Archive for October, 2011

Auburn DB commit Josh Holsey, the AJC Super 11 DB from Creekside High School (AJC)

There’s something about former Creekside High School football stars attending games that brings out the best in Josh Holsey, the AJC Super 11 selection who may be the state’s No. 1 cornerback.

Eric Berry, the NFL defensive back for the Kansas City Chiefs, gave a rousing pep talk to Creekside before Saturday’s game and then sat in the stands to watch Holsey score thrice in a win over Riverdale, including an interception return and two touchdown catches.

Last week, with Florida State safety Terrance Parks watching on, Holsey scored five touchdowns in the 45-7 win over Forest Park. The TD breakdown: 2 catches, 2 runs out of the Wildcat formation and a kickoff return.

Parks was so blown away by Holsey’s dominating presence that he went back to FSU and raved to his coaches about Holsey, who committed to Auburn. Evidently, FSU’s coaches liked what they heard because they are in now hot pursuit of …

Continue reading Top Auburn recruit plans visits to FSU, LSU … and maybe UGA »

Grayson DE Robert Nkemdiche, who is a candidate to be the nation's No. 1 overall prospect for 2013 (AJC)

Do you know about any juniors playing Georgia high school football that project to be D1 prospects?

Georgia’s RisingSeniors.com Bowl is looking for a few good men for its Dec. 30 all-star game.

The RisingSeniors.com Bowl is a recruiting showcase that features many of the state’s top junior football players each year. Around 60 of 90 roster spots have already been reserved, with the remaining 30 to be filled over the next few weeks.

The RisingSeniors.com Bowl is only in its second year, but has quickly passed national all-star games such the Under Armour All-America game and U.S. Army All-American Bowl with its importance toward recruiting. Why is that? The Under Armour and U.S. Army game features seniors which have either finished the recruiting process (by committing to a school) or are close to it. Recruiting is over.

Meanwhile, RisingSeniors.com features only juniors …

Continue reading Georgia’s top 2013 football prospects to be featured in all-star game on Dec. 30 »

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Remember the good old days when many high school football stars didn’t get scholarship offers until after their senior seasons?

Those days are long, long gone.

As colleges offer “the next great one” earlier and earlier during the recruiting process and the scholarship spots fill up, it leaves late-blossoming high school seniors against the odds of landing a D1 scholarship.

Malachi Jones, whose older brother plays for Notre Dame, may be in that type of situation. After playing at Wesleyan the last two years, Jones transferred to Central Gwinnett High School for his senior season. He’s had a breakout season with 55 catches for 735 yards and 11 touchdowns in seven games.

“He’s creeping in there as a senior and showing colleges what he can do,” Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford told the AJC. “If he had the film out there that he has now last year when he was a junior, I …

Continue reading Brother of Notre Dame football star waiting for first offer »

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Are you entertained when a top prospect sits around a table around February’s national signing day and picks up a baseball cap in a drama-filled moment to reveal his college decision to a crowd of spectators or TV audience? Do you enjoy that? A lot of people do.

Or do you prefer when a player does it the old-fashioned way? You know, such as telling a few people and letting the word spread?

Vadal Alexander was one of the nation’s most-heavily recruited prospects but did it the “old school” way. When the offensive lineman from Buford High School  decided he was going to commit to LSU over Auburn and Alabama this week, rather than to have a press conference or “commitment ceremony,” Alexander simply called a few reporters who had been covering his recruiting and let the word spread.

“I’m not the type of guy to be real …

Continue reading Poll: Do you like it when recruits pick from a table of baseball caps in front of TV cameras? Or not? »

Shaq Goodwin, the 6-8, 240-pound WR (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

• Two-sport star Shaq Goodwin of Southwest DeKalb is in the process of setting up official visits to UGA, Florida, UCLA, Memphis and Arizona. The 6-foot-8, 245-pounder is planning the recruiting trips around his busy schedule of both football and basketball. Goodwin is one of the nation’s top 15 overall basketball prospects at power forward, and also claims he will play football in college, too — at wide receiver or tight end. We’ll believe it when we see it, not because we doubt Shaq’s football ability, but because he’s that good in basketball. Within the last couple of weeks, Goodwin has entertained in-home visits with Florida coach Billy Donovan, UCLA coach Ben Howland and Memphis coach Josh Pastner. UCLA brought along top assistant Korey McCray, who coached Goodwin in AAU ball for the Atlanta Celtics. What about UGA? Goodwin made an unofficial visit with the Bulldogs a couple of weeks ago. Goodwin was …

Continue reading Inside Recruiting: Shaq Goodwin, UGA, Georgia Tech, and the Harvard way (UPDATED) »

Markuss Eligwe is Stone Mountain High School's first-ever AJC Super 11 selection (AJC photo)

UGA is still heavily recruiting two of the state’s top prospects at linebacker, even though they are committed to other schools.

