Recruiting Central

Cypress Bay teeming with talent

Sat, 19 May 2012 19:40:16 GMT

Cypress Bay held their spring game on Saturday morning, a well-attended scrimmage that boasted some of the best players in South Florida on one field.

The crowd number was boosted by a significant number of college scouts — Florida, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Boston College, Florida International, Akron, Central Florida and Georgia all had representatives on the sidelines.

The coaches had plenty to critique, judge and discuss. The Lightning has five high-level Division-1 seniors. That number could be seven when the season ends.

The Bay's 2013 class is highlighted by Boaz Joseph. The size-blessed cornerback has 11 offers already, with Wisconsin, Pitt and Rutgers topping the list. He can play cornerback or safety — he prefers corner. Coaches should prefer him a corner too. He's built like an outside linebacker, but it is in no way lacking with foot and hip speed. Georgia may be the first SEC school to offer him, and I wouldn't be surprised to see other BCS contenders offer.

Alex Montgomery is as good of a receiver as South Florida has. His recruitment will be hindered by his lack of elite speed (he's .2 seconds slower than Stacey Coley of Northeast, the Sun Sentinel's top-ranked receiver, in the 40-yard dash) but the six-foot-one receiver plays as if he's six-foot-five and has all the wide receiver instincts.

Some schools are asking about Montgomery as an athlete. If they are, they are missing out on a receiver that knows how to use his body and displays fantastic athleticism in catching out-of-reach balls. Montgomery burned the best secondary in the state, Miramar, last season, creating space on his cuts and making the country's No. 1 corner, Tracy Howard, look mortal.

North Carolina State, Wake Forest, East Carolina, Kentucky, UCF, FIU and Rutgers are vying for him.

Matt Dayes was the best player on the field Saturday. Cypress Bay has a good defense — he made them look terrible. Running hard the entire scrimmage, Dayes showed power on straightforward runs and a cutting ability I hadn't before seen.

He has four offers as of Saturday. That number will be going up soon. He'll head to the Florida State camp this summer with West Virginia, NCstate, Cincinnati and Northwestern offers.

Center Jason Rae is a load. He's also offered by FIU and UCF, with Miami and USF "close." He'll attend camps at all, save for FIU this summer.

Left Tackle Dillan Seilel could see some offers as a guard.

Linebacker Nico Marley, grandson of Bob Marley, is an undersized linebacker, but his intensity should endear him to a mid-level school coach. Akron looked interested Saturday.

SunSentinel 2013 Top 25 prospects: Spring

Tue, 01 May 2012 00:18:07 GMT

Here is the first look at the SunSentinel Top 25 list of prospects from the class of 2013.

