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Top recruits information (RIVALS.COM MIKE FARRELL EXPERT OPINION):
- Rivals.com No. 1-Bryce Brown, a five-star running back from Wichita, Kansas, is committed to Miami, but he is vacationing with his uncle until Feb. 7. He likely won't sign on National Signing Day. There is speculation that he might visit Auburn this weekend. After NSD, he might visit Auburn, Miami, Tennessee or USC.
- Rivals.com No. 2-Reuben Randle, a five-star athlete from Bastrop, La., is down to LSU, Alabama and Oklahoma. He might be visiting Auburn this weekend. Farrell: LSU favorite and Alabama dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 4-Sheldon Richardson, a five-star defensive tackle from St. Louis Gateway, is a Missouri verbal, but he is considering a visit to Miami this weekend. He said that he is down to Missouri and Miami.
- Rivals.con No. 6-Trent Richardson, a five-star running back from Pensacola (Fla.) Escambia, is an Alabama verbal. He is also considering Florida and LSU.
- Rivals.com No. 10-Jelani Jenkins, a five-star linebacker from Olney, Md., said he is down to Florida, Penn State, Notre Dame, Stanford and Notre Dame. Farrell: Florida favorite and Penn State dark horse.
- Rivals.com No. 11-Dre Kirkpatrick, a five-star cornerback from Gadsden City, Ala., Farrell: Alabama favorite and Florida dark horse
- Rivals. com No. 27-Greg Reid, a five-star cornerback from Valdosta, Ga., Farrell: FSU favorite and Georgia dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 49-Morgan Moses, a four-star offensive tackle from Richmond, Va. Farrell: Virginia favorite and North Carolina dark horse
- Rivals.com No.50-Patrick Patterson, four-star receiver from Macon, Miss. Farrell: Ole Miss favorite and Alabama dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 52-Marcus Hall, a four-star offensive tackle from Cleveland, Ohio Farrell: Ohio State favorite and Tennessee dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 53-Marlon Brown, a four-star receiver from Memphis, Tenn. Farrell: Georgia favorite and Tennessee dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 62-Orson Charles, a four-star receiver from Tampa, Fla. Georgia favorite and Tennessee is dark horse
- Rivals.com No. 67-Tana Patrick, a four-star linebacker from Stevenson, Ala. Farrell-Alabama favorite and Tennessee dark horse.
- Rivals.com No. 72-Jarvis Jones, a four-star defensive end from Columbus, Ga. Farrell: Florida favorite and USC dark horse
MORE RIVALS.COM EXPERT OPINIONS:
- Marlon Brown, a four-star receiver from Memphis, Tenn.-Georgia over Tennessee and Ohio State
- Orson Charles, a four-star tight end from Tampa, Fla.-Georgia over FSU
- Jelani Jenkins, a five-star linebacker from Olney, Md.-Florida over Penn State
- Jarvis Jones, a four-star linebacker from Columbus, Ga.-Florida
- Dre Kirkpatrick, a five-star defensive back from Gadsden City, Ala.-Alabama.
- Patrick Patterson, a four-star receiver from Noxubee, Miss.-Ole Miss over Alabama
- Reuben Randle, a five-star receiver from Bastrop, La.-LSU
- Greg Reid, a five-star defensive back from Valdosta, Ga., -FSU
RECRUITING VIOLATIONS: Fans who posted messages on recruits' social network sites such as Facebook and MySpace are committing secondary violations. However, the NCAA is almost powerless to stop it. In 2006, the NCAA updated its rules to say that any communication via message boards, chat rooms, walls, blogs or IM are not permissible. Phone, e-mail and faxing are the only permissible communication with recruits and there are restrictions on the number of times a school rep can contact a recruit.
No football conference plays musical chairs with its assistant coaches like the SEC. Here are some of the coaching changes: Lance Thompson from Alabama to Tennessee; James Willis from Auburn to Alabama, John Chavis from Tennessee to LSU; Lorenzo Ward from Arkansas to South Carolina, David Reaves from South Carolina to Tennessee, Tracy Rocker from Ole Miss to Auburn, Terry Price from Auburn to Ole Miss, Jay Graham from Tennessee as a grad assistant to South Carolina, Frank Wilson from Mississippi State to Tennessee, and Eddie Gran from Auburn to Tennessee. Little wonder why university officials are discussing the need for possible penalty clauses in the contracts of assistants.
