Archive for December, 2012

Texas A&M’s move to SEC is paying off with its recruiting efforts in Georgia.

The Aggies landed another big-time talent when Tommy Sanders committed to them on Tuesday night.

LB Tommy Sanders (kjccc.com)

The 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker is from Crisp County High School and played the last two seasons at Butler junior college in Kansas. He is ranked as a 4-star recruit by ESPN.

Sanders picked Texas A&M over runner-up Ohio State, while also considering offers from South Carolina and Mississippi State.

“Playing in the SEC, coming from the South, that was a goal for me,” Sanders told the AJC. “Texas A&M had been recruiting me for a while, I’ve got a good relationship with the coaches, and there’s a good chance for me to come in and be a leader on that defense.”

Coming out of high school, Sanders committed to Central Florida but never enrolled because of NCAA Clearinghouse issues.

After having his NCAA appeal denied, Sanders finally decided to attend a junior …

Continue reading Georgia LB commits to Texas A&M over Ohio State »

Auburn has now lost seven football recruits since Gene Chizik was fired.

AJ Jackson, a 6-foot-6 tight end from Lovejoy High School, de-committed from Auburn on Tuesday. Jackson had been pledged to the Tigers since last May.

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“I just wanted to let you know that I de-committed from Auburn … and keep my options open until I take my visits and see who has the best interest in me,” Jackson told the AJC.

Jackson is the seventh overall recruit that Auburn has lost since the coaching change – and fifth from the state of Georgia. The others:

• Ja’Quay Williams: The former Sandy Creek WR is now headed to play with Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel at Texas A&M.
• Jarrad Davis: The Camden County LB flipped to Florida this past weekend.
• Trey Johnson: The Central Gwinnett LB is rumored to have Ohio State as his frontrunner, and he will also visit Penn State, Florida, …

Continue reading Auburn loses 7th football recruit since Chizik firing »

Georgia State beat out some of the big boys for Kight Dallas, who was committed to South Carolina until last week.

The 6-foot-2, 228-pounder linebacker from Stephenson High School pledged to Georgia State on Tuesday. Dallas also claims current offers from Purdue, Cal, Arkansas and Troy.

“Really, the reason I had picked South Carolina before is because it was close to home,” Dallas said. “Georgia State is close to home, too. They did a great job of recruiting me, and they really wanted me.”

What about turning down bigger schools to play at Georgia State? “Hey, hopefully this will change some other people’s minds. I think Georgia State can be something big, and I can be part of something new.”

Dallas committed to South Carolina last April but officially parted ways with the Gamecocks last week. South Carolina defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward withdrew the scholarship offer after scouting Dallas in a “performance-based decision,” according to Palmetto …

Continue reading Georgia State beats out some big boys for ex-South Carolina LB commit »

In recruiting, there’s the initial commitment and flip. The rarest? A double flip.

AJC Super 11 WR Demarcus Robinson of Peach County High School completed the double flip on Monday when he switched his commitment for a second time, this time going from Florida to Clemson after returning from an official visit with the Gators over the weekend, according to his coach.

For the moment, Clemson appears to have won an intense recruiting battle for AJC Super 11 WR Demarcus Robinson of Peach County HS (AP)

Robinson, who is considered one of the state’s top prospects at his position, originally committed to Clemson but switched to Florida last week after an in-home visit last week with the Gators coaches, including Will Muschamp.

Despite losing Robinson, Clemson never gave up, dispatching several assistants to meet with the 4-star wide receiver last week.

Florida will have a tough time convincing Robinson to switch for a third time since Sunday night was the end of the NCAA’s …

Continue reading Demarcus Robinson: AJC Super 11 WR switches again, picks Clemson »

Auburn’s recruiting has taken some body blows since the firing of Gene Chizik.

At least six prospects have de-committed from Auburn since the coaching change, with 3-star linebacker Jarrad Davis of Camden County High School being the latest.

Auburn has lost 6 recruits since the coaching change. New Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has been hustling around the Southeast to recruit since taking the job (AP)

On Sunday, Davis switched his commitment from Auburn to Florida after taking an official visit with the Gators.

“When they had the coaching change at Auburn, he certainly didn’t know where he was going to stand with them,” Camden County coach Jeff Herron told the AJC. “So people started coming and looking at him, and they asked if he was open to looking at some other places – and he was, which he needed to be in that situation because we didn’t know for a couple of weeks what was going to happen at Auburn.”

Jarrad’s coach was informed on Friday that Florida was …

Continue reading Auburn loses another Georgia football recruit »

5-star safety Vonn Bell put his recruiting on hold until after his senior season at Ridgeland High School.

Ridgeland’s season ended with a loss to Sandy Creek in Saturday’s Class AAAA state championship, and Bell has set up his official visits to his three finalists.