Top recruits as spring football begins Tuesday

Name (Pos) High School Ht./Wt. College

1. Joey Bosa (DE) St. Thomas Aquinas 6’5”/260 Ohio State

2. Greg Bryant (RB) Amer. Herit. (Delray) 5’11”/197 Oklahoma

3. Stacy Coley (WR) Northeast 6’1”/175 Undecided

4. Will Likely (DB) Glades Central 5’7”/171 Undecided

5. Kelvin Taylor (RB) Glades Day 5’11”/215 Florida

6. Jordan Cunningham (WR) Univ. School 6’3”/175 Undecided

7. Alex Collins (RB) South Plantation 5’11”/180 Miami

8. Sony Michel (RB) Amer. Herit. (Plantation)5’11”/180Undecided

9. Jermaine Grace (LB) Miramar 6’2”/215 Undecided

10. Sojourn Shelton (DB) Plantation 5’8”/160 Florida State

11. Fred Coppet (RB) St. Thomas Aquinas 5’9”/170 Undecided

12.Maquedius Bain (DT) Univ. School 6’5”/285 Florida State

13. Keith Bryant (DT) Atlantic 6’1”/295 Miami

14. Rashard Robinson (DB) Blanche Ely 6’3”/165 Undecided

15. Roderick Johnson (OT) Amer. Herit. (Delray )6’5”/315 Florida

16. Nick Internicola (LB) Univ. School 6’4”/220 Undecided

17. Matt Dayes (RB) Cypress Bay 5’10”/185 Undecided

18. Alvonte Bell (DE) Everglades 6’6”/225 Undecided

19. Michael Deeb (LB) Amer.Herit. (Plantation) 6’2”/240 Undecided

20. John O’Korn (QB) St. Thomas Aquinas 6’3”/205 Undecided

21. Sandley Jean-Felix (OT) Boyd Anderson 6’5”/285 Undecided

22. Kevin Anderson (QB) Boca Raton 6’3”/205 Undecided

23. Jeremy Benjamin (LB) McArthur 6’3”/230 Undecided

24.Austin Bland (OG) St. Thomas Aquinas 6’5”/225 Undecided

25. Alex Montgomery (WR) Cypress Bay 6’2”/190 Undecided

Joey Bosa to Ohio State?

Sun, 22 Apr 2012 01:24:01 GMT

More than the usual hearsay, signs are pointing to 4-star defensive end prospect Joey Bosa (6-5, 260) deciding on Ohio State as the place to take his skills.

Bosa, who is heading into his senior season at football factory St. Thomas, had previously narrowed his field of suitors to four: Alabama, Florida State, Ohio State and Michigan.

It would be a good get for Urban Meyer it Bosa does head to the Buckeye state, as Bosa is ranked as one of the top 20 recruits in the country.

Boynton Beach QB Jake Lutzen headed to Nike tryout

Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:47:26 GMT

Boynton Beach QB Jake Lutzen will be in New York City on April 28 competing in one of the six Nike Elite 11 regionals.

Lutzen (6-4, 220) will be trying to become one of 24 finalists invited to the Elite 11 finals in July.

Lutzen passed for 1,146 yards last season, with 13 touchdowns and 3 INT. He had a completion percentage of 65.7 percent (86 of 131). Lutzen also rushed for 285 yards and 4 TDs.

To get invited to the regional, Lutzen had to send in video highlights, stats and a recommendation from coach Rick Swain..

Here's his hilite reel....
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Boynton will be using a pro-style spread offense this season, which should help pump up Lutzen's passing stats.

The competition at the regionals is pretty stiff. The only one held so far was in Dallas, with more than 70 prospects competing, and so far just three have been invited to the finals.

Pace's Anthony Walker has huge day at Miami combine

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 14:36:35 GMT

The Miami Nike Combine was a chance for players to try and get noticed. Many of the top recruits skipped it because they are already on the radars of the major schools.

But a good performance can draw some eyes.

One player that took advantage was Anthony Walker, a 6-1, 207 pound linebacker/strong safety out of Miami Pace. (Pace appears to be loaded from the numbers some of their players were putting up on Saturday).

Walker, below, not only put up one of the fourth best score at 97.71, he also ran the fastest 40 time at 4.48.
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That time was the best of the 1,174 players who ran the 40.

But Walker said he has not received any offers, though he has heard from Miami and UCF.

Given his size and speed, that is pretty surprising.

Recruiters might want to check out Pace’s spring practices, because Walker sure showed some athleticism. And Pace has a couple other players they might want to check out, like Logan Oce, who had the third fastest 40 time.

Top 40-yard dash times
1. Anthony Walker, LB, 6-1, 208, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 4.48
2. Taj Griffin ('15), RB, 5-9, 163, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.) -- 4.51
3. Logan Oce, DB, 5-11, 170, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 4.54
4. Rishad Carrigan, WR, 5-9, 136, Glades Central (Belle Glade, Fla.) -- 4.55
4. Ty Griffin, QB, 6-0, 177, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.)-- 4.55

1,175 put up numbers at Miami Nike SPARQ Combine

Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:45:44 GMT

Give it to Nike/ESPN, they have got the combine assembly line down.

On Saturday (Feb. 25) at North Miami High, 1,175 players went through the four drills and got their scores in about 4 1/2 hours.

It was well-organized and efficiently run, and aside from a printer problem, went off without a hitch.
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I'll have more later, but here are the top 5 in total score and each event, and here is a link to all 1,175 scores...

