Georgia Bulldogs: Ohio State Buckeyes
The football program at Locust Grove High School started in 2009 with a freelance Class AAA schedule, then continued to play in AAA for two more years before making the move to AAAA in 2012. Heading into last fall, the Wildcats had a record of 6-19, having won two games each season. For rising junior Cortez McDowell, it was time to help the fledgling program take the next step.
“My main goal was to help my football team since we have not done well the last two years, so my mindset was to help my team win more than two games,” McDowell said.
The 6-foot, 200-pound prospect was a major part in his program doubling its win total in one season, recording 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 10 passes broken up, two interceptions, forcing two fumbles, recovering one fumble on defense while rushing 25 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns and catching 29 passes for 679 yards and eight touchdowns on offense. He took a leadership role on defense, and whenever the team needed a big play on offense, McDowell was there.
Syracuse and NC State had already offered him during the spring of his sophomore year, and after his junior season, scholarships started pouring in. This spring, McDowell has visited Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and North Carolina. While most visits were similar, a few of the trips left an impression on the talented athlete.
“My main goal was to help my football team since we have not done well the last two years, so my mindset was to help my team win more than two games,” McDowell said.
The 6-foot, 200-pound prospect was a major part in his program doubling its win total in one season, recording 60 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 10 passes broken up, two interceptions, forcing two fumbles, recovering one fumble on defense while rushing 25 times for 209 yards and three touchdowns and catching 29 passes for 679 yards and eight touchdowns on offense. He took a leadership role on defense, and whenever the team needed a big play on offense, McDowell was there.
Syracuse and NC State had already offered him during the spring of his sophomore year, and after his junior season, scholarships started pouring in. This spring, McDowell has visited Florida State, Tennessee, Georgia, Georgia Tech, South Carolina and North Carolina. While most visits were similar, a few of the trips left an impression on the talented athlete.
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Survey: What Georgia's best were thinking 
May, 14, 2013
May 14
10:00
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATLANTA -- For the last three years, the Rising Seniors staff has invited the state of Georgia’s most talented juniors to participate in a week-long educational program and camp in late December designed to showcase their talents. Attendees learn academic and social development while preparing for the Georgia Junior Bowl, which is played on the last day of the camp. The roster list for the game reads like a Who’s Who of the top players from the Peach State. Some might be unheralded going in, but emerge after the camp atop many colleges' wish lists.
Knowing that the game has so many of Georgia’s best players in it, we decided to take advantage of having them all in one place and ask them some questions. The answers were anonymous, and represent only one part of the sometimes years-long recruiting experience. We thought it would be interesting to see where Georgia’s juniors stood on a variety of topics. Of course these questions were asked at the conclusion of their junior seasons and the answers will have changed as the spring evaluation period unfolds and more trips are taken, but this shows where they are at the time.
Q. Which, if any, school were you a fan of growing up?
Knowing that the game has so many of Georgia’s best players in it, we decided to take advantage of having them all in one place and ask them some questions. The answers were anonymous, and represent only one part of the sometimes years-long recruiting experience. We thought it would be interesting to see where Georgia’s juniors stood on a variety of topics. Of course these questions were asked at the conclusion of their junior seasons and the answers will have changed as the spring evaluation period unfolds and more trips are taken, but this shows where they are at the time.
Q. Which, if any, school were you a fan of growing up?
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Viewers who tuned into last year’s SEC championship game were treated to an epic battle between Alabama and Georgia that was not decided until the last play of the game. It was the latest in a series of battles between schools that clash again and again on the recruiting trail, year after year. Both have targeted a sophomore defensive tackle from North Carolina. In fact, both programs offered Shy Tuttle (Lexington, N.C./North Davidson) on the same day.
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MANALAPAN, N.J. -- Four-star wide receiver Saeed Blacknall (Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan) already has more than 20 offers, so if he is going to camp for an offer, he says it better be worth it.
That school would have to jump one of his early top two.
That school would have to jump one of his early top two.
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After being committed to Clemson since signing day 2012, ESPN 150 quarterback Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) has made a change in his recruitment.
