Archive for the ‘Alabama’ Category

UGA offers ex-Florida RB commit Mike Davis (Photo by US Army All-America Bowl)

UGA landed the No. 1 running back in the nation with Keith Marshall on Tuesday.

The Bulldogs have also entered the sweepstakes for the player who many consider the No. 1 running back in Georgia.

Stephenson High School’s Mike Davis, who de-committed from Florida on Sunday after being pledged to the Gators for nearly a year, was offered by UGA on Tuesday.

UGA recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner called Stephenson’s coaches on Monday night to confirm that Davis de-committed from Florida. Garner showed up the next day at the Stone Mountain school to offer Davis in person.

“Georgia saw Mike as a junior and they were slow to react,” Stephenson assistant Corey Johnson said. “They said now that they had a second chance, they were going to move very fast with a scholarship offer and they did. Mike was excited and thankful for the offer.”

Around 30 colleges have inquired about Davis since he abruptly backed …

Continue reading With Keith Marshall committed, UGA quickly offers RB Mike Davis »

AJC Super 11 defensive end Dalvin Tomlinson of Henry County High School gave high marks to his recruiting trip to Georgia Tech this weekend.

When asked to rate the visit on a scale of 1-10, Tomlinson said, “I’d say an 8 or 9. It probably would’ve been a 10 if I had gotten up there on Friday. But the Saturday experience was a great experience.”

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The 6-foot-3, 270-pounder, who is one of the state’s Top 5 uncommitted prospects, said he was unable to make it on Friday because of wrestling practice at school (he’s a two-time state champion in the heavyweight division) and he was going to watch Eagles Landing Christian Academy in football’s playoff semifinals (wasn’t able to go after all).

Tomlinson was the big man on campus this weekend at Georgia Tech, which also welcomed QB Dennis Andrews of Tallahassee, Fla., and Allatoona High School RB Miles Jones. …

Continue reading Dalvin Tomlinson, AJC Super 11 DE, rates his visit to Georgia Tech as ‘8 or 9′ »

What do you think about the No. 1 recruit of Georgia Tech’s 2012 class?

Now you can get a good look at English transplant who is causing such a stir in college football’s recruiting circles. We’re talking about Francis Kallon, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound defensive end from Central Gwinnett High School. He’s committed to Georgia Tech.

Kallon, who is ranked as a 4-star recruit by both Scout and ESPN, recently had a highlight video of his senior year – his only year of playing organized football – put on YouTube (see video at bottom).

Up until now, only college scouts and high school coaches had seen the video. What did they think? Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford paused before answering. “You wouldn’t believe it if I said it. I … don’t want to put that kind of pressure on him.”

Georgia Tech DE commit Francis Kallon of Central Gwinnett High School (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

You can take a look at the video yourself below. One important thing to keep in mind when watching it: …

Continue reading Sneak a peek at Georgia Tech’s No. 1 football commit »

Grayson defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, who is the first Georgia high school football player to be ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the nation, looked every bit as good as advertised in Grayson’s 25-17 win over Lowndes in the second round of the Class AAAAA playoffs on Friday night. Watch the video above for highlights of it.

Nkemdiche is a 6-foot-5, 270-pound junior who has Alabama, Florida, LSU, USC and Oregon as his top five, while UGA is “in the mix.” After Friday’s game, Nkemdiche told the AJC he was going to try to get over to UGA for an unofficial visit for Saturday’s Kentucky game but later said he ended up not making trip (Grayson is still in the playoffs). Nevertheless, it was still positive news for UGA, which was once considered a longshot to land Nkemdiche, even though Grayson and Athens are only 35 miles apart. Nkemdiche did visit the Bulldogs last weekend for the Auburn game — his only recruiting trip this fall other than to travel to rumored frontrunner …

Continue reading Nkemdiche: Does UGA have chance? (UPDATED) »

Breaking: Recruiting drama! Georgia’s top basketball prospect changes his mind and signs only hours before midnight deadline (click here)

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They aren’t part of his top five, but UGA still has a spot in the sweepstakes for the No. 1-ranked junior in the country, Robert Ndkemiche of Grayson High School.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end made a rare unofficial visit last weekend, traveling to UGA with a couple of teammates to watch the Auburn game. The only other trip that Nkemdiche has made this fall was to rumored frontunner Alabama for the LSU game.

Despite the Atlanta suburb of Grayson being located only 35 miles from UGA, the Bulldogs haven’t been able to crack Nkemdiche’s top five, which consists of Alabama, LSU, Florida, Oregon and Southern Cal.

However, his coach told the AJC on Tuesday night to not count the Bulldogs out.