FLORIDA: Rivals No. 10 team ranking. The Gators have 16 commitments. Florida recruiting targets: Joshua Evans (6-2, 185), a four-star athlete from Irvington, N. J., visited Florida this past weekend. He visits Pitt this weekend. He has already visited Purdue and Oklahoma. Evans has played quarterback and defensive back in high school. Jelani Jenkins (6-2, 220), a four-star linebacker from Olney, Md., is considering Penn State, Notre Dame, Stanford and Southern Cal. Many believe Jenkins, who is only 16 years old, is between PSU and UF. Jarvis Jones (6-3, 226), a defensive end from Columbus, Ga., has visited Georgia, Florida, USC, Texas and LSU. He is scheduled to visit LSU this weekend. Jones had a great visit with USC Coach Pete Carroll last week. Denard Robinson (6-0, 179), an athlete from Deerfield (Fla.) Beach is considering Kansas State, UCF, UF and Michigan. Brandon Moore (6-5, 313), a defensive lineman from Montgomery (Ala.) Carver, is considering Auburn, Alabama, Miami and UF. He said his decision is down to Alabama and Florida. Rodney Debose (6-0, 170), a five-star athlete from Sanford (Fla.) Seminole, might visit FSU this weekend. He is a Gator verbal. Marsalis Teague, a four-star athlete from Tennessee, is a Gator verbal, but he is also looking at Tennessee and Alabama. Florida wants him on defense while Alabama likes him as a slot receiver and Tennessee likes him as an athlete. Frankie Telfort, a four-star linebacker from Miami Gulliver (Fla.) Prep, is likely to sign with USC, but Florida has a shot. Florida is still in the mix for Jelani Jenkins, Jarvis Jones, Denard Robinson, Joshua Evans and Marlon Brown.
The Gators will play Jacksonville State in 2012.
ALABAMA: Coach Nick Saban has hired former Carolina Panther assistant Sal Sunseri. Former Auburn linebacker coach James Willis, who has had success in recruiting the Mobile area, has joined the Tide staff. Alabama has a home-and-home series in 2010 and 2011 with Penn State.
Recruiting news: Tana Patrick, a four-star linebacker from North Stevenson, Ala., will make his choice from his list of favorite schools: Alabama, Auburn, Miami, Tennessee, USC and LSU. The Tide is still in the mix for Reuben Randle, Greg Reid, Eddie Lacy, Bobby Massie, Barkevious Mingo, Brandon Moore, Kendall Kelly, Dre Kirkpatrick and Darren Myles.
Alabama weekend visitor: Janzen Jackson, a five-star defensive back from Lake Charles, La. (LSU verbal). Petey Smith (6-0, 240), a three-star running back from Seffner (Fla.) Armwood, is commitment No. 21 for the Tide. He narrowed his choices down to Alabama and Auburn. Bobby Massie (6-8, 330), a five-star offensive lineman from Hargrave Military, visited Alabama this past weekend. He has cancelled his Georgia visit this weekend. Miami, Ole Miss, North Carolina and Alabama are his favorites. Greg Reid (5-9, 175), a five-star cornerback from Valdosta, Ga., visited Alabama this past weekend. His list of schools are Alabama, Georgia, FSU, Miami, and Auburn. Darren Myles (6-1, 175), a four-star defensive back from Atlanta, Ga., has narrowed his teams down to Alabama, LSU and Tennessee. He visits Kentucky this weekend. Ed Stinton, a four-star defense end from Homestead, Fla., chose Alabama over LSU. He is no longer considering FSU.
OLE MISS: Defensive lineman Greg Hardy, who spurned the NFL draft, will miss spring practice because of foot surgery last week. Recruiting news: Jamar Hornsby, a four-star safety from East Mississippi Community College., and an Ole Miss verbal, is also considering Tennessee. Tim Simon, a three-star running back from Cordova, Ala., is a Rebel commitment, but he is considering a Clemson visit.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Running backs coach Robert Gillespie, who played at Florida, has left for a similar job at Oklahoma State. His replacement is former Miami of Ohio assistant Jay Graham, who played at Tennessee. Five assistants-John Hunt, Ron Cooper, Strength & Conditioning coach Mark Smith, Reaves and Gillespie-have left the program after the season. Special teams coach Ray Rychleski has accepted a job with the Colts. Former Georgia Tech tight ends coach Johnson "Jeep" Hunter has been hired as tight ends coach and cornerbacks coach Shane Beamer will coach special teams.
