¹ 2008 Spring Football/Summer Workouts (updates) ©

[ThaxbyChamblis]

June 9, 2008

Shane Youngblood
BamaOnLine.com
Hillsboro (Nashville)High School's Eric Gordon, one of the Tide's top cover corner prospects for the 2009 signing class, just completed two days atAlabama's first football camp of the summer. With bluechip recruits from all over the country on hand, including a strong contingent of defensive backs,what did Gordon think of the competition?

"I held my own," laughed Gordon who is being pursued by most of the top programs in the southeast. "I wasn't overly impressed with anyone,but it was a good bunch of guys in my group."

Gordon has made a few previous stops to the Capstone and Alabama was one of his first early offers.

Did the trip improve the Tide's standing with Gordon?

"It definitely helped Alabama out a lot," said Gordon. "I already thought very highly of Alabama to begin with. The highlight to me was theindividual instruction I got from Coach Smart and Coach Saban. I learned techniques that I can take back home with me and that will make me a better footballplayer.

"Coach Saban and I talked for awhile after the camp. He just wanted to know where Alabama stood with me, and I let him know that they were very high on mylist. I always enjoy talking with Coach Saban."

Gordon has a few more camps to go this summer before he starts narrowing his choices down.

"I am going to Kentucky on Friday and then Tennessee on Tuesday," said Gordon. "I have to stay sort of close to home this summer because it ismore difficult to travel now with gas prices and stuff. I haven't started to put together a list of favorites yet, but I will start doing that thissummer."

Gordon is the brother of former Mississippi State basketball star Jamont Gordon.

 

[gatorb807]

pretty good article from ESPN. I don't know how to post the article but here is the link. Top 10 Freakish Players. Carlos Dunlap is on the list

:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=feldman_bruce&id=3420212

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Dunlap and Bailey re %%%#%!% RIDICULOUS and I am not looking forward to playing against them....

Mays is a %%%#%!% freak.....

How you that big running 4.24 ???

 

[bigmike23]

After getting a bunch of emails about whatever happened to the offseason Freaks list (two years ago Owen Schmitt won top honors), thanks to some coaches andsports information directors, we are pleased to unveil the 2008 top 10 list:

1. Brian Orakpo, Texas, DE: The Longhorns haven't had an All-American end since Tony Brackens 13 years ago, but Orakpo might end thedrought. To say Orakpo has blossomed in Austin would be an understatement. He arrived at Texas as a 210-pounder and now looks like an All-American: He is achiseled 253-pounder with 8 percent body fat, stunning power and explosiveness, who throws around 100-pound kettlebells and 180-pound dumbbells. His work inthe weight room is eye-popping. Orakpo also benches 515 pounds, power cleans 380 pounds, runs an electronically timed 40 in 4.6 seconds and has a vertical jumpof a whopping 42 inches.

[+] Enlarge

University of Texas Athletic Photography

Brian Orakpo's work in the weight room has led Texas coach Mack Brown to peg the DE for big things in 2008.
On the field, Orakpo missed four games with a knee problem last season, but did show in his Texas' Holiday Bowl win over Arizona State that he'sa lot more than just some workout warrior by winning Defensive MVP honors after notching career highs in tackles (six) and TFLs (three) to go along with twosacks.
"Brian Orakpo is as good of an athlete as I've ever coached," Mack Brown says. "He has an unbelievable combination of power, speed andexplosiveness. But what he does with that athletic ability is even more impressive. He's as hard of a worker as we've had in our program, practices andplays with great intensity and is a terrific young man off the field. We think he can be one of the best defensive players in college football thisseason."

2.Taylor Mays, USC, safety: Scary. That is the best way to describe Mays. His combination of size and speed in a safety is freakish. And inthe Trojans' spring game, Mays obliterated Patrick Turner, the team's towering 6-foot-5, 230-pound receiver on a play when he came over the middle. Isuspect many Pac-10 receivers envision similar scenes before they face the Trojans and their super-fast, super-sized DB.

Mays' workout numbers are ridiculous. He's 6-3, 226 pounds, with 6 percent body fat and ran an electronically timed 40 this spring in 4.32 seconds.He did 26 reps with 225 pounds while also vertical jumping 41 inches and doing a standing broad jump of 11-4. (As evidence in his growth, Mays arrived at USCweighing 215 and posted a vertical jump of 35 inches and a broad jump of 10-0.)

