Yea I know. Anyone from ohio want to shed some light on this test that Turner is having trouble w/? I dont get how this one test will keep himfrom qualifying considering he had a pretty high GPA.Originally Posted by Fear The Ibis
1. Y'all ain't getting no damn clements.
.
July 16, 2009
[h1]Whispers: Commitments coming to FSU?[/h1]
Mike Farrell
Rivals.com Football Recruiting
MORE:Mike Farrell talks recruiting on RivalsRadio
Florida State has six commitments and is hoping to reel in a few more during Saturday's "Seminole Showtime" camp. Coaches will put the full-court press on numerous prospects, including five-star cornerback Lamarcus Joyner from Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas.
Joyner is rumored to be a potential commitment to the Seminoles before the weekend ends. FSU is his dream school, and there has been talk he wants to announce his decision before the season. If all goes well in Tallahassee this weekend, the Seminoles could have their first five-star commitment of the year.
Lamarcus Joyner could commit Florida State while on campus this weekend.
The list of potential attendees for Saturday is impressive. In addition to Joyner, five-star linebacker Jeff Luc of Port St. Lucie (Fla.) Treasure Coast is expected to be on hand, as well as four star-prospects Kenny Shaw, a wide receiver from Orlando Dr. Phillips; Christian Green, an athlete from Tampa Catholic; and Christian Jones, a linebacker from Casselberry (Fla.) Lake Howell. Each of those lists the Seminoles as their leader or co-leader.
Luc still is considered by many to be a Florida lean, but FSU remains high on his list. Shaw has been expected to commit to FSU for weeks now and could pull the trigger this weekend. As for Green, whose cousin is former FSU star receiver E.G. Green, most feel this is a Florida-FSU battle, and both sides are confident. It's also a Florida-Florida State battle for Jones, whose dad and brother played for the Seminoles, although FSU might have the edge.
Running back Eduardo Clements, from Miami Booker T. Washington, was expected to attend, but won't be there because of a family situation.
Other top prospects expected to attend include Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes teammates Corey Miller and Brandon Willis, both of whom are high on the 'Noles. While neither is likely to commit, the weekend could help FSU's chances to land both. The Seminoles are the clear leader for Willis and are in the top two, with North Carolina, for Miller. Philadelphia George Washington defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd also will be on hand as he takes a tour of the state; he'll also check out Florida and Miami.
Pahokee (Fla.) High wide receiver Chris Dunkley and Coconut Creek (Fla.) North Broward Prep running back Ethan Grant also are expected to be on hand.
Double for USC?
USC could get a nice daily double Thursday as Lakewood (Calif.) High quarterback Jesse Scroggins and safety Dion Bailey could announce for the Trojans at the Nike 7-on-7 event at Oregon.
Dion Bailey is a heavy lean to USC.
Bailey is a heavy lean to the Trojans, while Scroggins is deciding between Tennessee and USC, with Florida now apparently out of the mix. If both decide to announce at the same time, it's likely both would choose USC.
Georgia running out of room
Georgia has 15 commitments and quickly is running out of room in the 2010 class. The Bulldogs have received commitments from three players in the past week and could get as many as three or four more in the next week.
The biggest questions seem to be about cornerbacks and defensive end, specifically who the Bulldogs will take at corner and whether they'll take one more end.
Georgia has room for two cornerbacks in this class after taking Jordan Love and five-star Branden Smith in 2009. The Bulldogs already have a commitment from Derek Owens of Jacksonville Andrew Jackson for this year. The top guys on the board are Nickell Robey of Frostproof (Fla.) High, Cody Riggs of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, Tony Grimes of Hollywood Hills (Fla.) High and John Fulton of Manning (S.C.) High; the first two to jump on board apparently will get spots.
Sources say Robey is being worked the hardest by the staff, and he could jump on board soon. His former teammate is current Bulldogs running back Carlton Thomas, who also is his cousin. Robey is visiting Athens with his family this weekend.
Nickell Robey will check out Georgia this weekend.
Riggs has said Georgia is his leader, but he wants to take all five official visits before deciding. Miami and Michigan could be tough to beat for Grimes, and Alabama long has been the leader for Fulton, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. If Georgia can get Robey on board, they could try to squeeze Riggs or Grimes because Fulton seems to be a long shot. But the Bulldogs did land Manning defensive end Dexter Morant this week, so that could be a plus.
Other names on the Georgia board include Latwan Anderson of Cleveland Glenville, who favors West Virginia; Spencer Boyd, of Cape Coral (Fla.) High, who reportedly has committed to Notre Dame; and Terrence Mitchell of Tampa Hillsborough, who is a strong lean to Florida State. Kacy Rodgers of Southlake (Texas) Carroll apparently tried to commit to Georgia but was turned away; Rodgers also apparently tried to commit to Florida but was turned away.
As for ends, sources say Georgia will take one more in this class if it's a special prospect, namely in-state stud T.J. Stripling of Decatur Southwest DeKalb. Georgia already has commitments at the position from Brandon Burrows of Marietta (Ga.) Walton, Jalen Fields of Dalton (Ga.) High, B.J. Butler of Kissimmee (Fla.) Osceola and Morant, but would have a hard time passing on Stripling. He favors Georgia and Florida and has the most upside of the group. Rumors are swirling that Stripling could commit to Georgia as soon as next week.