Recruiting news: Gamecock commitment Stephon Gilmore, an athlete from Rock Hill, S.C., has joined the Rivals.com 100 at No. 84. Lamar Scruggs (6-3, 205), a four-star receiver from Jacksonville (Fla.) Fletcher, has committed to the Gamecocks. He has offers from Tennessee, Auburn, Clemson, West Virginia and Ole Miss.
GEORGIA: Defensive coordinator Willie Martinez could be a candidate for the same position at Miami. Bulldog coaches may start leaving for other schools due to the universities $2 million total salary for assistants. Tennessee has the most money currently set aside for hiring assistants $3.3 million. Both Stacey Searels and Rodney Garner turned down raises to stay with Coach Mark Richt. Georgia's G-Day game has been set for April 11 and will be televised by ESPN. Receiver A. J. Green, who caught 56 passes for 963 yards and eight scores, admitted that he had played much of the season with a strained groin.
Recruiting news: Bobbie Massie, (6-foot-8, 330), a five-star offensive tackle from Hargrave Military Academy, said he is looking at five schools-Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, North Carolina and Miami. Massie is the No. 1 prep school prospect in the nation. He has cancelled his Georgia visit this weekend. Cameron Kenny, a juco receiver from Kansas, has eliminated Georgia and will sign with Oklahoma. Orson Charles (6-3, 235), a four-star tight end from Tampa (Fla.) Plant, visited Georgia this past weekend. He still has visits lined up with Tennessee and Southern Cal. He has also visited FSU and Florida. Toby Jackson (6-4, 255), a four-star defensive end commitment from Chatham, Va., will attend Navarro Junior College in Corsicana, Texas. Jackson signed with Georgia last Feb., but ended up at Hargrave after he didn't qualify.
Weekend visitors: Greg Reid, a five-star cornerback from Valdosta, Ga. (visited FSU, Georgia and Alabama) He will make his decision on Feb. 3. Jawanza Starling, a four-star safety from Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln is supposed to visit this weekend. He is looking at Georgia, FSU or USC.
Georgia has 16 players out for spring practice. Offensive lineman Josh Davis and defensive tackle Brandon Wood, both shoulder surgeries, will miss the spring. Tailback Richard Samuel had surgery recently to repair a ligament in his wrist and will miss spring practice.
LSU: The spring game will be delayed until April 18 in order for the new staff and players to become better adjusted. Quarterback Andrew Hatch, who started the first three games before breaking his leg against Georgia, is likely returning to Harvard. Tiger officials are awaiting word on a sixth year of eligibility for defensive tackle Charles Alexander.
Recruiting news: (visits this weekend) Jarvis Jones (6-3, 226), a four-star defense end from Columbus, Ga. He has already visited Florida, Georgia, USC and Texas. Josh Johns (6-2, 210), a three-star safety from Central, La., and Byron Moore (6-1, 188), a four-star safety from Harbor City, Calif. Colorado, UCLA, USC and Notre Dame are involved.
Rueben Randle, a five-star receiver from Bastrop, La, is choosing from Alabama, LSU, and Oklahoma. However, Randle said he would visit Auburn this weekend. Kendal Kelly (6-4, 210), a four-star receiver from Gadsden City High in Ala., visited LSU this past weekend. He might visit either Auburn or Tennessee this weekend. He has also visited Alabama and Clemson. Janzen Jackson (6-0, 174), a four-star cornerback from Lake Charles, La., visited LSU this past weekend. Jackson said he remains solid as a LSU commitment, but he is considering visiting Alabama this weekend.
AUBURN: Punter Clinton Durst, who led the SEC averaging 42 yards per punt, has left the team because he was not given a scholarship as promised by former Coach Tommy Tuberville. Former Colorado offensive line coach Jeff Grimes will coach the same position. Coach Gene Chizik's only position left to fill is secondary coach. He is looking at Georgia State defensive coordinator John Thompson and UCF linebacker coach Geoff Collins. The annual A-Day game has been delayed from March 28 to April 18. Former Tiger Coach Tommy Tuberville will provide analysis on ESPN during National Signing Day.
