On The Trail: West Virginia Mountaineers
When Urban Meyer wants you to shed a few pounds, you listen. Matt Jones (Hubbard, Ohio/Hubbard) is still 6-foot-4, but has dropped 35 pounds since December, putting his current weight at 295 pounds.
Not coincidentally, schools have taken notice, as Kentucky, Toledo and West Virginia have offered.
Ohio State is one of 13 other schools showing interest, and that has the sophomore offensive guard excited.
Not coincidentally, schools have taken notice, as Kentucky, Toledo and West Virginia have offered.
Ohio State is one of 13 other schools showing interest, and that has the sophomore offensive guard excited.
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Malik Hooker (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) is not new to football. He was just new to high school football.
The 2014 athlete that exploded onto the recruiting scene a month ago played football back in eighth grade but dropped it in high school to pursue basketball. He made his way back to the gridiron before his junior season, and it paid huge dividends. Hooker has added double-digit offers, and the majority have come since April.
“I’m grateful for it because not a lot of people can say they haven’t played football since eighth grade and come back one year and get scholarships or as many big scholarships I have,” Hooker said.
The 2014 athlete that exploded onto the recruiting scene a month ago played football back in eighth grade but dropped it in high school to pursue basketball. He made his way back to the gridiron before his junior season, and it paid huge dividends. Hooker has added double-digit offers, and the majority have come since April.
“I’m grateful for it because not a lot of people can say they haven’t played football since eighth grade and come back one year and get scholarships or as many big scholarships I have,” Hooker said.
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Last fall, the Elyria (Ohio) trio of offensive guard Darius Badford, athlete Jordan Connell and running back Jumarr Lewis could count on one hand schools showing interest.
It’s funny what successful junior seasons have done for the Pioneers' three, as schools have come out of the woodwork.
“I’ve been amazed,” Badford said. “I didn’t know I’d get more coming at me. They all say I’m good and am a prospect for the future. I’m so excited I can’t even explain it.”
It’s funny what successful junior seasons have done for the Pioneers' three, as schools have come out of the woodwork.
“I’ve been amazed,” Badford said. “I didn’t know I’d get more coming at me. They all say I’m good and am a prospect for the future. I’m so excited I can’t even explain it.”
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Quips go to Pitt.
That is the expression in Western Pennsylvania. The elite prospects from talent-rich Aliquippa (Pa.) High almost exclusively go to nearby Pittsburgh to star for the Panthers. Jonathan Baldwin, Tommie Campbell and Darrelle Revis are all NFL players who came through Aliquippa and then Pitt.
So four-star athlete and ESPN 150 member Dravon Henry feels the pressure to stay close to home. In fact, Henry is related to Revis and former NFL lineman Sean Gilbert, who also went the route of Aliquippa to Pitt.
That is the expression in Western Pennsylvania. The elite prospects from talent-rich Aliquippa (Pa.) High almost exclusively go to nearby Pittsburgh to star for the Panthers. Jonathan Baldwin, Tommie Campbell and Darrelle Revis are all NFL players who came through Aliquippa and then Pitt.
So four-star athlete and ESPN 150 member Dravon Henry feels the pressure to stay close to home. In fact, Henry is related to Revis and former NFL lineman Sean Gilbert, who also went the route of Aliquippa to Pitt.
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South Carolina, which has just three players committed for this recruiting cycle, picked up a 2015 verbal on Friday. According to multiple sources, wide receiver Dexter Neal (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) is set to play for the Gamecocks.
Buffalo, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Clemson, Connecticut, Georgia State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia also extended early scholarship offers to Neal.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound talent has posted a 4.41 20-yard shuttle, 32.6-inch vertical and 35.5-foot power throw on the Nike combine circuit.
Gamecocks defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Lorenzo Ward spearheaded Neal's recruitment.
Buffalo, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Clemson, Connecticut, Georgia State, Michigan State, North Carolina, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia also extended early scholarship offers to Neal.
