'09 COLLEGE FOOTBALL OFF-SEASON THREAD-recruiting/Coaching Changes/Transfers

[kingjames23]

August 20, 2009
[h1]Dunlap primed for big-time season[/h1]
Adam Gorney
GatorBait.net Assistant Editor

Talk about it in Alligator Alley
He had the height and the weight and the skills but one thing five-star defensive end Carlos Dunlap lacked when he came to Florida was the work ethic necessary to be an immediate contributor.

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[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Kim Klement[/td] [/tr][tr][td]

[/td] [/tr][tr][td]Dunlap was a dominant force at defensive end last season.[/td] [/tr][/table]Dunlap called it a "freshman phase" but coach Urban Meyer had another term for it - dog. Excuses don't have a long shelf-life for Meyer and Dunlap's lack of intensity and bad practice habits were not what Meyer wanted to see from someone with such incredible physical attributes.

"You're the star, everybody that comes to Florida is a star at their high school so when they get here they expect to make plays like they did in high school or contribute as quickly as they did in high school so it's an adjustment you have to make," Dunlap said. "You have to take your time and learn everything so when you do it you do it right."

Dunlap took a lot of time. His freshman season he had seven tackles, unacceptable for such a highly-touted, freakish athlete who was rated as the best weak-side defensive end and fifth-best player in the 2007 recruiting class by Rivals.com.

Slowly, Dunlap picked up the work ethic. There was no other choice with Justin Trattou battling for minutes and other defensive ends waiting to take his spot. It was either shape up or go sit on the sidelines

A Porsche is nice but nothing special if no one starts it. Dunlap got the keys and started his fine-tuned motor, finishing his sophomore season with 39 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss with 9.5 sacks, both team highs.

Some consider Dunlap one of the best defensive ends in college football. If he has another dominant season there is no reason to think he won't at least consider leaving early for the NFL. It's something he hears but doesn't consider much at this point.

"I treat it as if it's motivation to what I have to do," Dunlap said. "I don't take it as overwhelming. I use it as motivation, I have to work harder, I have to train like this guy or think about the other d-ends in the nation because I don't want this guy at another school to be outworking me."

The "freshman phase" was in his past. Dunlap proved to be one of the nation's best players at his position earning defensive MVP honors in Florida's national-championship victory over Oklahoma. Defensive coordinator Charlie Strong said that honor boosted Dunlap's work ethic even more this off-season.

"Last year was just hard to get Dunlap to run from me to that door there and now what helped him was being the MVP of the national championship game and then if you look at it he's gotten so much publicity and he's taken that upon himself to be a better football player," Strong said. "His whole thing is just practice and he has to be a better practice player.

"… He's 6-7, 285 pounds … and he can go run down people. He's so fast and athletic and he has tremendous upside. Each day he has to come ready to play. A lot of times when guys have the ability they sometimes think I can go out there and turn it on when I want to but he has to understand he has to turn it on all the time."

Dunlap has pretty much secured one defensive end spot since Trattou has been slowed in preseason camp with a sprained foot. That has Dunlap focused on the school record for sacks in a season, set by Alex Brown in 1999 with 13. Trattou will also play a lot, though, since defensive line coach Dan McCarney loves rotating players.

"My goal of course was the all-time sack leader here and I think it's 13 so of course I want to go for that," Dunlap said. "After my year last year they're going to be keying on me more so I'm going to try to help or give some of the other d-linemen my tips on how I do it so we can get better as a whole d-line."

Florida's defense cannot be much better. All 11 starters return. All the backups return. And there are freshmen who are talented enough to challenge at almost every position. The Gators are so loaded on defense that some are talking about this unit having the chance to be the best in school history. It's not that far-fetched to believe it's true.

Dunlap said he now understands what it takes to be an elite defensive end. And he's prepared to put in the work, finally.

"After being here for two years, everything is easier so I know what I have to do and I see the other guys who've done it and went on and been fortunate enough to get to the next level," Dunlap said.