Georgia will have a lot of talent at its "Dawg Night" on Saturday, when a few other prospects, in addition to Robey, could commit. Columbus (Ga.) Carver athlete Devin Burns and Valdosta (Ga.) Lowndes linebacker Telvin Smith could commit this weekend, although it's unclear whether Georgia would take Burns. Other notables include running back Mack Brown of Lithonia (Ga.) Martin Luther King, offensive lineman Chaz Green of Tampa Catholic and linebacker Khairi Fortt of Stamford (Conn.) High, as well as 2011 studs Isiah Crowell of Columbus (Ga.) Carver and James Vaughters of Tucker (Ga.) High.
Ducks making a move
Detroit Cass Tech cornerback Dior Mathis now favors Oregon over Michigan, Michigan State and Miami because the Ducks are recruiting him the heaviest. Michigan State also has moved up his list because the Spartans are getting a whole lot of buzz from in-state commitments William Gholston, Joe Boisture, Mylan Hicks and Nick Hill.
Can the Ducks pull Dior Mathis out of Michigan?
But there's no way you can count out Michigan in the Mathis sweepstakes. The Wolverines signed three players from Cass Tech in February and Mathis might have learned a thing or two about fooling the media from former teammate William Campbell, who arrived at the U.S. Army Bowl last year saying the Wolverines were out of the running only to re-commit to them a week later.
One thing is for sure: Mathis wants to be recruited hard and heavy, and the Ducks have stepped up.
The Ducks also have emerged as a legit contender for the Greensboro, N.C., trio of Keenan Allen and Chris McCain of Northern Guilford and Gabe King of Page. Allen is visiting Alabama this weekend, and that trip likely will determine where he goes and could determine where King and McCain end up. King has an Alabama offer, while McCain is hoping to get one.
Allen loved his trip out to Oregon and is warming up big-time to the possibility of playing offense in Chip Kelly's system. King favors California but also is warming up to Oregon. If the Ducks can land Allen, it likely would put them in the lead for King. McCain's favorite is Oregon, followed by Maryland, Syracuse and Louisville. Another Greensboro prospect, defensive back James Scales of Northern Guilford, favors Oregon, but the Ducks seem to be slow-playing him and he could end up jumping on a Louisville offer soon.
Auburn five-star update
With five-star running backs Lache Seastrunk of Temple (Texas) High, Marcus Lattimore of Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes and Michael Dyer of Little Rock (Ark.) Little Rock Christian high on Auburn, Tigers fans are hoping that at least one of the trio commits before National Signing Day.
While Seastrunk and Lattimore seem intent on waiting until either the U.S. Army All American Bowl or NSD to decide, Dyer could make his decision earlier. Dyer will be on Auburn's campus this weekend, his third trip to The Plains, and a commitment isn't out of the question.
Seastrunk was rumored to be making another trip to Auburn this weekend, but sources say he won't be making it. Meanwhile, Lattimore will be in Oregon for the Nike 7-on-7 even, then will visit Penn State and Rutgers this weekend.
Etc.
La'El Collins is waiting on an offer from LSU.
• 2011 offensive tackle La'El Collins from Baton Rouge (La.) Redemptorist has offers from Florida, Florida State, Tennessee and Oklahoma State, but hometown LSU is the team to beat. Collins hasn't received an offer from the Tigers, but he will visit at least once and possibly twice before his junior season starts and an offer is expected. Collins said he will consider all offers, but it will be hard to pull him away from LSU if the Tigers want him.
• Another 2011 prospect who continues to blow up is Jackson (Tenn.) Trinity Christian athlete Jabriel Washington, who already has double-digit offers. Georgia has been a longtime favorite and many feel the Bulldogs are the team to beat. But Ohio State has started to show more interest, as has USC, and he expects to be at the Ohio State-USC game on Sept. 12 in Columbus. Washington's parents are from the Los Angeles area, so expect USC to be a player. Florida is another school that could offer, as Washington will be at the Gators' "Friday Night Lights" event on July 24. And don't count out Tennessee.
• Solon (Ohio) defensive end Darryl Baldwin could commit to Ohio State by the weekend. That's something no one thought could happen a few months back, when the Buckeyes received a commitment from David Durham of Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian, which gave the Buckeyes three defensive ends in the 2010 class. Baldwin wanted to commit in February but dragged his feet; then, when Durham jumped on a Buckeyes offer, Baldwin appeared to be the odd man out. But it looks more and more as if Jamel Turner of Youngstown (Ohio) Ursuline won't be a part of this Ohio State class because of off-field issues, meaning Baldwin apparently has a second chance to become a Buckeye. Michigan State and Penn State seem to have the best chance to sway Baldwin away from Ohio State.
• Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee wide receiver Ace Sanders favors South Carolina, followed by West Virginia, but he's hoping to earn an offer from Florida at "Friday Night Lights." But a recent commitment from James Louis of Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic gives the Gators three wide receivers, and there appear to be other wide receivers higher on Florida's board, which means Sanders will have to be outstanding to earn an offer.
