Buford DB Ryan Dillard

Ryan Dillard, one of the state’s top defensive backs, has changed his mind and will play college football at Yale over Air Force. He’s a 5-10, ,185-pounder from Buford High School.

“Ryan made his decision after meeting [with the Yale coaches] on his official visit last weekend,” his father, Oscar Dillard said. “Ryan really enjoyed seeing the facilities, meeting some of the players on the team and meeting some of the recruits that were considering Yale. Lastly, getting a world class education and degree from one of the top five universities in  the country was a great incentive to attend Yale University.”

Dillard, who has a 3.9 GPA, played on three state championship teams at Buford.

SINCE YOU LAST LEFT YOUR COMPUTER …

• State’s No. 1 WR makes “surprise” visit; Good news for UGA or Auburn?
• RB Justin Taylor may sign with Ole Miss rather than wait on 2013 with Nick Saban
• Vol fans can relax because Derek Dooley has finally met Eric Berry’s twin …

No. 783 was No. 1 in the eyes of many at Athens Nike Camp (AJC Photo)

Several of Georgia’s top college football prospects for next year were on display at Friday’s Nike camp in Athens.

However, it was a member of the Class of 2013 that grabbed the spotlight: Grayson High School’s Robert Nkemdiche, a 6-foot-5, 260-pounder who turned everybody’s heads as soon as he walked up to the registration table. He’s only a sophomore.

Nkemdiche dominated the drills, so much to the point that one other heralded defensive lineman — a junior — was overheard saying to a couple of others, “I’m just glad 783 (Nkemdiche’s camp number on his jersey) isn’t in the Class of 2012 with the D-Line rankings.”

The consensus of several recruiting analysts observing the camp, which included players from many surrounding states, was this: Nkemdiche will almost certainly be ranked at Georgia’s No. 1 overall prospect for 2013, and has a decent shot of being rated No. 1 overall in the USA.

Nkemdiche, who was …

How could he not? Tennessee fans had been asking Holsey about it over Facebook and Twitter for the last few months.

They were well aware of Tennessee’s connection to Creekside High, which is the alma mater of one of the Vols’ all-time greats, Eric Berry.

Creekside's Josh Holsey is "the best we've had since Eric Berry." says his coach. Holsey ran a 4.31 at camp last weekend and has a dozen offers, including Auburn, Georgia Tech and -- now -- Tennessee, alma mater of his mentor, Eric Berry.

Holsey’s social network finally got the answer they were looking for on Thursday when Tennessee offered Holsey and made serious inquiries about his Creekside teammate, cornerback Davion Tookes, who committed to Virginia Tech last February.

“It was shocking to get the Tennessee offer,” Holsey told the AJC. “I guess those people on Facebook and Twitter will be …

JaQuay Williams has been picking up trophies and scholarship offers, with LSU being No. 12 on Monday (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

LSU entered the sweepstakes for one of Georgia’s top prospects at wide receiver, extending an offer to Sandy Creek’s JaQuay Williams on Monday night.

“I’m excited, great school,” Williams told the AJC. He has around a dozen offers, including Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State, Tennessee, Clemson, South Carolina and Georgia Tech.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pounder recently won the top award at the 2011 Atlanta MVP Camp attended by many of the state’s top college football prospects.

Williams recently transferred from Heard County High School to Sandy Creek, the Fayette County school which has won back-to-back state championships.

– By Michael Carvell, AJC Recruiting Blog

There were some interesting circumstances around the flip of Chattahoochee High’s Barron Dixon on Monday.

Around two weeks ago, the 6-foot-4, 265-pounder committed to Mississippi State over Arkansas and Maryland, among others.

However, Vanderbilt had a good feeling about Dixon, maintained contact and urged him to take an official visit. Dixon’s parents also strongly supported a recruiting trip to Vanderbilt.