The 6-foot-2, 195-pound talent has posted a 4.41 20-yard shuttle, 32.6-inch vertical and 35.5-foot power throw on the Nike combine circuit.
Gamecocks defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Lorenzo Ward spearheaded Neal's recruitment.
Class of 2014 tight end Montez Sweat (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) committed Thursday to sign with Vanderbilt, multiple sources report. His high school teammate, four-star running back Dallas Rivers, picked the Commodores in March.
Sweat, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound prospect, also holds scholarship offers Buffalo, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia State, Marshall, Mississippi State, Old Dominion and West Virginia.
The Commodores have nine commitments and sit at No. 18 in ESPN RecruitingNation's class rankings.
Sweat, a 6-foot-6, 225-pound prospect, also holds scholarship offers Buffalo, Cincinnati, Florida, Georgia State, Marshall, Mississippi State, Old Dominion and West Virginia.
The Commodores have nine commitments and sit at No. 18 in ESPN RecruitingNation's class rankings.
MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. -- Everyone calls him “Pee Wee,” but not in an ironic way that you would call a big man “Tiny.” No, defensive tackle Davonte Lambert (Milledgeville, Ga./Georgia Military College) was born to that nickname.
“I was a premature baby and my auntie came up with that name when I was little, so it just stuck with me ever since,” Lambert said. “I was under five pounds.”
Now Lambert tips the scales at 280 pounds and stands 6-foot-3 atop the wish lists of a number of major college programs.
“I have offers from Georgia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, Miami, Texas Tech -- I don’t know all of them off the top of my head,” Lambert said. “I get a ton of letters every day with a lot of handwritten ones.”
Not too shabby for a guy who didn’t get much attention in high school. Now in junior college, Lambert is enjoying the spotlight.
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“I was a premature baby and my auntie came up with that name when I was little, so it just stuck with me ever since,” Lambert said. “I was under five pounds.”
Now Lambert tips the scales at 280 pounds and stands 6-foot-3 atop the wish lists of a number of major college programs.
“I have offers from Georgia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Florida, Mississippi State, Miami, Texas Tech -- I don’t know all of them off the top of my head,” Lambert said. “I get a ton of letters every day with a lot of handwritten ones.”
Not too shabby for a guy who didn’t get much attention in high school. Now in junior college, Lambert is enjoying the spotlight.
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Arguably the most active program on the trail this spring, Louisville scored another verbal on Saturday from four-star wide receiver Isaiah Ford (Jacksonville, Fla./Trinity Christian), multiple sources report.
Ford is now the Cardinals' highest-rated pledge, according to ESPN RecruitingNation, and their 13th commitment overall. Eleven of the 13 players announced during the last 30 days.
Trinity Christian offensive coordinator Gerard Ross spoke with the Courier-Journal about Ford's decision:
"The type of offense Louisville runs suits him, and they also recruit Florida players. He felt comfortable with them. Coach [Charlie] Strong turned down the Tennessee job (last winter) and showed he's going to be at Louisville for the next four years, and that was big also."
Arkansas, Clemson, Cincinnati, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Texas Tech, Central Florida, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia were among his other scholarship offers.
Ford's a 6-foot, 161-pound prospect who registered a 4.86 40-yard dash, 4.42 20-yard shuttle and 31-inch vertical at this year's National Under Armour Combine in Orlando, Fla.
His primary recruiter was Louisville wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.
Ford is now the Cardinals' highest-rated pledge, according to ESPN RecruitingNation, and their 13th commitment overall. Eleven of the 13 players announced during the last 30 days.
Trinity Christian offensive coordinator Gerard Ross spoke with the Courier-Journal about Ford's decision:
"The type of offense Louisville runs suits him, and they also recruit Florida players. He felt comfortable with them. Coach [Charlie] Strong turned down the Tennessee job (last winter) and showed he's going to be at Louisville for the next four years, and that was big also."
Arkansas, Clemson, Cincinnati, Florida International, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana-Lafayette, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oregon, Purdue, Rutgers, South Carolina, South Florida, Texas Tech, Central Florida, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech and West Virginia were among his other scholarship offers.
