ESPN Recruiting Nation Football

After being committed to Clemson since signing day 2012, ESPN 150 quarterback Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) has made a change in his recruitment.

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BRADENTON, Fla. -- ESPN 150 wide receiver Artavis Scott (Tarpon Springs, Fla./East Lake), as expected, was one of the top wideouts in attendance at the IMG 7v7 Southeast regional championships over the weekend.

The four-star wide receiver visited Michigan recently and said he enjoyed his experience in Ann Arbor.

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After a standout performance at the Memphis NFTC over the weekend, safety Mattrell McGraw (River Ridge, La./John Curtis) picked up yet another offer. The latest one came from Michigan and has to be considered important for the talented McGraw, who has expressed his desire to leave the area. The offer from the Wolverines could add to an already busy offseason full of unofficial visits for the hard-hitting athlete.

Before any potential trip to Ann Arbor, however, the 6-foot, 190-pound athlete will head west for a quick trip to Eugene, Ore., to check out a school that has definitely grabbed his attention.

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Tampa Jesuit linebacker Vincent Jackson has plenty of scholarship offers from all over the country, but two schools he didn’t know as much about were Alabama and Auburn. He visited the two in-state rivals over the weekend.

Jackson arrived in Tuscaloosa on Friday with his friend and ESPN Watch List offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn. The two toured the school, the facilities, and watched the scrimmage before sitting down the with coaching staff.

When Jackson sat down with UA head coach Nick Saban, he received good news.

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BUFORD, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List defensive end Lorenzo Carter (Norcross, Ga./Norcross) credits his blindingly pink socks and highlighter yellow shoelaces with helping him win the defensive lineman MVP award at the Atlanta NFTC on Saturday.

The award came with a brilliant gold dog tag that complemented his outfit. But what really caught Carter’s eye, and fashion sense, was the big gold box that he was handed that contained his invitation to The Opening.

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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.

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BUFORD, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List defensive tackle Elisha Shaw (Tucker, Ga./Tucker) attended the Atlanta NFTC on Saturday but could not compete due to leg injury. Instead, he watched the defensive lineman compete against the offensive linemen and yelled out instructions and criticisms to the delight -- and sometimes embarrassment -- of the other attendees.

Shaw might have been sidelined for the camp, but his recruitment is progressing full-speed. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound junior has double-digit offers, with Alabama and Georgia tied atop his list. Recently a new name has made a strong push.

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BUFORD, Ga. -- ESPN Watch List Brandon Dawkins (Westlake Village, Calif./Oaks Christian) really wants to be in the Elite 11 quarterback competition. In fact, he and his family flew more than 2,000 miles to compete in Saturday's Atlanta regional.

The Elite 11 this year will be combined with The Opening so invitations are limited.

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BUFORD, Ga. – ESPN Watch List quarterback Deshaun Watson (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) has been committed to Clemson for more than 14 months, but that has not kept other programs from pursuing the record-setting passer, who earned an invite to the Elite 11 and The Opening following his performance at the Atlanta Elite 11 regional qualifier Friday.

For a few lucky schools, the interest seems to be mutual.

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A top 10 has emerged for touted running back Jonathan Hilliman (Jersey City, N.J./St. Peter’s Prep), and now some separation is starting to take place among those schools.

“The top five has definitely broken apart but not severely far,” Hilliman said. “I’m not counting out the other schools, depending on what they bring to the table -- if it's academics or great environment or great coaching staff.”

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Five players making key visits this weekend:

QB Drew Barker, Tennessee (Hebron, Ky./Conner): The ESPN Watch List prospect is among a small group of prospects in Knoxville, Tenn. That will give Tennessee's coaches plenty of time to spend with the 6-foot-4, 205-pound pocket passer. While Barker has always expressed interest in the Volunteers, he could be affected by the fact that Tennessee signed two highly rated quarterbacks in the 2013 class. Barker has also shown interest in Louisville, Kentucky and Ohio State. Tennessee coaches have said they'd like to sign a quarterback in every class.

LB Dillon Bates, Alabama (Ponte Vedra, Fla./Ponte Vedra): One of the elite prospects in the country, Bates is scheduled to visit Alabama this weekend. Bates is taking his time in his recruitment and not offering any hints as to where he's heading -- other than one. Bates has shown strong interest in Tennessee, where his father, Bill Bates, was a standout defensive back. Still, Bama has plenty to offer the 6-foot-3, 213-pound prospect despite his legacy to the Volunteers. This is their chance to prove it.

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GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Watch List running back Tony James (Gainesville, Fla./Gainesville) picked up an offer from the Oregon Ducks on Tuesday afternoon.

The 5-foot-11, 165-pound speedster said he believes he would fit well in the Oregon offensive system.

"That offer means a lot to me, actually," James said. "This is one of those offers that I have kind of been waiting on. It shows my dedication and hard work have been paying off. Oregon is the type of offense where I know I would fit in. They spread the ball out a lot and I feel I could really do well in that offense."

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Sophomore athlete Jaylin Hayward is undecided, which is normal for a prospect with two years of high school left. He has plenty of time to choose a school from among his impressive offer list, which includes programs like Alabama, LSU, Florida State, Florida, Miami and Tennessee. But before he picks a college, he has to pick a position -- which could be trickier.

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For ESPN Watch List athlete Christian McCaffrey (Highlands Ranch, Colo./Valor Christian), there’s literally no such thing as an off day. Spring break is included.

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