Asked if he's even seen anything that big, move that fast, USC strength coach Chris Carlisle paused for a few moments: "Maybe when I walked by thecheetah cage at the wildlife park." Mays' athleticism actually presents USC with a different kind of issue: a talent with such growth potential thatyou have to guard against him outgrowing the position. "Our big thing is he could get too big too fast," says Carlisle, who also gushes about theplayer's work ethic. "He could easily be like his daddy [former NFL defensive lineman Stafford Mays] so we have to make him better without making himbigger because he could be like 260 in a month."

Carlisle predicts Mays could still run a sub-4.4 40 at that size, but says the key is keeping the DB from bulking up too much in his lower body. "Wecould use him like a science experiment, but that really wouldn't be of value to him or the team."

3. Carlos Dunlap, Florida, DE: Meet the newest Gator defensive star. The swift 6-7, 285-pound Dunlap replaces Derrick Harvey and takes overwith huge expectations. Gators offensive line coach Steve Addazio says Dunlap might be better than both Jarvis Moss and Harvey by the time he leavesGainesville.

[+] Enlarge

Doug Benc/Getty Images

Carlos Dunlap could be the next great defensive end at Florida.
Dunlap's stats this spring certainly didn't halt any of the hype as he clocked a 4.63 at Florida's spring 40-timing day and was credited withfive sacks in the Gators' spring game. In high school in South Carolina, Dunlap was such a wondrous talent, he even returned kicks in addition to his workterrorizing QBs.
4. Robert Griffin, Baylor, QB: A 6-3, 200-pound true freshman, Griffin enrolled early and will battle for the starting QB job in the fall.A few weeks ago, "Rambo" displayed his blazing speed for the Bears track team by winning the Big 12 400-meter hurdles title at the conference outdoorchampionships with a personal-best and national-leading time of 49.22, making for a very rare double of QB-hurdler. Griffin is a legitimate threat to make theOlympics someday as a hurdler. New Baylor coach Art Briles describes Griffin as a "unique blend of athleticism." That's putting it mildly.

5. Rylan Reed, Texas Tech, OT: Lost in all of the talk about the amazing stats of Red Raider QB Graham Harrell or his Biletnikoff-winningreceiver Michael Crabtree or their quotable head coach Mike Leach, is one of the best stories in the game, Rylan Reed. The one-time Arkansas tight end recruit,who opted to sign with the Chicago White Sox as a pitcher, is pretty special in his own right. He once retired Barry Bonds in a spring training game, which isdefinitely something that'll be good to tell the grandkids about. The guy's 96 mph fastball didn't get him to the majors after four minor leagueseasons, but he did overcome a bout with cancer where he had part of his colon removed. He signed with Tech as a 6-7, 270-pound tight end, but the Red Raidersstaff believed he would be best suited as a left tackle.

Reed hit the weight room hard and last summer set a school record with a 565-pound bench. He used that strength and nimble footwork to become one of the Big12's top linemen. In the Gator Bowl, he helped contain Virginia's Chris Long to three tackles and no sacks.

This spring during Pro Day workouts in March, Rylan benched 225 pounds 23 times. That doesn't sound like all that much, but considering Reed performedwith an injured ankle that he had elevated, it was pretty remarkable that he still got 23 reps without proper balance.

6. Allen Bailey, Miami, DE: A sophomore, Bailey might be the No. 1 on this list next year. The powerhouse Georgia product is one of thoserare talents with a background made for legends. Like the time he once killed an alligator with a shovel. Bailey, who wowed Miami coaches with his smoothtransition from linebacker to defensive end, was almost as impressive in Miami's spring workouts where he weighed in at 286 pounds with 8 percent body fatand vertical jumped 38.5 inches and power cleaned 375 pounds -- numbers that surely are adding to the Bailey folklore around Coral Gables.

"He's about as freakish as they come," Miami strength coach Andreu Swasey says. "He's like a big Willis McGahee. At almost 290pounds, the guy is sculpted like a Greek god. I expect him to break a lot of records around here before he leaves. He will be a 41 or 42-inch vertical jumpguy, run in the 4.5s or low 4.6 and clean 400."

