Tag: football recruiting

Florida high school football coach ousted after investigation into locker room hazing

Matt Dixon, the head football coach at Oviedo (Fla.) High School, was not retained Thursday after an investigation into alleged hazing practices.

A Florida high school football coach is out of his role leading the team after complaints about a form of hazing in the team’s locker room spilled out and led to pressure on the program.

RELATED: Oviedo football player alleges his brother

As reported by Orlando ABC affiliate WFTV, the Oviedo (Fla.) football program became engulfed in controversy over locker room physical interactions the student athletes called “code reds”, where veteran players targeted younger members of the team and forcibly touched them, sometimes holding them down and penetrating them.

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While three football players were suspended earlier in the football season for their role in the incidents, that only scratched the surface of a series of interactions for which school administrators interviewed more than 100 players.

In the aftermath of the investigation, Oviedo football coach Matt Dixon was not retained, though he is expected to remain as a teacher in the district.

The investigation into code reds was not Dixon’s first brush with administrative scorn; he and his assistants were allegedly issued warnings for their prolific use of foul language in front of players, the lone substantiated claim against the coach after one of his players accused Dixon and an assistant of bullying.

Now Dixon’s football future will have to come elsewhere if he hopes to continue coaching at the high school level.

Justin Fields’ mother, high school coach come clean on decommitment from Penn State

When Justin Fields first exploded on to the scene, he committed to Penn State. Six months later, he changed his mind. What happened? His mother and coach weighed in.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields has come a very long way in two calendar years. In his second collegiate season at his second school, Fields is an outside Heisman Trophy candidate. Two years ago he was wrapping up his career as a high school phenom at Harrison High School (Kennesaw, Ga.).

Fields first committed to Penn State. The Nittany Lions were one of the first prominent Power 5 programs to chase Fields following a breakout 10th grade campaign, and he felt a bond with then-Penn State offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead. Despite the geographic distance from Georgia to Happy Valley, Penn State felt like a fit.

So what happened to convince Fields to head instead to Athens, Ga.? The Cleveland Plain Dealer connected with Fields’ mother and his high school coach, Matt Dickmann, to get to the bottom of his decision.

The first major driver of his decision? Concern about Moorhead’s longterm future.

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“His offensive mind for me was like, OK, you can excel under this coaching” Fields’ mother Gina Tovey told the Plain Dealer. “But we knew how good he was, and we read that he was a target for a head coaching job. As much as he said, ‘No, no, I’m not going to do it, we were like, I think it’s coming sooner rather than later, and then we don’t know what what we have.

“So that was one of the deciding factors as far as decommitting goes.”

The other major factor? A sudden tsunami of interest from the nation’s other major programs. In the end he picked Georgia, the SEC power next door, though his inability (or Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s unwillingness) to unseat Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm precipitated Fields’ offseason transfer to Ohio State.

That has in turn brought him full circle, to an Ohio State-Penn State where he’s suddenly lining up on an opposite sideline than he expected.

“I think coach Franklin’s a good coach, and I had a great relationship with coach Moorhead,” Fields told the media after a 56-21 victory at Rutgers. “I know a good amount of the (players), so just have having those relationships. I still talked to a few of them. They’re all great guys over there.”

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WATCH: 4-star LSU DT commit Jacobian Guillory squats 700 pounds

What makes LSU defensive line commit Jacobian Guillory such a dominant prospect? His strength, which he builds up in part by performing wild leg max lifting days like this 700-pound effort.

LSU is having a heck of a season. In addition to taking a dominant lead in the College Football Playoff standings, the Tigers are also in the midst of a major recruiting surge. One of their prized members of the Class of 2020 is four-star in-state defensive lineman Jacobian Guillory, of Alexandria (La.) High School.

Guillory stands 6-foot-2, 330 pounds and may already be stronger than his frame. Much of that comes from his natural, god-given strength. The rest comes from workouts like this:

Yup, that’s Guillory squatting an astronomical 700 pounds, and lifting it like it’s no big deal. Bing, bang, boom.

Guillory’s Alexandria team is still in the state playoffs, so he’s still got plenty to fight for before he heads to Baton Rouge. Not that he would stop power lifting under either circumstance. He didn’t get to lift 700 pounds by skipping any scheduled leg days or max days. Keep them coming.

