Category: Recruiting

Wisconsin extends offer to 2021 tight end Thomas Fidone

Wisconsin extended an offer to four-star class of 2021 tight end Thomas Fidone on Tuesday.

After signing one of the top recruiting classes in school history last month (a group that will only get better if and when 4-star running back Jalen Berger makes it official by signing in February), Wisconsin looks poised to do so again in the class of 2021. However, while the Badgers are off to a fantastic start with that group, they have yet to secure a commitment from a tight end.

That’s where Paul Chryst and company are hoping Thomas Fidone will come in at some point down the line after extending an offer to the Council Bluffs, Iowa native on Tuesday.

The four-star prospect is one of the top tight ends in the 2021 class, currently sitting at No. 10 nationally at the position and No. 275 overall. Fidone’s offer list reflects that lofty ranking, with Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas State, LSU, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, Missouri, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, Purdue, Tennessee and West Virginia all beating Wisconsin to the punch in throwing their hats in the ring here.

The Badgers will face some stiff competition for Fidone’s services, particularly from the likes of Iowa, Nebraska and Michigan. The Hawkeyes could be particularly dangerous in their pursuit of the 6-5, 218-pounder given their success developing tight ends and sending them to the NFL, as well as their status as the home-state school.

Wisconsin’s eight-man 2021 class currently ranks No. 5 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten, per 247Sports. The group consists of four-star safety Hunter Wohler (Muskego, Wis.), three-star inside linebacker Bryan Sanborn (Lake Zurich, Ill.), three-star defensive end/outside linebacker Ayo Adebogun (Thiensville, Wis.), four-star offensive tackles JP Benzschawel (Grafton, Wis.) and Riley Mahlman (Lakeville, Minn.), three-star running backs Jackson Acker (Verona, Wis.) and Loyal Crawford (Eau Claire, Wis.) and three-star quarterback Deacon Hill (Santa Barbara, Calif.).

Hot Route! – Make That Four Offers to Georgia DL from Notre Dame on Tuesday

Victoine Brown is listed at 6-4, 225 pounds on his Rivals profile page.  The strong-side defensive end grades out as a three-star recruit by both Rivals and 247Sports. — @BrownVictoine

At this point it appears Notre Dame’s defensive line coach Mike Elston is considering purchasing real estate in the state of Georgia.

News came out in the late morning Tuesday that Elston and Notre Dame had offered scholarships to three different defensive line prospects in the 2021 recruiting class.

As it turns out there were actually four.

While you’re busy firing up Ray Charles’s “Georgia on my Mind” or perhaps Alan Jackson’s “Chatahoochee”, here’s a bit of information on the fourth, and we believe final, Georgia high schooler to be offered by Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Victoine Brown is listed at 6-4, 225 pounds on his Rivals profile page.  The strong-side defensive end grades out as a three-star recruit by both Rivals and 247Sports.

Brown hails from Loganville, Georgia and already holds scholarship offers from the likes of Florida, LSU, Minnesota, Nebraska, Tennessee, Louisville and Georgia Tech among plenty of others.

Rivals currently ranks Brown as the 29th top strong-side defensive end in the 2021 recruiting class.

Brown was one of four Georgia high school defensive linemen to receive scholarship offers from Notre Dame on Tuesday.  The list of who joins him includes:

Others include:
Noah Collins – Weakside Defensive End
Jonathan Jefferson – Defensive Tackle
Joshua Robinson – Weakside Defensive End

Notre Dame Offers Three Tuesday – Third and Final Writeup is of (Other) ’21 Georgia Defensive End

Collins was one of four defensive linemen from the state of Georgia to receive an offer from Mike Elston and Notre Dame on Tuesday. 

If you’ve been paying attention to Notre Dame recruiting at all this Tuesday you’ve seen a very busy day for Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish.

High school teammates and defensive linemates Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Jefferson were offered Tuesday as defensive line coach Mike Elston attempts to stack his defensive line prospects in the 2021 class.

Joining both Robinson and Jefferson was Noah Collins, a taller but thinner defensive end prospect also from Snellville, Georgia.

Collins has an impressive list of programs pursuing his services as Florida, LSU, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Nebraska, Michigan State and plenty of others have already offered him scholarships.

Collins was one of four defensive linemen from the state of Georgia to receive an offer from Mike Elston and Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Others include:
Victoine Brown – Strong-Side Defensive End
Jonathan Jefferson – Defensive Tackle
Joshua Robinson – Weakside Defensive End

Notre Dame Offers Three Tuesday – Next Up is ’21 Georgia Defensive Tackle

Jonathan Jefferson, a 6-4, 278 pound defensive tackle was among the three prospects to get offered in the 2021 class by Notre Dame on Tuesday.

As Notre Dame attempts to compile talent along their defensive front in the 2021 recruiting class, they made an offer to one of the nation’s most-desired defensive tackles in the class.

Jonathan Jefferson, a 6-4, 278 pound defensive tackle was among the three prospects to get offered in the 2021 class by Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Jefferson, a high school defensive line-mate of Joshua Robinson at Douglas County High School in Douglasville, Georiga who was also offered by Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Rivals ranks Jefferson as a top-200 player nationally and the 15th best defensive tackle in the 2021 class.