After spring practice, Bailey did suffer an injured pectoral muscle, but he is expected to be fine by fall camp.

For more on Bailey's amazing background, check out this story that ESPN.com's Mark Schlabach wrote.

7. Alex Mack, Cal, center: Arguably the best offensive lineman in the country, the 6-4, 310-pound Mack, a standout wrestler in high school,is everything coaches want in a center. The guy is not only the most powerful player on the team, but also the most flexible guy too. His 374-pound power cleanset a Golden Bear record, while he regularly displays his freakish flexibility by doing splits and scoring the highest marks on all of the flexibility teststhe players do. "The two things that make him different from anybody I've ever coached are his work ethic and his flexibility," says JimMichalczik, Cal's veteran O-line coach. "He is the hardest worker I've ever seen." Michalczik says that uncanny flexibility not only helpsprevent injuries but as a center, Mack always is forced to operate in close quarters and is able to get low and stay low. Not bad for a guy who wasn't ahigh-profile recruit that had come to school as a 260-pounder.

[+] Enlarge

GABRIEL BOUYS/AFP/Getty Images

LSU's KR Trindon Holliday owns the school record in the 100 meters.

8. Trindon Holliday, LSU, KR: He may be one of college football's smallest players, but he's also the fastest. Last year he smashedhis own school record in the 100 meters with a blistering time of 10.02. Holliday also anchored the Tigers' 4x100-meter relay team to an NCAA runner-upfinish with a seasonal best time of 38.85 in the finals at the national meet. He re-established the LSU school record in the 100 meters on four differentoccasions in 2007.

9. Martez Wilson, Illinois, LB: Ron Zook was at Florida when Jevon Kearse came to Florida and in Wilson, he sees a very similar talent. Infact, Zook has dubbed Wilson "Freak 2." Wilson, who arrived last year at Illinois weighing 235 pounds, is up to 248 and just as fast and even moreexplosive. Wilson's 4.4 speed makes him a force at linebacker as well as a red zone tight end and as a gunner on the punt team, which Zook points outshould tell you about the guy's speed.

"Tez has unbelievable acceleration, and he'll be 265, 270 by the time he leaves here," Zook predicts. "And the really great thing abouthim is he wants to be good."

10. Jason Phillips, TCU, LB: A three-time All-Mountain West Conference selection, the 234-pound Phillips, a former high school QB, has asquat of 710 pounds, a power clean of 410 pounds and a bench press of 450 pounds. Coaches love the guy's toughness, which was shown in a recent team posterhe posed in. According to a school publicist, the shot was to capture football in its essence. The photographer said the only thing missing from the intensityof Phillips' face was a little blood. Phillips said, "No problem." He grabbed a small knife from the training room and nicked a scab on top ofhis nose to provide the blood needed for the shot.

Just Missed the Cut: Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech, DE; Marcus Thigpen, Indiana, RB; Arist Wright, Kansas, LB; Greg Hardy, Ole Miss, DE-WR; JacquesMcClendon, Tennessee, OG; Lydon Murtha, Nebraska, OT; Vontae Davis, Illinois, CB; Brannan Southerland, Georgia, FB; and Cody Hughes, W. Kentucky, OG.

Bruce Feldman is a senior writer with ESPN The Magazine. His new book, "Meat Market: Inside the Smash-Mouth World of College Football Recruiting," is on sale now

 

[al3xis]

First line for the season is out

College xtra Football[table][tr][th=""]Spread[/th] [th=""]Money Line[/th] [th=""]Total Points[/th] [th=""]Team Total Points[/th] [/tr][tr][td]Appalachian State at LSU[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Sat 8/30[/td] [td]1229 [/td] [td]Appalachian State[/td] [td]+21 -120 [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [/tr][tr][td]5:00PM (EST)[/td] [td]1230[/td] [td]LSU[/td] [td]-21 -120 [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [td] [/td] [/tr][/table]

 

[dlo13]

Easily the biggest news of the summer...

Georgia State tabs Curry as first head coach

Atlanta, GA (Sports Network) - The Georgia State Panthers have chosen Bill Curry as its first football coach, according to the Atlanta Journal- Constitution.

The school has a news conference scheduled for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. (et).

