Category: Recruiting

Texas offers 2022 defensive tackle from Louisiana

Texas has offered 2022 DT Shone Washington from New Orleans. Currently unranked, Washington has already picked up six SEC offers.

Texas has offered 2022 defensive tackle Shone Washington from New Orleans, Louisiana. While he not currently rated by the top recruiting sites, Washington has already picked up six SEC offers.

Continue reading “Texas offers 2022 defensive tackle from Louisiana”

Ohio State included in final four of top receiver in the 2021 class

Ohio State was included in the final four schools announced by the top receiver in the class of 2021.

Ohio State football already has an impressive recruiting haul for the 2021 class, but it’s still in line to get several other high-profile prospects. One of those is five-star receiver Emeka Egbuka out of Steilacoom High School in Washington state, and there is apparently mutual interest.

At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Egbuka is ranked as the No. 1 wide receiver in the entire class and eighth overall prospect in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Index.

Egbuka dropped his final four schools on his Twitter profile Friday, and the Buckeyes are included. The other three schools are Washington, Clemson, and Oklahoma.

According to 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions, Ohio State leads with 91 percent of the picks, but we all know how that can go. We’ll continue to monitor if any announcement appears imminent.

 

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BREAKING: 4-star safety Kaine Williams commits to Alabama

On Friday evening, 4 star safety Kaine Williams made an announcement via twitter, that he committed to the Crimson Tide.

On Friday evening, 4 star safety Kaine Williams made an announcement via twitter, that he committed to the Crimson Tide.

Williams, who is from Marrero, Louisiana, played at John Ehret High School.

He chose Alabama over his other two finalists, LSU and Texas A&M.

According to 247 Sports, Williams is the 6th best recruit of the 2021 recruit in Louisiana, and is also the 5th best safety nationally, and is also ranked 141st overall.

In two seasons, Williams racked up 123 tackles and 10 interceptions.

At 6-foot-2, and 205 pounds, this is a fantastic pick up for the Crimson Tide.

247Sports has this to say about Williams:

“Big-framed safety with good height and bulk relative to the position. Owns virtually college-ready size at safety and could grow into hybrid player or true off-line linebacker. Rangy at the back end and instinctive in coverage. Big production as a sophomore with six INT’s. Dipped slightly as a junior but still good production. Has consistently shown good ball skills, as evidenced by 10 INT’s in two seasons. Willing participant against the run with encouraging pursuit ability and closing speed. Generally delivers some pop upon arrival. Needs to improve consistency with tackling technique as he sometimes hunts for the big hit. Takes chances as a tackler. Athleticism lacks context. No verified 40 or track times. Owns free safety traits but frame could dictate a move closer to the line of scrimmage. May ideally be a scheme fit. Talented back seven prospect who projects to Power Five level possible long-term NFL Draft ceiling.”

Roll Tide Wire will continue to keep you up to date with the very latest regarding Alabama’s 2021 signing class.

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Who Do The Irish Turn to Now at Offensive Tackle in ’21 Class?

Although Notre Dame missed out on Florida’s offensive tackle Caleb Johnson, there are still plenty of big fish out there.

The Irish missed out on one of their top offensive line targets today when Florida offensive tackle Caleb Johnson committed to Auburn. Johnson would have been a nice addition to the already committed tackle Blake Fisher and guard Pat Coogan and now Brian Kelly and offensive line coach Jeff Quinn will turn their attention to other prospects.

Of the current offensive tackles that have Irish offers it seems as if Pennsylvania’s Nolan Rucci is the biggest fish out there. A massive 6’8” frame is the prototype for a tackle and at 290-pounds Rucci looks skinny. Rucci should be first off the bus when his high school travels, he’s just a massive human. He moves extremely well for his size and will be able to add on good weight and end up around 320-pounds. Kelly and Quinn should turn the heat up on Rucci’s recruitment after the Irish were included in his Top 9 released last month.

