Archive for the ‘Georgia State’ Category

Mackendy Cheridor, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound tight end from Columbia High School, committed to Georgia State on Sunday.

“When I visited there, they really showed me that they wanted me to be a part of the program,” Cheridor told the AJC. “They told me I could be one of the best tight ends in the conference.”

Cheridor picked Georgia State over scholarship offers from Florida International, Western Carolina, Tennessee State, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Kentucky. Syracuse and and Arkansas have also called about him.

You can watch Cheridor’s highlight film by CLICKING HERE.

RELATED: Cheridor’s teammate at Columbia, offensive tackle, Charles Rutledge, has committed to Tennessee Tech.

Continue reading TE Mackendy Cheridor commits to Georgia State »

Note: Saturday’s practices were shortened due to inclement weather.

Here are unofficial awards from the first day of practices at the RisingSeniors.com Bowl, which features 95 of the state’s top high school juniors. These are based on observations from players, coaches, scouts and recruiting analysts.

EASTSIDE TEAM

Clemson-bound QB DeShaun Watson of Gainesville looked like the best overall player at Friday's RisingSenior.com practices (AJC)

MVP, OFFENSE

• Deshaun Watson, QB, Gainesville (committed to Clemson, but also reviewing offers from Ohio State, FSU, Auburn and Tennessee, among others). The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder looked like the best overall player at the all-star game. He’s got prototypical size, outstanding composure, he’s a running threat, and he can throw with accuracy and velocity on the run. Watson was just about perfect on the short and intermediate throws on a cold and windy day. “He’s as gifted as anybody I’ve ever seen,” said Blessed Trinity coach Tim …

Continue reading Recruiting Awards from Day 1 of RisingSeniors.com (UPDATED) »

New Georgia State football coach Trent Miles picked up two more commitments over the weekend.

Newton High School outside linebacker Kingsley Ejike and East Paulding RB-LB Kyler Neal pledged to Georgia State.

Ejike is a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker who also claimed offers from Furman and Appalachian State.

“Georgia State is close to home, they’re moving up to the Sun Belt conference, and they have a new coaching staff,” Ejike said. “I feel like there’s the opportunity to play early.”

Neal could play several different positions in college.

Just got off the phone with coach miles, and I am now verbally committed to Georgia state #panthers

— Kyler Neal (@THEkylerNEAL) December 23, 2012

Continue reading Georgia State picks up two more football recruits »

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 »

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 »

Georgia State’s new football coach has landed his first recruit for the Panthers.

Brandon Pertile, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound offensive lineman from Clearwater, Fla., has committed to Georgia State. He picked the Panthers over Presbyterian, Florida International, Florida Atlantic, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, and Florida A&M.

“Coach (Trent) Miles is the new coach; he came to my school today to talk with me,” Pertile said. “He told me about transforming the football program, and it got me really fired up. It seems like a good place to spend the next 4-5 years.”

Pertile is projected to play right tackle at Georgia State, which has 10 commitments for 2013.

Continue reading Georgia State’s new football coach lands first recruit »

The Georgia State volleyball team signed three newcomers during the 2012 fall signing period. Buford, Ga. native Kristina Stinson will join Ohio products Molly Shonk and Cassie Hughes as they begin play in 2013.

“This class fits perfectly with our team dynamic,” said GSU coach Tami Audia.” All three of them are athletic, passionate about volleyball and know how to play the game. At one time or another, they have played positions other than the one we recruited them for, which tells us that they know the game and can adjust when needed. Going in to the Sun Belt Conference with these four freshmen and our returning team is definitely making 2013 bright.”

• Stinson, a 6-foot middle blocker and outside hitter, earned four varsity letters at North Gwinnett High School. She was named the 2012 Gwinnett County Player of the Year and earned a place on the 2012 Georgia Senior All-Star team. She earned a GVCA All-State nod in 2011 and 2012, two All-Area Region 7 selections, a …

Continue reading Georgia State signs three for volleyball »

Posted at 5pm Saturday

The Georgia State sand volleyball team inked four signees in the fall signing period — Sarah Agnew, Jessica Fourspring, Delaney Rohan, and Natalie Wilson, according to the school’s sports information office:

• Agnew, a native of Coppell, Texas, joins the Panthers after a standout career at Coppell High School. She is a member of the 692 Beach Volleyball club team where she was invited to the 2012 High Performance National Beach Camp and Championships. She won the 2012 USA Beach Qualifier and earned a silver medal at the USAV U-18 Beach National Championship.
• Fourspring comes to GSU from Greer, S.C., and Riverside High School. She is a member of the Club South sand volleyball team where she helped the club to a 17-1 record and a 2012 Daytona Beach tournament championship. She was named to the 2012 Battle of the Beach All-Star team and was named one of the Best of the Beach in 2012. While playing indoor volleyball at Riverside High School she earned two …

Continue reading Georgia State serves up 4 for volleyball »

DE Will Cunningham

Georgia State has picked up commitment No. 10, Will Cunningham, despite the fact that he’s never seen the school.

The 6-foot-2, 255-pound defensive end from Cape Coral, Fla., picked Georgia State over football scholarship offers from Ball State, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Fordham, and Holy Cross.

“I just thought Georgia State was a good school for me,” Cunningham told the AJC. “I talked with my parents about everything, including the education. I thought it would be a good school for me to attend.”

Cunningham, who has a 3.8 GPA and wants to study something in the medical field, projects to play defensive end or defensive tackle at Georgia State.

He will make his official visit to Georgia State on Dec. 8 – and it will be his first trip to the college.

When asked about committing without ever seeing Georgia State, Cunningham replied, “I just thought it was the right choice for me to make after discussing it with my parents. I’m going …

Continue reading DE commits to Georgia State without ever seeing college »

Published at 6:46 pm Tuesday

The Georgia State baseball team signed four during the 2012 early signing period — David Mayo, Ryan Blanton, Austin Parrish, and Alex Roberts.

“We are very excited about these four young men that have signed to play for us at GSU,” said Georgia State coach Greg Frady in a press release. “Each one of them brings a unique quality that fits a need for us. All of these guys are impact players and will be asked to contribute right away. Our staff goal was to bring in Sunbelt Conference caliber players and I think we accomplished that.”

Mayo, a shortstop and right-handed pitcher, comes to GSU from Loganville High School in Loganville, Ga. He was named to the Georgia Dugout Club Top 100 list and was named to the Georgia Junior team last season. Mayo led Loganville to a GHSA AAAA state championship last season and has pitched two perfect games in his high school career. He is a versatile athlete who can play any position in the infield and can shut …

Continue reading Georgia State signs 4 for baseball »