Georgia State president Carl Patton announced in April that the university will undertake a football program. The Panthers will play at the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision level, formerly known as NCAA Division I-AA, and will play its first season in 2010. Georgia State will also remain in the Colonial Athletic Association and play its home games at the Georgia Dome. The program will begin to recruit players in the fall.


Now we got Dan Reeves and Bill Curry on the payroll...

Gonna be wild as hell with 10K people in that 70K seat stadium...

 

[gatorb807]

Good I don't want to listen to Curry on ESPN anymore. I wish he would take Mike Gotfried as an assistant with him.
Who all doesn't think LSU will cover the spread vs. App State? I think App State will put a scare into them and lose by 14 maybe less. Armanti Edwards isthe truth.

 

[hotspitta26]

yo whats crazy is that armanti baby momma used to send me messages on facebook all the time back in 05-06 (before she had the kid)....then sometime las year isee pics on my mini feed w/ her armanti n a baby....weird !#%+

 

[joe mcknight is ballin]

damn allen bailey is glv dark

 

[gmills23]

[table][tr][td]
[/td] [td]Jelani Jenkins
Wheaton (MD) Our Lady Of Good Counsel[/td] [td]

[/td] [td]LB[/td] [td]6-0/203[/td] [td]list[/td] [/tr][/table]
THE TRUTH... I beleive when GC playes DeMatha this year its gonna be on ESPN...

 

[newbs24]

3 guys I cannot wait to get on campus are Terrence Robinson, Michael Shaw and Martavious Odoms. I think all 3 are gonna see some time. TRob and Tay at slot andShaw might surprise people and get some run at RB and will more than likely get some return time. He is killing the Big 33 practices. Dusting people. He is ahuge get. I think he pushes McGuffie to slot in a years time. Shaw will be the RB from the 2008 class IMO baring a major set back. Kid was running 10.4-10.3100's this year before the state of Ohio got pissed and dug stuff up on him that made him ineligible. He was gonna break Brandon Saines 100 times and theywere salty. Oh well. Kid is said to be pissed about this and has a major beef with Ohio know.

 

[zs05wc]

I can't wait for Will Campbell. The more I read about him the more excited I get. Dude is an absolute beast. You know you're good when you get bored w/your position so you go and play OL just for the hell of it and still dominate. This kid is something else.

 

[newbs24]

Originally Posted by zs05wc

I can't wait for Will Campbell. The more I read about him the more excited I get. Dude is an absolute beast. You know you're good when you get bored w/ your position so you go and play OL just for the hell of it and still dominate. This kid is something else.

The funny thing, he doesn't get bored with it, there just isn't any comp at these camps so the coaches make him switch. He is nasty. There wasarticle about he and Aaron McCord battling in the D a coupla weeks ago. McCord had a bleeding face and Will got his tooth chipped. They both praised eachotherand said it was fun. Will is a nasty dude on the field. The clips of him at the Army combine were great. I love how he manhandled Marcus Hall and Xavier Nixonbut is still 10-12 spots lower than them on scout. Will has less than dominating film and that is where people downgrade him, but he STARTS both ways out ofneed. No breaks for him. That is why he trying to get down to 310lbs so his stamina can step up. I think he is going to do big things this year.

 

[zs05wc]

June 13, 2008

Barton Simmons
Rivals.com Football Recruiting

Talk about it in The Fort
When Darius Winston committed to Arkansas back in February, he was well known within the Natural State as one of the best prospects in the area. Five months later how things have changed. Winston has since been named a five-star prospect, the second best cornerback in the nation and has picked up scholarship offers from around the country. Due to the national status of his recruitment, Arkansas fans knew that they would have to sweat out his commitment.

[table][tr][td]

[/td] [td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Darius Winston has Michigan on top of his list.[/td] [/tr][/table]On Friday, Arkansas' fears were realized and Winston decommitted from the Razorbacks.

"I decided to decommit to Arkansas," Winston said Friday afternoon. "I've been thinking about it the past couple days. A couple of schools are on the rise. I like a couple of other schools better right now."

While Winston confirmed that he is still considering the Razorbacks, clearly a few other programs have made a stronger impression on him to this point.

"I'm considering them right now," he said. "They've kind of moved down. They're probably in my top six. I'm liking so many schools and I was committed so I felt like I needed to decommit."

So who is on top for the 6-foot-0 180-pounder?

