Eye on Recruiting : CBSSports.com Blogs

The Eye on Recruiting blog has moved

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 20:58:39 EST

Hello recruitnik. You may have come to the blog today and noticed that there weren't any new posts for you to read. A discovery that not only angered you, but also made you assume that the bloggers were just being incredibly lazy and probably watching college basketball rather than working.

You'd be (sort of) wrong! The truth is that we've been publishing new stories all day, you've just come to the wrong place!

Yes, that's right, the Eye On Recruiting Blog has moved to a new URL and gotten itself a lovely makeover.

You can find it here: Eye On Recruiting

3/8 Recruiting Roundup

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 15:43:00 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

- MaxPreps breaks down the top offensive linemen in the class of 2014 and the state of North Carolina in 2013.

Arkansas added a late signee to their 2012 class in wide receiver Mekale McKay.

Mike McCray's commitment might be the first of many for Michigan.

Clemson picks up commit number three in McDonald

Sun, 11 Mar 2012 22:12:13 EDT

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Clemson is hoping that the best season in recent school history will translate into even more success on the recruiting trail and it appears to have paid off in the form of a commitment on Wednesday morning from Hialeah (Fla.) linebacker Isaac McDonald after a Junior Day visit this past weekend.

“They showed us a really good time. They showed us that they’re willing to do things for student-athletes that make them want to come to their school,” McDonald told CUTigers.com.

The 6-foot-5, 200-pounder also held offers from Louisville, South Carolina and West Virginia among others. New defensive coordinator Brent Venables played a big role in McDonald picking Clemson over the other schools recruiting him hard however.

Jacob Matuska commits to Notre Dame

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:55:33 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Notre Dame has started to ramp up recruiting in the class of 2013, not only with a slew of recent offers going out in recent weeks but in picking up a commitment on Wednesday from Columbus (Ohio) athlete Jacob Matuska.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound prospect held offers from schools such as Cincinnati, Michigan, Oklahoma and others. A recent visit to South Bend over the weekend by the defensive end/tight end seamed to seal the deal for the Irish however.

Matuska becomes the second commitment for Notre Dame's class of 2013, joining Midland (Mich.) offensive lineman Steve Elmer. As a junior last season, Matuska caught four touchdowns on offense and racked up 33 tackles on defense.

3/7 Recruiting Roundup

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 11:39:42 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Vanderbilt's James Franklin talked a little about 'helicopter recruiting.'

UConn and ECU have offered athlete Janarion Grant.

Georgia is the frontrunner for Maryland offensive line transfer Max Garcia.

Mike McCray commits to Michigan

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 11:38:22 EST

By Maxpreps' Stephen Spiewak

Mike McCray, a star linebacker on talent-laden Trotwood-Madison (Trotwood, Ohio), committed to Michigan earlier today, according to head coach Maurice Douglass.

He chose Michigan over offers from Oklahoma, Tennessee, Illinois, Purdue and many others.

Douglass told MaxPreps Tuesday morning that he had expected McCray to select the Wolverines.

Tramel Terry recommits to Georgia

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:25:48 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Goose Creek (S.C.) wide receiver Tramel Terry has already shown up on Georgia's class of 2013 commitment list. The talented athlete had committed last summer but decided to re-open things in order to make sure about where he would go to college. After a visit to Athens this past weekend however, he has reaffirmed his commitment to the Bulldogs on Tuesday.

“I am going to Georgia, I am a Georgia Bulldog,” Tramel Terry told Scout. “I did commit to Georgia at Dawg Night, but I just wasn’t ready then, and I did that with all the hype that night, and stuff. This time, I know I am committed to Georgia, my family is happy about it, and my decision is made.”

The 5-foot-11, 170-pounder held offers from schools such as Clemson, Florida, South Carolina and others. Terry is considered the top prospect in the state by some and is the first in the last couple of years in such a position to not wind up with the Gamecocks. The feeling he got at Georgia was one of the key factors in choosing to play south of the state line.

3/6 Recruiting Roundup

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 11:22:18 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Alabama has only pros and no cons according to the #1 recruit in 2013, Robert Nkemdiche.

Kerry Coombs leaving Cincinnati for Ohio State has shaken up recruiting in the state a little.

Florida and Florida State are the top two for linebacker Stacy Thomas.

Darius James makes it a dozen for Texas

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 18:15:21 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Texas has now reached a dozen commitments thanks to Harker Heights (Texas) offensive lineman Darius James' pledge on Monday and it is quite the early run on talent by the Longhorns. The latest addition in particular gives the program one of the top in-state linemen and came as a bit of a surprise to some.

