Posted by Bryan Fischer

- USF brought out transfer Chris Dunkley to help recruit wide receiver Dvario Montgomery.

- Every Georgia signee expected to enroll this summer will do so.

- Defensive end Noah Spence sits at the top of Penn State's recruiting wish list.

- Brady Hoke is kicking off his first camp at Michigan and has plenty of good players coming to town.

- Ohio State could see things get tougher out on the recruiting trail going forward.

COMMITMENTS:

- Mississippi State picked up linebacker and New Orleans native Torrey Bell.

- Kentucky landed a commitment from defensive lineman Patrick Graffree and Indiana added one from lineman Alex Todd.

- Washington received a commitment from defensive end Malcolm Jackson.

- Offensive tackle Evan Boehm committed to Missouri and that's a big pick up for the school.

- Wide out Alvin Cornelius committed to play at Syracuse.

- Athlete Taylor Oldham is the first member of UCF's 2012 recruiting class.

- Boise State added offensive lineman Steven Baggett.

- N.C. State added talented receiver Xavier Griffin and North Carolina did the same with athlete Kedrick Davis.

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Al Golden's strategy of developing relationships with local high school coaches and recruiting the best of the three counties in the Miami area is continuing to pay off as Miami picked up another local commitment in Hialeah (Fla.) cornerback Larry Hope late Wednesday evening. 

"I just felt like after me and my dad went over it, Miami was the best decision for me," Hope told InsideTheU.com. "It is closer and UM has a lot of history behind it. I just felt I could make the right decision and right now I'm excited to be a part of the family."

The 5-foot-11, 160-pound cornerback picked up an offer from the school on Sunday after performing well at the Hurricanes' football camp. He also held offers from South Florida, Nebraska, Kentucky and Louisville among others. It's was helping out the local powerhouse that had Hope the most excited though.

"Growing up I never really had a favorite team," he said. "My family has always been Hurricanes fans so I knew a lot of about that. UM has a lot of history and a lot of people have done a lot of great things from there. I'm trying to be the next one."

Hope had 45 tackles and three interceptions last season as a junior and becomes the 11th commitment for Miami. He is the 11th commitment in the 2012 class for Miami. Hope is the second corner for the Hurricanes upcoming class and seventh from the metro area.

Posted by Bryan Fischer

The calendar has turned from May to June and it's time to see how schools are building their class of 2012. Today we'll take a look at the verbal commitments for the Big East, where several schools are starting to build momentum on the recruiting trail but TCU is the leader of the pack. 


Cincinnati (6)

Running back Deionte Buckley (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Defensive back Marcus Foster (Troy, Ohio)
Defensive back Drake Burns (Fort Thomas, Kent.)
Defensive end Jonathan Burt (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Defensive back Andre Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Defensive end Ryan Leahy (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Defensive end Josh Posley (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Connecticut (1)

Offensive lineman Tyler Samra (Ramsey, N.J.) 

Louisville (5)

Offensive lineman Sid Anvoots(Indianapolis, Ind.)
Athlete Demetrius Frazier (Brunswick, Ga.)
Defensive end Larry Jefferson(College Park, Ga.)
Defensive end Teko Powell (Miami, Fla.)
Wide receiver Brandon Snell (Miami, Fla.)

Pittsburgh(0)

Rutgers (5)

Wide reciever Carlton Agudosi (Franklin, N.J.)
Linebacker Steve Longa (Saddle Brook, N.J.)
Running back Desmon Peoples (Warminister, Pa.)
Quarterback Blake Rankin (Bloomsburg, Pa.)
Wide receiver Ruhann Peele(Linden, N.J.) 

South Florida (5)

Defensive back D.J. White (McDonogh, Ga.)
Offensive lineman Reno Henderson (Ocala, Fla.)
Defensive back Jalen Spencer (Pensacola, Fla.)
Defensive end Ryan Brown(Marrero, La.) 
Wide receiver Rayshawn Jenkins(St. Petersburg, Fla.)