"So I'm just trying to mimic some of the steps from the guys before me who did it like (Derrick Harvey) and (Jarvis) Moss and then just help the whole d-line because we want to get back to the '06 defense. We like how they played it."
The SEC is in trouble now.� He's gotten by on natural talent and athleticism, now that he's putting in the work to be great, you'llsee him dominate and be a top 10 pick.

 

[gunna get it]

heard the same thing last yr tho ...

 

[gunna get it]

Bryce suspended 1 game and gotta pay back $ that was paid for camp.

UT is appealling it, supposedly Brown had no idea where the $ came from

 

[depast]

Well I got my list of ACC assignments today, here's the games I'll be covering this season for the paper:

South Carolina at N.C. State
Va Tech at ECU
UNC at NC State
Clemson at NC State
Florida State at Wake
Miami at UNC

Not a bad slate, should be fun. Prep football kicks off here in N.C. tomorrow.

 

[lifelessons]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Bryce suspended 1 game and gotta pay back $ that was paid for camp.

UT is appealling it, supposedly Brown had no idea where the $ came from

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Bryce suspended 1 game and gotta pay back $ that was paid for camp.

UT is appealling it, supposedly Brown had no idea where the $ came from

Oh, I know where it came from.......................

 

[gunna get it]

report is , it wasnt from Butler...

 

[kingjames23]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

heard the same thing last yr tho ...

What, Carlos would dominate? He led the SEC in sacks and was the Def MVP of the MNC last year so let's not act like he wasn't one of the best DL inthe conference. He never worked as hard as he has this year, so obviously he should be better than last year in which he was damn good.

Bryce knows better than to snitch, he knows exactly where that money came from.

 

[gunna get it]

He said last yr, he was gonna take it serious, He still took plays off. tell me he didnt??

Maybe he's motivated by Money and he'll go all out every snap he's out there. I dunno

he should be doing Julius Peppers out there but he dont have that motor. am I makin this up?

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

49 > 8

Unless he shows up every game.

But I can see him dogging it this year.

Ans be plays SDE, right?

 

[after h0urs]

Armond Armstead, starting DE for SC, is out for 6 weeks with broken foot.

Patrick Hall, the 5-star athlete from '09 class, just tore his ACL in his 1st practice yesterday

 

[flahustler1024]

I cannot even argue about about Dunlap's motor, he takes too many plays off. I wish Dunlap had a Pepper's motor.
If he plays as hard as he trained this off-season, he should be a beast.

KingJames23, have you heard anything about Chris Rainey getting suspended the first 2 games?
I bet he was wildin' out in Studio

or one of the other clubsdowntown

 

[kingjames23]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

He said last yr, he was gonna take it serious, He still took plays off. tell me he didnt??

Maybe he's motivated by Money and he'll go all out every snap he's out there. I dunno

he should be doing Julius Peppers out there but he dont have that motor. am I makin this up?

I know how stupid and homerish it sounds but this year is different. More is being demanded out of this defense and because of that nothing lessthan perfection will be tolerated. Spikes and Stamper, along with the coaching staff have pushed everyone harder than before. There's also a lot morecompetition and only one person has his spot promised to him. That and the fact he's gone after this year plays a lot into it I'm sure.

Originally Posted by FlaHustler1024

KingJames23, have you heard anything about Chris Rainey getting suspended the first 2 games?
I bet he was wildin' out in Studio

or one of the other clubs downtown

That I have not heard, if it has something to do with clubbin, etc. I'll see what I can figure out. He probably freaked out some white womenwhen he was tryin to holla.

 

[freddymartinez]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Bryce suspended 1 game and gotta pay back $ that was paid for camp.

UT is appealling it, supposedly Brown had no idea where the $ came from

kind of saw that coming

 

[jonfarr]

Originally Posted by Chester McFloppy

I %%!$%!% hate those ******ed %%!$%!% feathers on the %%!$%!% shoulderpads.

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they're famous for no reason, they look pretty and they got a rich daddy.

 

[vctry20]

Originally Posted by JONFARR

Originally Posted by Chester McFloppy

I %%!$%!% hate those ******ed %%!$%!% feathers on the %%!$%!% shoulderpads.