"It was more of a gut feeling. I just felt like I needed to do it," James told Orangebloods.com. "I actually decided sometime last week. We set it up this morning. Our coaches were going to come down and watch practice. I just came with them and pulled the trigger."

The 6-foot-5, 325-pound interior player held offers from Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma and Texas A&M. James, a MaxPreps Top Junior, just felt more comfortable after making a few visits to Austin the past few weeks.

Stanford picks up QB of the future in Ryan Burns

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 13:03:21 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Stanford has had a national recruiting reach for some time so it's not too surprising to see the Cardinal reach into Ashburn (Va.) and pull a commitment out of quarterback Ryan Burns over the weekend.

"It's a great school academically. It's a great football program with a great coaching staff," Burns told Rivals. "Everything about Stanford is the perfect fit for me."

The 6-foot-5, 220-pounder held offers from Penn State, Tennessee and West Virginia among others. Expected to be one of the top signal-callers in the country, Burns was sold on Stanford after taking another unofficial visit to Palo Alto.

Garrett Sickels commits to Penn State

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 12:44:19 EST

By MaxPreps' Stephen Spiewak

Garrett Sickels, a 6-foot-4 defensive end from Red Bank Regional (Little Silver, N.J.), committed to Penn State Sunday evening, according to head coach Nick Giglio.

Sickels chose Penn State over a host of other offers including Alabama, Tennessee and Notre Dame.

According to Giglio, a formal announcement will be made on Thursday at Red Bank Regional.

Pro Impact takes Atlanta NLA 7-on-7 title

Sun, 04 Mar 2012 19:04:37 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Click here for day one updates

ROSWELL, Ga. -- Despite windy, chilly conditions on the outskirts of Atlanta, 7-on-7 team Pro Impact lived up to their number one seed and won the first New Level Athletics Elite tournament of the year. The national competition drew teams from Michigan, Maryland, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia to feature some of the top recruits in the country making a run at the large NLA trophy at the end.

The Jacksonville, Fla.-based Pro Impact had nearly half the team made up of underclassmen but the group was composed throughout their run to the title game and acted like seasoned veterans.

New Level 7-on-7 Day One Updates

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 23:55:28 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

ROSWELL, Ga. -- The recruiting landscape shifted into a higher gear on Saturday as hundreds of players from as far away as Michigan descended upon Centennial High School in suburban Atlanta for the first New Level Athletics Elite 7-on-7 tournament of the year. With 18 teams taking part, the event drew some of the top talent from across the country to show off their skills and allowed several to make a name for themselves, hoping that will translate into scholarship offers down the road.

One player who needed no introduction was Marietta (Ga.) running back and Alabama commitment Tyren Jones. Easily among the 10 best players in the state after a terrific junior year, the speedster was the focal point of Team Georgia's offense as they fought their way out of the round-robin format that made up day one.

Oklahoma's first 2013 commit is RB Keith Ford

Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:32:58 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Oklahoma is on the board for the class of 2013.

Cypress (Texas) running back Keith Ford committed to the Sooners on Saturday morning while in Norman for the program's Junior Day, according to SoonerScoop.com.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pound Ford is one of the top backs in the state and held offers from schools such as Alabama, Florida State, Notre Dame and Michigan. Oklahoma signed three running backs, one from a junior college, as part of the class of 2012 but none were as highly regarded as Ford is.

3/3 Recruiting Roundup

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:35:45 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Tennessee picked up a commitment from defensive back Corey Vereen on Friday.

Missouri added a legacy commitment in offensive lineman Alec Abeln.

Boise State added a late 2012 signee.

Combine 40's: What state is the fastest?

Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:47:17 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Ask anybody who has played football (or coached or even watched it for that matter) how many times they have run 40 yards at full speed and they can probably give you the number with one hand. Testing for players has revolved around the 40 yard dash for some time however and at this past week's NFL Combine, no drill received more attention from the public than how fast Robert Griffin III or Dre Kirkpatrick flew down the sideline at Lucas Oil Stadium. While it's probably not something we'll see in a game, it definitely does give us some idea of who's fast and who's, um, average.

With that in mind, the blog crunched the numbers of all of the players who ran in Indianapolis and sorted them in various ways. The Eye on College Football will have a breakdown as to how each conference did in the drill but we're going to focus on where the players come from. Using the hometown listed in each player's bio on their school website, we were able to figure out which state was the fastest in the 40 yard dash at the combine and what area produced the fastest players. It's no surprise to see some of the states near the top of the list but it was to see others in the middle of the pack. Keep in mind this isn't data that is conclusive but let's just say that Nick Saban was not lacking for speed on Saturday's with his skill position group at Alabama.

