ESPN.com presents On The Trail http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/ 60 en-us Wed, 19 Jun 2013 14:12:51 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 At the beginning of the week, Pittsburgh looked to be in some trouble. The Panthers had just two commitments, and there was some negativity regarding the 2014 class. A lot has changed in the last 24 hours. Pitt has picked up four commitments since Tuesday, including pledges from three-star prospects Adam Bertke (Maria Stein, Ohio/Marion Local) and Mike Grimm (Pittsburgh/Bethel Park). It is no surprise Grimm, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound offensive tackle, committed to the Panthers.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40590 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:36:16 EDT 40590 Wisconsin had offered the “Super Six” prospects in the state of Wisconsin months ago. Dominic Cizauskas was told he was No. 7. He had to show the Badgers' coaches a little more in order to land an offer. He did that at a camp on Tuesday, and he wasted little time, committing to the in-state Badgers on Wednesday. “I’ve been working toward this for five months, and it’s been a dream come true,” he said. “Now it’s a no-brainer to accept it.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post/_/id/40589/badgers-land-sixth-in-state-commitment Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:03:08 EDT 40589 Jalen Watts-Jackson (Orchard Lake, Mich./St. Mary’s Prep) camped at Michigan State on Sunday. The following day, he received an unofficial offer from an assistant coach. On Wednesday, Mark Dantonio spoke with Watts-Jackson to confirm the offer. And later that day, the 2014 cornerback drove to East Lansing and pledged to the Spartans. “I like the family environment,” Watts-Jackson said. “I went in and all the players were talking to me.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40588 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 16:01:05 EDT 40588 Three months ago, Silvester Hayes (Dallas/South Oak Cliff) was looking for his first offer. Now, the three-star defensive end is balancing 14 offers and could have a few more this summer. Hayes’ first offer came from Texas Tech in February. The big question: Will the first to offer be the school Hayes commits to? “Right now, I’m leaning toward Texas Tech,” Hayes said. “They were the first to offer and the first to open the door for me to get the other offers.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40586 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 13:59:06 EDT 40586 LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Vince Marrow kicks his Nikes up on his desk. He leans back in his chair, sitting comfortably in a black Kentucky long-sleeve shirt and UK shorts. He speaks with an unmistakable confidence. He is remarkably relaxed for someone who is saddled with much of the responsibility of turning around a perennial loser in the country’s toughest conference. “I’m going to go after the No. 1 guy in Ohio. I’m going after the top 30 guys in Ohio, and let’s roll up our sleeves and see what happens,” Marrow said.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40581 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 12:13:54 EDT 40581 Three-star tailback Qadree Ollison (Buffalo, N.Y./Canisius) is set to announce his top five Monday, so a Penn State offer last night came at just the right time. "I wasn't really expecting it. I haven't talked to them in a couple weeks, so it was surprising," said Ollison, who holds 15 offers. "It came just in time." The 6-foot-1, 205-pound tailback last visited Happy Valley for the Blue-White Game. The staff commended his unique combination of speed and power but they told him they couldn't make a commitment to him then because PSU already had two other tailback pledges.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40549 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:00:43 EDT 40549 Gavin Bryant (Jackson, Ala./Jackson) had offers from Alabama and Auburn, but neither in-state program was ready to take a commitment from the ESPN 300 linebacker. He grew tired of waiting, and after a visit to Tennessee over the weekend, he committed to the Volunteers on Monday. “I want to play in the SEC, and Tennessee is an SEC school,” Bryant said. “I really didn’t want to leave the state, but Alabama and Auburn were holding back on me.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40562 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:30:07 EDT 40562 Brandon Harris insists he doesn't like attending football camps. "You don't get enough reps," he said. "You get a rep, then you wait around while other quarterbacks throw. I'd much rather be throwing with my [high school] teammates. I like to make every rep count." It's funny Harris would say that because camps have been so good to the Bossier City (La.) Parkway High 2014 quarterback. Camp performances have played no small role in why he's gone from being a relative unknown to being the fastest-rising player in the ESPN 300 who will soon choose a college out of a who's-who list of suitors.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40568 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 10:00:54 EDT 40568 ESPN 300 offensive guard Toa Lobendahn (La Habra, Calif./La Habra) is a recruiter’s dream, and not because he’s a highly skilled lineman or one of the top overall prospects in Southern California. No, Lobendahn offers something that’s rare in the modern recruiting landscape: his word. Firmly committed to USC for over a year, the soft-spoken Lobendahn is so dedicated he’s already analyzing the Trojans’ playbook -- some seven months before he’s due to enroll.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post?id=40569 Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:34:25 EDT 40569 According to multiple reports, offensive tackle Derrick Kelly Jr. (Quincy, Fla./East Gadsden) is the latest 2014 prospect to select Kentucky. Florida A&M, Middle Tennessee, South Florida and UCF also extended scholarship offers to the 6-foot-5, 268-pound blocker. Kelly Jr. showed off his athleticism this spring on the Nike circuit, registering an electronically-timed 5.26 40-yard dash, 4.97 20-yard shuttle, 28-inch vertical, 38-foot power throw and 76.]]> http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/ncfrecruiting/on-the-trail/post/_/id/40557/ol-kelly-jr-on-board-with-the-cats Wed, 19 Jun 2013 09:01:49 EDT 40557