• Running back Corey Brown of Springfield (Pa.) Cardinal O'Hara has narrowed his list to 10 schools - Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Miami, Ohio State, Penn State, Pitt, Rutgers and West Virginia - but most still feel that Florida and Ohio State are out in front. Florida is recruiting him the hardest and he will visit the Gators as well as Miami and Florida State.
• Miami Pace quarterback Stephen Morris once was considered down to Virginia and Purdue, but a recent offer from Miami has changed everything. Now, it appears that Morris will be a 'Cane unless Florida decides to offer him at "Friday Night Lights," which would confuse things. But it looks as if Morris will play college ball in his hometown.
• Offensive lineman Harris Williams of Andover (N.H.) Proctor Academy switched his commitment to Boston College after being told there was no room in this class for him at Stanford. Williams is friendly with teammate Stephen Alli, a Florida commitment, so it will be interesting to see if Alli has second thoughts about his decision to head to Gainesville as more and more wide receivers commit to the Gators. BC and others still could end up being a player here.
July 16, 2009
[h1]Green plans to have summer decision[/h1]
Adam Gorney
GatorBait.net
Talk about it in The Tribal Council
The plan for Christian Green is to make a decision before his senior season starts but his father, Hiram, said that might be difficult because the schools remaining on his son's list all have great things to offer.
The next step is to figure out which relationship is best and that could go a long way in determining where Green goes to school. Some believe Florida State is the frontrunner but Hiram Green said all the programs still have a shot at landing the 6-foot-2, 200-pound athlete from Tampa Catholic.
Green is expected to have a decision done by the end of summer.
Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Ohio State, South Florida and the Seminoles are the six schools Green told Rivals.com are out in front and a late-summer decision is preferable.
He recently stopped by Florida State's camp, is expected back for another camp in Tallahassee later this month and might stop at Georgia before school starts again. Rivals.com reported earlier this summer Florida, Florida State and Georgia are his top three schools.
Green, rated as the fourth-best athlete and No. 25 prospect in the 2010 class, did not respond to a text message to see if he would attend Friday Night Lights. He is on the roster for the Gridiron Kings event in Orlando next weekend.
"He's at the age where he's trying to grow up and you want him to be comfortable," Hiram Green said.
"I try to lead him as best I could. At the same time he's becoming a young man. We're going to sit down as a group. We're trying to lead him as best we can to answer his questions.
"It's always hard. He's a spiritual kid so he definitely does pray and he's going to look at it from his perspective, the academic perspective, the coach perspective in terms of where they want to play him. He also really doesn't know once he puts his name on the line, he says who can I trust going to their program and do the right thing with him? Once he builds those relationships with the coaching staff and an internal knowing, that's it."
In his junior season, Green threw for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for 656 yards and six scores. The only athletes rated higher by Rivals.com are Florida commit Matt Elam, Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra's Robert Woods and Los Angeles (Calif.) Loyola recruit Anthony Barr.
His cousin, E.G. Green, played for Florida State in the 1990s but Green said that will not play a major role in his decision-making process. Still, it cannot hurt the Seminoles' chances and that's why they are still considered a frontrunner. His relationships with Florida State's coaches go a long way, too.
Green is no stranger to Gainesville. He camped at Florida this summer, had been to at least one spring practice and has become familiar with the coaching staff and the surroundings. Recruiting has gotten so hectic that a decision before his senior season is almost an expectation, Hiram said, because the calendar has been pushed up so much.
Still, before Green picks his school, the family plans to sit down and weigh all their options and there are many. A lot of major programs from around the country have offered a scholarship but it appears the six mentioned above have the best shot at this point - and everyone should find out which program is the lucky one by the end of summer.
Auburn, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, South Carolina and Southern Cal were just a few of the other teams that offered him. His Tampa Catholic teammate, Chaz Green, has Florida as his No. 1 school.
"He's trying to narrow it down to the schools he wants to attend but it's really tough," Hiram Green said. "He's doing a good job. He knows where he wants to go now to these schools but it's still tough because every school is a good school.
"There are certain things that separate them but you're talking about good coaches, good schools. All of them are pretty decent and you have to say of that group who can you really trust as a dad? Who's going to help your son and who's going to help your son take him to the next level academically, athletically, and through the whole process?"
Luc still is considered by many to be a Florida lean, but FSU remains high on his list. Shaw has been expected to commit to FSU for weeks now and could pull the trigger this weekend. As for Green, whose cousin is former FSU star receiver E.G. Green, most feel this is a Florida-FSU battle, and both sides are confident. It's also a Florida-Florida State battle for Jones, whose dad and brother played for the Seminoles, although FSU might have the edge.
That's exact the impression I get
Kacy Rodgers of Southlake (Texas) Carroll apparently tried to commit to Georgia but was turned away; Rodgers also apparently tried to commit to Florida but was turned away.
Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee wide receiver Ace Sanders favors South Carolina, followed by West Virginia, but he's hoping to earn an offer from Florida at "Friday Night Lights." But a recent commitment from James Louis of Delray Beach (Fla.) Atlantic gives the Gators three wide receivers, and there appear to be other wide receivers higher on Florida's board, which means Sanders will have to be outstanding to earn an offer.
This JL commitment is confusing things big time.