Syracuse(3)

Offensive lineman Ben Barrett (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Linebacker Myles Davis (New Berlin, N.Y.)
Offensive lineman Omari Palmer (Middle Island, N.Y.)

TCU (11)

Running back LaDarius Anthony (Kilgore, Texas)
Quarterback Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas)
Running back B.J. Catalon (Houston, Texas)
Defensive end Devonte Fields (Arlington, Texas)
Tight end Griffin Gilbert (Austin, Texas)
Defensive tackle Joey Hunt (El Campo, Texas)
Athlete Daje Johnson (Plugerville, Texas)
Athlete Kolby Listenbee (Arlington, Texas)
Quarterback Tyler Matthews (McPherson, Kan.)
Defensive end James McFarland (West Monroe, La.)
Defensive back Edward Pope (Carthage, Texas)

West Virginia (4)

Defensive tackle Imarjaye Albury (Miami, Fla.)
Quarterback Ford Childress(Houston, Texas)  
Running back Jarrod Harper(Frostburg, Md.)
Linebacker Joseph Jackson(Jacksonville, Fla.)

 

Posted by Bryan Fischer

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- If one championship was lucky, a second confirms what the South Florida-based Footballers Fire 7-on-7 team thought all along, that they were one of the most talented teams in the country.

Composed mostly of players who were cut from the elite South Florida Express travel team, the Footballers Fire ended up beating them for a title in Tampa and ran through the competition over the weekend to grab their second title on the campus of Samford University.

The group ended up taking three vans from Miami to Birmingham, a trip that lasted over 13 hours. The long drive was the furthest thing from their mind when they held up the championship trophy though.

"Everybody was excited about getting out of Florida and coming to Alabama," Pompano Beach (Fla.) cornerback Adrian Burton said. "The difference between Tampa and here is we came up here undefeated. We didn't lose one game in this tournament and we won outside of our elements. We wanted to prove we were college-ready and came to play outside of our elements by playing in another state."

The team was the most vocal of any of the 15 teams that came to the event from all over the South. Part of the hooting and hollering after every play was strategy, especially once they reached the championship game and kept quiet in order to throw the other team off.

"The competition was really good," Gainesville (Fla.) corner Chris Bivins said. "We talked a bunch throughout the day but we decided to calm it down for the championship game and make them think we weren't playing. We were quiet and things started clicking."

Bivins is not full-time member of Footballers Fire but decided to come along on the trip and play with several of his friends on the team. He deferred to other members of the team in terms of playing time but still managed to make an impact in the secondary, playing both slot and outside receivers.

Burton, on the other hand, was in for nearly every play on defense and picked off two passes during the tournament, one more than he had in Tampa. Grabbing an extra pick wasn't as meaningful for the talented corner as grabbing a second title however.

"It meant a lot to me personally," Burton said. "We heard on ESPN that there was no way we can repeat, it was a fluke. Honestly we don't take that too lightly. We went from the cut list (from the South Florida Express) to winning two 7-on-7 championships. What more can we say?"

Texas Tech is one school showing a lot of interest in Burton but has yet to offer him a scholarship. Defensive backs coach Otis Mounds is the coach recruiting him and Burton had good things to say about the former South Florida high school coach.

"He has to be one of the coolest guys I've met who is a recruiter," Burton said. "He talks about real stuff, real situations, he doesn't actually talk that much about football. In his words, there's only two things they want us to come to Texas Tech for, to play ball and get your education. Education and football, I'm glad he pointed that out and it's not just football."

Bivins is also seeing his recruitment pick up with the May Evaluation period in full swing and already holds five offers, including ones from Utah and USF. He picked up his first SEC offer from South Carolina on Thursday and is excited about what the Gamecocks bring to the table.

"They've been contacting me lately. Coach (Steve) Spurrier Jr. came to school but I wasn't there because I had a track meet," Bivins said. "I called him on the phone and he said they were going to offer me a scholarship because they love big corners with long arms and speed."

Both players will head to the Badger Sports National 7-on-7 Tournament in Dallas over Fourth of July weekend.

