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SportsLine/PrepStar Junior College All-America Team
By Rick Kimbrel & Pete Dal Bello
PrepStar Magazine
Player commitments updated Feb. 2, 2000
Junior college transfers are increasingly important to Division I-A
schools, although they are sometimes overshadowed on signing day by prep
stars. They shouldn't be. The list of JC transfers that come in and
immediately help a program is seemingly endless.
Schools such as Kansas State, Arizona State, Arizona, Mississippi State
and others -- such as Oregon State this season -- have done an incredible
job combing the JC ranks for prize talent. Some of the stars of recent
years include quarterback Michael Bishop (Kansas State), offensive lineman
Frank Middleton (Arizona), defensive end Derrick Rodgers (Arizona State), etc.
The following players have been identified by SportsLine and
PrepStar as players that should come in and make an impact on the school of their choice.
Here is the SportsLine/PrepStar Junior College All-America Team ... and click here for our High School All-American team:
(Official visits are listed if scheduled. If known, the player's month
of graduation is also listed, as well as their eligibility. A "3x2" code,
for example, means that the player has three years to play two on the
Division I-A level.)
Offense
| QB Daniel Cobb (6-3, 225, 4.7),
Butler County CC, Kan. |
| Commit: Auburn |
| Cobb was a PrepStar Dream Teamer who signed with
Georgia out of high school. He has all the tools necessary to be big-time
college QB; he's a leader, has a good arm, makes plays and makes good
decisions. 2x2. |
| RB Rudi Johnson (5-10, 215, 4.5),
Butler County CC, Kan. |
| Commit: Auburn |
| Johnson has drawn comparisons to former Dallas Cowboy
Robert Newhouse and current Cowboy Emmitt Smith. A tremendous worker, he
goes hard in practice and games. Strength and power are Johnson's game. He rushed for 2,121 yards this season, scoring 35 touchdowns overall. |
| RB Maurice Morris (6-2, 190, 4.45)
Fresno CC, Calif. |
| Commit: Oregon |
| Morris is considered the best RB in the JC ranks.
Originally from South Carolina, he maintains strong family ties there.
Morris is a can't-miss prospect who rushed for 3,708 yards and 45 TDs
during his career at Fresno Community College prior to this season's bowl game. A
May graduate with 3x2. |
| WR Robert Ferguson (6-2 205 4.5)
Tyler JC, Texas |
| Commit: Texas A&M |
| A big-time player who was among the Top 20 recruits in
Texas when he was a senior in high school. Ferguson caught 44 passes for
539 yards and 3 TDs in '99. He has great size and speed. Ferguson
originally signed with Texas A&M and is headed back to College Station. A
May graduate with 3x2. |
| WR Javon Walker (6-3, 210, 4.4),
Jones CC, Miss. |
| Commit: Florida State |
| Walker played prep football at More High School in
Lafayette, La., and signed with the Seminoles out of high school. Walker is
again headed to Tallahassee, and might even enroll this winter. He caught
35 passes for 650 yards and 7 TDs as a freshman. In '99, he had 60
receptions for 1,015 yards and 8 TDs. 3x2. |
| TE Aaron Ware (6-5, 230, 4.7),
Dixie College, Utah |
| Schools: Syracuse, Kansas,
Oklahoma, Washington State |
| Ware has great hands. He played receiver in high school
but grew into a tight end. His blocking is improving, but his skills as a
receiver is why he is drawing interest. A major recruit. December graduate
with 3x2. |
| OL Michael Allen (6-3, 320, 5.25)
NW Mississippi College |
| Schools: Ole Miss, Mississippi
State, Tennessee, LSU |
| Selected as the region's offensive lineman of the year. He
is a raw player who has really developed for Northwest Mississippi. Allen
is a diamond in the rough who has the ability to shine in the NFL one day.
3x2. |
| OL Howard Duncan (6-3, 305, 5.1),
Butler County CC, Kan. |
| Commit: Oklahoma |
| Duncan had offers from Auburn, Minnesota, Mississippi
State, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, Indiana and Wyoming. He had a great trip to Auburn, but the Sooners were the winners in a hard-fought recruiting battle. |
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OL Courtney Lee (6-5, 310, 5.2), Blinn College, Texas |
| Commit: Mississippi State |
| Lee was highly coveted, picking the Bulldogs over scholarship offers from Ole Miss, New Mexico, Kansas, Kansas State, Houston, Colorado and Oklahoma State. He is a December graduate with 3x2 eligibility. |
| OL Tommy Watson (6-4, 300, 5.1),
Copiah-Lincoln JC, Miss. |
| Commit: Mississippi State
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| Watson is a great lineman who possesses all the tools you
want in a big-time OL. "Second best offensive lineman I have ever coached,"
said Lincoln coach Phil Broome. "The best is Randy Thomas, who now plays
for the New York Jets." Watson is a December graduate with 3x2 eligibility.