This past Saturday, Dixon said he was tempted to take a quick trip to Vanderbilt but decided against it because he didn’t want to jeopardize losing his scholarship to Mississippi State. On Sunday, Dixon changed his mind, driving with his family to Vanderbilt for a one-day official visit — the very last day allowed before the signing period under NCAA rules.

And guess what? Dixon ended up switching to Vanderbilt before leaving campus.

“Vanderbilt has a great academic …

Dalton's Watts Dantzler said he expects all of Georgia's offensive line recruits to remain committed to the Bulldogs despite Stacy Searels departure to Texas. (AJC photo by Chip Towers)

THE TEN AT 10:

1. The departure of Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels for the same job at Texas is disappointing to players he has recruited to become Bulldogs. But apparently it is not a deal-breaker.

Dalton offensive lineman Watts Dantzler, one of the first recruits to give Searels the nod early last summer, said he remains “100 percent” committed to UGA, as are most of his fellow offensive line commitments, all with whom he has been in contact.

“You know, I think [Searels] had to make a decision that was best for him and I understand,” he said Wednesday night. “But I committed to the school, not to him, and I’m still committed. I’m looking forward to seeing who they’re going to hire.”

Dantzler is one of five O-line commitments the Bulldogs have for 2011. He said he has been in …

Carver-Columbus RB Isaiah Crowell tops out the AJC's Fab 50 list of the state's top recruits. (AJC photo by Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com)

The 2011 AJC Fab 50 is out, and it might just be the strongest group of football players ever assembled on paper in this state.

Traditionally, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has at the beginning of each year produced a list of what we believe to be the best senior high school football players in the state. That’s not exactly what this is.

While most of the names you’ll find on this list certainly were fine high school players, that’s not why they’re included. This is intended to represent the 50 best “college football prospects” in the state. So it’s based as much on potential at the next level as much as it is high school production.

Leading the list was a trip of 5-star-rated recruits who remain undecided about their college choices. Carver-Columbus running back Isaiah Crowell gets the distinction of being the top prospect in the state. He’s …

AJC Super 11 tight end Jay Rome of Valdosta is one of 10 elite recruits from Georgia I'll be covering at the Under Armour All-America extravaganza in Orlando and St. Petersburg this week. (AJC photo by Jason Getz/jgetz@ajc.com)

Jay Rome, a five-star prospect and the No. 1 tight end in Georgia, had his choice of national all-star games in which to play. The NUC All-World Classic, the Offense-Defense Bowl and the U.S. Army All-American Bowl all sent him invitations. But Rome went with this week’s Under Armour All-America Game in Florida. He and nine other elite recruits from Georgia left for Orlando Friday.

“One of the main things is it’s closer to where I live,” the 6-foot-6, 240-pound high …

Five-star recruit Marcus Lattimore looks like he's going to be the man for South Carolina. (The State)

Third in a series . . .

This week, answers come.

Until now, the worth of “elite” prospects was based on high school production and perceived potential. Now we get to see for certain if they have what it takes to become college football’s new stars.

We’ll get our first glimpse Thursday night when South Carolina opens up against Southern Miss. Marcus Lattimore, the No. 1 running back in the country, according to Rivals.com, will suit up for the Gamecocks in the ESPN nationally-televised game. Georgia, which intensely recruited the 6-foot, 210-pound tailback, will get an in-person look at Lattimore next week.

So far Lattimore has done his part. He managed to get through preseason camp without injury and has pushed established players in front of him on the depth chart. He remains behind senior Brian Maddox and sophomore Kenny Miles on the depth chart and head coach Steve …

Whitefield Academy's Kennard Backman is interviewed by Ken Rodriguez during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl luncheon Monday at Fox Sports Grill. (Photo by Chip Towers)

Like I mentioned in yesterday’s Ten at 10, I attended the U.S. Army All-America luncheon at the Fox Sports Grill at Atlantic Station Monday as the 2011 nominees from Georgia were introduced.