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Peppers should know future school soon
April, 24, 2013
Apr 24
6:15
PM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
By mid-July, one of the top players in the country will have a pretty good idea as to where he will be playing his college football in 2014.
Paramus (N.J.) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers, No. 2 in the ESPN 150, will visit Stanford in July. Following that trip, he will have his future program in mind.
“Definitely after I visit Stanford I should have it pretty clear where I want to go,” Peppers said.
The five-star cornerback is coming off April trips to LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, and while Peppers did not tip his hand, people close to the dynamic two-way athlete say Michigan has a sizeable lead of those three. He has listed Stanford as his No. 1 for several months and will visit Palo Alto before officially dropping them from the top of his list.
Paramus (N.J.) Catholic cornerback Jabrill Peppers, No. 2 in the ESPN 150, will visit Stanford in July. Following that trip, he will have his future program in mind.
“Definitely after I visit Stanford I should have it pretty clear where I want to go,” Peppers said.
The five-star cornerback is coming off April trips to LSU, Michigan and Ohio State, and while Peppers did not tip his hand, people close to the dynamic two-way athlete say Michigan has a sizeable lead of those three. He has listed Stanford as his No. 1 for several months and will visit Palo Alto before officially dropping them from the top of his list.
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BRADENTON, Fla. -- On the fields of the IMG Academy Southeast Regional 7-on-7 Tournament, George Campbell (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake) stood off to the side with a sling hanging off his shoulder and covering his broken wrist.
That injury, suffered a few weeks back, will keep him out of East Lake's spring practices starting at the beginning of May. But fortunately for him, he's already got a ton of offers to begin with and won't be reliant on coaches coming by for the evaluation period.
That doesn't mean he isn't frustrated, though.
That injury, suffered a few weeks back, will keep him out of East Lake's spring practices starting at the beginning of May. But fortunately for him, he's already got a ton of offers to begin with and won't be reliant on coaches coming by for the evaluation period.
That doesn't mean he isn't frustrated, though.
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#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
12:49
PM ET
By RecruitingNation | ESPN.com
Student Sports, ESPN, ESPNSpeedy Noil, Adoree Jackson and Da'Shawn Hand are three of the most coveted recruits in the Class of 2014.
: RecruitingNation summoned its writers from around the country to outline the recruiting battles for the ESPN 150's top 10 prospects.
Plus, rank the battles in SportsNation.
#TopFBMixtapes: Athlete mixtapes are all the rage in this highlight-crazed era of sports. We reached out to our Twitter followers to find out which 2014 football stars had the best highlight reels on YouTube, then had our staff rank and comment on the top submissions.
Tom Luginbill writes
: After talking to many coaches across the country and hearing their frustrations, here are their five biggest complaints about homemade highlight videos.
The IMG 7v7 Southeast Regional Championship in Bradenton, Fla., on Saturday and Sunday will feature several ESPN 150 players. This star-studded event will feature the South Florida Express, one of the top 7-on-7 teams in the country, and Team Tampa, which won the IMG 7v7 National Championships last year. Here's a look at five things to watch at this weekends events.
1. Wide receiver position is loaded
There will be a plethora of top wide receivers in Bradenton this weekend. Ermon Lane (Homestead, Fla./Homestead), the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the country, will have a chance to showcase his abilities against some elite talent. Additionally, Travis Rudolph (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman), Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), Moral Stephens (Perry, Fla./Taylor County), Kenric Young (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville), Isaiah Ford (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian), Garrett Johnson (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) and 2015 wideout Da'Vante Phillips (Miami/Central) are scheduled to participate.
1. Wide receiver position is loaded
There will be a plethora of top wide receivers in Bradenton this weekend. Ermon Lane (Homestead, Fla./Homestead), the No. 1-ranked wide receiver in the country, will have a chance to showcase his abilities against some elite talent. Additionally, Travis Rudolph (West Palm Beach, Fla./Cardinal Newman), Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), Moral Stephens (Perry, Fla./Taylor County), Kenric Young (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville), Isaiah Ford (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian), Garrett Johnson (Winter Garden, Fla./West Orange) and 2015 wideout Da'Vante Phillips (Miami/Central) are scheduled to participate.