Tiger visitors this weekend: Corey Gaines, a four-star defensive tackle from Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby (visited Arkansas, Auburn and Ole Miss), David Oku, a four-star running back from Midwest City, Okla. (Tennessee verbal), Aubrey Phillips, a four-star offensive lineman from Olive Branch, Miss. (Tennessee verbal) and Reuben Randle, a five-star athlete from Bastrop, La. Auburn's latest verbal (No. 24) is Daren Bates, a two-star safety from Olive Branch, Miss., He was an Arkansas State verbal.
Auburn recruiting news: Tyrik Rollinson, a four-star quarterback from Sulphur Springs, Texas, chose Auburn over Kansas State. David Oku (5-10, 186), a five-star running back from Midwest City Oklahoma, is visiting Auburn this weekend. Oku, a Tennessee verbal, said he will also visit Syracuse where former Vol and Gator assistant Stan Drayton landed. He has visited Tennessee, Louisville and Nebraska. Oku is the No. 1 all-purpose back in the nation according to Rivals.com.
MISSISSIPPI STATE: Former Southern Miss assistant Tony Hughes has joined the staff as the recruiting coordinator and safeties coach. Greg Knox, a longtime Auburn receivers coach, has joined the staff as running backs coach. Recruiting news: Chad Bumphis, a four-star receiver from Tupelo, Miss., has verbally committed to the Bulldogs over Alabama, Florida, Auburn and Tennessee. Coach Dan Mullen's recruiting class is ranked No. 22 by Rivals.com. Former Bulldog Coach Sly Croom is the new running backs coach with the Rams.
TENNESSEE: The new Vol staff will cost $5.3 million, which is $600,000 more than last year's staff. Among the higher salaries are Coach Lane Kiffin ($2 million), Monte Kiffin ($1.2 million), Ed Oregon ($650,000), Jim Chaney ($380,000) and Lance Thompson ($350,000). Kiffin has been heavily criticized for his statement pertaining to taking some of the best recruiters in the SEC away from South Carolina, Mississippi State, Alabama and Auburn. This is the first time since 1926 that there are no coaches on the staff with Tennessee ties. Kiffin also tried to hire Florida assistant Billy Gonzales while the Gators were preparing for the national title game. He also tried to hire Georgia's Rodney Garner with a $400,000 offer.
Kiffin has dismissed receiver E. J. Abrams-Ward and offensive lineman Ramone Johnson for disciplinary reasons. Abrams-Ward redshirted last year and Johnson played in six games. Tennessee's spring game has been set for April 18.
WEEKEND VISITS:
- Marlon Brown, a four-star receiver from Memphis, Tenn., lists Georgia, Ole Miss, Ohio State, Florida, and Tennessee as his favorites.
- Patrick Patterson (6-3, 215), a four-star receiver from Noxubee County, Miss., visits Tennessee this weekend. Patterson visited Ole Miss last weekend. He likes Tennessee, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Southern Miss. He is the No. 1 ranked play in the state of Mississippi according to Rivals.com.
- Orson Charles, a four-star tight end from Tampa Plant (visits Florida, FSU, Georgia, USC and Tennessee)
- Terrance Coleman, a three-star defensive lineman (Auburn soft commitment but he has visited Auburn, Arkansas and Southern Miss) from Mobile
- Chris Freeman, a three-star offensive lineman from Trotwood, Ohio (Colorado, Missouri and Tennessee)
- Marcus Hall, a four-star offensive tackle from Cleveland, Ohio (visited Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee)
- Eddie Lacy,a four-star running back from Geismar, La. (Alabama, LSU and Tennessee; Alabama is his leader)
- Sam Montgomery, a four-star defensive end from Greenwood, S.C. (Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami are possibilities. He has visited LSU, Michigan, North Carolina and Oregon). He has eliminated Oregon.
- Tim Simon, a three-star running back from Cordova, Ala. (Ole Miss verbal).
- Tana Patrick, a four-star linebacker from North Jackson Stevenson, Ala., will visit Tennessee also. He has cancelled a visit to USC. He has visited Alabama, Auburn and Miami.
- Kendall Kelly, a four-star receiver from Gadsden City, Ala., has visited Alabama, Clemson and LSU.