Ford's a 6-foot, 161-pound prospect who registered a 4.86 40-yard dash, 4.42 20-yard shuttle and 31-inch vertical at this year's National Under Armour Combine in Orlando, Fla.
His primary recruiter was Louisville wide receivers coach Ron Dugans.
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 Big 12:
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Baylor Bears
What they’re selling: The new 45,000-seat, $250-million on-campus stadium that will open in 2014. Recruiting is an arms race, and players like fancy stadiums and locker rooms, and Baylor’s upgrade puts them finally on the same level playing field as everybody else in the Big 12.
What they're missing: Help on defense -- specifically at defensive line and defensive back.
Iowa State Cyclones
What they’re selling: Paul Rhoads. He grew up miles from the campus and has helped turn around Iowa State with a physical and fundamentally sound style of football.
What they're missing: A true home-run threat at receiver.
Kansas Jayhawks
What they’re selling: Charlie Weis. He’s taken risks (juco infusion), repaired relationships with area high school coaches and widened KU’s recruiting pool.
What they're missing: Wins. When you’ve won only one conference game in three years, a little bit of everything is missing.
Kansas State Wildcats
What they’re selling: Bill Synder. The plan has worked for years in Manhattan. K-State doesn’t care how many stars a player has attached to his name, a player only earns an offer from K-State unless Snyder personally signs off on it after a lengthy review. It’s a plan that produced a No. 1 BCS ranking and a Big 12 championship in 2012.
What’s missing: I’ve been told by coaches for years that the most difficult position to recruit is defensive tackle. That’s why you often see even average defensive tackles rack up double-digit offers, and finding good depth at defensive tackle has been very difficult to do at K-State.
Oklahoma Sooners
What they’re selling: Oklahoma is proud of its football tradition, and few schools can match the Sooners’ track record for success, facilities and ability to prepare you for the next level.
What they're missing: A renewed focus on evaluating players. It’s what differentiated Bob Stoops’ staff when they started, and it’s how they found players like Sam Bradford, Josh Heupel, Juaquin Iglesias and Donald Stephenson. All at the time were considered to be three-star recruits but wound up being impact players for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
What they’re selling: Their ability to evaluate and develop offensive talent.
What they're missing: Elite players in the Lone Star State. With the best facilities in the conference, it might be just enough to get kids to visit.
Texas Longhorns
What they’re selling: Few in the nation can offer up the type of atmosphere, fan base, tradition and total student-athlete package like Texas can.
What they're missing: A true a difference-maker at quarterback. The last two Heisman Trophy winners have come from Texas high schools, and the Longhorns didn’t recruit one heavily and recruited the other as an athlete.
TCU Horned Frogs
What they’re selling: The Horned Frogs recruit to their style of smash-mouth play on both sides of the ball and don’t care how many stars a recruit has. It hurts them some in the recruiting rankings, but it helps them win a lot of ball games.
What they're missing: BCS conference depth. Heading into their second season in the Big 12 after a 7-6 season, the biggest thing the Horned Frogs need to do is to build the roster to be able to compete year in and year out in the BCS conference.
Texas Tech Red Raiders
What they’re selling: The Red Raiders went through a transition that brought Kliff Kingsbury to Lubbock, and the early reception has been nothing short of positive.
What they're missing: The Red Raiders have never had issues putting up points on people, but under Tommy Tuberville and Mike Leach there was little defense being played.
West Virginia Mountaineers
What they’re selling: WVU is a force in the Atlantic region, can recruit well in Pennsylvania and is arguably one of the best schools at identifying offensive talent in the JC ranks.
What they're missing: The 2014 class will have to be all about rebuilding in Morgantown, as the needs are mounting while several impact players have moved on.
Defensive tackle Jeremiah Clarke (Alexandria, Va./T.C. Williams) took the next step in the recruiting process Tuesday night by announcing his top six on Twitter.