I’d like to thank Dennis Caniglia, president of the Atlanta Touchdown Club and the Greater Atlanta Chapter of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame, and Erik Richards of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl and Football University, for the invitation and for the tremendous hospitality.

I interviewed a few of the guys afterward and you’ll see updates on them in the coming days and weeks. In case you missed it, I already posted a story on North Gwinnett quarterback C.J. Uzomah.

Meanwhile, Fox 5’s Ken Rodriguez served as Master of Ceremonies for the event and he actually interviewed all 20 nominees in attendance …

1. Watts Dantzler’s “Excellent Adventure” continues. The massive offensive tackle (6-7, 310) from Dalton took a trip up to Knoxville this past weekend to attend a Tennessee football practice. But just to keep us all guessing (actually it had nothing to do with “us”), he left UT and drove all the way back down to Athens to spend the night and hang out with friends at UGA. “It was good, it was real good,” Dantzler said of the Tennessee visit. “I got to meet all the coaches on the new coaching staff and that went over real well. There were only like two or three other prospects up there so it was real nice.” Dantzler, one of the top-rated offensive linemen in the state’s Class of 2011, has more than 20 scholarship offers and has been outspoken about his enjoyment of the recruiting process.

2. Don’t pencil in Stephon Tuitt on Tech’s list of commitments just yet. The Yellow Jackets do indeed lead for the services of the talented defensive end from Monroe Area, but …

Milton's Dai-Jon Parker has multiple scholarship options in both football and basketball. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

As a football prospect, Milton’s Dai-Jon Parker was one of Atlanta’s best-kept secrets.

The emphasis there should be on the past tense word – was.

“I’ve got about 900 pieces of [recruiting] mail for him sitting on my desk right now,” Milton football coach Scott Walker said Friday.

Parker’s name has been floating around in basketball circles for a while. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound shooting guard is rated a four-star prospect in hoops and just helped lead the Eagles to the Class AAAAA state championship. He led Milton with 19 points and six rebounds in the title game against Westlake.

But only recently has Parker emerged as a major football prospect. And that was his coach’s intention.

“To make a long story short, I haven’t said anything about him [as a football prospect] because I promised I wouldn’t until after basketball season,” said Walker, who just sent …

Dantzler's Top 40: This is the bulletin board in Watts Dantzler's bedroom. On it are the official team envelopes of schools from which he has received letters of interest. The black check marks signify an official offer. (Photo by Watts Dantzler)

It’s not long into an interview with Watts Dantzler before you realize you’re dealing with a different sort of college football prospect.

You’re thinking that after you hear how he’s sorting through his snowballing recruiting process. But then you’re sure of it when you get around to asking him if he’s involved in any spring sports such as track or baseball.

Dantzler

“I’m actually playing tennis right now,” said the 6-foot-7, 310-pound offensive lineman from Dalton. “I enjoy it and . . .”

It takes a second for that comment to resonate. So I interrupt him make sure I’ve heard him correctly.

“Tennis?” I ask, incredulous. “Like on the varsity tennis team?”

“Well, I’m on the JV right now,” Dantzler says. “I haven’t qualified for varsity …

The Georgia players tabbed so far are ATH Quan Bray of Hogansville (Callaway HS), RB Isaiah Crowell of Carver-Columbus, TE Jay Rome of Valdosta and DT Gabriel Wright of Carver-Columbus. Three of the four designees are members of the AJC’s “Tentative Top 10.”

Under Armour has designated only 23 All-Americans so far. There were 87 on last year’s final roster, including 12 from Georgia.

