USC Trojans: Clemson Tigers
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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RecruitingNation: Building for the future
April, 28, 2013
Apr 28
10:54
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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.
#BlueChipBattles: ESPN 150 release edition
April, 19, 2013
Apr 19
9:49
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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.N.Y. DT Holley could be going back to Cali 
April, 11, 2013
Apr 11
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By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
Basketball brought Thomas Holley (Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln) to California first. Football could bring him back.
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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- ESPN Watch List running back Dalvin Cook (Miami/Central) flipped his commitment from Clemson to Florida on Saturday after visiting the Gators for their annual spring game. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back left the spring game and said Florida was tied with Clemson for the lead, but after having lunch with his family, he decided to go ahead and make the switch.
"I flipped to Florida," Cook said. "I felt that Florida would be the best place for me to spend the next three or four years. It wasn't just a quick decision. Me and my family have thought about it. We came up last week and had a good experience then I came up this weekend and it was even better."
Cook said he enjoyed watching Florida's running backs during the spring scrimmage and feels like he could fit in with what they are doing offensively.
"Coach [Will Muschamp] told me they are going to give the back the ball and they really proved that," Cook said. "They gave the back the ball, they gave KT [Kelvin Taylor] the ball a lot. I liked that. I actually saw them get after it, It was great seeing that. Coach told me that they didn't have the type of back that I am and that I could come in and be that guy."
USC is another school that Cook has talked about potentially visiting, but now he said he's not so sure he will take that visit.
"Probably not," Cook said. "I'm pretty firm in my decision. I'm going to Florida."
For Florida, the Gators now have nine commits, including eight that are listed in the ESPN Watch List.
"I flipped to Florida," Cook said. "I felt that Florida would be the best place for me to spend the next three or four years. It wasn't just a quick decision. Me and my family have thought about it. We came up last week and had a good experience then I came up this weekend and it was even better."
Cook said he enjoyed watching Florida's running backs during the spring scrimmage and feels like he could fit in with what they are doing offensively.
USC is another school that Cook has talked about potentially visiting, but now he said he's not so sure he will take that visit.
"Probably not," Cook said. "I'm pretty firm in my decision. I'm going to Florida."
For Florida, the Gators now have nine commits, including eight that are listed in the ESPN Watch List.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- ESPN Watch List running back Dalvin Cook (Miami/Northwestern), a Clemson verbal commitment, took in Florida's annual spring game on Saturday. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound running back said he was impressed with what he saw from the offense, specifically how many times the running backs carried the ball.
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Top LB Williams still waiting for USC offer
April, 4, 2013
Apr 4
7:00
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By
Blair Angulo | ESPN.com
Last fall, ESPN Watch List linebacker Dwight Williams (Gardena, Calif./Serra) would have strongly considered committing to USC on the spot if he were to land a scholarship offer. He had plenty of other options, but Williams was a frequent visitor at Trojans home games throughout the season and USC had always been the program he had his eyes on.
Fast-forward a few months and USC has yet to extend an offer to arguably one of the top prospects in the area. Now Williams, the two-time linebacker MVP at the Los Angeles Nike Football Training Camp, is thoroughly feeling out the process. His mindset has changed completely as schools from all corners of the country have turned up their pursuit.
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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 Southeast prospects who recently performed at a high level:
Linebacker Raekwon McMillan
2014/Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County/6-foot-2, 249 pounds
Considering: More than 40 offers; top two of Clemson and Ohio State; also considering Alabama, Florida, UGA.
Linebacker Raekwon McMillan
2014/Hinesville (Ga.) Liberty County/6-foot-2, 249 pounds
Considering: More than 40 offers; top two of Clemson and Ohio State; also considering Alabama, Florida, UGA.
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two months ago, ESPN Watch List prospect Raekwon McMillan (Hinesville, Ga./Liberty County) felt pretty confident in his top two programs, but a recent trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., has clouded the picture for one of the most coveted linebackers in the country.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- Outside linebacker Jacob Pugh (Tallahassee, Fla./Godby) isn’t exactly sure of how many offers he has. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound junior has not counted them. Once he had received over 30 offers to the top programs in the nation, there really seemed no point in doing so. Pugh is more concerned about the five that he has on top.
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Super sophomore Patrick likes latest offer
March, 7, 2013
Mar 7
6:39
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By
Radi Nabulsi | ESPN.com
ATHENS, Ga. -- Considering that running back Jacques Patrick (Orlando, Fla./Timber Creek) is only in his second year of high school but already has 25 scholarship offers, the case can be made that Patrick is one of the most coveted prospects in the Class of 2015.
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ATHENS, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List wide receiver Demarre Kitt (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek) recently cut his mammoth offer list down to a top-15 group of schools that he will consider.
“It got crazy at one point with almost everybody that offered me trying to talk to me,” Kitt said. “So I had to cut my list down to 15 schools. After spring practice I will cut it down to eight or 10. At the end of summer I will do five and then go from there.”
“It got crazy at one point with almost everybody that offered me trying to talk to me,” Kitt said. “So I had to cut my list down to 15 schools. After spring practice I will cut it down to eight or 10. At the end of summer I will do five and then go from there.”
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Todd Kelly Jr. talks about latest visit
February, 13, 2013
Feb 13
12:00
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By
Dave Hooker | ESPN.com
Todd Kelly Jr. made his latest college visit a family affair.
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Recruiting is never static, especially at this time of the year. Coaches are on the road and visits are being taken. That holds true not just for the Class of 2013 but for this year’s junior class, which is being wooed by college coaches trying to get a jump on the ever-quickening recruiting cycle.
Each day we find college coaches checking in on the top prospects for the Class of 2014. Such is the case with ESPN Watch List wide receiver Demarre Kitt (Tyrone, Ga./Sandy Creek).
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Carl Lawson (Alpharetta, Ga./Milton), the No. 2 prospect in the country, has taken one trip in the last two months, an unofficial visit to Clemson back in November on the weekend that Auburn head coach Gene Chizik was fired. The 6-foot-2, 251-pound defensive end is set to take his first official visit this weekend.
"I set an official to Clemson," Lawson said. "I am interested and excited about visiting such a wonderful program such as Clemson."
"I set an official to Clemson," Lawson said. "I am interested and excited about visiting such a wonderful program such as Clemson."
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ABOUT WE ARE SC
Garry Paskwietz
Garry Paskwietz is the publisher and founder of WeAreSC.com and has covered the Trojans since 1997. Send him an email at garry@wearesc.com.
Blair Angulo
Blair Angulo covers USC Trojans recruiting. He joined ESPNLA.com in 2010 and also interned at the Los Angeles Daily News. Email him at blair.angulo@gmail.com.