Ward drops into coverage

Aberdeen (Miss.) defensive end Channing Ward didn't show up for Day One of the tournament and many thought he had taken an unofficial visit or just stayed home for the weekend. Turns out he had a good excuse as he was anchoring Aberdeen High's 4x100 and 4x200 track team and ended up running a 11.3 second 100 meters at a hefty 6-foot-2, 250 pounds.

The big and fast defensive end ended up playing linebacker for much of Day Two of the tournament and did so mainly to get better with his footwork and show off a little bit more to observers.

"It was a good challenge," Ward said. "I had to keep my feet moving. I think it will make me a better defensive end because I have to keep my feet moving. I felt ok."

Ward recently picked up another offer to add to his growing list that is sitting at 16 and includes Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Notre Dame among others.

"I picked up an offer from Miami last Friday," Ward said. "I have interest in them."

There are also several schools close to extending a scholarship and Ward offered up one school who might be the next to pull the trigger.

"Florida State. The've been writing me a lot and told me to come to their camp," Ward said. "I'm going this summer. I'll also probably go to LSU and Auburn (camps). I've been to both of them to watch a game and on Junior Day."

Alabama and Mississippi State are the two schools recruiting him the hardest with Crimson Tide assistant Jeff Stoutland being his primary recruiter and one of the few who are recruiting him as a hybrid defensive end/linebacker. He still hasn't narrowed down his list of schools but looking for a few things in his future school.

"Graduation rate, good vibe from the coaches," he said.

Ward has offers from just about every SEC schools and projects more as a defensive end than linebacker in college.

Dural doesn't live up to his own high standards

One of the few commitments participating in the tournament was Beaux Bridge (La.) wide receiver Travin Dural. The LSU commitment didn't get too many balls thrown his way and had trouble meshing with his teammates he met just two days before on their way from Louisiana.

"I didn't feel like I played my best, I kind of had an off weekend," Dural said. "I did alright in some games but just didn't really get it going."

Although he didn't live up to his own high standards, Dural did compete against some of the best defensive talent he's seen and he felt he measured up well despite having an off weekend.

"I wanted to play with the best and see how I do," he said. "They say these are some of the best players in the country so I wanted to see how good I really am. I kind of showed that I can compete with them."

Firmly committed to LSU, his commitment was pretty open and shut as soon as the Tigers became interested in the in-state prospect.

"When I got the offer," he said of when he committed. "That was the school I wanted to go to ever since I was little. That helped because I wanted to go there and didn't have to worry about committing when I wanted to go there."

The 6-foot-2, 170 pound Dural is still receiving mail from several programs but isn't being actively recruited by anybody. Many schools will stop by to see him when spring football starts in two weeks but putting on the pads isn't something Dural is looking forward to.

"No," he said with a grin. "It's going to be hot out there. I'm in track right now so I'm not even in football shape. I do the 200 and high jump, long jump and 4x200 (relay). I've got the state track meet next weekend at LSU. Last week at regionals, our relay team ran the seventh fastest time in the nation."

Gross looks good at quarterback

There were not a lot of high caliber quarterbacks in Birmingham but Memphis (Tenn.) signal caller Will Gross was one of the top two or three at the event, throwing a good spiral and really showing some velocity on throws. He's already received offers from Louisville, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt and picked up a big one last week after a few schools stopped by during the evaluation period.

"Memphis, Wake Forest, Alabama and UConn," Gross said of the schools that came by Melrose High. "Alabama offered Thursday. I'm blessed. I'm glad the coaches see something in me. They have a good program and get you ready for the NFL. They have a great staff. I'm going to visit next month."

While some schools are recruiting him as an athlete, Alabama is recruiting him as quarterback. The 6-foot-1, 175 pound Gross wants to play quarterback in college and that will be an issue he'll bring up to those schools pursuing him.

"Mississippi State and Arkansas State," he said of schools that are recruiting him the hardest. "It doesn't matter where I go. I'm very patient and want to take my time. I might commit during the season."

Gross has already taken a few unofficial visits and will take some time over the next few weeks to plan where he'll go next. He won't limit his planning to just unofficial visits though, he plans on taking all five of his official visits and is already trying to figure out when and where to go.