Markuss Eligwe, the first-ever AJC Super 11 selection from Stone Mountain High School, has been committed to Florida State since last spring but said he will take an official visit to UGA and possibly Florida. The 6-foot-3, 223-pound Eligwe is a candidate to be the state’s No. 1 overall prospect.

Raphael Kirby of Stephenson High School is a longtime Miami commitment but re-opened communications with other schools after massive allegations of NCAA rules violations surrounded the Hurricanes. Kirby announced he will take official visits to Vanderbilt (Saturday), Miami (Oct. 22), Florida (Nov. 5) and South Carolina (Nov. 19), along with deciding between UGA and Southern California for his fifth and final recruiting trip later this week.

Both Eligwe and Kirby are …

Continue reading UGA still heavily recruiting state’s top LBs, despite commitments to FSU and Miami »

Buford High School's Vadal Alexander (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

If you heard somebody screaming in the distance on Monday afternoon, it may have been LSU coach Les Miles.

Vadal Alexander, one of the Georgia’s most heavily-recruited college football prospects, committed to LSU over Auburn and Alabama. The 6-foot-6, 300-pounder from Buford High School was ranked by some as the state’s No. 1 OL prospect.

Alexander called all three of his finalists on Monday, and got an enthusiastic reaction from Miles.

“It was great,” Alexander told the AJC. “He was ecstatic. He was screaming and yelling, you know, only like Coach Miles can do. He is very outgoing. He was happy and he was definitely screaming.”

Miles had plenty to hoop and holler about. LSU rallied to edge Auburn for Alexander’s services.

“I had taken my official visits to Alabama and Auburn, and going into this past weekend’s trip to LSU, Auburn was leading,” Alexander said. “But I went to LSU and it just clicked for me. It …

Continue reading OT Vadal Alexander commits to LSU over Auburn and Alabama »

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It’s Homecoming Week for NFL rookie sensation Cam Newton.

The former 5-star quarterback from College Park’s Westlake High School will lead the Carolina Panthers against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Georgia Dome.

“It’s a homecoming celebration for people in College Park and around the city of Atlanta — the unfortunate thing is that he’s on the opposite team,” former Westlake offensive coordinator and QB coach Marquis Slaton told the AJC with a laugh.

Newton’s success over the last 14-15 months has been the stuff of legends. He led Auburn to the BCS championship, won the Heisman Trophy, and was selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft.

Newton has single-handily revitalized hope and excitement in the Panthers franchise, putting the team in position to win in all five of his starts this season while breaking NFL rookie records …

Continue reading Flashback: UGA’s recruitment of NFL rookie sensation Cam Newton »

Kenyan Drake, who is committed to Alabama, carried 24 times for 187 yards to lead Hillgrove High School to a 12-10 upset over McEachern, which was ranked No. 1 in the state’s largest classification. Drake also had a costly fumble.

The 6-foot, 190-pound Drake is an AJC Super 11 selection and committed to Alabama over Georgia Tech and UGA, among others, last February.

Here’s video of Drake …

Continue reading Kenyan Drake, Alabama RB recruit, stars in upset over No. 1-ranked team »

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With UGA playing Tennessee, it has brought back memories of the intense recruiting battle between the two SEC schools for Da’Rick Rogers, a longtime UGA commitment who flipped to the Vols just before signing day in 2010.

Rogers is on the brink of stardom at Tennessee, if he is not there already. He is Tennessee’s No. 1 offensive weapon, leading the Volunteers in receptions and receiving yards.

• Here’s our “Armchair Quarterback” question for college football recruiting: Should UGA have presented a package deal – like Tennessee — and offered Calhoun High School quarterback Nash Nance to secure Rogers?

Flashback to 2010: Rogers was an AJC Super 11 selection and the state’s No. 1 overall prospect. The Calhoun High School wide receiver had been committed to the Bulldogs for seven months, while Nance was pledged to Vanderbilt, when they both …

Continue reading Armchair QB Recruiting: Should UGA have offered package deal to secure Da’Rick Rogers? »