Following is the whole list:

Here are all the signings to date in the state of Georgia this year (sorted by high school classification and school) as complied by high school historian and AJC correspondent Steve Slay. The recruiting period continues until May 31 so it’s work in progress. Coaches, please be sure to let us know if one of your players is missing:

CLASS AAAAA

ALPHARETTA

Michael Bennett – Georgia

Justin Burns – Delaware

Connor Hollenbeck – Washington & Lee

Brandon Terry – Wake Forest

BERKMAR

Norman Booker – Hampton

BRADWELL INSTITUTE

Sheldon Barnes – Savannah State

Darvean Herron – Savannah State

Ulrick John – Georgia State

BROOKWOOD

Donovan Barker – Brevard

Julian Suber – Georgia Southern

CAMDEN COUNTY

Jeremiah Booth – Wofford

Ean Days – Illinois

Robert Gabriel – Carson-Newman

Zach Griffiths – Carson-Newman

Matt Jackson – South Carolina State

Glenn Mack – Georgia Military (JUCO)

Steven Murphy – South Carolina State

Derrick …

Ambles was a longtime Tennessee commitment until Kiffin and his staff bolted for the West Coast. Ambles immediately decommitted to the Vols, then took official visits to North Carolina, USC and then UT last weekend.

This was a huge get for coach Steve Spurrier, who was under a lot of pressure to land the state’s top player. Lattimore made the announcement before a packed crowd inside his church in Spartanburg. Here’s a link to the story in The State.

Lattimore at one time considered Georgia as well as Oregon and Penn State. It came down to Auburn and South Carolina. Some thought the Tigers might shoot up to No. 1 in the country if Lattimore had chosen them.

Stephenson's Mike Thornton is Atlanta's big fish that has yet to be reeled in. (AJC photo by Jason Getz)

It’s here!

National signing day has arrived and some of you are like a kid on Christmas morning. You can’t wait to rip open the packages under the tree to see what’s inside. Others of you feel like you’re getting ready to read a great mystery novel, eagerly anticipating some unexpected twists and turns and hoping for the big payoff in the end. Still others, might have an underlying sense of dread knowing your team didn’t close the deal Kid Bluechip, so the heck with the rest of the class.

Wherever you fall on that spectrum, you’re in the right place. Welcome to the AJC Recruiting Blog, which today might be called the “College Recruiting Nerve Center of Georgia.” From this place you’ll be able to monitor everything that happens recruiting-wise in our state today. We’ll be reporting player signings as soon as their letters-of-intent start whirring off the fax machines at 8 …

Will longtime Georgia commitment Da'Rick Rogers (21) of Calhoun make the leap to rival Tennessee on national signing day? It could happen. (Special photo by Lane Bearden)

CALHOUN — When Da’Rick Rogers sits down to make public his college decision on national signing day — if he in fact does it on that day — there will be at least two caps on the table in front of him. One from Georgia and one from Tennessee.

And there is a pretty good chance there will be a third one, too.

“Maybe Ohio State or something, just to throw everybody off,” he said with a laugh.

Rogers is a funny guy. He tries hard to keep things as light as he can these days. But the reality is Bulldogs’ fans probably don’t see much humor in the high-flying receiver’s recent decision to open up his recruitment to include the Vols.

Rogers, the No. 1-rated player in the AJC Top 50 state rankings and a UGA commitment since early June, decided last week to accompany Calhoun quarterback and best friend Nash Nance on an …

Permissible contact: This is a photo of North Gwinnett lineman JaWuan James posing with Orange Pride hostesses, including the controversial Lacey Earps (R), before the Vols game against Georgia on Oct. 10. James committed to Tennessee a short time later.

As it turns out, Georgia has committed just as many NCAA secondary violations as Tennessee in the past year.

Volunteers’ coach Lane Kiffin, once referred to in a Florida Times-Union headline as “Lane Violation,” has been hammered by the national media — and more than once in this space — for his penchant for breaking NCAA rules. Tennessee has been cited for six in the year since he was tabbed their new coach on Dec. 1, 2008. Now they face at least two more violations as the NCAA continues an ongoing inquiry into the possible misuse of recruiting hostesses, impermissible visits and other infractions.