"I don't know them all," he said. "I know three, Louisville, Kentucky and Alabama. Those are my top three right now."

Alabama's recent offer appears to make them the co-leader along with Louisville for Gross but he remains open until taking his visits.

Recruitment of Kimbrow heating up

A few miles away from Gross, running back Brian Kimbrow is becoming a hot name for recruiters. The city of Memphis is always a must stop for coaches on their way around the south and Memphis East is becoming the first destination in the city thanks in large part to Kimbrow.

"Duke stopped by, Western Kentucky, Tennessee and some more coaches are supposed to come by next week," Kimbrow said. "Notre Dame has come by. Lots of people."

The 5-foot-9, 170 pound scat-back recently picked up offers from Maryland and Wake Forest to put his total number of offers at close to 30. With so much attention being shown at this point in the recruiting process, Kimbrow is just taking everything as it comes and keeping a level head.

"It's hard to say right now because I'm being patient. I don't want to rush into recruiting and end up going somewhere that doesn't fit me," he said.

So far Kimbrow is taking unofficial visits like most top recruits and is starting out local before heading out to schools outside of the region this summer.

"I've been to Tennessee, Memphis and I have plans to go to Cincinnati and Vanderbilt," he said. "I have plans to go to Notre Dame. I've also been to Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Southern Miss."

Kimbrow has no set timetable for when he makes his commitment but the talented athlete, who also could be a slot receiver in college, is looking to stay focused on his high school team before worrying about where he'll end up in college.

"More than likely it will be after the season so I can focus on that during the season," he said of a commitment date. "Right now though, I'd say Tennessee and Vanderbilt and Cincinnati are standing out though.

"It doesn't matter where I go, I just want a place that fits me."

Notes

- Talented Lemming Top 100 linebacker Deaysean Rippy didn't play too much this weekend due to nagging injuries but did mention he was hearing a lot from Florida and that the Gators are at the top of his list at the moment. He was planning on taking more unofficial visits over the next few months so that might change.

- Marietta (Ga.) sophomore quarterback Eddie Printz did not have a very good first day, struggling to throw a spiral and get things going for Team Georgia. He came back much sharper on day two however, really spinning the ball well while leading his team to the championship game. He had some serious talent to throw to at wide out and while they saved him on day one, Printz made them look good on day two with some very nice deep balls.

- One of Printz's wide outs was Norcross (Ga.) athlete Jason Croom. He was the top receiver at the event and was a nightmare to cover with his 6-foot-5, 230 pound frame. At this point, he's a bit of a hybrid receiver/tight end until he fills out but he certainly has some very good pass catching skills. Georgia might be close to offering which might change things in his recruitment but it looks like Miami might be the team to beat at the moment. Georgia commit C.J. Curry was also on the team and played well but it was Croom who was the best receiver at the event.

- Justin Combs, son of Sean "Diddy" Combs, picked up offers Middle Tennessee and Wyoming recently and took an unofficial to UAB after the tournament. He has family in Alabama and one of his coaches said he is looking to step out from his dad's shadow but doesn't mind going to a smaller school to play football.

- Memphis (Tenn.) running back Jovon Robinson has a bit of a rivalry with Kimbrow in terms of who will be the top running back in the city and certainly showed he was capable of the top spot in terms of pass catching and quickness. His most recent offer was from Penn State and he said several SEC schools who have already offered stopped by to evaluate him further last week.

- Olive Branch (Miss.) wide receiver De'Arthur Cowan was one player who impressed from the Mississippi team. He said he had five offers, including ones from Arkansas and Mississippi State. Ole Miss visited his school last week and could be the next to offer. Cowan displayed good hands and ran nice routes but he needs to add some weight to his very skinny frame.

- Footballers Fire quarterback Ghierry Van der Kuyp has a very unusual sidearm throwing motion but he managed to be the most accurate quarterback at the event. He is being recruited by several programs as a wide receiver and the Hialeah (Fla.) athlete is close to getting offers from Miami and Florida. A commitment to Miami might follow if they offer because both of his parents are Miami fans. When Footballers Fire went up big on Team Georgia in the championship game, Van deer Kuyp played some wide receiver but badly injured his ankle and had to be taken off the field.