Miami Nike Combine Top Fives

SPARQ Rating
1. Matthew Thomas, LB, 6-3, 201, Booker T. Washington (Miami) -- 108.36
2. Ty Griffin, QB, 6-0, 177, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.) -- 103.05
3. Henderson Gray ('14), WR, 5-10, 175, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 100.62
4. Anthony Walker, LB, 6-1, 208, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 97.71
5. Sheldon Fleming, TE, 6-3, 237, East Lee County (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) -- 94.89

40-yard dash
1. Anthony Walker, LB, 6-1, 208, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 4.48
2. Taj Griffin ('15), RB, 5-9, 163, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.) -- 4.51
3. Logan Oce, DB, 5-11, 170, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 4.54
4. Rishad Carrigan, WR, 5-9, 136, Glades Central (Belle Glade, Fla.) -- 4.55
4. Ty Griffin, QB, 6-0, 177, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.)-- 4.55

20-yard shuttle
1. Kwan Grice, DB, 5-9.5, 155, Hialeah (Opa Locka, Fla.) -- 4.03
2. Matthew Thomas, LB, 6-3, 201, Booker T. Washington (Miami) -- 4.09
3. Ricardo Garza ('15), DB, 5-9, 157, Okeechobee (Okeechobee, Fla.) -- 4.12
3. Franklin Labady ('14), RB, 5-6.5, 149, Edison (Miami) -- 4.12
5. Ty Griffin, QB, 6-0, 177, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.) -- 4.25
5. Guy Lemonier, WR, 5-11, 183, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 4.25
5. Sojourn Shelton, DB, 5-9, 152, Plantation (Plantation, Fla.) -- 4.25
5. Simeon Thomas, DB, 6-3, 173, Carol City (Miami) -- 4.25

Kneeling Power Ball toss
1. Charles Strippoli, OL, 6-2, 236, Boca Raton (Boca Raton, Fla.) -- 43 feet
2. Sheldon Fleming, TE, 6-3, 237, East Lee County (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) -- 42 feet
3. Joe Jenkins, OL, 6-3, 285, Northwestern (Miami) -- 41 feet
4. Khairi Clark ('14), DT, 6-2.5, 311, Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Fla) -- 40 feet
4. Mario Elliott, TE, 6-5, 210, Park Hill (Kansas City, Mo.) -- 40 feet

Vertical Jump
1. Taj Griffin ('15), RB, 5-9, 163, McEachern (Kennesaw, Ga.) -- 40.9 inches
2. Elie Turene, LB, 5-9, 184, Seminole Ridge (Loxahatchee, Fla.) -- 39.6 inches
3. Corey Holmes ('14), WR, 6-1, 172, St. Thomas Aquinas (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) -- 39.0 inches
4. Henderson Gray ('14), WR, 5-10, 175, Monsignor Pace (Miami) -- 38.9 inches
5. Jarny Cetoute, RB, 5-5, 139, Ft. Lauderdale (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.) -- 38.2 inches
5. Jamal Dorvilier, WR, 6-0, 168, Killian (Miami) -- 38.2 inches

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Kelvin Taylor to make college choice this weekend

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 20:16:15 GMT

He has the legacy. He has the offer. Now, Glades Day running back Kelvin Taylor is ready to make his college commitment, and all signs point to the state's all-time leading rusher remaining in-state.

Taylor is the son of Florida great and NFL standout Fred Taylor, and he's down to two schools: Florida and Alabama.

He's made unofficial visits to both schools, and he's going to Florida's junior day in Gainesville this weekend.

Taylor also announced on his inscrutable twitter feed that he will make his college choice this weekend.

Junior day at Florida? Making a college decision? That can't be coincidence.

It's not.

Even the most ardent Crimson Tide fans would have to admit that Taylor looks Gainesville-bound. And after reading what he told the the Gainesville Sun, well, it's easy to say the deal has been sealed — Kelvin Taylor is going to the school that has always been his front-runner: Florida.

“I just need to check out the school again before I choose,” Taylor said. “I’m gonna go wherever I feel most comfortable and I need to make sure it’s with the players and coaches at UF.”

Is it the system? Is it the kids? Is it the coaches?

