ESPN.com - #UAGame practice: Day 4 notebook

ESPN.com: Football Recruiting - Southeast Region

Thursday, January 3, 2013
#UAGame practice: Day 4 notebook

By Derek Tyson

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- With just a player walk-through Thursday, things were relatively easy in Day 4 of practice at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports. A four-star defensive tackle gave further explanation about his decision to decommit from an SEC school, several players talked about who impressed them the most, and an ESPN 150 safety changed his decision date.

Brantley discusses decision, plans

ESPN 150 defensive lineman Caleb Brantley (Crescent City, Fla./Crescent City) surprised everyone Wednesday when he decommitted from Florida after UA Game practice. The 6-foot-3, 305-pound tackle said he plans to take other visits before making a final decision.

Brantley, the No. 5 defensive tackle in the country, said he decommitted for personal reasons.

"To me I was solid up until this week, when I had some personal problems so then I decommitted," Brantley said. "There are a bunch of personal reasons and some stuff I need to clear up with Florida, but I'm probably going to take visits to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma."

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Of the three schools he will visit, all have tried to contact the four-star athlete since the news broke Wednesday.

"Bama hit me up last night, Oklahoma called me today," he said. "I talked to LSU, like, 20 minutes after I decommitted. I've never been to another school other than Florida and Florida State, so it's going to be different. I don't know nothing about all these schools, man. I'm going to check them out, but like I said I've never been anywhere but Florida and Florida State."

Brantley, who had been committed to Florida for almost a year, insists the Gators aren't out of the race.

"Florida is definitely still in it for me," he said. "They have been calling me and everything like that, but I haven't picked up the phone for nobody. All the other coaches have been calling me through other players' phones. I haven't really been on my phone."

When asked whether he has talked to other Florida commitments about his decision, Brantley's answer was short and simple.

"Not really," he said. "Sometimes you've got to be selfish."

ESPN 150 safety changes decision date

Four-star safety Antonio Conner said this week that he would announce his college destination at the UA Game on Friday. The ESPN 150 athlete, however, announced Thursday on Facebook that he has changed his announcement to Feb. 3, just three days before national signing day.

Conner lists Alabama and Ole Miss out in front but is planning to take all five of his official visits.

Treadwell impresses coach

White Team wide receivers coach Reidel Anthony can be a tough critic, but he had nothing but positive things to say about LaQuon Treadwell’s performance this week in practice.


	Four-star RB Keith Ford had a good week at UA Game practices, as UA Game coach and former All-American Reidel Anthony said he liked what he saw.

“I love that kid’s game for several reasons,” Anthony said. “First of all, he’s a big body and he plays big. He goes to the ball and makes it hard for a defender to get him out of the way.

“He had a couple of drops early but in the last two days he’s caught pretty much everything that’s come his way.”

Anthony also spoke highly of running backs Keith Ford and Ryan Green. Quarterbacks Shane Morris, Brice Ramsey and Kevin Olsen, however, will have to prove something to the former consensus All-American.

“All of the quarterbacks have had their moments here and there, but none of them have done enough to separate themselves from the pack,” Anthony added. “They all need to show a little more in the game.”

On defense Anthony liked Reuben Foster and Kelsey Griffin.

“Well, Foster will just knock somebody out,” Anthony said. “Guys like that are the reason I don’t play anymore. And Griffin, that’s like a young Warren Sapp or Booger McFarland right there. Have him in the middle, with [Chris] Jones on the edge, and someone’s getting hurt.”

Ramsey settles in

Georgia quarterback commit Brice Ramsey admittedly struggled on the first day of practice, but the four-star signal-caller feels he improved as the week of practice went on.

"I feel like I've done pretty well," Ramsey said. "I've been right in there amongst the other quarterbacks. I had a tough transition at first but it's gotten easier as the week's gone on. I was just getting familiar with everyone and then learning a totally new offense for me."

Ramsey, who will enroll Monday at Georgia, said he just wants to prove in the UA Game (5 p.m. ET Friday, ESPN) that he belongs out there with the rest of the All-Americans.

"I just want to come out here tomorrow and complete some balls and show people that I belong here," he said.

Who impressed whom this week

Ryan Green: “I would have to say Reuben Foster impressed me the most. He hits so hard. I’m just happy we’re on the same team Friday."

Carl Lawson: “Ira Denson has the hands and the footwork. He’s a great competitor, too, he will fight you until the end of the drill."

Montravius Adams (injured): “I was impressed by both of the running backs, Keith Ford and Ryan Green; they are going to be stars in college.”


	Fellow Under Armour All-Americans said they were most impressed this week with 4-star OT Denver Kirkland's (72) stopping power and his reach.

DeMarcus Walker: "Denver Kirkland is the best guy I've been against. He's just so big and wide, it's hard to get around him. Today, I finally learned how to beat him. You have to get vertical, and when he extends his arms you have to chop them down."

Brice Ramsey: “I was pretty impressed by Max Redfield. He had a couple of interceptions and he plays the ball pretty well.”

Keith Ford: “Reuben Foster hits like a truck. I felt that once or twice, and it wasn’t too fun.”

Alvin Bailey: "Vernon [Hargreaves III]. He's from Tampa, he likes to ball, and goes up and gets it."

Kelvin Taylor: "Big Rob [Robert Nkemdiche]. He's the man. He's explosive off the ball, he's very quick off the ball. He's got great footwork, he's fast. He's pretty good."

Greg Gilmore: "Grant Hill and Denver Kirkland. Those are the two that, every time it's my turn, I want to go against those guys to try and get better."

Top Tweets of the Day

Just got done with a community service project, laid sod for a ftball field in Florida so kids would have grass to play on! Awesome feeling!
— Shane Morris (@S_Morris12) January 3, 2013

Community service, helping fix a football field for the lil ones instagr.am/p/UCLUS8NbLR/
— Cam Burrows (@CB2ERA) January 3, 2013

Walk throughs was fun today.
— Ebenezer Ogundeko (@Ebenezer_O_1) January 3, 2013