- Brandon Moore, a four-star offensive tackle from Montgomery, Ala., has visited Florida, Auburn and Alabama.
- Aubrey Phillips, an offensive lineman from Olive Branch, Miss., visited FSU this past weekend. He visits Auburn this weekend. Phillips (6-6, 320), a Tennessee verbal, said he will decided from among Tennessee, FSU, Auburn, and Arkansas.
ARKANSAS: Five players-defensive end Brian Christopher, quarterback Nathan Dick (transfer to Central Arkansas), safety Rashaad Johnson (Northeastern State), running back Chip Gregory (Texas Southern) and tight end Andrew Davie (NFL draft)--have left the Hog program. John L. Smith, the former Louisville coach, has joined the staff. Tailback Michael Smith will miss spring practice while rehabbing a torn hamstring. Recruiting news: Ronnie Wingo (6-3, 212), a four-star athlete (running back) from St. Louis, Mo, has committed to Arkansas. Missouri is the Hogs main competition. Corey Gaines (6-0, 274), a four-star defensive tackle from Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby, said he really enjoyed his visit to Ole Miss last weekend. He visits Auburn this weekend. Gaines visited Arkansas on Jan. 16.
SEC HOOPS
There are already six schools with at least three losses in the league. The SEC is seventh in conference RPI. Yet, for the 13th straight year, the league could get four or five teams in the NCAA Tournament. SEC teams have not gone winless in the NCAA tournament since 1989. At least one team has advanced to the Sweet 16 every year since then.
SEC RPI: 26. Florida, 30. Tennessee, 56. Kentucky, 58. South Carolina, 62. LSU 66. Ole Miss 80. Arkansas and 86. Mississippi State
PREDICTING THE FIELD: ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi and Seth Davis of CBS are predicting the SEC will have only three teams: Kentucky, Tennessee and Florida to make the NCAA tournament. LSU and South Carolina have also been listed as possibilities. The last time a western division team didn't make the field was 1974.
FLORIDA at TENNESSEE on Saturday: Sophomore guard Nick Calathes scored a rare triple-double in the win over Georgia. Calathes who scored 20 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, had a triple-double last year against Creighton. Alex Tyus added 18 points and Chandler Parsons scored 12. Florida is 18-3 which is where they were last year before they finished 3-8 and failed to make the NCAA tourney for the first time since 1998. Chandler Parson hit seven 3-point shots in the route over Vanderbilt. The Gators hits 15, 3-point shots. Ervin Walker scored 17 points and Calathes added 15.
VANDERBILT at Auburn: The Commodores have lost three straight and four of five after losing to Florida. George Drake led Vandy with 15 points off the bench. Jermaine Beal had 13.
ALABAMA hosts Georgia: Tide officials are looking for a new basketball coach after the resignation of Mark Gottfried, who was only one game over .500 in his SEC career and 14-23 in the league since 2006. Alabama has lost 14 straight road games. Point guard Ron Steele has left the Alabama team. Steele, who struggled all year with a foot problem, said he left for non-injury related issues. It's no secret that he has had a strained relationship with Gottfried. Junior Mikhail Torrance, who replaced Steele, scored 68 points in three straight games before being shutout against Kentucky. The Tide is No. 11 in the SEC averaging only nine assists per game. Anthony Grant, Mike Davis, Mike Anderson, Sean Miller, Tubby Smith, Frank Haith have all been mentioned as possibilities. There is also speculation that Grant would covet the Georgia job if Felton is fired.
KENTUCKY hosts SOUTH CAROLINA on Saturday: In the loss to Ole Miss on Tuesday night, Jodie Meeks was only 4 of 15 from the floor. In Kentucky's 15 wins, Meeks is shooting 53% and in the five losses, he is shooting 34%.
The Wildcats are progressing defensively. They held Alabama to a season low 29.3% from the floor. Kentucky has held 15 opponents to under 40% shooting this season. Meeks has scored 30 points or more in six games. He set a school record of 54 points in a win over Kentucky. Ramon Harris had to be hospitalized for a short while during the Alabama game after he fainted at halftime. Harris sustained a spinal cord injury after colliding with teammate Michael Porter in a game against Lamar on Dec. 3.