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:11:10 GMT

OK, Signing Day is over and now come the usual complaints.

This story out of UCLA pretty much sums things up.

Highly sought after recruit orally commits to three different schools before finally signing with a fourth.

He was still talking to coaches on Wednesday morning (signing day).

I guess the beef now is that coaches don't back off when a kid says he has committed somewhere else.

Well, why should they, if, as in this case, they can get the kid to change his mind?

Oral commitments are a recent phenomenon, pretty much created by the recruiting web sites. There is nothing officially known as an "oral commitment." It is the kid acknowledging that he has received a scholarship offer and plans to accept it.

Even that can be parsed into "soft" verbals or "hard" verbals.

At UCF, coach George O'Leary told his recruits to keep quiet, since he knew that coaches would swoop in on kids when they announced their oral commitments because it meant they were academically eligible since they had an offer.

I kind of like that approach. Cut out the middle man. Make signing day something special again, where fans really don't know who is coming until the school releases the list.

But, in this day and age, that is likely impossible. Kids like the attention they get with everyone asking where they are going. Coaches like to know who has offers from whom so they can decide who they think they can poach, and recruiting web sites need the drama to draw traffic.

So the system remains, and coaches will continue to be aggressive about poaching a player despite an existing "oral" commitment as long as kids keep changing their minds.

Tracy Howard to Miami? Don't discount it.

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 03:23:58 GMT

Two weeks ago, Tracy Howard was a "lock" to commit to LSU. A day away from National Signing Day, Howard's commitment is up in the air.

Or is it?

When Howard opted not to take an official visit to LSU, most of the recruiting prognosticators said that Florida was the front-runner to land the talented Miramar cornerback.

Not so fast. The school Howard opted to visit in leu of LSU, Miami, has proven to be a real option for the nation's top cornerback.

There might be no such thing as momentum in recruiting, but that only gives credence to the job Miami has done in recruiting Howard. In the eyes of a third party, The U has convinced Howard to ignore DBU and take a close look a bit closer to home.

When Howard opted to visit Coral Gables instead of Baton Rouge, my gut said that he was going to be a Hurricane.

My mind hasn't convinced my gut that it's wrong.

Perhaps this is a bit of my youthful ignorance. Perhaps the ignorance of a 23-year old makes me in tune to the whims of a teenager.

Whichever view you'd like to take, something has to be said for the job Al Golden has done in recruiting Howard.

There are two factors that go directly in Golden's favor: his stud wide receiver recruit and an alum of the school.

Those two people are Malcolm Lewis and Shaiy Howard. In other terms, Tracy's best friend and his mother.

Perhaps that's the reason my gut said "Miami."

I can read into a thousand other things that have happened since then, but my gut tells me Miami, and I'm sticking by it. Knowing Tracy, I don't think he would have taken the visit if they weren't a serious option.

In the end, it's a 17-year-old kid, and your guess is as good as mine. I guess we'll all find out on Wednesday. I, for one, can't wait.

Roundup: Where Broward DBs are headed

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:10:17 GMT

There were 11 defensive backs in SunSentinel’s Top 50 Broward players heading into the season, and seven have made oral commitments, leaving four still deciding.

The biggest name and biggest catch for whichever college he chooses is Miramar corner Tracy Howard, No. 1 in our rankings and No. 1 ranked DB in the country, who is going to make his decision on ESPN, picking between UF, Miami and FSU after deciding he wanted to stay in state, much to the chagrin of LSU and Alabama, who were both after him.

Howard is visiting UM this weekend.

Those that have made commits are No. 7 Willie Bailey of Hallandale (Florida), No. 16 Hugs Etienne of South Plantation (Wisconsin), No. 25 Dion Witty of Coral Springs (Purdue), No. 27 Dinero Moss of Piper (Minnesota), No.28 Daniel Gray of Boyd Anderson (Tennessee) and No. 37 Chauncey Lanier of Nova (Connecticut).