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Rankings have been around for years. MaxPreps' own Tom Lemming has been doing them well before the days of the internet made four- and five-star players the gateway for most fans to recruiting. In 2002, recruiting sites Rivals and Scout started the current star system and it's always interesting to go back and see where the creme of the crop players (i.e. five-stars) have gone in the NFL Draft. Jackson Clarion-Ledger columnist Rick Cleveland ran an interesting column about the state of Mississippi's consensus five-star recruits not panning out in the draft and it got us to thinking, just where have all the five-stars been drafted? Here's the list broken down by state from the classes of 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Alabama

WR Julio Jones (Foley High, Foley, Ala.) - Class of 2008, committed to Alabama - Projected Top 15 pick in 2011.
OT Tyler Love (Mountain Brook High, Mountain Brook, Ala.) - Class of 2008, committed to Alabama - Not projected ot be drafted in 2013.
OL Andre Smith (Huffman High, Birmingham, Ala.) - Class of 2006, committed to Alabama - #6 overall pick in 2009.


Arizona

DE Everson Griffen (Agua Fria High, Avondale, Ariz.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - 4th round pick in 2010.
C Kris O'Dowd (Salpointe Catholic, Tucson, Ariz.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - Projected middle to late round pick in 2011.

Arkansas

QB Mitch Mustain (Springdale High, Springdale, Ark.) - Class of 2006, committed to Arkansas, transfered to USC - Projected late round to undrafted in 2011.

California

RB Darrell Scott (St. Bonaventure High, Ventura, Calif.) - Class of 2008, committed to Colorado, currently at USF - Not projected to be drafted/drafted in the later rounds in 2013.
OT Matt Kalil (Servite High, Anaheim, Calif.) - Class of 2008, committed to USC - Projected 1st or 2nd rounder in 2012.
OT Tyron Smith (Rancho Verde High, Moreno Valley, Calif.) - Class of 2008, committed to USC - Projected top 15 pick in 2011.
QB Dayne Crist (Notre Dame High, Sherman Oaks, Calif.) - Class of 2008, committed to Notre Dame - Projected middle round pick in 2013.
QB Jimmy Clausen (Oaks Christian High, Westlake Village, Calif.) - Class of 2007, committed to Notre Dame - 2nd Round draft pick.
LB Chris Galippo (Servite High, Anaheim, Calif.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - Projected late round to undrafted in 2012.
RB Marc Tyler (Oaks Christian High, Westlake Village, Calif.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - Projected late round to undrafted in 2012.
CB Donovan Warren (Poly High, Long Beach, Calif.) - Class of 2007, committed to Michigan - Undrafted in 2010.
RB Allen Bradford (Colton High, Colton, Calif.) - Class of 2006, committed to USC - Projected middle to late round pick in 2011.
RB Stafon Johnson (Dorsey High, Los Angeles, Calif.) - Class of 2006 - Undrafted in 2010.
RB C.J. Gable (Sylmar Senior High, Sylmar, Calif.) - Class of 2006, committed to USC - Projected late round to undrafted in 2011.

Colorado

OT Ryan Miller (Columbine High, Littleton, Col.) - Class of 2007, committed to Colorado - Projected middle round pick in 2012.