ARKANSAS at LSU: After a 12-1 non-conference start, Arkansas had lost four straight SEC games before beating Alabama at home Thursday. The 0-4 SEC start is the worst in school history. This losing streak started after the Hogs won consecutive games over top 10 ranked Oklahoma and Texas. Marcus Monk, the former Hog receiver, is being held out due to eligibility questions. Marcus Washington is the only player in the SEC averaging a double-double-17 points and 10 rebounds per game.
AUBURN hosts Vanderbilt: The Tigers barely beat Texas Pan-Am by three points in front of 3,200 fans Tuesday night. The 22- point win at Arkansas last Saturday was Auburn's sixth largest margin of victory in a SEC road game in school history. The win at Fayetteville was only the third ever for Auburn.
GEORGIA at Alabama: Bulldog officials are looking for their sixth coach in 15 years after firing Dennis Felton. Possibilities are Anthony Grant of VCU, Brian Gregory of Dayton, Jeff Capel of Oklahoma, Lon Kruger of UNLV, Scott Drew of Baylor, Tubby Smith of Minnesota, Sean Miller of Xavier, and Mike Davis of UAB. The Bulldogs are off to their worst conference start (0-5) since 1998 when they began with the same record. Georgia will play just one home game over the next three weeks. Four of the next five games are on the road. Georgia has won only six SEC road games in the past five years.
TENNESSEE hosts Florida: Wayne Chism led the Vols with 19 points and nine rebounds in the loss to LSU. The Tigers led the entire first half shooting 56%. LSU outrebounded the Vols 19-9 in the first half. Five players have set personal scoring highs against the Vols in an eight-game span including Kentucky's Meeks. After winning 37 straight games at home, the Vols have lost four of five games in Knoxville after the Memphis defeat. Tennessee is still trying to reload after losing the scoring punch of Chris Lofton, JaJuan Smith, Ramar Smith and Jordan Howell off last year's Sweet 16 team. Tennessee guards did not make a jump shot in the loss to Memphis.
SOUTH CAROLINA AT KENTUCKY (Saturday): The Gamecocks are 4-2 in the SEC, their first winning record after five games since beginning 4-1 in 2004. South Carolina has already won 15 games after two straight 14 win seasons. Devan Downey led the team with 18 points and Dominique Archie added 17 points in the win over Commodores in the Wednesday night win over Vandy. The Gamecocks have won three straight games in the league for the first time since 2006. South Carolina leads the league in turnover margin (+6). Auburn is second (+ 3.78). The Gamecocks are second in steals averaging 10 per game. South Carolina last won three straight SEC games in 2006.
OLE MISS at Mississippi State: The Rebels pulled off a huge win at home Tuesday night over Kentucky. Meeks was held 10 points below his average. Ole Miss beat Kentucky for the first time since 2001 and only the 12th time in school history. Sophomore Malcolm White scored 20 points. The Rebels have really struggled in the league after losing Chris Warren, Eniel Polynice and key reserve Trevor Gaskins to knee injuries. David Huertas is the only player to average in double figures (19 ppg).
MISSISSIPPI STATE hosts Ole Miss: The Bulldogs have won five of six games after beating Georgia. Jarvis Varnado is averaging nearly five blocks per game. No one else in the SEC is averaging three per game.
LSU hosts Arkansas: The Tigers had a big win at Tennessee Wednesday night. Marcus Thornton scored 29 points and center Chris Johnson added 14 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks. The Tigers had won 17 straight at home before losing to Xavier. Thornton led both teams with 30 points. He was named the SEC player of the week after scoring 61 points in two games. At one point in the second half, LSU missed 16 of 18 field goal attempts. Xavier out-rebounded LSU 40-27.
ACC FOOTBALL NOTES
FLORIDA STATE: (17 verbal commitments) Assistant coach Jimbo Fisher said despite the lack of results from the NCAA that the Noles would recruit around 22-23 players. Nole targets: Trent Richardson (5-11, 215), a five-star running back from Pensacola (Fla.)Escambia, visits FSU this weekend. He visited LSU last weekend. Richardson said he is still an Alabama verbal. He has also visited Florida. Orson Charles (6-3, 230), a four-star tight end from Tampa (Fla.) Plant, has visited FSU, Florida Georgia, Tennessee and USC. Willie Haulstead (6-3, 210), a four-star receiver from Titusville, Fla. is now a solid commitment to FSU after visiting this weekend. He is also considering Michigan, South Florida and UCF. Jason Pierre-Paul (6-6, 265), a defensive end from Fort Scott, Kansas, is considering USF, FSU, Kansas State, Arizona and Nebraska. Nole coaches have yet to offer. He might visit this weekend. Greg Reid (5-9, 175), a five-star cornerback from Valdosta, Ga., is considering FSU, Georgia and Alabama. Jawanza Starling, a four-star safety from Tallahassee (Fla.) Lincoln, is down to Georgia, FSU and USC.