• Miami Pace quarterback Stephen Morris once was considered down to Virginia and Purdue, but a recent offer from Miami has changed everything. Now, it appears that Morris will be a 'Cane unless Florida decides to offer him at "Friday Night Lights," which would confuse things. But it looks as if Morris will play college ball in his hometown.
Don't mess things up for LeMay
• Miami Pace quarterback Stephen Morris once was considered down to Virginia and Purdue, but a recent offer from Miami has changed everything. Now, it appears that Morris will be a 'Cane unless Florida decides to offer him at "Friday Night Lights," which would confuse things. But it looks as if Morris will play college ball in his hometown.
JL continues to do damage. Just what I figured, though I thought/hoped it would be Patton, not Alli.
4. Florida is coming on very strong for Neiron Ball/Dominique Easley and I'd expect them to commit to UF at FNL or shortly after.
about Ball news. We are so stacked at LB it'll be tough for us topull more than 1 big time LB this year. And I've heard that Easley, so long as he performs well, is an absolute lock to commit this weekend.
1. Was told by a very reliable source that Chris Dunkley is very seriously considering USC. Bounced this info off a couple people and what I got back was that both coach Morton and McNair at SC really liked the new film and they are pursuing Chris hard. At this point the SC coaches are trying to set up a visit w/ Richard Ash and Dunkley. Also, on Ash, told that SC is serious about him if things w/ George Uko don't work out.
If we screw things up with Dunkley. Not surprised about this news though. Hasn't been much news lately about Dunkley and his interest in theGators. Not sure how close Ash and Dunkley are but we've pretty much dropped Ash, after his performance at our spring camp, from everything I've heard.This weekend will prolly have big influence on where Dunkley goes.
Lots of big time players coming to Gville for FNL with interest. Going to be tough for the coaches to give heavy attention to all of em. Notables to be inGville:
RB Mack Brown (5-11, 185, Lithonia, GA King)
RB Jordon James (5-10, 190, Corona, CA)
RB Lache Seastrunk (5-11, 195, Temple, TX)
WR Chris Dunkley (5-11, 170, Pahokee, FL)
WR Justin McCay (6-4, 205, Shawnee, KS Bishop Miege)
WR Kyle Prater (6-5, 205, Proviso, IL Hillside)
OL Brandon Linder (6-4, 270, Fort Lauderdale, FL St. Thomas Aquinas)
OL Ian Silberman (6-5, 265, Orange Park, FL Fleming Island)
DL Sharrif Floyd (6-3, 294, Philadelphia, PA George Washington)
DL Louis Nix (6-3, 320, Jacksonville Raines, FL)
DL Garrison Smith (6-4, 250, Atlanta, GA)
DE Corey Lemonier (6-5, 225, Hialeah, FL)
DE Ronald Powell (6-4, 230, Moreno Valley)
DE Lynden Trail (6-7, 220, Miami, FL)
LB Khairi Fortt (6-2, 220, Stamford, CT)
LB Jeff Luc (6-0, 241, Port St. Lucie, FL Treasure Coast)
LB Tony Jefferson (6-0, 200, Chula Vista, CA)
DB Victor Hampton (5-10, 170, Charlotte, NC Independence)
DB Jaylen Watkins (6-0, 172, Cape Coral, FL)
CB Terrence Mitchell (5-10, 165, Tampa, FL)
CB Cody Riggs (5-9, 160, Ft Lauderdale, FL)
Maybe:
DL Owamagbe Odighizuwa (6-3, 245, Portland, OR Douglass)
DL Jackson Jeffcoat (6-5, 230, Plano, TX Plano West)
DB Demetrius Wright (6-1, 185, Corona, CA)
WR Darius White (6-4, 205, Ft. Worth, TX Dunbar)
Notable 2011 Prospects:
QB Price Litton (6-2, 195, Matthews, NC Providence Day)
QB Teddy Bridgewater (6-2, 175, Miami, FL)
QB Christian Lemay (6-2, 190, Mint Hill, NC)
TE Kelvin Benjamin (6-5, 210, Belle Glade, FL Glades Central)
DB Karlos Williams (6-1, 205, Davenport, FL Ridge Community)
DB Wayne Lyons (5-11, 185, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Dillard)
RB Shon Carson (5-9, 195, Lake City, SC)
RB Isiah Crowell (5-11, 190, Columbus, GA)
OL La'el Collins (6-5, 285, Baton Rouge, LA Redemptorist)
LB James Wilder Jr. (6-2, 200, Tampa, FL)
Committed to Florida
Committed to Miami
" UF can't match any number ND throws out".
How so? UK was Billy D's dream job, offering more money, more tradition, and has ties to the program. Biilly D says no to UK, the next timearound Billy D is rumored and offered the job again and he turns it down again. Billy D was a done deal twice to UK.
Already on campus and working out.
Originally Published: July 17, 2009
[h2]Northwestern flexing its muscle[/h2]
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By JC Shurburtt Scouts Inc. Archive
BEAVERTON, Ore.-- Vapor Trail from Miami overwhelmed most of its opponents with a speedy defense that attacked the ball and big plays on offense en route to a perfect 3-0 in pool play on Day 1 of the Nike 7on Tournament.
