ESPN.com presents Football Recruiting - East Region http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/ 60 en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 11:27:47 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 Four-star middle linebacker Connor Strachan (Wellesley, Mass./St. Sebastian's) decided to stay close to home and committed to Boston College. The in-state recruit said via text he pledged today. He's the ninth commit of the class and the third overall linebacker. Strachan finished his junior season -- through nine games -- with 70 stops and nine tackles for loss. His numbers at a NIKE Football Training Camp also caught a few eyes, as he recorded the top 40-yard dash time -- 4.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post/_/id/7267/four-star-lb-strachan-commits-to-b-c Fri, 17 May 2013 20:28:06 EDT 7267 At the end of the March, Washington (Pa.) High running back Shai McKenzie cut his list of more than 30 offers to 15. He's just about ready to snip that list in half once again. The 5-foot-11, 212-pound back is looking to name a top seven soon, most likely after summer trips to Georgia, Georgia Tech and possibly Florida State. He knows two teams that are in great shape to make the cut already. While McKenzie is not sure if he will be able to swing by Tallahassee on his summer road trip, he has seen enough from the program to know the Noles are safe to make his top group.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7252 Fri, 17 May 2013 12:30:45 EDT 7252 The recruiting process is only beginning for Steven Gonzalez (Union City, N.J./Union City), but he knows what he wants. He is going to sign with a school close to his family. That does not mean the 2015 offensive tackle is already Rutgers bound, however. Gonzalez has a large number of his family in Florida, and any number of states along the Atlantic Coast are close enough, he said. One of the latest offers for Gonzalez, who has five total, came from Virginia.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7246 Wed, 15 May 2013 15:30:13 EDT 7246 Sometimes all it takes is one offer. That is what Terrence Harris (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic) is hoping for. The 6-foot-2, 245-pound defensive end earned offer No. 3 on Monday from Iowa, but it was his first from a BCS school. "I'm happy about it. I feel like it's a gateway offer and might open doors for me," Harris said. "Iowa is a great school and I'd love to be a part of that program." An assistant coach at Iowa stopped at Paramus Catholic last Friday to check in on Harris, whose three offers have all come in May.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7245 Wed, 15 May 2013 13:00:51 EDT 7245 Jabrill Peppers (Paramus, N.J./Paramus Catholic), the No. 2 prospect in the country, has set his decision date. The No. 1 defensive back will make his decision live on ESPNU on May 26. With almost every program in the country targeting the talented prospect, Peppers has narrowed his list down to LSU, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, Rutgers and Stanford. He still plans on taking his visit to Penn State on May 18, and has already been out to Michigan, LSU and Ohio State.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post/_/id/7244/peppers-set-to-announce-on-espnu Wed, 15 May 2013 11:19:56 EDT 7244 Derrick Nnadi just laughs off the pressure from his friend who just happens to be a highly rated prospect. "I try to avoid him," the defensive tackle from Virginia Beach (Va.) Ocean Lakes joked when asked about his weekly workouts with five-star Virginia safety Quin Blanding from Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside. Don't get Nnadi wrong. Blanding, isn't obnoxious. He's just persistent. Since committing to Virginia in February, Blanding, who is the No.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7231 Tue, 14 May 2013 21:49:04 EDT 7231 Quin Blanding has vowed he won't be the last. The five-star safety from Virginia Beach (Va.) Bayside has said he'll do everything he can to reel in more prospects to sign with Virginia, where he committed in February. Blanding's decision to commit to a rebuilding program so early could be a boost for the Cavaliers' 2014 class. Blanding is just one of 11 five-star prospects in the ESPN 150 rankings. Fortunately for Blanding, there are nearby prospects he can recruit in an incredibly strong year in Virginia.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7220 Tue, 14 May 2013 09:46:27 EDT 7220 Inspired by Florida's "#ComePlayWRFortheJoker" campaign, our recruiting writers looked at other ways schools can sell themselves on the trail. Here's a look at recruiting pitches for the ACC: Boston College Eagles What they're selling: B.C. has a metropolitan area to sell prospects. There are several top professional sports teams to enhance the college atmosphere. What they're missing: Other than Matt Ryan, B.C. hasn't had great success and they were only marginally successful when he was there.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post/_/id/7204/recruiting-pitches-acc Fri, 10 May 2013 11:35:32 EDT 7204 Billy Ray Mitchell might not be the biggest star at Paramus (N.J.) Catholic, which boasts two players in the ESPN 150, but the offensive lineman is still making a name for himself. The 6-foot-4, 285-pound prospect is up to seven offers now after a busy weekend that saw him reel in two offers in 12 hours -- from Southern Miss and NC State. "Southern Miss came right before noon, and the NC State offer came at 6 o'clock when I was eating some BBQ and saw on Facebook they wanted me to call," Mitchell said.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7197 Fri, 10 May 2013 11:13:14 EDT 7197 Jabrill Peppers' coach at Paramus (N.J.) Catholic said his star player is inching closer to a decision and it's fair to say he's now down to just four schools: Michigan, Stanford, Penn State and LSU. "I think that Ohio State is out," said Peppers' coach, Chris Partridge. "I don't think that's a big one on his list. Maybe it's in his top five, but I think he likes the other schools better." The Nittany Lions are the surprise team on that list because the five-star cornerback hasn't mentioned them much in recent interviews.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/east/post?id=7195 Wed, 8 May 2013 18:07:56 EDT 7195