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they're famous for no reason, they look pretty and they got a rich daddy.

at least put quotation marks around the quote if your going to steal it

 

[fecta23]

Originally Posted by JONFARR

Originally Posted by Chester McFloppy

I %%!$%!% hate those ******ed %%!$%!% feathers on the %%!$%!% shoulderpads.

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they're famous for no reason, they look pretty and they got a rich daddy.

65-38

 

[gtownballer23]

Originally Posted by after h0urs

Armond Armstead, starting DE for SC, is out for 6 weeks with broken foot.

Patrick Hall, the 5-star athlete from '09 class, just tore his ACL in his 1st practice yesterday

you guys are cursed with injuries this year.

he should be doing Julius Peppers out there but he dont have that motor. am I makin this up?

No. Carlos didn't even start last year because of his 'taking plays off' mentality. JT started.

 

[Chester McFloppy]

Originally Posted by JONFARR

Originally Posted by Chester McFloppy

I %%!$%!% hate those ******ed %%!$%!% feathers on the %%!$%!% shoulderpads.

Ducks are the college football version of Paris Hilton…they're famous for no reason, they look pretty and they got a rich daddy.

Then what does that make the Beavers... Paris Hilton's toilet paper?

 

[juicy j 32]

Originally Posted by DEpast

Well I got my list of ACC assignments today, here's the games I'll be covering this season for the paper:

South Carolina at N.C. State
Va Tech at ECU
UNC at NC State
Clemson at NC State
Florida State at Wake
Miami at UNC

Not a bad slate, should be fun. Prep football kicks off here in N.C. tomorrow.

That's pretty cool. What paper do you work for?

 

[10508 cardo jr ln]

Originally Posted by after h0urs

Armond Armstead, starting DE for SC, is out for 6 weeks with broken foot.

Patrick Hall, the 5-star athlete from '09 class, just tore his ACL in his 1st practice yesterday

Damn I was looking forward to seeing him turn it up.. He did numbers out there with Barkley.

 

[gunna get it]

Originally Posted by after h0urs

Armond Armstead, starting DE for SC, is out for 6 weeks with broken foot.

Patrick Hall, the 5-star athlete from '09 class, just tore his ACL in his 1st practice yesterday

Terrible.
AH, what are your expectations for SC this yr?

 

[ThaxbyChamblis]

This is the Class of 2009 Miami-Dade County top 50 from ESPN affiliate InsidetheU.com (Miami).

1. DE Corey Lemonier, Hialeah - Lemonier is one of those prospects who looks great physically, yet is nowhere near as big as he'll be after a few years in a college strength program. He is good both against the pass and the run, but the only knock is that he hasn't had standout games against the toughest opponents. He has a massive offer list, but he looks most focused on Auburn, Florida State, Illinois, Miami, New Mexico, and Tennessee.

2. DT Todd Chandler, Northwestern - Chandler has proven to be a dominant force when healthy, and the only thing he is really missing is prototypical size for his position. He has great strength in the middle and he has become the unquestioned leader of a Northwestern team who figures to be one of the best in the state. He has a full slate of official visits planned to some of the nation's top programs, but it would be a shocker if he didn't stick with his Miami commitment since he was one of the first to join their class. MIAMI

3. OL Torrian Wilson, Northwestern - Wilson has good athleticism for his size, but projects as a guard in college even though he starts at left tackle for Northwestern. His stock has really jumped over the spring and summer, and he's now regarded as one of the top offensive linemen in Florida. He recently stated that his top three schools were Miami, Michigan, and Stanford, but many expect him to stay home with Miami in the end.

4. QB Jeff Godfrey, Miami Central - Godfrey has fantastic athleticism and speed to go along with an extremely strong arm. He has made strides with his accuracy and his decision making, but those remain the areas where he has the most room for improvement. He is strongly considering schools that feature a spread offense like West Virginia, Michigan, and Oregon, but Florida State is the likely favorite at this point.

5. RB Eduardo Clements, Booker T. Washington - Clements has good vision, is a touchdown machine in the redzone, and has one of the best pass catching skill-sets you will find in a running back. He does get taken down a little too often by the first defender and many discount his abilities because he hasn't had a one thousand yard season yet. He's really looking at Florida State, Georgia, Miami, and Michigan, but it's basically a toss-up beyond that.