[+] Enlarge
Tom Hauck for ESPN.com Teddy Bridgewater was on target Thursday in Oregon.
Safety Jerome Thomas was part of a secondary that limited big plays in the passing game, something that is unusual in a 7-on-7 format.
"We have made a lot of improvements to our defense," Thomas said. "We have confidence in each other to get the job done. We have a young quarterback who is coming into his own to make plays with our offense, and we know our offense is good, but we have to get out there and help them."
That young quarterback is Class of 2011 prospect Teddy Bridgewater. Bridgewater could potentially be one of the most coveted players in South Florida for the next recruiting cycle. Although his all-around skill set is best showcased in an actual game with pads, Bridgewater delivered the ball to his receivers well and made several nice throws. Florida State, Miami and others have made early offers.
One of his favorite targets was receiver Michaelee Harris, who had seven catches for 130 yards in a 22-14 win over Zoom Blade of Duncan, S.C.
"It's a good chemistry that Teddy and I have," Harris said. "He is developing with all of his wide receivers. We are just being our brother's keeper. It's a whole team effort."
Harris reported seven scholarship offers, and said he plans to wait for a while before making a commitment.
[h3]Scroggins shines[/h3]
Under Armour All-American quarterback Jesse Scroggins was impressive throwing the football for the Field Generals during the afternoon session.
Scroggins has said he will make his college decision by the end of this month, and is considering USC among others. He has good size, a big arm and finds his receivers well.
One of those recievers was defensive back Dion Bailey, a recent Trojans commit. Though Bailey is being recruited as a defensive prospect, he caught several passes on offense.
[h3]Woods is impressive[/h3]During the first day of the eventRobert Woods showed why he's one of the most coveted players in the Golden State in this year's class.
The Land Sharks (Gardena, Calif.) dropped their first game, but rallied to win the next two. Woods, along with fellow senior receiver Paul Richardson and Class of 2011 standout George Farmer, made big plays.
On offense, Woods proved to be a top playmaker at the receiver position. He was strong after the catch and could come down with the ball in traffic. On the defensive side, he showed off excellent ball skills, and had a big interception against Zoom Blade in the third game of the day.
It's not a surprise that the top programs from across the country, including USC and Oklahoma, want Woods badly.
Farmer is a thivkly-built youngster who showed off his explosiveness with two 40-yard touchdown receptions and another 25-yarder against Zoom Blade. He shined on the defensive side of the ball as well during his team's first game.
USC, Texas and Florida are among the early verbal offers for Farmer.
Richardson showed senior leadership in his team's rally for two wins after its morning loss.
"We just got focused," he said. "We got down in the first game, but we came out that second game and third game and made some things happen. This is definitely a little faster than what we are used to seeing, but we've been doing well."
Multiple programs have offered Richardson, who said that California is recruiting him the hardest at the moment. He will not make a decision until national signing day.
[h3]Stars for Vapor Jets[/h3]Wide receiver/quarterback De'Joshua Johnson led the Vapor Jets (Pahokee, Fla.) in a spirited day of competition. In pads, Johnson is tough to tackle, and proved to be slippery in this format. He took a pass against Super Speed (DeSoto, Texas), made three defensive players from Super Speed (DeSoto, Texas) miss and outran everybody to the end zone. When he played quarterback, his team moved the ball more efficiently. Johnson said that if he were 6-foot-3 he would be one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
As impressive as Johnson was both catching and throwing, Under Armour All-American Chris Dunkley was probably the top individual receiver at the event on Thursday.
Another Vapor Jets standout that caught the eye of the scouts was defensive back Raheam Buxton. Buxton made a beautiful interception in the end zone and made contributions on offense, too. He seems to be on the fast track toward a commitment to Miami (Fla.), and he would be a tremendous under-the-radar pick-up for the Canes.
Wake Forest commit, linebacker Zachary Allen had a big day on offense playing tight end. Allen showed the ability to go up to get the football in traffic, prompting one scout to comment that he "must be a heck of a linebacker for him to not get a look at tight end."
[h3]The next step for Super Speed[/h3]Less than a week after reaching the semifinals of the Texas 7-on-7 championships, many of the same players are competing against some of the best in the country in Beaverton, Ore., for Super Speed.
Texas commit, wide receiver Darius Terrell had multiple big catches, including a nice deep one. The more you watch Terrell, the more he grows on you. He's the type of receiver that is at his best when he can body up a defensive back and leap up and get it.
Class of 2011 receiver David Porter continues to show why he could be one of the more highly-recruited receivers in the Lone Star State in next year's class. Porter caught a couple of touchdowns and showed the hands that have impressed on a number of occasions this summer.
Running back Marcus Murphy made several big plays as well. People close to his high school program believe that he can be special in college. He has certainly showed special qualities playing 7-on-7, and we've seen it for two weeks now.
Under Armour All-American and Texas commit Adrian White had a solid day in coverage for Super Speed. White has good size for a cornerback prospect.
[h3]Lattimore leads Zoom Blade[/h3]Running back Marcus Lattimore was an important part of the passing game for Zoom Blade. In several other 7-on-7 events, Lattimore was known to open for deep passes by blowing past defenders, but he primarily worked underneath on Thursday and was quite effective.
