Miami, USC lock up some key commitments
Memphis, Tenn., has a reputation built on two big things: Barbecue and Elvis Presley.
After this week, that reputation may need to be adjusted to include big-time football prospects.
Following LSU’s Saturday night win over Florida in Baton Rouge, La., the Tigers received some good news when 6-foot-6, 315-pound Memphis native Alex Hurst committed to LSU. Hurst’s commitment came just days after fellow Memphis star Antonio Harper committed to Miami to play linebacker.
Harper comes from Memphis’ Melrose High School, a program that has a history of producing talented athletes. The Hurricanes’ star freshman running back Graig Cooper came to Miami from Melrose after a detour through prep school.
Harper, a 6-foot-3, 220-pounder, is definitely a prospect to keep an eye on in Miami. His coach, Hubbard Alexander, thinks Harper has tremendous upside.
“He can run, he’s big and strong and has a feel for the football,” Alexander said. “He’s a big, rangy guy. He can outrun any quarterback, and gets after people.”
While Harper is far from the first Melrose prospect to hit the big stage, Hurst is the first from his high school - Memphis (Tenn.) Arlington – to play football in a BCS conference. In fact, Hurst will be one of the first graduates at all from the high school. At only two years old, Arlington is graduating its first senior class this spring.
“Before the school year ended he had offers from Ole Miss, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, LSU … Alabama came in and they were talking about offering him," Hurst’s coach, Chris Wiley, said. “Notre Dame is probably going to offer him even after this (commitment). Arkansas wanted him too, pretty much every SEC school."
Memphis has proven for years that there is talent in the city. As players like Harper and Hurst are unearthed to join prospects like Barrett Jones and Michael Oher, the West Tennessee city is proving to be a haven for football talent.
East
Marlton (N.J.) Cherokee athlete Lynell Payne took his third official visit over the weekend, this time to see Clemson.
“I’d give it a 10,” Payne said when asked to evaluate his trip. “I got to see everything I needed to see. From their style, to the team, and Coach (Tommy) Bowden is pretty down-to-earth.
“Game day atmosphere is really the difference for Clemson (over other visits Connecticut and Cincinnati).”
What’s next for Payne?
“Those are my top three right now,” he said. “I don’t have a leader. I’m going home to sit down and talk and think about everything. I might take another visit to Akron, but I’m not sure on that.”
TE to visit Stanford
Three-star tight end Quentin Williams has scheduled his first official visit for this weekend.
“I’m about to go on an official to Stanford,” he said. “That’ll be my first official, and it’s a really big visit. I’m interested in seeing whether it’s a good fit for me being that far away from home.”
Williams plans to schedule two more officials in the near future.
“I’m going to schedule ones to Boston College and Rutgers,” he said. “Rutgers will be after the season, while Boston College should be sometime this month.”
The Pittsburgh (Pa.) Central Catholic tight end maintains he’s still looking at Virginia Tech, Northwestern, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma to fill his other officials.
Linebacker Dwayne Beckford added a new offer recently from the Big East. “I got offered last week by Pittsburgh,” he said. “I don’t know too much about them, but I’m trying to learn more.” A few schools lead for the two-star prospect, including Purdue, Syracuse, Temple, Michigan State and Connecticut. Beckford plans to take an unofficial to Syracuse at the end of the month.
Heartland
Traditionally a hotbed for talent in the Metroplex area, Dallas (Texas) Skyline has another prospect emerging in the class of 2009. James White, 5-9 running back, recently picked up his first offer from the University of Colorado.
“I was excited, it being my first offer, knowing at the same time I’ve got a lot more to come,” White said.
While he is a big fan of Southern California, the speedy all-purpose back said that there is one school that is clearly at the top of the list.
“I really want to hear from LSU,” White said. “I’m getting letters and mail from them, but if LSU were to offer me right now I’d probably commit.”
Young Visitors
Texas and Texas A&M played host to top 2009 in-state targets for unofficial visits this weekend.
Though Texas played Oklahoma at a neutral site in Dallas, the designation as home team allowed the Longhorns to bring in some top prospects - such as 2009 Cedar Hill offensive tackle, Thomas Ashcraft.
Ashcraft has offers from all over the Big 12, including Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Nebraska. Next week, the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder will be in Norman visiting Oklahoma.
Texas A&M’s big guest handles the other side of the ball. Jamarkus McFarland, one of 2009’s top defensive line prospects, was a witness to the Aggies’ 24-23 win over Oklahoma State.
An offer from the sideline
Despite tearing his ACL during a preseason scrimmage, Carrollton (Texas) Creekview wide receiver Lonzie Range is getting plenty of recruiting interest.
Kansas had offered Range back in February, but has since cooled on him following his injury. However, Tulsa has now stepped into Kansas’ place, extending Range an offer at the end of September.
Range is also getting plenty of interest from North Texas, TCU and SMU, and expects more offers to flow in during his senior year.
Mid-Atlantic
Richmond (Va.) Monacan offensive tackle Justin Gilbert took his final visit over the weekend. The 6-foot-6, 280-pounder visited Maryland and committed while on the trip.
“I told Coach (Tom) Brattan, and then he took me to meet with Coach (Ralph) Friedgen,” Gilbert said. “They were both really happy and said it was a good day for Maryland. They got a win against Georgia Tech and they also landed their last offensive line commit.
“Coach Friedgen said I’m the type of character kid they want. He knows I’m a hard worker that'll stay on his grades, and he's really looking forward to coaching me the next few years.”
Gilbert is expected to redshirt his first year at Maryland.
Last week Washington (D.C.) Dunbar defensive end Ugochukwu Uzodinma took his second official, along with teammate Reggie Ellis, to Illinois. “The visit went great,” he said. “The game was good. The crowd was live and exciting, and Illinois is definitely on the up rise. They have so much talent on that team.” Uzodinma is favoring both of the schools he’s visited so far. “I’m very high on both Illinois and Virginia right now,” he said. “Illinois was definitely a good visit, and there are a lot of similarities between the trips. I’m up in the air now.” Uzodinma currently doesn’t have an offer from the Illini, but does have one from Virginia.
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