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Staying with tackles the Irish realistically have a chance at securing a commit from, Texas’ Matthew Wykoff should be next on the list. The 6’6” and 300-pound Texan released a Top 7 without the Irish on it, but don’t worry, that was prior to getting an offer and making an impression on the young man. It will be hard to get him out of Texas, but if Brian Polian, who is his lead recruiter, can get in his ear often, the Irish will have a shot with Wykoff.

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Out east in Connecticut is another massive tackle in Tristan Bounds. Another first off the bus guy for his high school, Bounds stands also at 6’8” and weights 285-pounds. The Irish have made his Top 8 list and have a great shot at the bookend tackle. Bounds might not be as highly ranked as the other two tackles the Irish are persuing, but that shouldn’t matter much. He is talented and have a very high ceiling, even if he needs a few years to get acclimated to this level.

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As for guards, the Notre Dame staff has extended only three offers, Texas’ Donovan Jackson committed to Ohio State while Coogan verballed to the Irish last month. Michigan’s Rocco Spindler is the lone man standing at guard and the main competition looks to be from Michigan. Spindler will trim his list down from 10 schools to 5 a week from today, and expect the Irish to make the cut for the 6’4” and 290-pound prospect.

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The Irish have a great shot with all four of these prospects and there is bound to be a few new prospects that pop up between now and signing day. I am a huge fan of the way Kelly is attacking the offensive line, go after as many tackles as possible and if they need to move to guard, it’s a much easier transition. If I had to make a guess as to who the Irish end up with to finish the 2021 offensive line class it would be Spindler and Bounds. Time will tell if I am right, but the Irish are in good position with each of these prospects.

Wisconsin extends offer to a 2022 four-star RB out of North Carolina

The Badgers offer another 2022 playmaker

The Badgers 2022 offer train kept rolling today as Wisconsin offered another RB in the class. Wisconsin extended an offer to four-star RB Omarion Hampton from the state of North Carolina per his Twitter account.

247sports ranks Hampton as a four-star recruit and as the number four player in the state of North Carolina in 2022. The Clayton, NC. (Cleveland) native currently holds offers from the likes of Michigan, Duke, and Miami. At 6-foot and with a 215-pound frame, Hampton has a combination of size and speed that makes him a dangerous combo runner and a threat as a special teams returner at the high school level.

Check out Hampton’s sophomore season highlights via Hudl:

 

 

Clayton Smith commits to Oklahoma over Texas, LSU

2021 4* OLB Clayton Smith has committed to play at Oklahoma. Smith is the Sooners’ top-ranked defensive player in the 2021 recruiting class.

Another in-state prospect will be leaving the state of Texas, with 2021 four-star outside linebacker Clayton Smith going north of the border to Norman. The top-rated linebacker in the state, Smith is Oklahoma’s top-ranked defensive player in the 2021 class.

According to the 247Sports composite, Smith is the eighth-ranked outside linebacker in the country and the 17th ranked overall player in the state of Texas. Smith chose the Sooners over Florida State, Kentucky, LSU, Oregon, and Texas.

12 out of the top 20 players in the state of Texas have committed so far, with seven going out of state. LSU and Oklahoma have landed a couple prospects, while Ohio State and USC have also entered the Lone Star State.

Despite Smith and four-star wide receiver Mario Williams committing today, Oklahoma still ranks third in the Big 12 for the 2021 recruiting cycle. Texas and Baylor both sit ahead of the Sooners, as the Longhorns continue to have the only five-star commitment in the conference.

As for recruiting more outside linebackers in the 2021 class, Texas may be set with what they have. Four-star Derrick Harris Jr. has been committed since August 3, 2019, while three-star Morice Blackwell committed earlier this month.

Three-star Terrance Cooks is 100% towards the Longhorns on 247Sports Crystal Ball, but Tom Herman may be set with the recruits the have at the position.

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2021 Recruiting: Nation’s Top Wide Receiver Makes College Choice

Mario Williams, Jr. is regarded as the best prospect in Florida in 2021 and the nation’s best wide receiver. What school did he commit to?

Mario Williams, Jr., ESPN’s top rated receiver in the 2021 recruiting class and their 16th ranked player overall has made his college decision and will be headed to help one of the nation’s great annual offenses.