Lattimore has offers from all over the country, and has a working list of schools that includes Florida State, South Carolina, North Carolina, Alabama, Auburn, Penn State, Clemson, Rutgers, Oregon and Maryland.
Wide receiver Nick Jones was probably the best receiver for Zoom Blade. The 5-foot-8, 180-pound Jones isn't the tallest, but he has good hands, is fearless and is quick. South Carolina and Michigan are his two offers at this point.
Quarterback Chas Dodd showed why Rutgers recently offered him. The two-time state championship winner was impressive in his first game.
Receivers Torian Richardson and Jazz King, along with cornerback Zach Miller, had their moments.
[h3]Davis shines[/h3]LSU commit Mike Davis was the most impressive prospect on Zoom Fly (Dallas). The speedy receiver caught two touchdowns in a close loss to Zoom Blade in the opening game.
Oklahoma commit Joe Powell had an electrifying interception and return for Zoom Fly, which went 0-3 on the day.
[h3]Jones plays hurt[/h3]Under Armour All-American wide receiver Tai-ler Jones of Merciless (Gainesville, Ga.) was was not 100 percent, working through a tweaked hamstring. He did, however, take a slant to the house for 50-plus yards in one game, showing tremendous speed.
The more you watch Jones, even at half speed, the more you understand why the Stanford commit was one of the most coveted receivers of the 2010 class. He runs great routes, has excellent hands and is extremely crafty. Jones also can play defense well.
Class of 2011 linebacker A.J. Johnson showed off the athleticism that has multiple programs in the Southeast already after him. He got a chance to play some offense and looked good catching the football.
Alabama commit Blake Sims, the quarterback for Merciless, had a solid throwing day. The Crimson Tide will likely play him in the secondary.
JC Shurburtt covers recruiting for ESPN.com. He can be reached at [email protected].
BEAVERTON, Ore. -- The second annual Nike 7ON passing championship kicked off with pool play Thursday from Nike World Headquarters here. The first half of pool play kicked off Thursday morning for the Zoom Division, which consisted of Team Zoom Blade (Duncan, S.C.), Team Vapor Trail (Miami), Team Zoom Fly (Dallas) and Team Land Sharks (Gardena, Calif.). In the afternoon, the Speed Division took the field, with Vapor Jets (Pahokee, Fla.), Super Speed (DeSoto, Texas), Field Generals (Lakewood, Calif.) and Merciless (Gainesville, Ga.) competing.
Vapor Trail (Miami Northwestern) impressed with a 3-0 record and is the top seed going into Friday's bracket-style championships.
Zoom Division
Zoom Blade 26, Zoom Fly 20
Chas Dodd passed for 375 yards and four touchdowns as Zoom Blade jumped out to a 20-0 first half lead and then held on in the second half for a narrow win over Zoom Fly. Dodd completed 21 of 36 passes, spreading the ball around to his talented receiving corps and finding three different receivers on scoring passes. Nick Jones led the pass-catchers for Zoom Blade with seven receptions for 120 yards and two scores while Jazz King opened the scoring with an 80-yard bomb on the tournament's first play from scrimmage. Javia Hall hit 21 of 31 for 371 yards and three touchdowns in a losing effort for Zoom Fly while Mike Davis starred at wideout with nine catches for 161 yards and scores from 20 and 40 yards out.
Vapor Trail 28, Team Land Sharks 6
Vapor Trail jumped on the Californians and cruised to an easy victory. Vapor Trail quarterback Teddy Bridgewater finished the game with 370 yards and four touchdowns on 21 of 31 completions to six receivers. Land Sharks quarterback Connor Preston struggled at the onset but found his grove later in the game as he hit All-American wide receiver Robert Woods on a 1-yard touchdown pass for the Land Sharks' only score. Preston finished the game 14 of 29 for 258 yards, one touchdowns and two interceptions. Woods caught eight passes for 174 yards and the score.
Vapor Trail 22, Zoom Blade 14
Teddy Bridgewater continued his impressive early showing at quarterback, leading Vapor Trail past Zoom Blade, 22-14. Bridgewater, a junior-to-be who already has offers from the likes of Miami, FSU and others, completed 23 of 32 passes for 325 yards and three scores, throwing zero interceptions as Vapor Trail took what a sagging Zoom Blade secondary gave them and controlled the clock for most of the game. Bridgewater completed passes to six different receivers with Lorenzo Shinholster and Michaelee Harris leading the charge with seven catches for 130 yards and two scores and six receptions for 81 yards and a TD respectively. The Vapor Trail secondary held Chas Dodd to just 20 of 39 passing and intercepted him twice, including Jahrie Level's interception in the end zone on the final play of the first half to preserve a 14-6 lead at the time.All-American running back Marcus Lattimore led the Zoom Blade offense with 110 yards and a touchdown receiving.