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Tales From the Road spotlights players who stand out to RecruitingNation writers at camps, combines and various events. Here is a look at a few Georgia quarterbacks who recently performed at a high level:
QB Deshaun Watson
Vital stats: 2014 / Gainesville (Ga.) High School / 6-foot-3, 186 pounds
QB Deshaun Watson
Vital stats: 2014 / Gainesville (Ga.) High School / 6-foot-3, 186 pounds
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Watch List DE Carter attracted to success
April, 16, 2013
Apr 16
10:30
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
BUFORD, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List defensive end Lorenzo Carter (Norcross, Ga./Norcross) credits his blindingly pink socks and highlighter yellow shoelaces with helping him win the defensive lineman MVP award at the Atlanta NFTC on Saturday.
The award came with a brilliant gold dog tag that complemented his outfit. But what really caught Carter’s eye, and fashion sense, was the big gold box that he was handed that contained his invitation to The Opening.
The award came with a brilliant gold dog tag that complemented his outfit. But what really caught Carter’s eye, and fashion sense, was the big gold box that he was handed that contained his invitation to The Opening.
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Editor's note: Finding the Future is a RecruitingNation feature that will appear throughout camps and combine season, ranking prospects strictly on their on-field performance at the particular event. It does not reflect where each will land when the class is ranked by ESPN.
BUFORD, Ga. -- The NFTC was loaded with top upperclassmen prospects on Sunday, but a handful of 2015 prospects showed they could compete with some of the top older competition in the state.
1. 2016 CB Khalil Ladler
5-foot-11, 175 pounds
Stephenson (Ga.) H.S.
Considering: Has offers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, South Florida and Cincinnati
What we learned: Ladler could pass for a rising senior, which is why the offers are rolling in for the young freshman. His position coaches were stunned to find out that he was two years younger than most of the other defensive backs at the NFTC. Also, it is not just his size that commands attention. Ladler displayed refined techniques that prospects work for years to develop.
“Ladler is promising," ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert said. "Look at his frame: he is long and lengthy. He is very smooth. In a cornerback group that had some good 2014 guys, he was in that next level of guys jumping out. He has all of the natural tools, and with that type of size already, as well as being quick and smooth, he is certainly a guy to watch. From what I saw he was one of the better secondary players here.”
BUFORD, Ga. -- The NFTC was loaded with top upperclassmen prospects on Sunday, but a handful of 2015 prospects showed they could compete with some of the top older competition in the state.
1. 2016 CB Khalil Ladler
5-foot-11, 175 pounds
Stephenson (Ga.) H.S.
Considering: Has offers from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, Florida State, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Charlotte, South Florida and Cincinnati
What we learned: Ladler could pass for a rising senior, which is why the offers are rolling in for the young freshman. His position coaches were stunned to find out that he was two years younger than most of the other defensive backs at the NFTC. Also, it is not just his size that commands attention. Ladler displayed refined techniques that prospects work for years to develop.
“Ladler is promising," ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert said. "Look at his frame: he is long and lengthy. He is very smooth. In a cornerback group that had some good 2014 guys, he was in that next level of guys jumping out. He has all of the natural tools, and with that type of size already, as well as being quick and smooth, he is certainly a guy to watch. From what I saw he was one of the better secondary players here.”
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The RN Top 10 will appear throughout the camp and combine season and rank prospects based strictly on their on-field performance at that particular event. It does not reflect what their overall prospect ranking will be when the 2014 rankings are unveiled this spring.
BUFORD, Ga. – With 276 players taking part in the Atlanta Nike Football Training Camp on Saturday, there were dozens of prospects in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 classes who had already been offered by FBS programs. Six of the participants were awarded invitations to the The Opening later the summer.
10. Terronne Prescod
Lithonia (Ga.) Columbia |OG|6-foot-4, 320 pounds
The offensive linemen at the Atlanta NFTC were not an overly impressive group, but Prescod stood out, not just because of his hairstyle. He locked up and drove back multiple defensive tackles and showed an impressive base.