Bell will go to Ohio State on Jan. 11, Alabama on Jan. 18 and Tennessee on Jan. 25, his coach told the AJC.

The AJC Super 11 selection grew up a fan of Tennessee.

Ohio State coach Urban Meyer attended Bell’s game last Saturday at the Georgia Dome.

THE LATEST HEADLINES

• Demarcus Robinson FLIPS AGAIN … switching from Florida back to Clemson
• New GSU commit reportedly had his scholarship WITHDRAWN from South Carolina
• Some tough, tough news for UGA … RB-WR Tramel Terry may have torn ACL on opening play of all-star game and will undergo MRI
• Auburn loses ANOTHER football recruit (this one to Florida) … That’s six and counting for Tigers
• Onetime UGA and Georgia Tech OL target commits to SEC school
• Georgia State landed …

Continue reading Vonn Bell: 5-star safety sets up visits to Alabama, Tennessee and Ohio State »

Onetime UGA and Georgia Tech OL target, Delando Crooks, committed to Vanderbilt on Sunday night.

The 6-foot-5, 272-pound offensive tackle from Carver-Atlanta High School picked Vanderbilt over North Carolina and Purdue. Crooks is ranked as a consensus 3-star recruit.

Vanderbilt landed one of Georgia's top offensive lineman (AP)

“Vanderbilt has always been high on his list,” his uncle, Troy Vaccianna, told the AJC. “He has been to North Carolina and Purdue. They are both pretty good programs … but there was a comfort level with Vanderbilt from day one.”

Crooks decided to go ahead and commit to Vanderbilt before taking an official visit with the Commodores. However, he had checked out the SEC East twice — last summer and then again for the emotional win over Tennessee.

“He’s going on vacation to Jamaica on Monday, and he wanted to go ahead and get it over with,” his uncle said. “That way, he could enjoy his vacation without thinking about football. He’s in a …

Continue reading Onetime UGA and Georgia Tech OL target … headed to SEC rival »

Georgia State has landed it quarterback of the future.

Clay Chastain, a 6-foot-4-, 215-pound gunslinger from Georgia Military junior college, committed to Georgia State over Youngstown State. The pocket passer also had heavy interest from Auburn and Mississippi State.

Former Harrison QB Clay Chastain committed to Georgia State (Photo by GMC)

“He’s an exceptional quarterback; frankly, I don’t think they (Georgia State) can get a better one than Clay,” GMC coach Bert Williams told the AJC. “He’s smart, he can make all the throws, and he has got one of the quickest releases I’ve seen in a quarterback since I’ve been in coaching – and I’ve been blessed to be around some good ones on teams I’ve coached, or coached against.

“Clay has a knack for making quick decisions and getting the ball out there to the receivers. I think he’s going to be a great quarterback for Georgia State.”

Last year as a senior at Harrison High School, Chastain met NCAA academic …

Continue reading Georgia State lands its QB of the future »

UGA got some bad recruiting news on Saturday.

Tramel Terry, one of the team’s top commitments for 2013, suffered a serious knee injury on the first play of Saturday’s Shrine Bowl all-star game between the top high school football players in South Carolina and North Carolina.

Terry, the RB-WR from Goose Creek (S.C.) High School, may have torn his ACL, according to ESPN’s Miller Safrit.

Really praying my knee is good find out monday good thing is it doesnt hurt at all thanks to everyone who gave me a s/o love yal

— Tramel Terry⚡ (@TeamTDterry_GC) December 15, 2012

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound Terry is an early high school graduate and will enroll at UGA next month, but his status for spring practice is unknown due to rehabilitation from the injury. Terry was expected to contribute immediately as a backup running back and slot wide receiver.

It was heart-breaking news for Terry, who had twice committed to UGA and decided a few weeks ago that he would go ahead and stick with …

Continue reading Some bad news for UGA »

5-star LB Reuben Foster said his daughter's care and concerns will affect his impending college decision (AJC)

Published at 1 p.m. Friday

One thing that makes college football recruiting so entertaining to follow is that it’s always full of surprises. They’re never-ending.

Reuben Foster, the 5-star linebacker who is being targeted by UGA, turned some heads when he said that a good daycare program and good babysitters would affect his college decision, reported ESPN.com’s Kipp Adams (click for story).

Foster, who de-committed from Auburn last week, has a 3-year old daughter named A’Ziya Blackmon. In trying to be a good father, Foster said his daughter’s care and concerns will impact his college decision:

“The school I pick has to have a good daycare program and good babysitters in case she wants to spend the night with me and I have football,” Foster told ESPN. “They coaches have to have a good bond with her too. My little girl has to like them and she knows …

Continue reading Babysitter and children’s daycare will impact decision of UGA target Reuben Foster »