Four-star Texas ATH Christian Gonzalez commits to Colorado

The Colony two-way star Christian Gonzalez committed to Colorado Monday while backing away from his prior commitment to Purdue.

Colorado has landed another four-star commitment to its football Class of 2020 and — surprise, surprise — it’s another star from Texas.

For the sixth time in the Class of 2020, Colorado has landed a prospect from the Lone Star state. For the first time, it’s a four-star recruit, and a major boon to the school’s incoming class.

Christian Gonzalez, the four-star athlete prospect for The Colony (Texas) High School, has committed to Colorado ahead of Purdue, where he had previously committed, and a host of other major Division I scholarship offers. A two-way star in Texas, Gonzalez caught 40 passes for 706 yards and 12 touchdowns and carried the ball 11 times for 119 yards and one TD.

Despite his most notable contributions coming on offense, Gonzalez was expected to emerge as a defensive back prospect in Boulder. An athlete recruit, his future could still come on either side of the ball next year, and Colorado’s use of former Buffs wide receiver Darrin Chiaverini could indicate that Mel Tucker’s program sees him as a potential game-breaking wide receiver.

No matter where he eventually plays on the field, getting a commitment from Gonzalez is a big deal for Colorado. The sixth of 20 Colorado commits in the Class of 2020 from the state of Texas, Gonzalez is just the second four-star recruit to join the class.

Meanwhile, that Gonzalez marks the 22nd Colorado commitment from Texas dating back to 2017 makes clear just how reliant the Buffs have become on Lone Star state talent regardless of which coach is at the helm.

Oklahoma lands commitment from 4-star Texas WR Marvin Mims

Marvin Mims, the four-star senior wide receiver for undefeated Frisco (Texas) Lone Star High, agreed to join Oklahoma with a Thursday night commitment.

Oklahoma’s Texas receiver recruiting pipeline continues to produce, with another four-star pass catcher from the Lone Star State on his way to the Sooners.

Marvin Mims, a four-star wide receiver for Frisco (Texas) Lone Star High School, committed to Oklahoma on Thursday evening. The 5-foot-11, 161-pound Under Armour All-American picked the Sooners ahead of scholarship offers from Colorado, Stanford and a whopping 27 other major programs.

The District 5-5A-I Offensive MVP as a junior, Mims had 1,158 yards and 14 touchdowns in his penultimate high school campaign. A previous Stanford commit, Mims picked Oklahoma after a recent visit to Norman. His commitment to Oklahoma will allow Mims to focus on his 10-0 Lone Star team’s run at a state title, a pursuit toward which he has gained 1,866 yards and 24 touchdowns on 73 receptions as a senior.

It’s unknown whether Mims will graduate early and begin his Oklahoma career in January or continue on with his final scholastic basketball season; as a junior, he averaged 12 points-per-game on the basketball court.

Now, the focus turns back to the football field, and not a moment too soon; Lone Star returns to action in the Class 5A state playoffs against Mansfield (Texas) Legacy High.

North Shore (Texas) 4-star 2021 QB Dematrius Davis commits to Virginia Tech

Dematrius Davis, the athletic and influential dual-threat quarterback for defending Texas state champion North Shore, committed to Virginia Tech’s Class of 2021 ahead of numerous other scholarship offers from power programs.

Virginia Tech has lured one of the statement recruits of Justin Fuente’s tenure, but he won’t arrive on campus for more than a year.

Dematrius Davis, the four-star quarterback of 2018 USA TODAY Super 25 national runners-up North Shore (Houston, Texas), committed to Virginia Tech ahead of 21 other scholarship offers from elite programs. Davis is the third member of Virginia Tech’s Class of 2021 and the highest-rated quarterback commit under Fuente’s tenure, per 247Sports.

Chosen 25: 2020 Football Recruiting Rankings

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound signal caller is already one of the most explosive offensive football players in the Lone Star State, and could compete for playing time soon after arriving on campus. He’s a top-five rated dual-threat quarterback in his graduating class and a top-25 overall prospect from Texas in the Class of 2021.

Davis announced his decision in a video posted to Twitter that showcased a personal workout, followed by a brief track sprint and zippered sweatshirt reveal of a Virginia Tech shirt.