6. WR Willis Wright, Miami Springs - Wright is good after making the catch, and he is the most physically imposing and plays a more physical style than most of the other top receivers in the area. The biggest thing holding him back is that Miami Springs hasn't been a great team recently, but he figures to have an excellent senior season. His offer list doesn't accurately reflect the type of player he is, but Miami is likely his top school followed by FIU, USF, UCF, and Purdue.

7. RB Brandon Gainer, Miami Central - Gainer runs extremely hard so he breaks lots of tackles, and he will end up as a 215-220 pound monster in college. He only lacks breakaway speed, but he put up huge numbers as a junior as well as being a fantastic student in the classroom. He is an admitted Florida State fan and they are likely his top school, followed by schools like Michigan, Tennessee, and Georgia.

8. WR Quinton Dunbar, Booker T. Washington - Dunbar does a good job of catching the ball at the highest point, which helps him be a serious redzone threat. Gaining weight and refining his route running skills will only help him reach his full potential. He made an early commitment to Miami but decommitted about a month later. He has stated over the summer that Florida is his leader, but Miami, Florida State, Tennessee, and Michigan are also strong contenders.

9. WR Michaelee Harris, Northwestern - Harris doesn't have great size or speed, but his route running helps him find a way to seemingly always be open. His numbers should see a big jump this season as he has now established himself as Northwestern's number one target. He has never hinted at any favorites or leaders and he doesn't have the type of offers one would expect to see next to his name. He could easily stay home with Miami in the end, but SEC schools like Georgia, LSU, or Tennessee could be serious contenders if they were to offer.

10. DE Lynden Trail, Booker T. Washington - Trail needs to add a lot of weight before he's ready for the physical nature of playing on the line in college, but his athleticism is off the charts for his position. His height combined with his leaping ability as a high jumper gives him an upside matched by few. He has named Florida as his top school, but USC, Florida State, and Miami figure to be strong players all the way until signing day.

11. RB Jakhari Gore, Columbus - Gore has elite speed and vision, and has been well known in Dade County since his playoff performance against Northwestern as a freshman. He breaks more tackles then expected for a player of his stature, but his size might keep him from being a full time running back at the next level. He made it pretty clear that he wanted to follow in his cousin Frank Gore's footsteps, but Miami didn't accept his commitment. He has said recently that he's high on Florida and LSU, but it's a safe bet that there is a ways left to go with his recruitment.

12. TE Delvin Jones, Palmetto - Jones is a player who has the rare combination of the speed to play wide out or tight end, and the size and strength to play defensive end. He dominated lesser competition as he was at LaSalle as a junior, but he will have the chance to prove himself against better teams after transferring to Palmetto. He committed to Tennessee not too long ago and the only thing that has any chance of changing that is a possible late charge by Florida, and even that's unlikely.

13. DT Calvin Smith, Hialeah - Smith has gone through a lot of physical maturation since last season, and could project as an offensive or defensive tackle in college though he prefers defense. He has long arms and is a good pass rusher, but could get a little stronger in the run stopping phase of the game. He recently said he is mostly looking at Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois, LSU, and New Mexico. Surprisingly, many believe he will pick out of Illinois and New Mexico even though they don't have the tradition of the other schools on his list.

14. LB Gideon Ajagbe, Ransom Everlades - The Florida-commitment has lateral quickness and is physically gifted. People will not find out how good he is until he gets to Florida because at Ransom he has to do everything and the competition there will never really test him, but the Gators believe he has the ability to be successful at the next level. They'll find out next year if he's worthy of the hype. FLORIDA

15. WR Josh Reese, Miami Central - Strong and physical at wide receiver , although not the biggest guy, Reese is a solid wide receiver who has the pleasure of playing with quarterback Jeffrey Godfrey. He surely takes advantage of it as his number target. He caught 43 passes for 796 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2008 and is looking for an even bigger 2009. He currently has offers from a number of schools led by Florida and Florida State.

