Archive for the ‘Auburn’ Category

Michael Dyer, one of the top-ranked tailbacks in America, committed to Auburn on Friday.

Dyer (5-foot-8, 200), from Little Rock Christian in Little Rock, Ark., is considered the No. 1 running back in the country by ESPN, and No. 3 by Scout.com and Rivals.com. He chose the Tigers over Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Florida and Alabama.

The big question is how Dyer’s commitment will affect the nation’s otehr top-rated backs. Marcus Lattimore of Duncan, S.C., and Lache Seastrunk of Temple, Texas, ranked 1 and 2 by the other services, were also considering Auburn.

The general thought was that two backs of that ilk wouldn’t go to the same school. But Dyer insists there is a possibility that Lattimore could also end up on the Plains.

“The last few weeks, me and Marcus Lattimore have had conversations and sent texts back and forth trying to figure out what’s going on and to see if he’s going to go to Auburn or not,” Dyer told ESPN’s JC Shurburtt. “I told him it would be great for …

Continue reading Auburn lands ESPN’s No. 1 back in America, Michael Dyer »

Apparently Chad Simmons of Scout.com and I are on the same wave length.

The respected Southeast region recruiting analyst put up a report this morning on Calhoun wide receiver Da’Rick Rogers, a five-star prospect, AJC Super 11 selection and a University of Georgia commitment.

It just so happens that I am heading up to Calhoun this afternoon to talk to Rogers, quarterback Nash Nance (a Vanderbilt commitment) and coach Hal Lamb in a previously arranged meeting. My father lives in Calhoun — starred for the Yellow Jackets in the mid-1950s — so I’d planned for a while to get up there and meet in person this phenomenal football player.

Simmons didn’t really steal my thunder, though. Rogers told him what Coach Lamb told me last week, that he remains “solid to Georgia” despite continued intense overtures from Tennessee, Florida and Southern Cal. Hopefully I’ll be able to glean a few more insights from Da’Rick today.

If there are some specific questions you’d like me to ask Rogers, …

Continue reading Checking out Da’Rick Rogers, and other fun stuff »

Former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, now a college football analyst for ESPN, said bad fortune has had more to do with Georgia's recent struggles than poor coaching or recruiting. (File photo)

Tommy Tuberville coached and recruited against Georgia for 10 years while at Auburn. He thinks bad luck has had more to do with the Bulldogs’ recent struggle than poor recruiting or coaching.

“A lot of times guys don’t pan out, guys that have four or five stars; that happens to everybody,” said Tuberville, who is a college football analyst for ESPN after resigning from Auburn last year. “And I’m not saying that’s what happened. But I know a lot of times you bring those guys in there that are supposed to be war daddies and they never materialize.”

Tuberville said losing Matthew Stafford, Knowshon Moreno and Asher Allen early to the NFL draft had more to do with the Bulldogs getting blown out by Florida last week than anything. Especially when Florida was able to get back Tim Tebow, …

Continue reading Tuberville: Recruiting, coaching not a problem at Georgia »

A third Buford football player is headed to the Southeastern Conference to play football.

Du’Von Millsap, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound offensive lineman, committed to South Carolina late last week, Wolves coach Jess Simpson confirmed. Millsap chose the Gamecocks over Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, Clemson and several others.

“Yeah, he’d been up there a couple times last spring and last summer and always liked them a lot,” Simpson said. “But he waited to make a decision. He’s been putting it off a while now and decided he just wanted to go ahead and get it over with.”

Millsap, who plays mainly offensive tackle and some defensive tackle for the Class AA Wolves, projects as a guard in college. Teammates Kolton Houston (Georgia), a offensive tackle, and Jessell Curry (Auburn), a linebacker who stars for Buford at running back, are also headed to SEC schools.

Houston and Millsap give Buford a mighty pair of bookend tackles, especially for a Class AA school.

“He’s just a big guy that bends well …

Continue reading Buford’s Du’Von Millsap commits to South Carolina »

Another one-time Florida State commitment has landed elsewhere.

After decommitting to Florida State late last month, Lowndes County's Ed Christian committed to Auburn on Sunday. (AJC Photo by Jason Getz)

Lowndes offensive lineman Ed Christian, an AJC Super 11 selection, committed to Auburn after going there on an official visit this past weekend. The 6-foot-5, 280-pound tackle originally committed to the Seminoles way back in February, just a week after national signing day. He “decommitted” to FSU late last month when questions started to arise over the future of the program. He attended the Auburn-Ball State game on an unofficial visit that weekend.

Christian credited Auburn assistant coach Curtis Luper for reigniting his interest in Auburn. He said Luper called him out of the blue last month.