Penn State picks up first two 2013 commitments

Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:39:42 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Given all that went on, not much was expected with Penn State's class of 2012. Expectations have been turned up with the 2013 class however and it looks as though the Nittany Lions have gotten off to a good start, scoring their first commitments on Wednesday from Fork Union (Va.) quarterback Christian Hackenberg and Avon (Ohio) defensive back Ross Douglas.

“Just Penn State itself sealed the deal,” Douglas, right, told 247Sports. “Just the place and tradition and coaching staff set themselves apart from everywhere else."

The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Douglas held offers from Boston College, Louisville, Tennessee and others. His attendance at a recent Penn State Junior Day seemed to convince him that Happy Valley was the place for him however.

3/1 Recruiting Roundup

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 10:44:31 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Stringent standards have helped Stanford elevate itself in recruiting

Jimbo Fisher thinks Florida State is one of the few schools who can play and recruit against SEC schools.

It's a big recruiting weekend coming up for Virginia.

Another big commit for Ohio State in Evan Lisle

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 20:32:37 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

While the state of Ohio does not necessarily produce the quantity of athletes that Urban Meyer's old haunt of Florida does, there is still plenty of high-end talent with every class. And Meyer is collecting pretty much all of it.

Ohio State continued a stellar start to the class of 2013 on Tuesday by adding a commitment from Centerville (Ohio) offensive tackle Evan Lisle to give the program another big in-state pledge.

"I told coach Meyer that I liked everything about Ohio State, that it's a good program, that it would set me up later in life, and that I just wanted to be a Buckeye," Lisle told BuckeyeGrove.com.

Tuesday Tweetbag: TCU/WVU to the Big 12 and more

Thu, 01 Mar 2012 4:18:48 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

I started a new feature on the blog last week called The Monday Mailbag. I have now changed it to The Tuesday Tweetbag because can and because I like alliteration. I'm here to answer questions tweeted to me so make sure you follow me on Twitter at @BryanDFischer. So without further ado, let the smorgasbord of questions commence.

@BryanDFischer Which Team, TCU or WVU, is more likely to have a rough time adjusting to life in the Big XII next fall? — John Schlenner (@johnschlenner) February 28, 2012 To be honest, I think both will have no issues transitioning to the Big 12. In 2012, both should have teams that will be very competitive and are likely dark horse picks to win the conference. Had TCU not had their issues, you would have seen plenty of people go out on a limb and put the Horned Frogs atop their preseason ballots. West Virginia returns their starting quarterback, Heisman candidate Geno Smith, and 14 other starters from a team that turned in one of the most impressive bowl performances in history. There are several holes they need to fill but a solid recruiting class should complement who is already on the roster. Both teams fit stylistically into the Big 12 and Dana Holgorsen knows the league well from his days as an assistant.

Johnson becomes seventh commit for Georgia

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 14:54:22 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Georgia has been one of several SEC programs to hit the recruiting trail hard early with the class of 2013. Mark Richt and company added to their group on Tuesday as Newnan (Ga.) defensive lineman DeAndre Johnson committed to the Bulldogs after previously saying he would wait.

"I saw how UGA had offered a few guys at my position, and I decided to go ahead and get on board," Johnson told UGASports.com "I decided to take they spot they were offering me, and I committed."

The defensive tackle also held offers from Tennessee, Georgia Tech and South Carolina among others. Tray Matthews, who is from the same area as Johnson, is one of the headliners in Georgia's upcoming class and both players will be looking to improve the defense upon arriving down in Athens.

Texas gets No. 11 via grayshirt offer

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:57:02 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Texas has been moving quickly to secure to their class of 2013 and added another commitment on Tuesday but it was a depature from standard recruiting procedure for the Longhorns. Harker Heights (Texas) linebacker Naashon Hughes joins the orange and white's class of 2013 as the 11th commitment but will do so as a grayshirt at the moment.

"He did commit. He just talked to coach (Mack) Brown. Right now, he's considered to be offered a grayshirt," Harker Heights head coach Mike Mullins told Orangebloods.com. "From that standpoint, if something happens between now and then, he'll be right there (for an offer towards the 2013 class). Right now, he'll go through and graduate with his class. Then he'll be six month on his own of taking classes, then be first commitment next January for (the recruiting class of) 2014."