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound lineman said the schools on his short list now include Penn State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee. Clarke said in a text he's not yet sure whether he'll visit any of those schools again.
The Virginia product is currently hoping to commit somewhere by the end of the month, so his top-six announcement was expected. He holds 17 offers, and some of the bigger schools left off his top six included Maryland, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
He finished his junior season with 11.5 sacks despite playing six games with a broken left hand. He also had 38 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one blocked kick and seven quarterback hurries through 10 games.
According to Clarke, Penn State's staff told him that his playing style was similar to third-round NFL draft pick Jordan Hill.
The 6-foot-4, 272-pound lineman said the schools on his short list now include Penn State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Virginia, Miami (Fla.) and Tennessee. Clarke said in a text he's not yet sure whether he'll visit any of those schools again.
The Virginia product is currently hoping to commit somewhere by the end of the month, so his top-six announcement was expected. He holds 17 offers, and some of the bigger schools left off his top six included Maryland, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
He finished his junior season with 11.5 sacks despite playing six games with a broken left hand. He also had 38 tackles, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, one blocked kick and seven quarterback hurries through 10 games.
According to Clarke, Penn State's staff told him that his playing style was similar to third-round NFL draft pick Jordan Hill.
Regional recruiters are not the ones coming in to see a prospect the size of Sterling Jenkins (Pittsburgh/Baldwin). Colleges are sending offensive line coaches directly instead to size up the fastest-rising 2015 prospect in Pennsylvania.
There are not too many 16-year-old sophomores who stand 6-foot-8 and weigh 295 pounds, so coaches are the ones traveling to the Steel City to see Jenkins to properly gauge his stature. Baldwin coach Pete Wagner said colleges are surprised to see he is the real deal.
There are not too many 16-year-old sophomores who stand 6-foot-8 and weigh 295 pounds, so coaches are the ones traveling to the Steel City to see Jenkins to properly gauge his stature. Baldwin coach Pete Wagner said colleges are surprised to see he is the real deal.
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ESPN 150 athlete Dravon Henry (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) listed his top four schools about two months ago with the understanding it would slow down his recruitment.
With the mailbox now stuffed with 50 letters by the middle of the week, it's safe to say the four-star athlete understood incorrectly.
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At the end of the 2013 season, there will be a changing of the guards at Massillon (Ohio) Washington High School.
Right now, the Tigers have ever-changing offensive guards as the recruiting process morphs from one day to the next.
Nathaniel Devers and Chase Lash are impossible to miss at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds and 6-3 and 313 pounds, respectively.
Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio and Toledo have offered Devers. Akron has come forward with an offer to Lash.
But one thing remains consistent. Both love what they see in Michigan State despite not having offers. Not that the offers are far away for either.
Right now, the Tigers have ever-changing offensive guards as the recruiting process morphs from one day to the next.
Nathaniel Devers and Chase Lash are impossible to miss at 6-foot-3 and 270 pounds and 6-3 and 313 pounds, respectively.
Connecticut, Indiana, Ohio and Toledo have offered Devers. Akron has come forward with an offer to Lash.
But one thing remains consistent. Both love what they see in Michigan State despite not having offers. Not that the offers are far away for either.
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Four-star ATH releasing top group soon 
April, 30, 2013
Apr 30
6:36
PM ET
By
Jared Shanker | ESPN.com
It is split down the middle for four-star athlete Juwann Winfree (Englewood, N.J./Dwight Morrow). He has 18 total offers, and it is pretty much an even split as to which side of the ball schools project him. Half say receiver, and the other half tell him defensive back.
The No. 8 prospect in New Jersey has a preference, although he admits whichever gets him on the field quickest is OK with him.
“I love making plays and scoring touchdowns,” Winfree said.
The No. 8 prospect in New Jersey has a preference, although he admits whichever gets him on the field quickest is OK with him.
“I love making plays and scoring touchdowns,” Winfree said.
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Schools sticking out for Glover-Williams
April, 29, 2013
Apr 29
4:00
PM ET
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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