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| OL Ralph Zarate (6-5, 305, 5.2),
Scottsdale CC, Ariz. |
| Commit: Arizona |
| He originally spurned his hometown Wildcats, signing with
Arizona State out of Tucson High School. He had been loyal to the Sun
Devils all along, but de-committed in early November to move back closer to
his family. He's a two-year starter at Scottsdale and a former
PrepStar Dream Teamer. A May graduate with 3x2. |
Defense
| DE Marcus Chrieten (6-4, 240, 4.5),
Kilgore College, Texas |
| Commit: Oklahoma |
| A pass rusher supreme, Chrieten is a very athletic player
who wreaks havoc with opposing teams. He played hoops in his first year in
college for Angelina College in Lufkin, Texas. Chrieten is a December graduate with three years to play two. |
| DL Ervin Holloman (6-5, 285, 4.9),
Garden City CC, Kan. |
| Commit: Kansas State |
| Holloman had offers from Virginia Tech, Kansas State and
Colorado, among others. He is the real deal (he was also selected as an
NJCAA All-American) and can really dominate the line of scrimmage. A May
graduate. 3x2. |
| DE Anton Palepoi (6-5, 275, 4.7),
Dixie College, Utah |
| Commit: Utah |
| An impact player, Palepoi was selected as the league MVP.
He has tremendous quickness and push, and he used those skills to collect
16 1/2 sacks. Everybody wants him. He's a summer graduate with 2x2. |
| DL Eric Powell (6-4, 275, 4.6), SW
Mississippi College |
| Schools: Ole Miss 11-20, Florida
State (Jan.), Tennessee (Jan.), Auburn (Jan.) |
| Powell can dominate with his tremendous size and speed. He
had nine sacks and two interceptions this season, and has received
scholarship offers from all of the schools mentioned above. A May graduate
with 3x2. |
| LB Kennard Ellis (6-3, 230, 4.5),
SW Mississippi College |
| Commit: Florida |
| A former PrepStar Dream Teamer, Ellis is one of the
best players to come out of Florida in two years. There were rumors
that Ellis would verbal to Auburn, but he signed with Florida out of high
school and did it again this time around. Ellis had 13 sacks this
season. A December graduate with 3x2. |
| LB Alton Moore (6-7, 240, 4.6), SW
Mississippi College |
| Commit: Auburn |
| Moore, the best JC player in the state, was placed at
Southwest Mississippi by Auburn's old staff, and the Tigers landed his
services this time around, too. In his two-year career, Moore had more than 150
tackles, as well as 32 sacks and eight blocked kicks. Tennessee was dropped
from his list because the Vols have too much depth. A December graduate
with 3x2. |
| LB Tony Thompson (6-2, 235, 4.5),
Mt. SAC, Calif. |
| Commit: Arizona |
| Thompson signed with UCLA out of Pinole Valley High School
before ending up at Mt. San Antonio College in Walnut, Calif. He was
selected all-conference last season after collecting 12 sacks. Thompson was being recruited by everyone -- he had offers from Washington State, Washington, Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, San Diego State … and others -- before accepting Arizona's offer. A December graduate. |
| DB Chris Cash (5-10, 175, 4.4)
Palomar College, Calif. |
| Commit: USC |
| Cash had Dream Team ability coming out of high school, but
his grades kept him off the team. He signed with Rick Neuheisel and
Colorado originally, and is one of the most talented cornerback prospects
coming out of the JC ranks this season. He's a major impact player. USC has
the inside track. 3x2. |
| DB Gary McGraw (5-10, 176, 4.4),
Chabot College, Calif. |
| Commit: Oregon |
| McGraw picked Oregon over offers from Missouri and USC. He was a second-team all-conference pick last year, and had 70 tackles and 11 interceptions this season, also breaking up 14 other passes. He intercepted 17 passes in his JC career. A spring graduate. 3x2 eligibility. |
| DB Terrance Simms (6-1, 190, 4.4)
Hutchinson CC, Kan. |
| Commit: Oklahoma |
| It's a tough call, but Simms might be the top JC
cornerback this season. He had offers from Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma,
Auburn, South Carolina and Alabama. Simms is originally from Belle Glades
(Fla.). A May graduate with 3x2. |
| DB Demetrious Williams (5-11, 189,
4.45), L.A. Harbor College, Calif. |
| Commit: UNLV |
| Williams hads offers from Arizona, Colorado, Iowa State,
Miami, UNLV and Nebraska. A very physical player who is outstanding when playing bump and run.
Williams is also excellent in run support. He had 77 tackles and 3
interceptions (two for touchdowns) this season. A December graduate with
4x3. |
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