Archive for the ‘Vanderbilt’ Category

Engaged: New Vandy DB commit Taurean Ferguson with Commodores coach James Frankin (Photo owned and submitted by the Ferguson family. Note: This photo was not arranged, publicized, owned or submitted by Vanderbilt)

Published at 4:39 p.m. Saturday

Vanderbilt coach James Franklin is trying to build a fence around Georgia.

Taurean Ferguson, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound cornerback from Jonesboro High School, committed to Vanderbilt on Saturday while touring the campus. He picked the Commodores over Ole Miss, Wake Forest and Cincinnati.

“I picked Vanderbilt because I looked at it as four years to set myself up for the next 40 years,” Ferguson told the AJC. “I’m going there for the education and sports.”

Four out of Vanderbilt’s five commitments for its 2013 football recruiting class are from the state of Georgia, including three within the last week. The highest –profile Georgia recruit is Cedar Grove High School’s Johnathon McCrary, the 4-star QB who picked the Commodores over UGA …

Continue reading Engagement Announcement: Vandy and another Georgia recruit »

QB or DB? Henry County's Chris Moody (Photo by 247Sports.com)

There were two surprises about Chris Moody’s commitment to Vanderbilt on Sunday.

The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder from Henry County High School pledged to Vanderbilt after taking an official visit to the SEC school this weekend, according to ESPN.

The first surprise was that Vanderbilt beat out South Carolina, which was considered the longtime frontrunner for Moody. He also took official visits to Central Florida and South Florida.

The second surprise was that Vanderbilt may let Moody play QB. That was his high school position but many schools – including Vanderbilt, at first – recruited Moody as an “athlete” to play WR or DB.

“I think Vanderbilt is an outstanding academic institution and that coach James Franklin does a real good job up there,” Henry County coach Mike Rozier said. “So I believe Chris will proper in both area, academically and athletically, by playing in the SEC under James …

Continue reading QB-DB Chris Moody picks Vanderbilt over South Carolina »

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UGA will get its best shot at one of the state’s top uncommitted football prospects next week.

Chaz Elder, a defensive back from Banneker High School, will take his official visit to UGA on Dec. 9. It is the biggest recruiting weekend of the year for the Bulldogs, which have 15 commitments and are trying to land as many as 10 more.

What’s the deal with Elder? It appears to be a two-team race between a pair of SEC East schools, South Carolina and UGA. The Gamecocks have been the longtime frontrunners for the 6-foot-2, 180-pounder, who took an official visit to South Carolina last weekend.

“It’s still the same; it looks like he’s still South Carolina’s to lose,” Banneker assistant Ryan Andrews said. “He loved his visit to South Carolina, he loved being at the game when they played Clemson. He was impressed with atmosphere and had a blast. South Carolina is looking to start him …

Continue reading Chaz Elder: South Carolina leads UGA for DB »

2013 Grayson RB Wayne Gallman claims early offers from Georgia Tech, Clemson, Auburn and Vanderbit (AJC)

Georgia Tech has offered one of the state’s top 2013 prospects at running backs.

Grayson High School junior Wayne Gallman said Georgia Tech is one of four early offers, along with Clemson, Auburn and Vanderbilt.

“Georgia Tech said they like me at running back; they just said they really like how I play and they would like to have me there,” Gallman told the AJC.

“I know Georgia Tech is a good team and a place where you can get a very good education. I watch them on TV sometimes. They are pretty good.”

The 6-foot-1, 195-pound Gallman starts at both ways for Grayson, which plays host to West Forsyth on Friday in the Class AAAAA quarterfinals. His teammate at Grayson is defensive end Robert Nkemdiche, the No. 1-ranked junior in the country, according to 247sports.com.

Gallman got some props of his own, according to Grayson coach Mickey Conn, when Oklahoma called last …

Continue reading Wayne Gallman talks about football offers from Georgia Tech, Auburn, Clemson and Vandy »

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 »

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Several of Stephenson High School’s top football prospects make cameo appearances in a rap video hyping up Friday’s matchup against M.L. King.