“I wanted to experience another college,” Christian told Auburn.Scout.com. “I gave them that chance and it was my overall best visit to a school. This school (Auburn) treats you the …

Continue reading Super 11 OT Christian picks Auburn after FSU spurn »

Anybody who thinks Lane Kiffin’s showy antics don’t make a difference in recruiting wasn’t listening to these players after the game. They were clearly impressed by Kiffin’s idea to chopper to the game with right-hand recruiting man Ed Orgeron.

The two Tennessee coaches landed on a soccer field just west of James R. Hallford Stadium in a red helicopter as the
Star Bangled Banner played before the nationally-televised the M.L. King-Stephenson game. They flew out at the end of halftime.

“That really felt good to me because I talked to him for a minute on the phone,” said Mike Thornton, Stephenson’s star defensive tackle. “He told me he was going to come in and show off a little bit and, sure ‘nough, he did his thing. I saw him leave out and come in but that’s it.”

Stephenson led 7-0 at the half.

Thornton, considered the top uncommitted D-lineman in the state, hadn’t mentioned Tennessee among his favorites (Auburn, Georgia, Penn State) before Friday. Asked after the game if  the …

Continue reading Kiffin’s antics impress Thornton, Brown, and lift Vols »

I’m getting ready to leave my office very shortly to head over to James R. Hallford Stadium for tonight’s mega-matchup between Martin Luther King High and Stephenson. I’m going to get there early and I’ll be there late — blogging throughout — so be sure to check back for updates and commentary from pregame to final whistle!

Remember, it’s a 6 p.m. kickoff tonight and it’s expected to be jam-packed so I’d suggest you get there early, too. It’s a beautiful night for football and it looks like these two teams, ranked 7 and 8 in the state’s highest classification, are going to encounter perfect conditions for the the competition.

Here are just a few things I’m looking forward to:

• MLK’s Mack Brown: This will be my second chance to see in action the top-rated back in the state. The last time was against Southwest DeKalb, which held him in check with 66 yards. Stephenson’s D may be even tougher.
• Mike Thornton: This will be my first opportunity to see tackle Mike Thornton live. …

Continue reading Towers blogging live from MLK-Stephenson tonight »

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin just won another battle in the recruiting war he declared on Georgia. And this time the Vols’ victory came less than an hour from Athens.

A.J. Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound junior linebacker from Gainesville, committed to the Vols on Wednesday, shortly after completing a practice attended by UT assistant coach Ed Orgeron. He attended the Tennessee-Georgia game in Knoxville as an unofficial visitor on Saturday.

Tennessee was the first school to offer the swift-footed junior last December. He said he grew up a Georgia Bulldogs’ fan and camped there this past summer but the Bulldogs never offered.

“I’m guessing they were just waiting,” said Johnson, who has 80 tackles so far this season. “They didn’t come after me like Tennessee did. If Georgia had offered me I probably would have committed right there.”

Johnson, who had at least 12 offers, also attended camps at  Florida, Clemson and Auburn. He can’t sign an actual scholarship until February of …

Continue reading Kiffin strikes again as 2011 LB Johnson commits to Vols »

It’s Friday afternoon and that means it’s almost time for Friday night lights!

We turn our attention south of Atlanta tonight to find the biggest conglomeration of talent on the gridiron as North Clayton plays host to Griffin in a battle of Class AAAA unbeatens.

There will be a bunch of Division 1 talent on both sides of the ball but Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS), which is broadcasting the game live at 7:30 p.m., will surely focus on one matchup in particular — North Clayton’s Clarence Jackson vs. Griffin’s Xzavier Dickson.

Jackson is a longtime Ole Miss commitment who has been making a case as one of the best running backs in Atlanta and is way above average as a linebacker. Staring him down from the other side of the ball will be Dixon, a huge defensive end who the Bears move all over the place to gain matchup advantages and keep offenses guessing where he’ll be. Though just a junior, the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Dixon already holds offers from Alabama and Auburn (says Bama …

Continue reading ‘Prospects on Parade’ in N. Clayton-Griffin game »

Quick, name the state the produces the most football talent for the Southeastern Conference.

If you said Florida, you’re wrong.

According to a survey done by Doug Segrest of The Birmingham News, the state of Georgia has more residents on SEC rosters than any other state with 86. Florida is a close second with 84.

Segrest reveals all kinds of cool facts in his research, including:

• Every SEC school has at least two players from Georgia among its top 22 starters. The state of Florida provides at least one on every depth chart. Of course these numbers fluctuate from week to week.
• Alabama produces the third-most SEC players with 66 and Louisiana (46) and Tennessee (39) round out the top five.
• Somewhat surprisingly, the state that produces the sixth-most SEC players isn’t an SEC state. It’s Texas with 37.
• There are 28 home-grown players on Georgia’s two-deep, most of any school. Florida and LSU are next with 25 each.
• Vanderbilt has more starters from Georgia (11) than any …

Continue reading Survey says: Georgia producing the most SEC players »