16. QB Stephen Morris, Monsignor Pace - Morris became a Miami commitment just recently and is looking to living up that billing this season. Last season he led the Spartans to the state semifinals throwing for over 2,000 yards and 19 touchdowns. MIAMI

17. WR Allen Hurns, Carol City - Hurns is a player who has really risen his level from the spring throughout the summer. If there is a player who has taken good advantage of camps, it's Hurns. Hurns had a decent junior year with 23 catches for over 400 yards, but we'll know a lot more about him this Fall. Miami offered him this Summer, but he's yet to pull the trigger and commit.

18. LB Ralph Williams, Southridge - Williams, a Tennessee commit, is as physical and impressive a defensive player in Dade County. Williams attended Gulliver Prep last year, but will get a chance on the 6A level in 2009 at Southridge. While Williams is a linebacker, he played defensive end at Gulliver. He will surely get more of a challenge his senior year, but Williams is the real deal. TENNESSEE

19. OL Jose Jose, Miami Central - Jose Jose, a Tennessee commit, has seen his stock drop for a number of reasons including his weight and stamina. Maybe a change of environment will help him as he transferred to Central in the Spring. Jose, however, will have a lot to prove his senior year as Central's weakness has always been on the offensive line. TENNESSEE

20. RB Corvin Lamb, Northwestern - Lamb is another speedster at Northwestern and will get a chance to truly showcase himself this year. He's small, but packs a powerful punch. It will be interesting to see if he lines up at running back or wide receiver as he is projected at wide receiver with his lack of size to be a big time running back. He did rush for over 300 yards as a sophomore and 200 yards as a junior. One thing you can't take from Lamb is his speed.

21. WR Ted Meline, Booker T. Washington - Meline missed the majority of the 2008 season due to injuries while playing at Westlake Prep where he had a big sophomore season. Now he's transferred to Booker T. where he's looking to take his smooth stride to the Tornadoes.

22. QB Michael Strauss, Gulliver Prep - Tulane got itself a solid gunslinger in Strauss although he has picked up an Alabama offer. He led Gulliver to the state championship game. Strauss throws a rocket and fits the ball into space very well and is very accurate inside of 20 yards. He needs to improve his accuracy on the deep ball though. He threw for almost 3,200 yards and 32 touchdowns as a junior completing a ridiculous 71 percent of his passes. TULANE

23. RB Hosey Williams, Southridge - After three years at Southwest, Williams transferred to Southridge in the Spring. Williams has rushed for over 1,000 yards each of his three high school seasons at Southwest. What is stopping teams from pulling the trigger on offers for Williams is his size as he's barely 5-7, but he's a tough runner and has good breakaway speed.

24. S Demetrius Pettway, Homestead - Pettway has a solid build and roams the secondary very well, however, he's an undersized safety who really doesn't move over to play corner even though at 5-11, 185, he's a corner in college, so that is something he'll have to work on to start seeing the top level offers come in.

25. CB Khalid Marshall, Northwestern - He is still recovering from an ACL tear in the Spring and has seen his recruiting disappear, but he's hoping he can be back on the field midway through his senior year in hope of rekindling the fire some schools had for him before he was injured. His size certainly doesn't help him, but one thing Marshall can say is that he's won a National Championship and was a starter as a sophomore with the current stars at Miami in Northwestern's magical run.

26. CB Richard Leonard, Killian - Leonard has top level speed, but he doesn't have top level height which is preventing him from getting the offer he wants which is Miami, but Leonard will find himself in a good situation as he currently has offers from Georgia, FIU, South Florida and East Carolina.

27. RB Jeff Scott, Archbishop Carroll - Scott, an Ole Miss commit, has one of the best bursts of any running back in South Florida. At 5-feet-7 and 165 pounds Scott will be a change of pace back and return specialist on the college level. As a junior Scott rushed for 1,393 yards and 23 touchdowns on 160 carries at Archbishop Carroll. MISSISSIPPI

28. RB De'Andre Johnson, Monsignor Pace - At 5-feet-8 and 195 pounds, Johnson is a load to bring down in the running game. Johnson's game is all about picking up tough yards in five-to-eight yard chunks. As a junior he rushed for 1,121 yards and 10 touchdowns on 155 carries at Pace. Johnson would be a good fit as a between the tackles running back in the Big 10.