No. 35 Adrian Burton of Ely had made a commitment to SMU, but early this week, after a visit to FAU, decided to switch that and has now committed to FAU.
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Adrian Burton (Sun Sentinel photo/Michael Laughlin)
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Still deciding are No. 26 Joseph McClary of St. Thomas – Texas Tech, W. Michigan, Ohio, Ill. St.; No. 42 Nicco Whigham, Cardinal Gibbons – W.Va., Cincinnati, UCF, Connecticut, Bowling Green; and No. 50 Brandon Butler, Boyd Anderson – Texas Tech, FIU, FAU.

Former Hollywood Hills DB Tony Grimes returning to South Florida

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 22:25:01 GMT

Rivals is reporting that former Hollywood Hills standout Tony Grimes is coming back to South Florida by committing to FAU.

Grimes was a highly-ranked defensive back and hot prospect out of high school in 2010, with 4.5 speed and a shut-down skills. He signed with Ole Miss.

But Grimes ended up playing at Arizona Western Community College, which is where FAU’s new coaching staff found him.

Under Howard Schnellenberger, FAU never recruited JUCO transfers, but that has changed with the arrival of new coach Carl Pelini, who had great success at Nebraska plugging gaps in the Cornhuskers lineup with JUCOs.

Grimes would be a big catch for FAU if he shows up in the fall.

Grimes also is a good find for the budget strapped Owls because he is in-state and thus the scholarship is worth $15,000 a year, and not the $30,000 it costs for out-of-state students.

PALM BEACH BEEF

FIU is having success in FAU’s back yard, as they have commitments from two offensive linemen from Palm Beach County.

Edens Sineace (6-5, 334), out of Wellington, committed a while ago, while the Miami Herald reported Sunday that Trenton Sanders (6-4, 280) out of North Palm Beach Benjamin had made an oral commitment.

Hurricanes will benefit from early enrollees

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:24:33 GMT

There are a lot of reasons why Canes fans are enjoying this recruiting season. The two main ones is that they have a huge group that is getting top-10 ratings.

I’m not a big believer in stars, or in ratings based on what kids did in high school.

But I am a believer on the benefits of getting a head start, and that is why what is most impressive about the Hurricanes class of 2012 is that seven of them enrolled and started taking classes on Tuesday when the second semester began.

Here is the list: QB Gray Crow, QB Preston Dewey, OL Ereck Flowers, OL Taylor Gadbois, LB Ladarius Gunter, LB Raphael Kirby and DB Josh Witt of Weston.
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Josh Witt, right, is now a UM student. Sun-Sentinel photo/Michael Laughlin
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These seven not only will get the chance to participate in spring practices, which is huge for them and for Miami, but they also get in on the strength and conditioning that the other recruits won’t have access to.

This is a short-cut to playing time, and it will be interesting to see how many of this Group of Seven work their way onto the depth chart.

Later…

You don't always end where you start...

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:09:45 GMT

Practices began for The Battle of Florida All-Star game that is Saturday at 8 p.m. at FAU Stadium.

If you haven't heard of it, that's because this is the first year it has been played and there has not been a lot of pub.

It is for draft-eligible players who either played high school football in the state or came from out of state to play college ball.

So the roster has players from Kansas State and Pittsburgh as well as all the state schools, from Florida to Shaw.

As might be expected, there is a large contingent from St. Thomas, including Wesley Carroll and Dan Wenger, two guys whose college careers ended far from where they started.
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FIU QB Wes Carroll (Miami Herald photo)

Carroll, who is from Fort Lauderdale, went to Mississippi State where things started great. He got the starting job as a true freshmen and looked like he had a lock on it, but then he got beat out in year two and decided to head back to South Florida.

Carroll transferred to FIU, sat out a year, and then in 2010 helped the Panthers to their best record ever (6-6), a share of the Sun Belt title, and win in their first bowl appearance.

This year Carroll helped the Panthers go 8-4 and to their second straight bowl.

And now he is trying to shine in the Battle of Florida.

Wenger, an offensive lineman from Coral Springs, went to Notre Dame out of St. Thomas. But concussions became a problem, and then Charlie Weis, who had recruiting him, got fired and ended up at Florida.

Notre Dame's doctors never cleared Wenger, so he transferred to Florida to rejoin Weis for his senior season.