Impermissible contact: This is the infamous photo of Byrnes players Brandon Willis and Corey Miller with UT hostesses Dahra …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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, …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

Thanks to M.L. King quarterback Cameron Myers, Southwest DeKalb defensive end T.J. Stripling had to take in a lot of water Friday night. (Photo by C. Towers)

This is not to demean either players’ abilities or reputations. In fact, you could see flashes that justified the fuss even as Brown struggled for 66 yards on 20 carries and Malcome 75 on 17. Brown had a spectacular 26-yard run for a touchdown that was called back for an illegal shift. And the majority of Malcome’s yards came after being hit at the line of scrimmage or behind. And you had to like the Knowshon Moreno-like, pop-up-and-walk Malcome threw in after a good gain.

Actually, the matchup that ended up holding the most intrigue for me was the battle …

These Stephenson players have either accepted scholarship offers or are actively being recruited. Included are Tyrone Cornileus (34), Doral White (57), Martin Adebowale (6), Kenneth Ladler (1), Denzel Hartley (15), Raymond Sanders (25), Jabari Johnson (3), Nathan Benford (8), Chris Sharpe (2) and Ronnie Shields (18). Photo by Chip Towers.

Stephenson’s Michael Thornton, arguably the top uncommitted prospect in the state, heads into the season with a giant chip on his shoulder.

Thornton didn’t like the fact that he was left off the AJC’s Super 11 team.

“I feel like I’m the top defensive tackle in the state,” said the 6-foot-2, 280-pound senior, who holds scholarship offers from Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn, Alabama and at least two dozen other schools. “But that’s just my opinion; that’s coming from me. So it kind of ticks me off a little bit, yeah. I felt like I deserved to be in there. But it doesn’t mean that much to me. I’m still going to college somewhere. I just want to …

According to assistant coach Corey Johnson, at least 16 Stephenson seniors are currently being recruited. At least 13 of those have garnered interest from what would be considered major Division I (or FBS) schools (SEC, ACC, Big East, Conference USA, etc.). And that doesn’t include some juniors and sophomores that are also getting looks.

Three of the Jaguars’ players have already committed to programs: LB Tyrone Cornileus (Miami), RB Raymond Sanders (Kentucky) and DB Kenneth Ladler (Vanderbilt). Another one, CB Chris Sharpe, appears on the verge of pledging to Louisville, though that’s just speculation at this point.

Of course, the one uncommitted Stephenson player everybody is interested in is defensive tackle Michael Thornton. The 6-foot-2, 280-pounder is being pursued by Georgia, Georgia Tech, Auburn and Alabama, among many others.

I’ll let …

Sandy Creek High's Rajion Neal has narrowed his choices to Kentuckly, Louisville and Mississippi State.

Rajion Neal is getting close to making a final decision on his college choice. But the Sandy Creek tailback is having a hard time pulling the trigger.

“I haven’t set a definite deadline,” Neal said Wednesday. “My parents are still up in the air and have some questions and we’re still doing some research. I planned to do it this weekend but now I’m not sure. I’d like to but I just don’t know.”

Neal’s problem is he has too many good options. He’s narrowed his decision down to (in no particular order) Kentucky, Louisville and Mississippi State. And all three want him badly.

What’s not to like? At 5-11, 190-pounds, Neal is a prototypical SEC tailback. He has legitimate SEC speed with a 4.4-second, 40-yard dash, according to Sandy Creek coach Chip Walker. Walker said Neal has “kind of flown below the radar” after an ankle injury limited his production to 800 yards rushing and 8 …

In any case, I found it interesting that just today, ESPN, the latest and certainly most formidable player in the recruiting game, has now adopted the star system for rating recruits. Previously it used the numerical grading system similar to the one favored by NFL scouts to rate players. ESPN, which co-ops with Scouts Inc. on its recruiting coverage, will continue to use the numerical ratings but will also include the more widely accepted and understood star system in its ESPNU 150 recruiting rankingsas well.

“The star system is …