Archive for October, 2012

How big of a priority is JC defensive tackle Toby Johnson for UGA?

With UGA off last weekend, the Bulldogs dispatched recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner to Kansas to personally observe Johnson play for Hutchinson junior college in the 75-0 win over Independence.

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“Coach Garner had said that he wanted to watch me play in person,” Johnson told the AJC. “He told my coaches that I played pretty well and he liked what he saw.

“When I talked to him, we didn’t talk much about how they need me. I already know that for a fact. I’ve looked at the depth chart, and I’ve seen Georgia play this season.”

Johnson is a former standout at Atlanta’s Banneker High School, and he’s currently ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect out of the junior college ranks by 247sports.com.

The 6-foot-5, 310-pounder plans to take all five official visits before he picks a college by the end of …

Continue reading Toby Johnson: UGA flies to Kansas for No. 1-ranked recruit »

Will Jones hasn’t given up completely on the idea of following in his father’s footsteps and playing football at UGA.

OL Will Jones is the son of a former UGA safety from the late 1980s (AJC)

But it seems to be an unlikely scenario for the 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman from Augusta’s Richmond Academy high school.

Jones has one D1 football scholarship offer, and it’s from Colorado State. He will likely take an official visit to Yale in January. South Carolina and UGA are keeping in touch, although the Gamecocks seem more likely to eventually offer.

“The last time I talked to (UGA assistant Kirk Olivadotti), he said I could come up there, be a preferred walk-on and try to earn a scholarship,” Jones told the AJC. “He said they just didn’t have anything at the time. That’s the deal with Georgia.”

Would Jones consider walking on at Georgia? “I’d love to play at Georgia. But if I do get the chance to play somewhere else where my parents don’t have …

Continue reading Will son of former UGA football standout play for Bulldogs? »

Trey Johnson, the 4-star linebacker who is committed to Auburn, will likely decide after this weekend if he will take his fifth and final official visit to Florida.

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Johnson, who is considered by many to be the state’s best senior linebacker after Reuben Foster transferred last spring, will go through the entire recruiting process and all of his visits — despite being committed to Auburn for 15 months.

“He just wants to make sure about everything; this is the only time he gets to control anything,” Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford told the AJC. “He knows college football is a business from his relationship with (Ted Roof, who resigned as Auburn’s defensive coordinator last December).

“After seeing other coaches take other jobs or get fired, this is a chance for Trey to double-check everything and make sure. It’s a chance for Trey and his family to make sure everything is …

Continue reading Auburn is safe with 4-star commit “as long as there’s not a catastrophe” »

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Robert Nkemdiche, after his high school game this past weekend, confirmed again with reporters that his family was “torn” between Clemson and Ole Miss.

And the nation’s No. 1 consensus prospect also told 247sports.com’s Keith Niebuhr something that was interesting. It may not be good news for Clemson, where Nkemdiche is currently committed.

Asked when he will have a final decision about his recruitment, the heralded five-star defensive end from Grayson (Ga.) replied, “I think probably when I sign the paper.”

That’s going to mean a long four months — and maybe a lot of Tums — for Clemson and Ole Miss fans. Nkemdiche will make his college decision official on signing day, which is Feb. 6.

Last week, Nkemdiche caused shockwaves in Clemson when he told ESPN’s Kipp Adams “My mom wants me to go to Ole Miss.”

Could Ole Miss pull off the recruiting upset? (AP)

The 6-foot-5, 280-pounder …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche: Recruiting decision will be FINAL “probably when I sign the paper” »

UGA has had three members of its 2013 football recruiting class de-commit from the Bulldogs within the last few months. They’ve gone onto to either pledge to another college or remain undecided.

Perhaps the most unusual was Trenton Brown, the offensive lineman from Georgia Military College, a junior college in Milledgeville, Ga.

UGA has lost three 2013 recruits in recent months, and then whatever you want to make out of the Kelsey Griffin situation. There's also rumors flying about WR commit Tramel Terry (AP)

Brown seemed pretty solid with his commitment to UGA until a conversation last month with another target of the Bulldogs, 5-star OL Laremy Tunsil of Lake City, Fla.

“Florida asked Laremy Tunsil what Georgia told him about me, and Laremy told them I might be playing guard,” Brown told DawgNation’s Kipp Adams. “The Florida coaches told my coaches, and that is how I found out.”

After pondering it for a while, Brown eventually de-committed from UGA and remains …

Continue reading Trenton Brown: How things went wrong between UGA and JC star »

Some of Atlanta’s college football prospects will be writing a weekly diary for the AJC until February’s signing day. They will be sharing their thoughts, opinions, adventures and perspectives on the recruiting journey.