29. S Pablo Alvarez, Belen Jesuit - Alvarez, a Virginia commit, is one of the top athletes in South Florida this year. Alvarez possesses great size (6-3, 175) and speed (4.5 in the 40) and could play as a receiver or safety at the college level. Look for Alvarez to have a big year on both sides of the ball this year. He is also a standout hurdler. VIRGINIA

30. OL Perry Meiklejohn, Westminster Christian - Meiklejohn, a Central Florida commit, is a solid offensive line prospect who has good technique for a high school offensive lineman. Meiklejohn will play center at Central Florida and be very good for the Golden Knights in time because of his smarts and physical ability. CENTRAL FLORIDA

31. OL Justin McCray, Southridge - Justin McCray, another UCF commit from Dade County on the offensive line, played tackle for Southridge last year, but he will likely be a guard once he gets to college. McCray(6-3, 302) moves well and has a strong build and plays with a mean streak. His technique needs a little bit of work, but he has the potential to be a good one. CENTRAL FLORIDA

32. OL Jordan McCray, Southridge - Jordan McCray, also committed to UCF, is an inch shorter than his twin brother at 6-feet-2 and 306 pounds. Jordan has many of the same attributes as his brother, but he doesn't play with as much of a mean streak. Jordan played center for Southridge last season. CENTRAL FLORIDA

33. CB Dion Hanks, Edison - Hanks is a cornerback with some upside. At 5-feet-10 and 175 pounds he has a sturdy build that can put on more weight. Hanks is being pursued by schools like Purdue, Syracuse, UCF, and Mississippi. Hanks is still looking to get his first interception for Edison and with a strong senior season he will likely add more BCS level offers to his list.

34. S Issac Dixon, Monsignor Pace - Dixon has been a very productive player during his time at Pace. As a junior he totaled 125 tackles, seven sacks, and three forced fumbles. Dixon will likely be a safety at the college level and has a nice offer list with Oregon, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, USF, and Kansas State all showing interest. Dixon is a player that will likely put up big numbers during his senior season.

35. CB Khambrel McGee, Northwestern - McGee is undersized at 5-feet-7 and 160 pounds, but he plays with a big chip on his shoulder and is a very physical corner for a player his size. During offseason football camps, McGee is always a cornerback who stands out during one-on-one drills. McGee primarily played safety during his junior season and totaled 52 tackles. He is currently committed to FIU. FIU

36. TE Kendall Montgomery, Monsignor Pace - Montgomery is a player that has a lot of upside because of his size, speed, and frame. Montgomery (6-6, 225) runs very well for a player of his size and can play either defensive end or tight end. Last season at Pace he totaled 25 tackles and 10 sacks. He will play more tight end this year and that looks like it could be his best position on the college level. Montgomery currently has offers from Purdue and FIU.

37. K Oscar Diaz, Booker T. Washington - Diaz has a big leg and can hit field goals from 50 yards with ease. Though Diaz struggles at times with his accuracy, he has the makings of a college kicker. Diaz currently has an offer from FIU.

38. OL Zachary Soto, Monsignor Pace - Soto, a UCF commit, is going to enter college with a great frame to mold and add good weight onto. At 6-feet-6 and 240 pounds, Soto will benefit from a couple years in a college weight program, but once he puts on that weight and gets his strength up, he will be a very solid tackle for the Golden Knights. CENTRAL FLORIDA

39. LB Darrin Kitchens, Homestead - Kitchens is an athletic prospect who coaches have their eyes on. He has played all over the defense in his career, but appears to have a future at linebacker at 6-foot-2 and 196 pounds. Kitchens is a sleeper who is looking for a breakout year.

40. CB Gareef Glashen, Carol City - Glashen is one of the fastest players in the county. He's also developing into a very solid cornerback and will get plenty of opportunities to showcase himself during the season against Michaelee Harris at Northwestern and Willis Wright from Miami Springs, not to mention going up against Allen Hurns every day in practice. Glashen is looking to separate himself as a talent in the areas and is one to watch.