Wenger earned the starting job and had no health issues, so he is hoping the NFL will give him a chance.

That is why coaches never try and burn bridges when players they recruit decide to go elsewhere.

After his freshman season at Mississippi State, did any FIU fans think Wes Carroll would be leading their offense in a couple years.?

Sometimes the best players are the ones you least expect....

Ask Northern Michigan, a D-II school who had former Northeast High and Miami Hurricane linebacker Demitri Williams on its roster this season.

Williams is also in the Battle of Florida...

A cautionary tale: Nu’Keese Richardson

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 12:15:05 GMT

It's a good thing at this time of year for a bit of a reality check.

As the starry-eyed fans get all emotionally involved in a list of 17 and 18 year olds who may or may not honor their oral commitments, it might be good to remember that there will be some recruits that just won't pan out.

Remember Nu'Keese Richardson? The speedy four-star receiver from Pahokee that had then-Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin and then-Florida coach Urban Meyer battling for him?

On signing day he did the whole hat thing, and ended with a Gators hat on, but then changed his mind and decided to go to Tennessee.
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scout.florida photo
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Well, Kiffin then gloated about it, and offered up details about not trusting the school and having the LOI faxed from someplace else, and how Meyer had violated recruiting rules while pursuing Richardson, which turned out to be a false accusation.

And how then Tennessee recruiter Eddie Gran was banned from the Pahokee campus until Kiffn apologized to the principal...(Gran is now with the Seminoles).

Well, anyway, all that turned out to be for naught.

Richardson showed flashes of being special in his freshmen year, but then got arrested as part of a robbery, got kicked out of school, and then the downward spiral that ended with him telling the Palm Beach Post recently that he is done playing football.

It also shows the short tenure of coaches these days. It wasn't that long ago, and Tennessee and the Gators are under new management.

So dream about the stars, but remember, not all the stars turn out to shine so bright. And many may burn out totally.

FAU going local under new coach

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:46:23 GMT

Under new coach Carl Pelini, FAU's 2012 recruiting class is taking on a local flavor.

The Boca Raton-based Owls have five oral commitments from recruits in Palm Beach County, the biggest local group in a number of years.

Mike Bullard, WR, 5-9, 160, West Palm Beach Forest Hill
Andy Daceus, DL, 6-4, 240, Greenacres John I. Leonard
Jeremy Gaskins, RB, 5-10, 189, American Heritage Delray Beach
Nelsy Ovincy, WR, 6-2, 175, Greenacers John I. Leonard
Chad Ward, WR, 6-3, 185, Delray Beach Atlantic

That is more locals than FIU has, which is a big change. The Golden Panthers have four commitments from players in their home base of Miam.

LB Jerry Baker of Archbishop Carrol
QB E.J. Hilliard of Northwestern
DB Jeremiah McKinnon of Southridge
WR Johnnie Durante of Dr. Krop.

Where FIU gets the advantage is in Broward County. FAU has no recruits from the county where most of its students and alums live, while FIU has two -- WR Jeremy Smith of Pembroke Pines Flanagan and K Chris Ayers of South Plantation.

FIU even snagged a player from Palm Beach County -- DB Davison Coliman from Riviera Beach Suncoast.

Cypress Bay's Isidora chooses Miami

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 17:27:25 GMT

From Dieter Kurtenbach:

Cypress Bay offensive lineman Daniel Isidora committed to coach Al Golden and the University of Miami Wednesday

It’s a major commitment for the Miami program, who could face significant NCAA sanctions following the organizations investigation of the school’s athletic department.

The 6-foot-3, 330 pound Isidora was ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN.com and had been also considering offers from Michigan and Wisconsin. The left tackle used his strength and footwork to be an elite high-school pass blocker, but Isidora was mostly used as a run-blocker in Cypress Bay’s run-heavy Wing-T formation.

That versatility made him one of the region’s top recruits.

Miami resigned Golden, its first-year coach, to a four-year contract extension, that pushed his contract end date to 2020. Golden, who played tight end at Penn State from 1987-1991, was rumored to be the top candidate to replace Joe Paterno in Happy Valley.