Rashard Fant is considered one of the state’s top sleeper prospects. He has been overlooked by many colleges because he attends the small private school of Our Lady of Mercy. However, he has impressed enough as an “athlete” to earn early college football scholarship offers from Florida State, Utah, Ole Miss and Kentucky, among others. Many other colleges will be evaluating him as a senior.

Rashard Fant

My top five schools as of today are Indiana, Florida State, Western Kentucky, Utah, and Penn.

Indiana offered me about a month ago. They are recruiting me primarily as a corner; however, the opportunity to play on the offensive side of the ball as well as return kicks has been mentioned.

Florida State offered me this past May during spring ball. …

Continue reading Recruiting Diary: ATH Rashard Fant sets up visits to FSU, others »

AJC Super 11 QB Eddie Printz (AJC)

Eddie Printz, who was committed to UCLA but said he had his scholarship offer withdrawn by the Bruins last month, committed to Missouri on Friday night.

“It feels like family,” Printz told the AJC. “They never gave up on recruiting me, and I am so happy to be a Tiger.”

The quarterback from Lassiter High School picked Missouri soon after arriving an an official visit this weekend with the new SEC school.

Printz was 16-of-30 passing for 196 yards in a 21-9 victory over Walton last week. On the season, Printz is 106-of-167 passing (63.5 percent) for 1,442 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions. Lassiter is 6-0 and ranked No. 2 in Class AAAAAA.

Printz first committed to SMU, then switched to UCLA, and now is it Missouri.

RECRUITING HEADLINES

• Georgia QB is headed to SEC rival
• UGA loses another top football recruit … 4-star Demarre Kitt de-commits from Bulldogs
• Could UGA WR recruit Tramel Terry commit for a … THIRD time???
• Kelsey Griffin …

Continue reading Eddie Printz: Missouri lands Georgia QB »

Ex-UGA WR commit Demarre Kitt

UGA lost one WR commitment on Thursday, and may be in danger of losing another one in the future.

Demarre Kitt, a junior from Sandy Creek High School, backed off his pledge to UGA on Thursday. He had been committed to the Bulldogs since last April. Kitt is considered one of the state’s top juniors, ranked as the nation’s No. 127 overall junior by 247sports.com.

“I think I committed too early; Clemson and USC are still recruiting me hard, and I still want to give them a fair chance,” Kitt told the AJC.

The 6-foot, 190-pounder said he called to inform UGA wide receivers coach Tony Ball. “Yes, I talked to Coach Ball. He just said he understands and still wants to recruit me. He understands that I made a quick decision to commit based off emotion.”

If it’s any consolation, UGA is now listed in Kitt’s top three, along with Clemson and USC.

Kitt has not sit a timeline for his final decision. “I don’t know for sure. But I know the next …

Continue reading UGA loses another top football recruit »

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Could Tramel Terry commit for a third time?

The 4-star wide receiver from Goose Creek High School has already committed twice to UGA and currently remains pledged to the Bulldogs.

However, Terry quietly took an official visit to Clemson this past weekend, which has created speculation that he may switch his commitment for a third time.

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Goose Creek coach Chuck Reedy told DawgNation’s Radi Nabulsi.

Reedy, who is a former head coach at Baylor and Clemson assistant, told TigerIllustrated’s Ryan Bartow that an announcement could come during December’s Shrine Bowl all-star game.

He also told the website that Clemson is recruiting Terry at running back.

Current UGA commits Tramel Terry (right) and Brice Ramsey (247sports.com)

The first time that Terry committed to UGA was two summers ago, as one of three 2014 players that pledged at Dawg Night prospect camp, along with …

Continue reading Tramel Terry: Could UGA football recruit commit for a … third time? »

Robert Nkemdiche, the nation’s No. 1 prospect, finally spoke about his mother’s recent comments to ESPN The Magazine.

Undisputed No. 1 prospect Robert Nkemdiche (AJC)

And it may not be good news for Clemson.

On Tuesday, Nkemdiche confirmed that he and his family are torn with his college decision. Nkemdiche surprisingly committed to Clemson over the summer, but is still being actively pursued by Ole Miss, where his older brother Denzel is a rising star who was recently named SEC co-Defensive Player of the Week.

Here’s what Nkemdiche told ESPN’s Kipp Adams on Tuesday:

“My recruitment is crazy still and Ole Miss is making a push for me. It does not matter to my dad, but my mom wants me to go to Ole Miss and we are still talking about it, so we have not come to an agreement on it yet.

“It is tugging my heart in two different directions.”

Last month, Nkemdiche’s mother, who resides in Nigeria, caused shockwaves in Clemson when she told ESPN the Magazine:

“His …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche, Clemson’s star recruit: “My mom wants me to go to Ole Miss” »