41. WR Jayvon Wrentz, Booker T. Washington - Wrentz caught our eye last year as he caught 17 passes for 196 yards and a score in a crowded group of receivers. In the offseason, he began to emerge as a legitimate prospect highlighted by catching the game-winning hail mary touchdown in the closing seconds in the championship game of the Heath Evans 7-on-7 tournament. Wrentz is definitely one to watch.

42. WR Derrick Knowles, Miami Central - Knowles is another receiver looking for a breakout season. Knowles just started playing football two years ago and had a very good spring game as he caught seven passes for 116 yards and a score.

43. CB Ravonne Carter, Hialeah - Carter is a player with good upside as he plays safety at Hialeah, but projects as a corner at the next level. He's still developing his 1-on-1 skills and becoming a playmaker.

44. S Sean Jenkins, Westminster Christian - Jenkins caught two interceptions in a spring scrimmage against Booker T. and added another one in the spring game against Jackson while playing for Coral Reef. He transferred to Westminster Christian soon after and could have a large role this season.

45. WR Isaiah Williams, Monsignor Pace - Williams has been on our radar for a few years now, but is still looking for a productive season, which is expected to happen this year after transferring from Miami Springs where he played some defensive line last year. Now, he'll be the number one option for Miami QB commit Stephen Morris.

46. DE Manny Diaz, Hialeah-Miami Lakes - Diaz is a muscular defensive end who finished with 75 tackles and 11 sacks last year. He's still developing as a player, but should catch an eye of a college coach this season.

47. TE Charles Fashaw, Northwestern - Fashaw has dealt with injuries in the past year and is hoping to put them behind him for his senior year. He's been someone former head coach Alvin Slaughter at Monsignor Pace has been high on in the past, but injuries have derailed his development. Now Fashaw is at Northwestern where he'll have plenty of opportunities to succeed.

48. ATH Rashard Stewart, Jackson - Stewart plays quarterback and defensive back for the Generals and could play some at receiver too. He's very versatile and a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Stewart's best position in college is probably cornerback, but he could be a nice receiver as well.

49. QB Nic Platt, Belen Jesuit - Platt is an intriguing prospect. He tested very well in the off-season at the Miami Nike Camp and does have a nice arm, but does not get to show his passing abilities too often because of the wishbone offense the Wolverines use. However ,if the coaching staff decides to open it up, look for Platt to put up nice numbers as he has a pair of receivers that can help him out.

50. RB DeAndre Mann, Killian - Mann is relative unknown at this point as he was the backup to last year's number one player Lamar Miller, who signed with Miami. Mann has a very good build and could exploded onto the scene this year.

 

[after h0urs]

Originally Posted by GUNNA GET IT

Originally Posted by after h0urs

Armond Armstead, starting DE for SC, is out for 6 weeks with broken foot.

Patrick Hall, the 5-star athlete from '09 class, just tore his ACL in his 1st practice yesterday

Terrible.
AH, what are your expectations for SC this yr?

Defense will carry the team again, but they're not as solid as last season. Secondary is one of the best in the nation (people sleepin onKevin Thomas and Shareece Wright) and should be dominant. D-Line is also looking solid especially at tackle spots. LB corp worries me cause we have no depthand the starters are injury prone. Coaches think Chris Galippo is already better signal caller than Rey, but the question with him will always be whether hecan stay healthy. The linebackers are REAL FAST this year but small. We're going to miss not having Cush.

Offense scares me cause there are too many question marks plus we have new offensive coordinator. I'm more comfortable with Corp than Barkley cause hemanages the game better. RBs look real good, the rotation should be Stafon, Joe, and Allen Bradford

, but PC will take out AB and insert C.J. Gable

. O-Line looks good, but they're inconsistent. WRs are shaky minus DamianWilliams; RoJo is good but not a go-to guy yet and David Ausberry is the king of tearing up practices and disappearing in games. FB spot is really good. TEis also solid with Anthony McCoy who is overlooked.

Schedule is tough this year with all the key games on the road. I'm hoping for 11-1 but think we'll end up 10-2 or 9-3.