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“I’d put Georgia in …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche: UGA in the running for the nation’s No-1 ranked football prospect (UPDATED) »

• BREAKING NEWS: Florida QB who some call the “next Tim Tebow” commits to UGA (go here for story)

UGA is now a serious contender for AJC Super 11 DE Jordan Jenkins after his official visit with the Bulldogs this past weekend (AJC)

Jordan Jenkins, the 5-star defensive end from Harris County High School, liked his official visit to UGA so much that the Bulldogs may be sneaking up to join his longtime frontrunners, Alabama and Florida.

It was some surprising good news for UGA, which had been given up as all but dead in the fierce recruiting battle for the 6-foot-3, 250-pounder who is considered one of the nation’s top overall athletes. Jenkins nearly canceled his official visit to UGA on two separate occasions before finally making the recruiting trip this past weekend.

UGA’s chances for the AJC Super 11 selection who is ranked as the state’s No.1 prospect by at least one recruiting publication have dramatically improved.

“Jordan told somebody that Alabama and Florida are on top, …

Continue reading Surprise! UGA gains ground with 5-star DE Jordan Jenkins after visit — “too close to call” »

Stephenson High School's Class of 2012 is a candidate to lead the nation for the number of seniors that will sign major-college football scholarships (AJC photo by Michael Carvell)

Stephenson, the high school which may have had most talent-loaded roster the state of Georgia has ever seen, was eliminated in the first round of the state playoffs.

Stephenson, which has 11 seniors committed to D1 schools and could add several more before February’s signing day, lost to Lowdnes 7-0 in the Class AAAAA playoffs on Saturday.

It was a heartbreaking end for Stephenson (9-2), which got a bad draw in the first round after losing to ML King 50-49 last week when UGA-bound WR Blake Tibbs returned a kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown with 16 seconds left in regulation. The loss knocked Stephenson down to a No. 2 playoff seed, where it had to face an underachieving but always dangerous Lowndes squad.

The state of Georgia may never see a star-studded roster like Stephenson, which was led by AJC …

Continue reading What will be legacy of Stephenson? Maybe best collection of D1 prospects that Georgia has ever seen »

UGA has entered the sweepstakes and offered a late scholarship to the state's No. 1 WR prospect, Sandy Creek's Jaquay Williams. He committed to Auburn last summer (AJC)

Is Auburn in danger of losing the commitment of WR Jaquay Williams to UGA?

UGA is making a late charge for Williams, and offered a football scholarship last week to the 6-foot-3, 200-pounder from Sandy Creek High School. Williams is considered the state’s No. 1 prospect at wide receiver.

Williams, who committed to Auburn over Ohio State last summer, told the AJC he will make an unofficial visit to Georgia on Saturday – his first trip to Athens in two years. Part of the reason will be to hear out the sincerity of UGA’s interest, and the other part will be to watch Auburn play in person.

“I’m going to go up there, look around and check things out,” Williams told the AJC on Thursday night. “But I’m really locked in on Auburn right now. Something crazy, and I mean real crazy, would have to happen to get me off the …

Continue reading Is Auburn in danger of losing the commitment of WR Jaquay Williams to UGA? »

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It was no surprise on Tuesday when one recruiting service came out with its rankings for the nation’s top high school juniors, and Robert Nkemdiche was at the very top of the list.

The 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive end from Grayson High School was rated No. 1 in the country for the class of 2013 by 247sports. Nkemdiche has denied longtime rumors that he is a “secret commitment” to Alabama. His only unofficial visit this season was to last week’s game at Alabama. He is officially considering Florida and LSU, along with Alabama.

The bigger surprise was that another junior from Georgia was ranked No. 2 overall in the country – Troup County linebacker Reuben Foster, who is officially committed to Alabama but also still talking with UGA, Auburn and Florida.

“It was really a tough decision among the people that decided between Robert and Reuben,” said Rusty Mansell of 247sports.com. …

Continue reading Robert Nkemdiche officially ranked as nation’s No. 1 junior football prospect »

Georgia Tech coach Paul Johnson (AJC)

How do you know which prospects are a top recruiting priority? By where a college head coach appears during his team’s off week.

Georgia Tech was off last weekend, and Paul Johnson spent a day at Central Gwinnett High School. He was there to see the No. 1 commitment of Georgia Tech’s 2012 recruiting class, defensive end Francis Kallon.

Johnson and recruiting coordinator Andy McCollum stopped by the high school early in the day to talk with Kallon’s coaches, then returned later in the evening to closely observe Kallon in Central Gwinnett’s loss to Grayson.

“Coach Johnson was really impressed with Francis, with how hard he has worked to learn football and get better,” Central Gwinnett coach Todd Wofford told the AJC. “He wanted to let Francis know that he was really proud of his season.”

The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Kallon played only his senior season of high school football after moving to the Atlanta area from England. Last May, due to his …

Continue reading Paul Johnson spends a full day observing Georgia Tech’s No. 1 recruit »