Land Sharks 26, Zoom Fly 15
Land Sharks quarterback Connor Preston picked up his confidence in his second game after some early jitters in his first outing. He got his team off to a good start with a touchdown on the Lands Sharks' first drive, a 12-yard post from Preston to Paul Richardson. The Land Sharks jumped out to a 20-0 lead after two touchdown catches by Robert Woods. The 6-foot-1, 185-pound dynamo scored on a spectacular 60-yard reception where he split to defenders at midfield and outraced a third into the end zone. Zoom Fly finally got on the board with 40 seconds remaining in the first half on an 8-yard touchdown from quarterback Javia Hall to LSU commit Mike Davis. Zoom Fly cut into the lead further on its first possession of the second half, as Joseph Powell scored on a 11-yard touchdown reception with 20:56 remaining in the game. Preston finished 20 of 29 for 314 yards and four touchdowns. Hall finished 18 of 28 for 269 yards and two touchdowns.vWoods had another spectacular game, catching seven passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns.
Land Sharks 35, Zoom Blade 27
George Farmer and Robert Woods put on an absolute show in game three on field one, leading the Land Sharks out of Southern California past Zoom Blade of South Carolina in a high-scoring affair. The Land Sharks jumped out to a 28-8 halftime lead on the strength of three first half touchdowns from Farmer and a Woods interception. Farmer finished with five catches for a whopping 160 yards and scored on passes of 25, 40 and 40 yards as Zoom Blade had a lot of trouble containing the Land Sharks' deep passing game. Woods intercepted a pass early, one of three first half interceptions of Chas Dodd, and chipped in four catches for 113 yards as Land Sharks' QB Conner Preston finished 19 of 25 for 357 yards with five touchdown passes. Marcus Lattimore again led Zoom Blade, catching nine passes for 119 yards, while Nike Jones totaled six catches for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Vapor Trail 28, Zoom Fly 6
Zoom Fly proved to be no match for the boys from Florida. Vapor Trail made one spectacular play after another on both sides of the ball. The team even got solid play from backup quarterback Khambrel McGee, an FIU commit who will likely play defensive back in college. Vapor Trail was able to get its second stringer some playing time because of the accuracy and poise of starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater. He was simply spectacular, completing 15 of 21 passes for 246 yards and three touchdowns. When "Bridge" subbed out, he moved to wide out and made one of the best catches of the afternoon, a Randy Moss-esque, one-handed grab in the middle of the field. Zoom Fly got its only score of the game on a 20-yard touchdown toss from back-up quarterback DaVonte Kincade to Rashad Samples. Zoom Fly starting quarterback Javia Hall completed 13 of 24 passes for 152 yards with an interception.
Speed Division
Vapor Jets 34, Super Speed 28
De'Joshua Johnson caught an 80-yard touchdown pass and threw for a 60-yard score as the boys from Florida outlasted the team from Texas. Johnson played wide receiver in the first half, which is where he is expected to play at Florida State, the college he committed to last month. He had the longest play of the game when he hauled in a long pass from Emanuel Perez in the first half to help give his team a 12-8 lead. Johnson then switched to quarterback in the second half and hooked up with Chris Dunkley on a 60-yard bomb to cut a Super Speed lead to 21-18. Dunkley is a transfer to Pahokee from Royal Palm Beach and is regarded as one of Florida's top prospects. The go-ahead score for the Vapor Jets came on a 10-yard scoring completion from Johnson to Zachary Allen with 7:30 left. Led by QB Ryan Polite, Super Speed picked up one first down on its ensuing series but didn't score. The Floridians then ran out the clock for the win. Johnson and Perez divided 478 passing yards almost equally with Johnson going 12 of 15 for 231 yards and three TDs while Perez was 7 of 12 for 247 and two scores. The team's leading receivers were Fred Pickett with five catches for 112 yards and Kaalum Williams with four catches for 47 yards. Polite had four TD passes and no interceptions for Super Speed. He also completed 22 of 42 passes for 345 yards. David Porter was Polite's favorite target with nine catches for 122 yards.
Merciless 24, Field Generals 21
Merciless pulled out the come-from-behind victory over the Field Generals, who took a 14-0 lead after two touchdown passes from Elite 11 quarterback Jesse Scroggins (2010) to Kevin Anderson. But Merciless was able to turn the game's momentum on a 55-yard interception for a touchdown by Desmund Hamilton. In the second half, Merciless cut the Field General's lead to 14-12 on a 5-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Blake Sims to A.J. Johnson. Scroggins and company took a 21-12 lead on a 12-yard touchdown reception by Anderson, his third of the game. Merciless came storming back, however, as Stanford commit Tai-ler Jones caught a 40-yard touchdown pass from Sims. The Georgia boys completed their comeback when Chris West split two defenders in the middle of the field against a tiring Field Generals defense. Sims completed 19 of 30 passes to eight different wide outs for 266 yards and four touchdowns. Scroggins finished 22 of 37 for 303 yards and three TDs.
Field Generals 20, Vapor Jets 18
The Field General's Brennen Kelly came up with a huge grab on defense with three minutes left in the game to seal the win over the boys from Pahokee, Fla. The Field Generals certainly have possibly the best field general of the event in 6-3, 190-pounder Jesse Scroggins. The senior Elite 11 quarterback hit on 20 of 35 passes for 360 yards and three TDs. He did have one interception, which came in the second half as his team was trying to build on a 13-12 lead. The Vapor Jets went with De'Joshua Johnson at quarterback for all but one series in this game. He finished with 20 completions in 27 attempts for 294 yards and three TDs. Pickett was his top target with seven receptions for 111 yards. In addition to Pickett, the other touchdowns were caught by Zachary Allen and Raheam Buxton. Scroggins spread it out among his receivers well with the top totals going to Kevin Anderson for catches (5 for 46 yards) and Dion Bailey for yardage (4 for 116).