WEEKEND VISITORS:
- Andre DeBose, a five-star receiver from Sanford (Fla.) Seminole (Florida verbal)
- Trent Richardson, a five-star running back from Pensacola (Fla.)Escambia
- Will Secord, a three-star quarterback from Frisco, Texas (Arkansas soft verbal).
Coach Bobby Bowden and FSU officials are close to ironing out a one-year contract extension. His contract is worth $2.2 million per year. Once the Bowden contract is done, FSU officials will work on extending offensive line coach Rick Trickett's contract. D'Vontrey Richardson will likely move to safety this spring.
MIAMI: Cane weekend visits: A. J. McCarron, a four-star quarterback from Mobile, Ala., and an Alabama verbal; Tana Partrick, a four-star linebacker from Stevenson, Ala. (visited Auburn, Alabama and Miami); Luther Robinson, a four-star defensive tackle from Fort Pierce, Fla., and a verbal commitment; Quinton Washington, a four-star offensive lineman from St. Stephen, S.C. (visited Clemson, Miami, Michigan, South Carolina and Tennessee but his final three are Miami, Michigan and South Carolina) and Peter White, a four-star offensive lineman from Washington, D.C. (visited Maryland, Miami and Tennessee)
The Canes have 20 verbals and are ranked No. 9 in the Rivals.com team rankings. Sam Barrington (6-3, 220), a three-star linebacker from Terry Parker in Jacksonville, Fla., has narrowed his choices down to Miami, Illinois and South Florida. He has eliminated Purdue. Barrington said he will make his decision the night before signing day. Mark Whipple, a Philadelphia Eagles assistant, has been named the offensive coordinator at Miami on Monday. Shayon Green (6-2, 225), a three-star linebacker from Tift County, Ga., has committed to Miami after decommitting from Purdue. Malcolm Bunche (6-6, 315), a three-star offensive tackle from Newark, Del., committed to Miami, over Rutgers and Maryland. Marcus Hall, a four-star offensive tackle from Cleveland, Ohio, has visited Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee.
Robert Marve has been contacted by Oklahoma Coach Bob Stoops and is considering a transfer. He is also looking at Oklahoma State, Purdue and South Florida. Arizona defensive coordinator Mark Stoops is a possibility for the same position at Miami. A Rivals.com report said Willie Martinez will not become the defensive coordinator at Miami. Spring practice is set to begin March 24.
CLEMSON: Tajh Boyd (6-1, 208), a four-star quarterback from Hampton, Va., has committed to Clemson over Ohio State and Oregon.
SOUTH FLORIDA: Rivals 35 and The Bulls have 25 verbals including three four-star players: Bradley Battles (5-9, 179), an athlete from Marianna; Adaris Bellamy (5-9, 214), a running back from Dunedin and Kyrhi Thornton (6-3, 300) a defensive tackle from Chatham, Va. Some recruits have been told than Mike Canales will be the new offensive coordinator. The latest commitment is Carlos Savala (6-7, 300), a three-star offensive tackle from Palm Desert, Calif., (College of the Desert).
CENTRAL FLORIDA: Rivals No. 73. UCF has 19 verbals including Josh Robinson (5-10, 178), a four-star athlete from Lauderhill, Fla. Abre Leggins (6-4, 320), a two-star offensive lineman from a Wesson, Miss., CC, visits this weekend. He is already a UCF verbal.
BRENT BEAIRD IS A SPORTS WRITER FOR MYCLAYSUN IN ORANGE PARK, FLA. HE ALSO WRITES FOR RIVALS.COM, SAMSPORTSLINE.COM AND GATOR BAIT MAGAZINE. HE CAN BE HEARD ON SPORTS RADIO 1010 XL.
E-MAIL BRENT AT brentbeaird@comcast.net
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