The influence of Davis’ commitment could go far beyond his ability on the field. By joining Virginia Tech’s class now, he could prove an influential draw for other elite players, and particularly other Texas prospects who might be looking for other options outside the crowded Texas programs in the Big XII and Texas A&M, which plays in the ACC.

That’s for the future. For now, Davis has plenty of work at hand in the Texas state playoffs. North Shore is scheduled to face Dobie (Houston, Texas) in a home playoff game Friday, Nov. 15 as their title defense gets started.

Four-star Brooklyn RB Lamy Constant commits to West Virginia

West Virginia finally added a bit of 4-star quality to its class of 2020 with the commitment of Lamy Constant, a star running back from Brooklyn.

It hasn’t been a positive or smooth football season at West Virginia.Yet the Mountaineers finally caught a positive break on Tuesday with the commitment of four-star running back Lamy Constant.

A 6-foot, 186-pound star for Canarsie High School in Brooklyn, Constant picked the Mountaineers ahead of Michigan, LSU, Baylor and numerous other power 5 programs. He told 247Sports that he actually made the decision after visiting West Virginia and spending time with the coaching staff. He told the West Virginia staff about his decision then, but only came public with it on Tuesday.

“I was really comfortable the time I was there,” Constant told 247Sports. “I am not going to say I fell for the car salesman pitch. None of that. I really felt like it was genuine and it honestly was, from coach (Neal) Brown to (running backs) coach (Chad) Scott, with how they spoke.

“I like just how genuine (Brown) seemed to be from beyond the aspect of being an athlete and being a football player,” Constant said. “He wanted me to know that me coming here and being a part of this program, I was going to become a better person.”

That’s ok for Constant, who said that early playing time in Morgantown was a critical factor in his decision.

“They have a lot of young guys on offense who are thriving,” he said. “That is definitely appealing to me since I want to come in and contribute as soon as possible.”

Four-star Louisiana RB Ashaad Clayton commits to Colorado

Colorado landed its biggest recruiting blow of the Class of 2020 thus far with the commitment of Louisiana 4-star RB Ashaad Clayton, the Warren Easton star who ranks among the top-four overall prospects from Louisiana.

Colorado made another foray into the American South for a top recruit, getting a pledge from four-star Louisiana running back Ashaad Clayton on Monday.

Clayton stars for New Orleans power Warren Easton, which expects to compete for the state title in the forthcoming high school playoffs. A versatile 6-foot, 200-pound back, Clayton chose the Buffaloes ahead of scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Auburn and Georgia.

Clayton committed to the Buffs immediately after visiting Colorado, and announced his decision on Twitter with a Tweet that includes a golden visor with a CU Buffaloes logo.

How did Colorado land one of the top-four prospects in the state of Louisiana? The answer clearly starts with Colorado coach Mel Tucker and assistant coach Darian Hagan. A former Colorado running back himself, Hagan served as the lead recruiter for Clayton. With the most continuity of everyone on the Colorado staff, Hagan’s recruiting bona fides for running backs are unquestionable.

Now he has another star pupil to work with, who doubles as the top prospect in Colorado’s Class of 2020.

Texas A&M lands commitment from 4-star Miami DE Donell Harris

Jimbo Fisher’s latest huge recruiting catch is Donell Harris, a four-star defensive end from Miami who is among the nation’s top-50 overall recruits, according to 247Sports.

Texas A&M’s spread into the heart of SEC recruiting grounds continues apace as the Aggies added their latest major coup, a four-star defensive end prospect from Miami.

Donell Harris, a star at Gulliver Prep (Miami, Fla.), picked the Aggies ahead of scholarship offers from “The U” (University of Miami), Alabama, Auburn, LSU and plenty others. He is a top-50 overall recruit in the Class of 2020 and a top-five defensive end prospect, per 247Sports.

The national recruiting hype around Harris crystalized after a monster junior season in which he finished with 73 tackles, 21 sacks and three forced fumbles (one of which he recovered) for Gulliver Prep.

Harris made his commitment official with a Tweet that concluded with, shall we say, some colorful language:

Now, he’s decided that his future is best served in the Lone Star State, the All-American Bowl selection can focus on Gulliver Prep’s run in and his final games as a high school player ahead of December’s Early Signing Period. The Raiders kick off the playoffs with a first round matchup against legendary Miami program Booker T. Washington on Friday.