Super Speed 44, Merciless 21
Super Speed out of Texas showed no mercy on Merciless of Georgia in game two of Speed Division play, as the Texans bounced back from a tough opening defeat to put up record-setting numbers. Ryan Polite led the onslaught with 501 yards and six touchdowns through the air as Super Speed became the first team in Nike 7ON history to top 40 points in a single game. Polite used the short passing game to shred the Merciless secondary, completing 21 of his first 22 passes and finishing 38 of 49 on the game. Darius Terrell and standout junior-to-be David Porter both caught two touchdown passes for Super Speed. Blake Sims passed for 263 yards and two scores while also scoring on a 60-yard catch and Tai-ler Jones had another 100-yard receiving game in the loss for Merciless.
Vapor Jets 28, Merciless 22 (OT)
The Vapor Jets earned the win on a fourth-down 30-yard touchdown pass in overtime from De'Joshua Johnson to Chris Dunkley. They still had to stop Merciless, which they did by forcing Merciless QB Blake Sims to take too much time on his last throw in overtime. On the play, Merciless standout A.J. Johnson made a spectacular diving catch but it was nullified because of the four-second sack rule. Johnson, a 6-2, 217-pounder, could be one of the top junior linebackers in the nation and looked the part in this outing. Trailing by 22-14 with three minutes left, the Vapor Jets tied the score with 50 seconds left on a five-yard toss from Johnson to Dunkley. They still needed to convert a two-point play to force overtime and did it on pass from Johnson to Dennis Hall. Merciless took a 7-0 lead in the first half on an 87-yard interception return by Alberto Sanabria. Emanuel Perez, the Vapor Jets' QB who gave up the interception, came back later in the half to throw a pair of TD passes to Kaalum Williams. Williams and Hall both turned in strong games for the Vapor Jets. Williams had six catches for 58 yards and two TDs while Hall had six for 113 and one score. Johnson and Perez both accounted for 200 yards or more with Johnson going 16 of 25 for 244 yards while Perez completed 12 of 16 for 200 yards. For Merciless, Sims went the distance and connected on 23 of 38 passes for 296 yards and three TDs. Johnson added four catches for 96 yards while Teryan Rucker had four catches for 56.
Super Speed 20, Field Generals 13
Super Speed looks like it will be a team to be reckoned with in tomorrow's Nike 7ON championship bracket after keeping its composure in dispatching the Field Generals. The final contest of the day had to be frustrating for Field Generals coach Thadd MacNeal, as his club once again built a lead, only to see his it wilt in the hot Oregon sun. The Field Generals got on the board first with a 20-yard touchdown pass from Elite 11 quarterback Jesse Scroggins to Chris Davis on its first offensive possession. Davis' was Scroggins main target in this game, catching six balls for 82 yards. Super Speed kept pace with its short passing game, taking what the defense gave it and hoping for a breakdown in coverage. Quarterback Ryan Polite capped a long drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to Devin Sanders on fourth down. The two-point conversion was no good as the Field Generals led, 7-6. Super Speed found a soft spot among the Field Generals' line backing corps and exploited it by utilizing Texas commit Darius Terrell. As the Field Generals visibly tired in the second half, Terrell went to work, catching short passes up the middle and exploiting backers sucked too far inside for big yardage on the perimeter. With 8:45 remaining, Terrell caught the game-winning touchdown, a 7-yarder from Polite. Terrell finished with 10 receptions (eight in the second half) for 169 yards and the two scores. In Super Speed's short passing game, Polite completed 33 of 44 passes for 385 yards and three touchdowns. Scroggins finished the game 14 of 32 for 288 yards and two touchdowns, but he was only six of 15 for 114 yards after intermission.
Thursday Final Scores!!
Todays Shedules
ZOOM DIVISION
1. (Vapor Trail) Miami Northwestern 3-0
2. (Land Shark) Gardena (Calif) Serra 2-1
3. (Blade) Duncan (S.C.) Byrnes 1-2
4. (Fly) Dallas Skyline 0-3
SPEED DIVISION
1. (Vapor Jet) Pahokee (Fla.) 2-1 (win tiebreaker with victory over DeSoto)
2. (Super Speed) DeSoto (Texas) 2-1
3. (Merciless) Gainesville (Ga.) 1-2 (win tiebreaker with victory over Lakewood)
4. (Field Generals) Lakewood (Calif.) 1-2
FRIDAY'S FIRST-ROUND PAIRINGS
Northwestern vs. Lakewood (10 a.m. PST)
Serra vs. Gainesville (10 a.m. PST)
Pahokee vs. Skyline (11:10 a.m. PST)
DeSoto vs Byrnes (11:10 a.m. PST)
There is a consolation bracket. Each team is guaranteed at least two games Friday
Pahokee got kicked out and sent home for behavior problems and stealing Nike equipment.
Winning, a sold out stadium and a coach that doesn't wear Depends.
