecruited.com)

Christian Harris, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker from Etowah High School in Woodstock, committed to new Tennessee coach Derek Dooley over the weekend, his high school coach confirmed. Harris had attended the Vols’ junior day the previous weekend, got an official offer on Friday and committed on Saturday.

“I went to their junior day, they took me around their campus and the whole place is just great,” Harris said. “They’re building a new football complex and it’s going to be awesome. I know if I go to Tennessee I’ve got a chance to win a national championship and that’s what I want to do.”

Recruiting was just beginning to pick up for …

Continue reading Tennessee plucks its first commitment out of Peach State »

Jabari Hunt-Days didn’t come away with a scholarship offer like the hoped, but the linebacker from Powder Springs was still beaming after a trip to Athens this past Saturday for Georgia’s junior day.

Hunt-Days, a 6-foot-2, 226-pound rising senior at Hillgrove High, was one of more than two-dozen college prospects that watched the Bulldogs practice at Sanford Stadium and got a behind-the-scenes look at the football program. But Hunt-Days came away feeling anything but one of the crowd.

“Well they showed me a lot of love,” Hunt-Days said on Sunday. “I didn’t come away with an offer but they were very excited about me. I was set apart from some of the other kids. It sort I felt like I was a focus for them. That really got my attention. They didn’t show love to everybody the way they showed it to me. They told me to continue to call and I told them I would.”

Hunt-Days, who plays linebacker and running back at Hillgrove, became one of the state’s fastest-rising prospects after …

Continue reading Jabari Hunt-Days shown ‘a lot of love’ at Georgia’s junior day »

Milton's Dai-Jon Parker has multiple scholarship options in both football and basketball. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

As a football prospect, Milton’s Dai-Jon Parker was one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets.

The emphasis there should be on the past tense word – was.

“I’ve got about 900 pieces of [recruiting] mail for him sitting on my desk right now,” Milton football coach Scott Walker said Friday.

Parker’s name has been floating around in basketball circles for a while. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard is rated a four-star prospect in hoops and just helped lead the Eagles to the Class AAAAA state championship. He led Milton with 19 points and six rebounds in the title game against Westlake.

But only recently has Parker emerged as a major football prospect. And that was his coach’s intention.

“To make a long story short, I haven’t said anything about him [as a football prospect] because I promised I wouldn’t until after basketball season,” said Walker, who just sent Parker’s …

Continue reading Milton two-sport star Dai-Jon Parker contemplates growing options »

Quarterback Synjyn Days was already motivated about showing up at Georgia Tech this summer and starting his college football career. Then news broke that backup quarterback Jaybo Shaw was leaving the Yellow Jackets to transfer to Georgia Southern.

Hillgrove quarterback and 2010 Georgia Tech signee Synjyn Days feels like he can help the Yellow Jackets immediately.

Days immediately knew what that meant.

“I’m working out twice as hard because I know chances are I could be competing for second string or possibly even starting,” said Days, a 2010 signee from Hillgrove High in Powder Springs. “I’m going to try to get the No. 1 spot; that’s my goal. So the sky’s the limit right now.”

Days is not delusional. He knows rising senior Josh Nesbitt is the undisputed starter and leader of the Yellow Jackets’ offense. He’s aware that there are capable, more experienced backups are already on the roster. Redshirt freshmen Jordan Luallen and David Sims and sophomore Tevin Washington have been …

Continue reading Synjyn Days plans to seize opportunity at Georgia Tech »

THE TEN AT 10:

1. Buck Belue writes in one of his recent blogs at BuckBelue.com that Georgia has a very good shot of landing Valdosta tight end Jay Rome. The popular 680 The Fan talk-radio personality and former UGA quarterback grew up in Valdosta and trained with Rome’s father Stan Rome and uncle Roger Rome and remains friends with them today. Belue comes to the conclusion that the Bulldogs are serious contenders after a recent conversation with his old friends. Rome, one of the top three or four prospects in the state, is assumed to be a strong Clemson lean since his father starred there in football and basketball in the 1970s.

2. I’m still trying to figure out the nuances of scoring in all these combine events. Jabari Hunt-Days, who I profiled earlier this week for his impressive performances in combines this spring, actually finished second in Atlanta’s Nike Combine to another linebacker, Troy Gray of Kennesaw. Gray, a 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker from North Cobb High, …

Continue reading Ten at 10: One person thinks Dogs have good shot at Valdosta’s Jay Rome »

God blessed Jabari Hunt-Days with a nearly 6-foot-3 frame and exceptional strength and speed. But those natural gifts aren’t the only reason the Hillgrove High two-way player has been blowing up prospect combines in Georgia and Florida this year.

The two P’s — practice and preparation — have to be given more than a little credit here.

“I did probably a month or month and a half of training,” said Hunt-Days, an articulate but soft-spoken young man from Powder Springs. “I knew what I was goiong to be doing at the combines: the 40-yard dash, shuttle, vertical leap and power-ball toss. So I broke down the numbers and ran everything at home with my dad. We just tried to chop down the numbers and see how we could do each drill best. If we weren’t getting the right times we just kept trying to chop it down and chop it down until we got it down to where we thought it should be. Knowing what kind of steps to use and the mechanics made a difference.”

And how.

Hunt-Days (6-2 1/2, 226 …

Continue reading Hillgrove’s Jabari Hunt-Days earns notice on combine circuit »