2/28 Recruiting Roundup

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 9:50:14 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Could Ole Miss pull off the upset and land Robert Nkemdiche?

Kentucky's Joker Phillips talked about oversigning rules and landing Justin Taylor.

Michigan's 2013 class continues to grow.

Kozan finally signs with Auburn

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 5:25:49 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

No, the class of 2012 wasn't over.

26 days after Signing Day, Castle Rock (Colo.) offensive lineman Alex Kozan put one of the finishing touches on the class by signing with Auburn, the school confirmed in a release.

The 6-foot-4, 295-pounder had narrowed it down to finalists Auburn, Iowa and Michigan before finally faxing in his Letter of Intent on Monday to the Tigers.

McWilson is Nebraska's second 2013 commit

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:52:33 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Nebraska had a slow start to the class of 2012 and the coaching staff certainly doesn't want a repeat effort. Things are looking better in 2013 with a commitment on Monday from Youngstown (Ohio) defensive back Marcus McWilson.

“I just feel I have an opportunity to play and make a difference,” McWilson told 247Sports. He also returned a kickoff for a touchdown. “I can get out there on the field which is nice and what I like. Hopefully we can win some championships. I know Nebraska has great potential and great opportunities and I’d like to be a part of that. I was talking to my family about it and we all think it’s a good fit. We’re definitely excited about it.”

Kamryn Melton headed to the Plains

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:13:46 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Auburn gained a commitment from an offensive player over the weekend and it didn't take long for the Tigers to match it on the defensive side, adding a pledge on Monday from Dothan (Ala.) defensive back Kamryn Melton.

"I told (secondary coach Willie) Martinez first and then circled around and talked with Gene Chizik," Melton told 247Sports. "He was very excited about it: ‘Just don’t go to anybody else.’ I was like, ‘Yes sir, I’m not going to switch.’ From there, they just welcomed me to the family. I was very excited. My mom too. She’s an Auburn fan and my whole family is Auburn fans. My whole family is excited. I’m proud to be a part of it. War Eagle."

Big OL Kent Perkins commits to Texas

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:41:59 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Texas has been on a roll as of late and kept it going by reaching a double-digit number of commitments on Monday as Dallas (Texas) offensive lineman Kent Perkins pledged to the Horns to give the program their biggest recruit - literally and figuratively - in their young class.

The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Perkins was named a MaxPreps Top Junior and is one of the best at the tackle position in the state and the Southwest. He held early offers from Arkansas, Baylor, LSU, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M but is set to go to Austin to play college football after picking up one from Texas over the weekend at Junior Day.

Perkins is the 10th commitment for the Longhorns' class of 2013 and second offensive lineman, joining Celina (Texas) athlete Jake Raulerson.

2/27 Recruiting Roundup

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 11:39:19 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Family appeal could help Ole Miss with top recruit Robert Nkemdiche.

Nick Saban tried to steal a Georgia commit but the Alabama head coach was rebuffed.

Auburn had a good Junior Day and now leads for quarterback Jeremy Johnson.

Texas adds a third commitment on Sunday

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 21:58:35 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Texas' second big Junior Day appears to be much more successful than the first, resulting in a third of the Longhorns' 2013 commitments on Sunday. The last of the trio to flash a 'Hook'em' sign and pledge to the program was Lancaster (Texas) defensive end Daeshon Hall.

"I thought I could fit in with coach (Oscar) Giles and coach (Mack) Brown," Hall told Orangebloods.com. "My mom was excited. I called my dad and my uncles and we talked about it. The tradition and the coaching staff makes it a win-win. Plus, I think I can help them win another national championship."

The 6-foot-6, 220-pound end held offers from Baylor, Texas A&M, TCU and others. He nearly missed Texas' Junior Day but arrived late and was able to take in everything he needed to know in order to make the decision to commit.

Oklahoma State grabs first 2013 pledge

Sun, 26 Feb 2012 20:08:34 EST

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Oklahoma State is hoping the most successful year in school history will result in better recruiting and is off to a good start in 2013 after picking up the first commitment of the class from Tyler (Texas) wide receiver Fred Ross on Saturday.

"Oklahoma State was always my favorite, and since I came back for the Junior Day I just needed to talk to my momma about it," Ross told Scout. "I did and I was ready to commit and be a Cowboy."

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound receiver also held offers from Baylor, Missouri and West Virginia among others. Ross follows in the footsteps of his teammate Eric Davis, who signed as part of Oklahoma State's 2012 class.