Florida

CB Patrick Peterson (Blanche Ely High, Pompano Beach, Fla.) - Class of 2008, committed to LSU - Projected Top 5 pick in 2011.
DT Marcus Forston (Northwestern High, Miami, Fla.) - Class of 2008, committed to Miami - Projected 1st rounder in 2012.
OT Michael Brewster (Edgewater High, Orlando Fla.) - Class of 2008, committed to Ohio State - Projected 1st or 2nd rounder in 2012.
LB Nigel Bradham (Wakulla High, Crawfordville, Fla.) - Class of 2008, committed to Florida State - Projected middle rounder in 2012.
OT Matt Patchan (Armwood High, Seffner, Fla.) - Class of 2008, committed to Florida - No NFL draft projection at this time.
DT Torrey Davis (Armwood High, Seffner, Fla.) - Class of 2007, committed to Florida, transferred to Jacksonville State - Undrafted in 2010.
OG James Wilson (Nease High, Ponte Vedra, Fla.) - Class of 2007, committed to Florida - Projected middle round pick in 2012.
RB Noel Devine (North Fort Meyers High, Fort Meyers, Fla.) - Class of 2007, committed to West Virginia - Projected 4th or 5th round pick in 2011.
RB C.J. Spiller (Union Country High, Lake Butler, Fla.) - Class of 2006, committed to Clemson - #9 overall pick in 2010.
OT Sam Young (St. Thomas Aquinas High, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) - Class of 2006, committed to Notre Dame - 6th round pick in 2010.
QB Tim Tebow (Nease High, St. Augustine, Fla.) - Class of 2006, committed to Florida - 1st round pick in 2010.

Georgia

DT Omar Hunter (Buford High, Buford, Ga.) - Class of 2008, committed to Florida - Projected middle rounder in 2012.
ATH Richard Samuel (Cass High, Cartersville, Ga.) - Class of 2008, committed to Georgia - No draft projection, currently a linebacker.
S Eric Berry (Creekside High, Fairburn, Ga.) - Class of 2007, committed to Tennessee - Number five overall in 2010.

Illinois

LB Martez Wilson (Simeon Vocational, Chicago, Ill.) - Class of 2007, committed to Illinois - Projected 2nd round pick in 2011.

Indiana

RB James Aldridge (Merrillville High, Merrillville, Ind.) - Class of 2006, committed to Notre Dame - Undrafted in 2010.

Kansas

LB Arthur Brown (Wichita East High, Wichita, Kan.) - Class of 2008, committed to Miami, attending Kansas State - Projected late round to undrafted in 2013.

Louisiana

RB Joe McKnight (John Curtis High, River Ridge, La.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - 4th round draft pick in 2010.
S Chad Jones (Southern Lab High, Baton Rouge, La.) - Class of 2007, committed to LSU - 3rd round draft pick in 2010.
DT Al Woods (Elton High, Elton, La.) - Class of 2006, committed to LSU - 4th round pick in 2010.

Michigan

WR Ronald Johnson (Muskegon High, Muskegon, Mich.) - Class of 2007, committed to USC - Projected middle round pick in 2011.
LB Brandon Graham (Crockett Vocational Tech, Detroit, Mich.) Class of 2006, committed to Michigan - #13 overall in 2010.

Minnesota

WR Michael Floyd (Cretin Derham Hall, Saint Paul, Minn.) - Class of 2008, committed to Notre Dame - Projected 1st rounder in 2012.

Mississippi

WR DeAndre Brown (Ocean Springs High, Ocean Springs, Miss.) - Class of 2008, committed to Southern Miss - Projected late rounds to undrafted in 2011.

Nebraska

OG Baker Steinkuhler (Southwest High, Lincoln, Neb.) - Class of 2008, committed to Nebraska - No draft projection as a defensive tackle.

New Jersey

ATH Will Hill (St. Peters Preps, Jersey City, N.J.) - Class of 2008, committed to Florida - Middle round pick in 2011.
S Myron Rolle (The Hun School, Princeton, N.J.) - Class of 2006, committed to Florida State - 6th round pick in 2010.

North Carolina

LB Brandon Spikes (Crest Senior High, Shelby, N.C.) - Class of 2006, committed to Florida - 2nd round pick in 2010.
OL Carl Johnson (Southern High, Durham, N.C.) - Class of 2006, committed to Florida - Projected middle round pick in 2011.