 

[gunna get it]

Funding from ex-NFL player could be center of Brown investigation

A former NFL player who helped fund a tour of campuses for football prospects from the Wichita, Kan., area might be at the center of an NCAA investigation intothe amateur status of Tennessee freshman Bryce Brown.


The NCAA could determine that the person in question is representing a certain school's athletic interests. That could make the donation an extrabenefit given to recruits which is against NCAA rules.

However, Brown's longtime adviser, Brian Butler, told CBSSports.com on Thursday that the donor had no interest in any of the players who took a six-daytour of Southern universities. Butler would not name the person.

It was reported this week that the NCAA is investigating Brown's amateur status. Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton told the Knoxville News Sentinelthat the school is appealing the NCAA's initial ruling. Hamilton would not say what the ruling is, however; Brown might have to repay extra benefits and/orserve a one or two-game suspension.

Hamilton stressed that Tennessee is not under NCAA investigation.

At least part of the issue seems to center around a multi-college trip taken by Brown and other prospects during Brown's sophomore year at Wichita EastHigh School. Butler said most of the $7,000 raised for the trip came from that former NFL player residing in Wichita. The money funded a whirlwind six-day"academic tour" of at least 13 schools in the South. Ten players rode in a cramped, rented, 15-passenger van for most of the trip.

Campus visits lasted, at most, a few hours, Butler said. They were meant to get the players acquainted with the academic staff at each school. VolQuest.comreported that seven of the 10 players in the van are at Division I schools.

In addition to money from the primary donor, Butler said there were fundraisers held for the trip.

"I told them [NCAA] about how much money I asked for each kid to raise," Butler said. "I told them the cost per kid. They said, 'OK, wedon't need to see bank statements.'

"I don't want these people [donors] to put their names out there. [The primary donor] played in the NFL. I trained him, too."

Butler's organization, Potential Players Foundation, is registered as a non-profit organization. He advises and trains area athletes, helping them getcollege scholarships. Recently, he raised his weekly fee for one session from $75 to $80. In the past Butler worked with both Bryce and his brother Arthur, arising sophomore at Miami.

Butler, 34, was under investigation by the NCAA earlier this year for his role in training those athletes. The NCAA was trying to determine if Butlerimproperly profited from his relationship with those players. On his website, he charged for updates on Bryce Brown's recruitment. He has since stoppedcharging a fee. Butler added he has not spoken to the NCAA since March.

Brown finally signed with Tennessee in mid-March after a long and, at times, contentious recruiting process. Miami pulled its scholarship offer after Browndid not meet a school-imposed deadline. Brown, a tailback, was largely considered the No. 1 recruit in the country.

"I've got nothing to hide," Butler said. "We're talking about a kid who is an honor roll student. ... A kid who is a Tim Tebowkid."

Butler said the party initially drove 28 hours from Wichita to Florida, visiting Florida, Florida State, Florida A&M, Georgia, Georgia Tech,Alabama-Birmingham, Alabama, Clark, Mississippi, Tulsa, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Accommodations, Butler said, ranged from staying at a privateresidence to a Comfort Inn to mid-range hotels.

"We visited schools Bryce had no interest in," he said.

Butler added that three or four of the six days were spent on the road and that players were crammed into the van, sometimes next to luggage. Theinvestigation is believed to be part of a regular NCAA process during which the association looks into the recruiting of the nation's top football andbasketball recruits.

It is known that the NCAA is concerned that the college basketball recruiting culture is infiltrating football. Basketball coaches have long been frustratedby having to go through unscrupulous "handlers" and "advisers" -- some with their hands out -- to get to top recruits.

"I know they don't want football to turn into basketball," Butler said. "I understand why they don't want it to get that way. I knowI'm a rare breed. They look at me like I'm a [bad person] making money off the kids."

Butler said that if Brown is required to repay money, it would be a financial burden on the player's family. He had just gotten off the phone withBryce's father. Arthur Sr.. who was seeking updates.

Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin called the investigation "a giant distraction." Brown has been allowed to practice but has been sidelined by a sorehip.

Tennessee opens with home games against Western Kentucky and UCLA.