Archive for the ‘Other SEC Schools’ Category

By all accounts, Stephenson defensive tackle Mike Thornton will choose between Georgia and Auburn sometime between now and Christmas. So surely he plans to be at their game this Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

Guess again.

“I don’t know if I’m going up there or not,” the 6-foot-2, 280-pound senior said. “Probably not. I definitely won’t be there for an official. Got some things to take care of.”

When it comes to his recruitment, Thornton — the top uncommitted defensive lineman in the state — is laid back to the point of being supine. While college coaches and fans pull out their hair wondering where and when Thornton might commit, the Jaguars’ hulking noseguard remains cool as the November breeze.

“I’m just taking my time, trying to enjoy the process,” he said.

I had a short telephone call with Thornton earlier this week. Here is an abridged Q&A of that conversation:

Q: How was your visit to Penn State this past weekend?

A: “It was good. Everything went like it was supposed to. I …

Continue reading Thornton: No plans to be in Athens for Georgia-Auburn »

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 »

Rajion Neal has rushed for 1,055 yards and scored 22 TDs for Sandy Creek. (AJC photo)

Mississippi State felt strong enough about Rajion Neal to offer him a scholarship this past summer. Now he’s starting to draw the attention of Florida State and Georgia and the Maroon Dogs may have to fight to keep him.

Neal committed to coach Dan Mullen back in mid-August. But as the 5-foot-11, 200-pound tailback has continued to pile up numbers this season, more interest has come his way. The latest and most intense wave has come from the Seminoles.

“They sure have,” Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker said when asked if FSU had come after Neal hard. “They came last Friday and got some tape and talked to Rajion a little bit. On Sunday they offered him a scholarship. He was pretty grateful for the offer. That’s a prestigious program. Of course, they’ve got some young backs down there and there’s the coaching situation. So he’s just going to sit back and weigh his options and take his time.”

Walker …

Continue reading FSU, Georgia now coming after Sandy Creek’s Neal »

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 »

A lot of people were surprised to see what Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett did to Georgia’s secondary this past Saturday night in Fayetteville. Lloyd Carr was not.

The retired Michigan football coach was the one who signed Mallett out of Texas High School in Texarkana, Texas,  and played him as a true freshman in 2007. The Wolverines beat out Texas, LSU and numerous other schools for the 6-foot-7 quarterback, who was ranked the top prospect in his state and No. 4 in the nation in 2006.

“Yeah, I guess I made at least four or five trips down to Texarkana to see him,” said Carr, in Athens on Tuesday to speak to the Touchdown Club of Athens. “And you know, there’s just no way to get to Texarkana. You have to have connections just to get in there.”

Carr said Michigan was able to beat out Texas because they had a quarterback named Colt McCoy in hand. He said Mallett’s parents, Jim and Debbie Mallett, actually were Arkansas fans. But Houston Nutt was the Razorbacks’ coach at the time and, …

Continue reading Mallett’s torching of Georgia secondary no surprise to Carr »

Sometimes in our zest for all things recruiting we forget about the fact that not all these prospects have grown up following one college football program or another.

Stephenson’s Mike Thornton is just such a recruit. Arguably the best uncommitted prospect in the state and certainly in Atlanta, this 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive tackle attended his first college football game EVER the weekend before last when he made an unofficial visit to Athens. This past weekend he attended his second one when he went to Auburn for the West Virginia game.

As you might imagine, Thornton is walking away wide-eyed and excited about the experience.

“It was great,” he said of his first trip to Athens. “It was something I never expected. I didn’t expect to be as big or as crowded or as loud as it was.”

Of Auburn, he said, “It was great, too. Of course there was a weather delay and a lot of rain. I think as far as playing and everything Auburn looks like they’re pretty set. They looked good. As …

Continue reading Visits: Stephenson’s Thornton gets look at Auburn, Georgia »

There’s a very good chance the state player of the year could come from Gainesville this season. Just which player is another question.

The Red Elephants, ranked No. 1 in Class AAA, feature a pair of AJC Super 11 selections in quarterback Blake Sims and wide receiver Tai-ler Jones. Both had them have lived up to those distinctions. Then there’s the matter of their lesser-known teammate Tyson Smith. As far as big plays per opportunity, his ratio is out of this world.

All their talents were on display this past Friday as Gainesville rolled to a 55-12 victory over North Hall.

>The quarterback Sims — an Alabama commitment — completed 14-of-21 passes for 275  yards and three touchdowns and rushed for another.

>The wide receiver Jones — a Stanford commitment — caught 10 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns and added a fourth TD on a 47-yard fumble return. A 58-yard punt return TD was called back for a penalty.

>Then there’s Smith, a running back that coach Bruce Miller likes …

Continue reading Top performances from state’s blue-chip prospects »

Grayson’s Kori Gaines could not believe it when the ball came his way yet again.

He had already snatched away two interceptions from Dacula last Friday night and now here came yet another pass. This one was traveling the trajectory of a miniature rainbow. To Gaines that ball looked like a pot of gold.

“It was just this little blooper,” Gaines said. “All I had to do was step under it and catch it.”

He did, and Gaines’ third interception put the finishing touches on another dominating night for the Grayson defense. They cruised on to a 44-0 victory.

And so it has gone for Gaines this season. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound BYU commitment patrols the back line of a stifling defensive unit. He lives off the occasional scraps the Rams’ fierce front seven happens to let through and picks off the occasional errant aerial.

“I definitely credit our D-line and the linebackers [for the big night],” Gaines said. “It’s great to play behind them. They put massive amounts of pressure on quarterbacks …

Continue reading BYU commit Kori Gaines mans the back line for Grayson »

Alabama commitment Blake Sims plays quarterback for Gainesville but is listed as the proverbial “athlete” by most of the recruiting services.

Friday night, the AJC Super 11 selection showed why.

On the Red Elephants’ third play from scrimmage, Sims shifted out to wide receiver and caught a short pass from running back Tyson Smith. After sidestepping an initial defender Sims turned it into a 71-yard touchdown reception. That was the first of two touchdown catches Sims hauled in from Smith during the 42-20 win over White County. He added another 77-yarder later.

Sims also showed off his skills under center by throwing three touchdown passes. His final numbers on the night: 88 yards passing, 148 yards receiving and 5 TDs accounted for.

No wonder nobody’s sure what to do with Sims in college. Rivals.com projects the 6-foot-183-pounder as a safety and rates him No. 29 in the country at that position.

“There’s a little bit of doubt about that,” Gainesville coach Bruce Miller said of …

Continue reading Bama has many options in Super 11 commitment Blake Sims »