Ohio

OL Mike Adams (Dublin Coffman High, Dublin, Ohio) - Class of 2008, committed to Ohio State - Projected as a 1st or 2nd rounder in 2012.
TE Kyle Rudolph (Elder High, Cincinnati, Ohio) - Class of 2008, committed to Notre Dame - Projected 2nd round draft pick in 2011.
WR DeVier Posey (LaSalle High, Cincinnati, Ohio) - Class of 2008, committed to Ohio State - Projected 2nd or 3rd rounder in 2012.
DE Ben Martin (LaSalle High, Cincinnati, Ohio) - Class of 2007, committed to Tennessee - Late round to undrafted in 2012.
RB Beanie Wells (Garfield High, Akron, Ohio) - Class of 2006, committed to Ohio State - 1st round pick in 2009.

Oklahoma

DT Gerald McCoy (Southeast High, Oklahoma City, Okla.) - Class of 2006, committed to Oklahoma - #3 overall pick in 2010.

Pennslyvania

QB Terrelle Pryor (Jeannette High, Jeannette, Pa.) - Class of 2008, committed to Ohio State - Projected as a 2nd or 3rd rounder as an athlete in 2012.
WR Jonathan Baldwin (Aliquippa high, Aliquippa, Pa.) - Class of 2008, committed to Pitt - Projected late 1st round or 2nd rounder in 2011.

South Carolina

DE Da'Quan Bowers (Bamberg Ehrhardt high, Bamberg, S.C.) - Class of 2008, committed to Clemson - Projected top 15 pick in 2011.
WR A.J. Green (Summerville High, Summerville, S.C.) - Class of 2008, committed to Georgia - Projected Top 5 pick in 2011.
DE Carlos Dunlap (Fort Dorchester High, North Charleston, S.C.) - Class of 2007, committed to Florida - 2nd round pick in 2010.
DE Ricky Sapp (Bamberg Ehrhardt High, Bamberg, S.C.) - Class of 2006, committed to Clemson - Fifth round pick in 2010.

Tennessee

LB Chris Donald (Huntingdon High, Huntingdon, Tenn.) - Class of 2007, committed to Tennessee, transferred to Tennessee-Chattanooga - Late round to undrafted in 2012.

Texas

DE R.J. Washington (Fossil Ridge High, Keller, Texas) - Class of 2008, committed to Oklahoma - Projected in the later rounds to undrafted in 2013.
RB Jermine Calhoun (Van High, Van, Texas) - Class of 2008, committed to Oklahoma - No NFL Draft projection for 2012.
QB Ryan Mallet (Texas High, Texarkana, Texas) - Class of 2007, committed to Michigan, transferred to Arkansas - Projected 2nd rounder in 2011.
WR Terrance Toliver (Hempstead High, Hempstead, Texas) - Class of 2007, committed to LSU - Projected middle round pick in 2011.
OG Tray Allen (Soth Grand Prairie High, Grand Prairie, Texas) - Class of 2007, committed to Texas - Late round projection in 2012.
CB Curtis Brown (Gilmer High, Gilmer, Texas) - Class of 2007, committed to Texas - Projected 3rd round pick in 2011.
LB Sergio Kindle (Woodrow Wilson High, Dallas, Texas) - Class of 2006, Committed to Texas - 2nd round pick in 2010.
QB Matthew Stafford (Highland Park High, Dallas, Texas) - Class of 2006 - Committed to Georgia - #1 overall pick in 2009.
DE Eddie Jones (Kilgore High, Kilgore, Texas) - Class of 2006, committed to Texas - Late round to undrafted in 2011.

Virginia

QB Tyrod Taylor (Hampton High, Hampton, Vir.) - Class of 2007, committed to Virginia Tech - Projected middle to late round pick in 2011.
WR Percy Harvin (Landstown High, Virginia Beach, Vir.) - Class of 2006, committed to Florida - 22nd pick overall in 2009.
WR Vidal Hazelton (Hargrave Military Academy, Chatham, Vir.) - Class of 2006, committed to USC, transferred to Cincinnati - Projected to go undrafted in 2011.

Washington

S Taylor Mays (O'Dea High, Seattle, Wash.) - Class of 2006, committed to USC - 2nd round pick in 2010.
OL Stephen Schilling (Bellevue High, Bellevue, Wash.) - Class of 2006, committed to Michigan - Projected middle round pick in 2011.

Washington, D.C.