Isidora’s ability to be a lead blocker on runs, and his lack of prototypical offensive tackle height could lead to him taking a redshirt next year and converting to offensive guard, a position that might better fit his size and skills.

Badgers DB commit Hugs Etienne, of South Plantation, to visit Wisconsin this weekend

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:22:07 GMT

South Plantation High senior defensive back Hugs Etienne, who is a Wisconsin Badger commit, is visiting the Madison, Wis., university this weekend.

Etienne said he would be at Wisconsin for the Badgers' game vs. Purdue.

Etienne is ranked among the top 20 prospects in Broward County in the Class of 2012.

South Plantation is 6-2 this season after whipping Douglas 42-7 Tuesday in a game that had been postponed by rain.

Broward Private vs. Public All-Star Football Game Jan. 6

Tue, 01 Nov 2011 23:18:30 GMT

Broward County's Private vs. Public All-Star Football Game will be held Friday, Jan. 6, at 7:30 p.m. @ McArthur High in Hollywood. For more info, call 305-740-2822.

Heritage-Plantation PK Morgan can't wait to get to Georgia

Mon, 31 Oct 2011 05:31:59 GMT

I caught up with University of Georgia kicker commit Marshall Morgan, of American Heritage-Plantation, on Friday night after the Patriots disposed of Cardinal Gibbons 35-10 in a battle of 6-1 teams.

Morgan said he is really looking forward to ending his high school career on a high note, then playing in the Semper Fidelis All-American Bowl in Phoenix in January and then heading to Georgia.

He said he will not be an early enrollee.

UCLA the latest to offer Western High standout

Sat, 29 Oct 2011 05:24:42 GMT

UCLA has offered Western High senior Fabian Moreau, according to the young running back.

The speedy Moreau says he now has offers from Western Michigan, Kansas State, FIU, FAU & UCLA.

"No visits set up yet , I will probably wait until after the season," Moreau said late Friday night.

2012 WR Jehu Chesson to visit Michigan this weekend

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 02:56:23 GMT

Ladue (Mo.) Horton Watkins 2012 WR Jehu Chesson, who has taken unofficial visits to the University of Miami in each of the past two springs, plans to take an official visit to Michigan this weekend.

He has already officially visited Northwestern.

Boca 2012 RB Byars to play in Offense/Defense Bowl in Dallas

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 05:30:11 GMT

Boca Raton 2012 RB Keith Byars Jr. has accepted an invitation to play in the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl on Dec. 31 in Dallas, Texas.

I went to the Offense/Defense All-American Bowl website to see who else locally might be playing in the game, but they have yet to release rosters for the contest as you can see below.

http://bowl.o-d.com/?page=bowl_roster

Big Ten school offers St. Thomas 2013 OL

Wed, 26 Oct 2011 02:42:12 GMT

St. Thomas Aquinas 2013 offensive lineman Austin Bland told me tonight he was offered by Purdue.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pounder's first Division I offer was from Cincinnati.

St. Thomas (6-1) plays at Plantation High this week.

Follow state football prospects on their journey to National Signing Day at SunSentinel.com/recruiting and via Twitter at PLamRecruiting

To report recruiting news, e-mail plammer@tribune.com or phone 954-661-9671.

Heritage-Plantation 2013 QB visiting Penn State this weekend

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 22:50:55 GMT

American Heritage-Plantation 2013 QB Tyler Cogswell is taking an unofficial visit to Penn State this weekend for the Nittany Lions' game with Illinois.

Boston College and Ole Miss are among the others in the mix early on.

Heritage plays Cardinal Gibbons this week in a battle of 6-1 teams.

Follow state football prospects on their journey to National Signing Day at SunSentinel.com/recruiting and via Twitter at PLamRecruiting

To report recruiting news, e-mail plammer@tribune.com or phone 954-661-9671.

BASEBALL: Royal Palm's Barr commits

Sat, 22 Oct 2011 22:02:53 GMT

Royal Palm Beach High senior Christopher Barr, who plays the outfield, first base and pitches, has committed to Palm Beach State College.

He hit .341 as a junior.