"Michigan is at the top," he said firmly. "Michigan, Clemson, Texas and there's a couple of other schools but those are my top three right now."

Winston's change of heart has come following a spring evaluation period that saw a multitude of coaches come through in an attempt to recruit the physical cornerback. The relationships he has built with some of the assistants has been crucial in the new leaders for his services.

"Ever since Michigan started recruiting me a couple of months ago I've liked them," he said. "Arkansas has always been on top but I've been calling coach Hopson and I've been getting to like him. I really like their coaches a lot.

"I love Clemson's coaches. I like coach Vic Koenning. I met him during the evaluation period and I called him a couple times. At Texas I love the coaches too."

Winston has tentative plans to visit Texas this summer where he hopes to receive an official written offer. He also hopes to get to Michigan either in the summer or the fall for a visit.

Winston also expanded on the schools that he is interested in at this point.

"Michigan, Texas, Clemson, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida State and Miami, LSU too. LSU is in the top six," he said. "So now I'm down to a top ten schools. I want a top ten. I gave you eight, I'm still exercising the other two."

While recruiting is playing a big role in his summer, Winston's primary focus currently is getting a good score on his upcoming ACT test.

 

[gunna get it]

A day after Tennessee received it's 5th verbal commitment in the class of 2009 from Rhea County lineman Kevin Revis, the Vols added 4-star tailback Jarvis Giles.
"Tennessee was the best fit for me," Giles said. "I love it here. It's awesome. I can see myself living here after football is over, building a family here..."
...With Giles commitment, one has to wonder where Tennessee stands with Midwest City, Oklahoma tailback David Oku. Volquest.com talked with Oku on Friday night and he wasn't phased by the news of Giles pledge.

"If Tennessee offered him then he has to be good," Oku said. "It doesn't change how I view Tennessee at all. You have to expect competition. If you fear competing then you don't need to be playing college sports."

Tennessee has made it three for three to end the week on the recruiting front as the Vols have landed their third commitment in summer camp with Jersey City, New Jersey defensive back Nyshier Oliver. Oliver joins Tampa's Jarvis Giles and Rhea County, Tennessee lineman Kevin Revis as the newest Vol.

Fat Phil back at it

 

[ddot7]

I wanted Clemson to get Giles, kid looks good. So many RB prospects in FL this year.

Clemson has 8 commits so far, Rivals rankings: one 5 star, five 4 stars and two 3 stars. Plus, it looks like we've got a another top 50 player in the bagand a few more top 100 that are supposed to be sure things.

 

[newbs24]

It appears as if Michigan has picked up commitment #10 for the class of 2009 in Michael Schofield. He is an OT from Illinois. 6-6 270lbs. 3star:Scout,4star:Rivals. Kid is legit with offers from ND, The U and almost all of the Big Ten. Needed some OL recruits and this is a good one.

 

[the anomolie]

How the hell is Jeremy Gallon not on neither list. That guy is a best. APK all day.

 

[newbs24]

Originally Posted by THE ANOMOLIE

How the hell is Jeremy Gallon not on neither list. That guy is a best. APK all day.

Thats whats up.

 

[iye2]

I cannot stay up w/ recruiting at all this time of the yr. This time period (the summer basically) is sooo boring for cfb.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Y'all ain't getting Oku Gunna....Don't even worry about that....

 

[gunna get it]

 

[newbs24]

Oku seems to be pretty wide open. It sucks that we already have 2 RBs in this class along with 2 last year and 3 juniors on the team. That kids film is nasty.He would be a terror in Michigans offense.

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

Originally Posted by Newbs24

Oku seems to be pretty wide open. It sucks that we already have 2 RBs in this class along with 2 last year and 3 juniors on the team. That kids film is nasty. He would will be a terror in Michigans FSU'S offense.

Lets hope so Newbs....

 

[zs05wc]

It sounds like whoever gets Oku is gonna have a legit shot at Gabe Lynn too, he looks really good to me. I would love to get him or Winston, or both cuzI'm greedy. Also sounds like theres some good talent at our camp this week. One kid they said thats been dominating is Josh Boyd, who could be a greatcompliment to Big Will or if they switch him to DE it sounds like he could be a great rusher off the edge. Idk, I'm pretty happy we got a commitment fromsomeone other than a slot receiver. Hopefully this camp will produce a few more early commits.