DT Marvin Austin (Ballou High, Washington, D.C.) - Class of 2007, committed to North Carolina - Projected 2nd rounder in 2011.
WR Arrelious Benn (Dunbar High, Washingotn, D.C.) - Class of 2007, committed to Illinois - 2nd round pick in 2010.

Wisconsin

OT Josh Oglesby (St. Francis High, Saint Francis, Wisc.) - Class of 2007, committed to Wisconsin - Late round to undrafted in 2012.

Posted by Bryan Fischer

It's the final week in April and several schools have already hit the ground running in the class of 2012. Today we'll take a look at the verbal commitments in the Big East, where the conference is off to slow start in terms of the overall number of verbal commitments early in the recruiting cycle.

Cincinnati (6)

Running back Deionte Buckley (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Defensive back Marcus Foster (Troy, Ohio)
Defensive back Drake Burns (Fort Thomas, Kent.)
Defensive back Andre Jones (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Defensive end Ryan Leahy (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Defensive end Josh Posley (Indianapolis, Ind.)

Connecticut (0)

Louisville (2)

Offensive lineman Sid Anvoots (Indianapolis, Ind.)
Defensive end Larry Jefferson (College Park, Ga.)

Pittsburgh (0)

Rutgers (1)

Wide receiver Ruhann Peele (Linden, N.J.)  

South Florida (3)

Defensive back Jalen Spencer (Pensacola, Fla.)
Defensive end Ryan Brown (Marrero, La.)  
Wide receiver Rayshawn Jenkins (St. Petersburg, Fla.)

Syracuse (3)

Offensive lineman Ben Barrett (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Linebacker Myles Davis (New Berlin, N.Y.)
Offensive lineman Omari Palmer (Middle Island, N.Y.)  

TCU (9)
Running back LaDarius Anthony (Kilgore, Texas)
Quarterback Austin Aune (Argyle, Texas)
Tight end Griffin Gilbert (Austin, Texas)
Defensive tackle Joey Hunt (El Campo, Texas)
Athlete Daje Johnson (Plugerville, Texas)
Athlete Kolby Listenbee (Arlington, Texas)
Quarterback Tyler Matthews (McPherson, Kan.)
Defensive end James McFarland (West Monroe, La.)
Defensive back Edward Pope (Carthage, Texas)

West Virginia (4)

Defensive tackle Imarjaye Albury (Miami, Fla.)
Quarterback Ford Childress (Houston, Texas)  
Running back Jarrod Harper (Frostburg, Md.)
Linebacker Joseph Jackson (Jacksonville, Fla.)

Posted by Bryan Fischer

Virginia Tech had quite the recruiting weekend with their Spring Game going on Saturday but it appears that success has continued on into the week. Chester (Va.) athlete Desmond Frye made his verbal commitment on Monday and it was no surprise it was for the Hokies after visiting Blacksburg for the game.

"I was really comfortable there," Frye told HokieHaven.com. "My parents liked it. It's not too far from home and I felt comfortable with the coaches. I liked how they interacted with the players. I like the way they coach them up.

The 6-foot-2, 170 pound Frye was being recruited the hardest by local programs Virginia and Virginia Tech but also held offers from Duke, Maryland and South Florida. In the end though, putting on the maroon and orange just felt right.

"I just felt like I was at home and it seemed like a good place for me to go," he said. "I liked the atmosphere a lot. The players react well to the coaches."

Frye will likely start out at safety for the Hokies but he has the ability to play wide receiver. As a junior last year, he had 510 yards receiving and six touchdowns on offense to go along with 56 tackels and four interceptions on defense.

Posted by Bryan Fischer

- A few reasons why Johnathan Gray picked Texas. 

- Safety Trae Elston plans to visit Arkansas, Clemson, LSU, Auburn and Oregon among others.

- Tight end Joe Bolden picked up an offer from Tennessee.

- Top defensive back Geno Smith has Alabama, Tennessee and Florida State in his top three.

- Former five-star wide out Chris Dunkley is exploring a transfer from Florida to USF.

- More on the commitment of tight end A.J. Williams to Michigan.