For a temperature guage on how sought-after Jefferson is look no further than his list of offers already, which come from over 40 programs including most of the elites like Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M and plenty of others.

Notre Dame Offers Three Tuesday – First Up is ’21 Georgia Defensive End

Notre Dame becomes the 19th program to offer a scholarship with Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska being a few of the biggest programs in on the defensive end

Notre Dame’s 2021 recruiting class is off to a solid start offensively but has lacked bodies on the defensive side, having just one commit in the current seven body class.

Brian Kelly and the Irish appear to be trying to change that as a flurry of scholarship offers were made to 2021 defensive linemen on Tuesday.

Joshua Robinson, a 6-4, 225 pound weakside defensive end from Douglas County High School in Douglas, Georgia posted to Twitter about the latest scholarship he was offered on Tuesday morning.

Rivals ranks Robinson as the 18th best weakside defensive end in the 2021 recruiting class while Notre Dame becomes the 19th program to offer a scholarship with Florida, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska being a few of the biggest programs in on the defensive end.

Robinson was the first of three defensive linemen to receive a scholarship offer from Notre Dame on Tuesday.

Tennessee offers 2021 outside linebacker

Tennessee offers 2021 outside linebacker.

Tennessee issued a scholarship offer for 2021 outside linebacker Jabril McNeill out of Raleigh, N.C. on Sunday.

McNeill is a three-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite, and rated as the No. 46 outside linebacker in the country from Sanderson High School in North Carolina.

At 6-foot-3, 206-pounds, McNeill has slowly — but surely — gathered offers from Power 5 programs in recent months.

South Carolina, Appalachian State, Virginia Tech, NC State and Wake Forest are the other schools vying for McNeill’s services.

McNeill has the measurables to be a powerful edge rusher in Jeremy Pruitt and Derrick Ansley’s 3-4 defense.

The Vols will lose Darrell Taylor to the 2020 NFL Draft, but return nearly all of its 2019 production from the second level of the defense.

Tennessee offers 2021 wide receiver

Tennessee offers 2021 wide receiver.

Tennessee is on the board for 2021 wide receiver Christian Lewis out of Alabama, according to his Twitter account.

Out of Pleasant Grove, Ala., Lewis is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound three-star prospect rated as the No. 65 wide receiver in the country on the 247Sport Composite.

Tennessee is the second SEC program on Lewis’ list, joining Kentucky. Georgia Tech, Iowa, Nebraska and West Virginia are also on the list for Lewis’ services.

He caught 62 passes for Pleasant Grove High School during his junior in 2019, totaling 1,215 yards and 16 touchdowns.

Wide receiver is a position group that is currently up in the air for Tennessee, as the Vols lost seniors Marquez Callaway and Jauan Jennings after the 2019 season.

Tennessee offers 2021 dual-threat quarterback

Tennessee offers 2021 dual-threat quarterback.

With a crowded quarterback room going into the 2020 season, Tennessee has enough options to choose from before the Vols kick off against Charlotte in September.

Tennessee is pursuing another signal-caller to add into the mix, as the Vols offered 2021 dual-threat quarterback Kaidon Salter on Tuesday.

Salter is a three-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite, rated as the No. 19 dual-threat prospect in his class.

Out of Cedar Hill, Texas, Tennessee will have to fend off some in-state programs as the newcomers in Salter’s recruitment. Salter holds offers from Baylor and Houston, as Tennessee is the first SEC school to officially extend a scholarship.

Tennessee’s coaching staff has shown it will bring in quarterbacks of several different skill sets, as the current situation has players that were rated as both pro-style and dual-threat quarterbacks throughout their recruitment.

Tennessee adds offer for 2020 offensive lineman

Tennessee adds offer for 2020 offensive lineman.

Tennessee is still looking to add to its 2020 recruiting class as the February signing day approaches, and the Vols put an offer on the table for Mississippi offensive tackle Dylan Spencer.

Spencer is a three-star prospect on the 247Sports Composite, at 6-foot-3 and 300-pounds.

He is the former high school teammate of dual-threat quarterback Jimmy Holiday, who came onto campus as an early enrollee in early January. The pair played high school football at Madison Central High School in Madison, Miss.

Spencer is currently committed in-state to Southern Mississippi, but clearly has not shut down his recruitment. The 2022 lineman also has offers from Kansas, Missouri, Mississippi State and Central Arkansas.

Tennessee hosts 2022 kicker over the weekend

Tennessee hosts 2022 kicker over the weekend.

Tennessee returns senior kicker Brent Cimaglia in 2020.

Cimaglia converted on 23 of his 27 attempts in 2019. He is one of the top returning kickers in the SEC, but the Vols are already planning for the future when it comes to placekicking.

Tennessee hosted kicker Will Bettridge on campus over the weekend, in hopes to reel in the Miami, Fla. native for the 2022 recruiting class.

Rated as the No. 10 kicker in the country in his class by the Kohl’s kicking service, Bettridge knocked through four of his four attempts during his sophomore season with Gulliver Prep.

In a weekend where Bettridge visited Auburn, South Carolina and Tennessee, the rising high school junior is beginning to attract looks from top programs around the country.