Prescod is approaching 10 offers, and has scholarship opportunities with Missouri, Ole Miss and Virginia. At the moment, Prescod says Missouri is standing out. Watch out for Auburn if they offer, as they seem to be the school he feels most at home with right now.
Craig Haubert’s take: “Prescod did a nice job in the offensive line group that was not among the strongest at the NFTC this year. He showed good bend and strong punch and he has outstanding size, both in height and bulk.”
BUFORD, Ga. – With 276 players taking part in the Atlanta Nike Football Training Camp on Saturday, there were dozens of prospects in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 classes who had already been offered by FBS programs. Six of the participants were awarded invitations to the The Opening later the summer.
10. Terronne Prescod
Lithonia (Ga.) Columbia |OG|6-foot-4, 320 pounds
The offensive linemen at the Atlanta NFTC were not an overly impressive group, but Prescod stood out, not just because of his hairstyle. He locked up and drove back multiple defensive tackles and showed an impressive base.
Prescod is approaching 10 offers, and has scholarship opportunities with Missouri, Ole Miss and Virginia. At the moment, Prescod says Missouri is standing out. Watch out for Auburn if they offer, as they seem to be the school he feels most at home with right now.
Craig Haubert’s take: “Prescod did a nice job in the offensive line group that was not among the strongest at the NFTC this year. He showed good bend and strong punch and he has outstanding size, both in height and bulk.”
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BUFORD, Ga. – ESPN Watch List quarterback Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) has been committed to Clemson for more than 14 months, but that has not kept other programs from pursuing the record-setting passer, who earned an invite to the Elite 11 and The Opening following his performance at the Atlanta Elite 11 regional qualifier Friday.
For a few lucky schools, the interest seems to be mutual.
For a few lucky schools, the interest seems to be mutual.
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Georgia offers Watch List wide receiver
April, 12, 2013
Apr 12
10:00
AM ET
By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Despite missing half of his junior season, ESPN Watch List wide receiver Jake McCrary (Miami/Coral Reef) is close to having 20 offers. Earlier this week he picked up No. 16 from UCF and then on Wednesday, the University of Georgia offered.
What are the coaches at all these schools seeing in his injury-shortened highlight reel? The answer is production. After missing five games with a strained ACL and PCL, McCrary scored seven touchdowns on just 13 catches. He also had 311 receiving yards, an average of 24 yards per catch. To top it off, McCrary returned four punts for touchdowns and three interceptions on defense.
“I talked to Tony Ball today and he let me know that Georgia was going to offer me and that he would love for me to come up and get to see the facilities,” McCrary said. “That was very exciting for me because Georgia is a great team that throws the ball a lot to be in the SEC. That is a great thing.”
What are the coaches at all these schools seeing in his injury-shortened highlight reel? The answer is production. After missing five games with a strained ACL and PCL, McCrary scored seven touchdowns on just 13 catches. He also had 311 receiving yards, an average of 24 yards per catch. To top it off, McCrary returned four punts for touchdowns and three interceptions on defense.
“I talked to Tony Ball today and he let me know that Georgia was going to offer me and that he would love for me to come up and get to see the facilities,” McCrary said. “That was very exciting for me because Georgia is a great team that throws the ball a lot to be in the SEC. That is a great thing.”
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
David Ching
David Ching came to ESPN.com in 2011 after six years covering UGA for the Columbus (Ga.) Ledger-Enquirer and Athens (Ga.) Banner-Herald. He lives in Athens. Email him at davidchingespn@gmail.com.
Radi Nabulsi
Radi Nabulsi joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the University of Georgia for Rivals.com for four years and for the UGA Athletic Association since 1993. Nabulsi is a graduate of the University of Georgia's Grady College of Journalism and lives in Athens. He can be reached at radinabulsiespn@gmail.com.
Kipp Adams
Kipp Adams joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering University of Georgia football and basketball recruiting for five years at Rivals.com. He lives in Sandy Springs, Ga., and enjoys spending time with his two sons. He can be reached at kippadamsespn@gmail.com.