The pair of 9-0 undefeated teams will square off at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Hallford Stadium in a game which will also be broadcast live by CSS-TV Comcast Ch. 45.

Stephenson is a candidate to lead the nation this February with the number of seniors signing football scholarships with FBS schools with 11 currently, including AJC Super 11 defensive end Jarontay Jones (committed to Virginia Tech).

Back to the rap video: Linebacker Raphael Kirby steals the show with his swift dance moves. He committed to Miami last spring without ever visiting the ACC school but started looking at other schools at other schools after NCAA allegations swirled around the …

Continue reading Stephenson football prospects appear in rap video about Friday’s showdown with M.L. King »

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Georgia Tech made a big impression on one of the state’s top running backs.

Shadrach Thornton of Liberty County High School committed early to Kentucky but decided to finish out his official visits. He traveled to Vanderbilt and N.C. State, while saving his last recruiting trip for Georgia Tech this past weekend.

“Right now, my top two are Vandy and Georgia Tech,” Thornton told the AJC. “They stuck out to me the most when I took my visits there. That’s why they are my top two.”

What about his commitment to Kentucky? Thornton already admitted weeks ago that perhaps he rushed his decision and that it was a “soft” commitment. Is he still committed in some form or fashion to Kentucky? “I have to get in touch with them and let them how I am feeling,” Thornton said. “I don’t believe in stringing anybody along. I have to talk to them before I say anything.”

Liberty …

Continue reading Georgia Tech makes big impression on RB committed to Kentucky »

Paul Johnson scored points with recruits with Georgia Tech's upset over Clemson on Saturday (AJC)

Georgia Tech had its biggest and best recruiting turnout of the year for Saturday’s upset over Clemson.

More than two dozen of the state’s top college prospects turned out for the game, including Allatoona High School running back Miles Jones.

“It was a pretty lively atmosphere for college football,” Jones told the AJC. “Everybody was pretty excited. There were a lot of people there. The place was packed, and it was loud. I liked it a lot. It made you want to go out on the field and play yourself.”

Around 10 Georgia Tech commitments for 2012 showed up on Saturday, including Central Gwinnett defensive end Francis Kallon, Sandy Creek offensive lineman Will Adams, and running back Marcus Allen of Hilliard, Fla.

Sandy Creek cornerback Shaquille Wiggins and Tri-Cities offensive lineman Shamire Devine were among a select group of the state’s top juniors who attended the …

Continue reading Will Georgia Tech offer Allatoona RB Miles Jones? »

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Shadrach  Thornton, who is a candidate to be Georgia’s No. 1 prospect at running back, will make an official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend.

The 6-foot-1, 200-pounder from Liberty County High School is a “soft verbal commitment” to Kentucky, picking the Wildcats while visiting there last month. “Even when I made that commitment to Kentucky, I felt like I made a haste decision,” Thornton told the AJC. He vowed to finish out his recruiting trips, visiting N.C. State and Vanderbilt after Kentucky. Georgia Tech will be his fourth and final official visit.

“Georgia Tech gave me a scholarship offer this past summer,” Thornton said. “They had been looking at me for two years and when I went to camp last summer, that was the first time that coach [Paul Johnson] got to see me in person. I went to camp to have fun, and they really liked what I did up there …

Continue reading RB Shadrach Thornton will make official visit to Georgia Tech this weekend »

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Will Johnson, a speedy cornerback from Chattahoochee High School, is one of the state’s hottest senior prospects.

College scouts are still learning about Johnson, who is a former basketball point guard playing only his second year of football. He first caught the attention of recruiters after being clocked at 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash at Vanderbilt camp this summer, and has followed it up with a breakout senior season as the most dominating player for Chattahoochee, the defending Class AAAA state champions.

The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Johnson will be one of the featured prospects when Chattahoochee plays at South Forsyth at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The game will be broadcast live on WSB-TV’s digital channel 2.2 and on www.wsbtv.com.

“I’ve been fortunate over the years at Chattahoochee and as an assistant at Tucker, Camden County and Burke County to have I think …

Continue reading Speedy Chattahoochee DB catches attention of Georgia Tech and UGA after breakout senior year »