The 5-10 Williams announced Friday that he’ll play his college football at Oklahoma, the school he chose over Georgia, Florida, LSU and Alabama.  The top-ranked 2021 prospect from Florida may only be 5-10 and 165 pounds but is expected to fit perfectly in Oklahoma’s wide open, pass happy offense.

Williams joins Cody Jackson, a four-star receiver and ESPN’s 121st ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class.  The Sooners now have five commitments ranked in the ESPN300.

Currently Notre Dame stands with a class regarded by most as a top ten group in all of college football.  They have just one wide receiver commitment however, Lorenzo Styles, Jr. who is ranked as the 243rd overall player by ESPN.

5-star UGA QB commit Brock Vandagriff recruits nation’s No. 2 TE to Georgia

Georgia football’s 5-star QB commit Brock Vandagriff tweets at No. 2 TE in 2021 class in an effort to recruit the top players in the country

Georgia’s 5-star 2021 quarterback commit Brock Vandagriff has been playing a big role in recruiting members of UGA’s 2021 recruiting class.

Vandagriff, from Bogart, Georgia, plays for Prince Avenue Christian School and is actively recruiting some of the most talented players in the 2021 class to play along side him at UGA.

Vandagriff tweeted at Brock Bowers, the nation’s No. 2 tight end in the 2021 class, recruiting him to Athens.

Bowers is from Napa, California, and listed at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds. He has over 20 offers, and Georgia appears to be the leader right now.

Vandagriff fancied the idea of a “Brock-to-Brock” connection in Athens down the road, which could be very fun to watch.

 

Oklahoma film room: What OU is getting in four-star OLB Clayton Smith

Oklahoma’s big Friday in the recruiting world continued as Clayton Smith committed just moments ago. Here is what OU is getting.

Two is better than one.

Oklahoma’s momentum on the recruiting trail is reaching the public. First, it was five-star wide receiver Mario Williams going public with his commitment. Now? It’s four-star outside linebacker Clayton Smith.

The Texarkana, Texas, native picked the Sooners over a final six that included LSU, Oregon, Florida State and Kentucky. Smith gives defensive coordinator Alex Grinch three head-to-head recruiting battles over Texas for four-star recruits out of the state of Texas since he arrived at Oklahoma in Jan. of 2019.

Here is what the Sooners are getting in the four-star outside linebacker.

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Just an impressive athlete. Great size. Great length. Explosive off the snap. Extremely high motor. Physical. His athleticism has allowed him to be able to out-athlete opponents. Needs to bend better around the edge. Little stiff at the hips. Doesn’t show much skill. Definitely a future edge rusher and that’s his best fit in Oklahoma’s defense. Extremely high ceiling, but a lower floor than I think many would like to see. Even better for the Sooners that he didn’t end up at Texas. Need to evaluate in person. 

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Big-Time Notre Dame O-Line Target Chooses Auburn

Caleb Johnson, a four-star offensive tackle from Florida made is college decision Friday and it came as a blow to Notre Dame.

For the second time in ten days one of Notre Dame’s most desired targets in the 2021 recruiting class has chosen to take his talents elsewhere.  Last week it was star running back Will Shipley choosing Clemson over the Irish, Friday afternoon it was offensive tackle Caleb Johnson committing to Auburn over Notre Dame.

The four-star offensive tackle chose Auburn and again, Notre Dame misses out on the second tackle they’ve been trying so hard to add to their ’21 class.  His commitment to Auburn bumps the Tigers from 48 in the 247Sports team rankings all the way to 35 as he’s their sixth overall commitment in the class.

You may see Johnson being a Florida guy staying in the southeast, but he grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana which gave many hope that he’d one day wear Notre Dame’s blue and gold uniforms.

The Notre Dame class remains at ten commitments with tackle Blake Fisher and guard Pat Coogan being the two on the offensive line.  Not that they aren’t already but I’d expect it to be all systems go on Pennsylvania product Nolan Rucci, a five-star tackle who recently included Notre Dame in his top nine.