OSU Buckeyes: Alabama Crimson Tide
It was a Thursday night in late April and Alex Bookser (Pittsburgh/Mount Lebanon) was watching the NFL draft. A 6-foot-6, 295-pound prospect, Bookser is being recruited as a lineman on both sides of the ball.
Bookser was an offensive lineman by the end of the night Thursday.
“Ever since I saw the draft I decided to go O-line,” said Bookser, referring to the run on tackles in the first round, including three among the first five picks. “That was the biggest draft I’ve ever seen, so I was like if I can get that far it’ll definitely pay off.”
With more than 20 offers to his name, Bookser was already being recruited mostly as an offensive tackle, where he is ranked No. 14 nationally. As a two-way player for Mount Lebanon, Bookser likes defense a little more because he can play with a little more emotion on the defensive line. He understands why coaches project him best on offense, though.
Bookser was an offensive lineman by the end of the night Thursday.
“Ever since I saw the draft I decided to go O-line,” said Bookser, referring to the run on tackles in the first round, including three among the first five picks. “That was the biggest draft I’ve ever seen, so I was like if I can get that far it’ll definitely pay off.”
With more than 20 offers to his name, Bookser was already being recruited mostly as an offensive tackle, where he is ranked No. 14 nationally. As a two-way player for Mount Lebanon, Bookser likes defense a little more because he can play with a little more emotion on the defensive line. He understands why coaches project him best on offense, though.
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JERSEY CITY, N.J. -- A month ago, Jonathan Hilliman released a top 10. He is slowly whittling his list to a final school.
“It’s coming down to seven. I dropped some schools,” Hilliman said. “We narrowed it down so we could go out and see these places and get a feel for who’s who and who’s interested and who’s not.”
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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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Holding more than 40 offers, running back Joe Mixon (Oakley, Calif./Freedom) is arguably the most sought-after recruit in the West region. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound, four-star back is the top running back in the West and the No. 135 player in the country. His offer sheet has seemingly grown by the minute this spring, but he isn't in any hurry to narrow it down.
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
Despite tweeting out a list of 16 programs several weeks ago, Mixon said Sunday that he only did that to highlight the schools recruiting him the hardest, not anything to be taken as a group of finalists.
"I'm still talking to a lot of people," Mixon said. "The recruiting thing has been crazy the past couple of weeks. I've pretty much been taking it well. I talk to them before school, during lunch and after school. I'm not to the stressful part yet, but the hard part has been staying in contact with everybody."
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Schools sticking out for Glover-Williams 
April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
3:52
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By
Brad Bournival | ESPN.com
It’s early in the process for sophomore athlete Eric Glover-Williams (Canton, Ohio/McKinley), but some schools are starting sticking out.
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RecruitingNation: Building for the future
April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
1:54
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By ESPN.com staff | ESPN.com
Tom Luginbill breaks down what some of the top teams in the country have done this spring in recruiting.
ASHBURN, Va. -- Cornerback Jalen Tabor (Washington, D.C./Friendship Collegiate), the No. 19 overall player in the ESPN 150, is in no rush to commit.
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OT Damian Prince slims down, speeds up
April, 23, 2013
Apr 23
11:00
AM ET
By
Mitch Sherman | ESPN.com
ASHBURN, Va. -- At an event that featured three of the top 11 defensive prospects in the ESPN 150, third-rated offensive tackle Damian Prince of Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara impressed every bit as much as any of them Sunday at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C.
Prince showed off a slimmed down frame -- he’s lost more than 30 pounds, he said, to reach about 285 -- and dominated in blocking drills against a stout group of defensive linemen.
Prince, No. 33 in the ESPN 150, put himself in position to rise over the upcoming months.
Prince showed off a slimmed down frame -- he’s lost more than 30 pounds, he said, to reach about 285 -- and dominated in blocking drills against a stout group of defensive linemen.
Prince, No. 33 in the ESPN 150, put himself in position to rise over the upcoming months.
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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 their overall prospect ranking.
ASHBURN, Va. – The East Coast and mid-Atlantic states represented well on Sunday as eight players earned invites to The Opening at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C. Defense ruled the day, led by two five-star prospects from Virginia.
10. Nick Scott
Fairfax (Va.) Fairfax |RB| 5-11, 180
Scott stood out among a field of backs who were overshadowed by the prospects at nearly every other position. He earned the attention of coaches for his strong play and versatility but missed the MVP award, which went to Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who also posted the top SPARQ score.
Scott committed to Penn State in February over an offer from Boston College.
ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert’s take: “He’s got a great frame, and what I like about him as a Penn State verbal, he’s a versatile player. He may not run by you, but he does a good job in route-running.”
ASHBURN, Va. – The East Coast and mid-Atlantic states represented well on Sunday as eight players earned invites to The Opening at the Nike Football Training Camp outside of Washington, D.C. Defense ruled the day, led by two five-star prospects from Virginia.
10. Nick Scott
Fairfax (Va.) Fairfax |RB| 5-11, 180
Scott stood out among a field of backs who were overshadowed by the prospects at nearly every other position. He earned the attention of coaches for his strong play and versatility but missed the MVP award, which went to Vincent Lowe (Chesapeake, Va./Grassfield), who also posted the top SPARQ score.
Scott committed to Penn State in February over an offer from Boston College.
ESPN national recruiting analyst Craig Haubert’s take: “He’s got a great frame, and what I like about him as a Penn State verbal, he’s a versatile player. He may not run by you, but he does a good job in route-running.”
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LB Garrett visits Bama, receives offer
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
4:21
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By
Greg Ostendorf | ESPN.com
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Clifton Garrett (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield) had never been to the University of Alabama. He’d never even been in the state of Alabama. On Friday, the ESPN 150 linebacker made a stop in Tuscaloosa on his way to LSU for the Tigers’ spring game.
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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.
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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MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Two prospects with scholarship offers from Southeastern Conference power programs said they’re following through with plans to look hard at schools in other parts of the country.
Safety Mattrell McGraw (River Ridge, La./John Curtis) and outside linebacker Petera Wilson (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) hold offers from Alabama, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Wilson has also been offered by Florida, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State; McGraw by Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
Safety Mattrell McGraw (River Ridge, La./John Curtis) and outside linebacker Petera Wilson (Memphis, Tenn./White Station) hold offers from Alabama, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Wilson has also been offered by Florida, Georgia, LSU and Mississippi State; McGraw by Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
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After Ohio State visit, Smith maps plan
April, 15, 2013
Apr 15
2:20
PM ET
By
Brad Bournival | ESPN.com
Erick Smith (Cleveland/Glenville) started with an offer from Georgia Tech early last season.
Now, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound safety is becoming a wanted prospect on the recruiting trail.
With offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee, Smith really has the pick of the litter.
Now, the 6-foot-1, 185-pound safety is becoming a wanted prospect on the recruiting trail.
With offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina State, Ohio State, Penn State and Tennessee, Smith really has the pick of the litter.
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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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ABOUT BUCKEYE NATION
Austin Ward
Austin Ward joined ESPN.com in 2012 after five years as a college football writer at the Casper (Wyo.) Star-Tribune and the Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel. The award-winning journalist lives with his wife in Columbus, Ohio. Email him at ajward.espn@gmail.com.
Brad Bournival
Brad Bournival, a lifetime Northeast Ohio resident, joined ESPN in 2012 and is the recruiting writer for BuckeyeNation. He has covered sports at the professional, college and high school level for 16 years. Recently, Bournival was a freelance writer for The Plain Dealer, The Medina Gazette and SportsInk.com. Email him at bradbournival.espn@gmail.com.