Golden Recruiting Thread: April 2010

Check it.

Wide Receiver
Antoine Arnold* (Chaparral, Temecula) 6-4, 180
George Atkinson Jr.* (Granada, Livermore) 6-2, 190
Devon Blackmon* (Summit, Fontana) 6-1, 180
Victor Blackwell* (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-2, 200
Chance Early (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) 6-0, 170
George Farmer* (Serra, Gardena) 6-2, 195
Bryce McGovern (Monte Vista, Danville) 5-9, 180

Tight End
Troy Niklas* (Servite, Anaheim) 6-4, 245

Offensive Line
Nate Falo (Inderkum, Sacramento) 6-1, 275
Isaiah Henderson (Berkeley) 6-5, 300
Brian Moran (Sacred Heart Prep, Atherton) 6-7, 305
Jordan Rigsbee* (Pleasant Valley, Chico) 6-4, 270
Jacob Welter (Monte Vista, Danville) 6-5, 275

Quarterback
Kyle Boehm* (Archbishop Mitty, San Jose) 6-3, 210
Cody Kessler (Centennial, Bakersfield) 6-3, 200
Nick Sherry (Casa Grande, Petaluma) 6-5, 215
Max Wittek* (Mater Dei, Santa Ana) 6-4, 205

Running Back
Brendon Bigelow* (Central, Fresno) 5-10, 185
Amir Carlisle* (The King’s Academy, Sunnyvale) 5-11, 175
Jordan Perkins (Lodi) 6-1, 190

Defensive Line
Todd Barr* (Lakewood) 6-3, 255
Jason Gibson* (Serra, Gardena) 6-3, 215
Christian Heyward* (Point Loma, San Diego) 6-3, 265
Mustafa Jalil* (Cathedral Catholic, San Diego) 6-4, 295
Vei Moala* (Grant, Sacramento) 6-3, 335
Tony Popovich (Marin Catholic, Kentfield) 6-3, 270
Greg Townsend* (Beverly Hills) 6-4, 260
Antwaun Woods* (Taft, Woodland Hills) 6-1, 295
Dylan Wynn (De La Salle, Concord) 6-2, 230

Linebackers
Blake Renaud (De La Salle, Concord) 6-1, 225

Defensive Back
Marquise Lee* (Serra, Gardena) 6-0, 190

Running Back/Defensive Back
DeAnthony Thomas* (Crenshaw, Los Angeles) 5-9, 175

(*) holds Cal scholarship offer for 2011. Others have recently visited Berkeley.

ESPN Rise Complete List

Note on Greg Townsend, drawing comparisons to Chris Martin -

I am very good friends with the girls basketball coach at Beverly Hills high school, and a couple months ago we had some drinks with one of the football coaches at BH, who I’ve knows for a couple of years and used to give me the skinny on Shaq Evans (same league – always was a stud but a very emtional kid, but I digress).

Before Pete Carroll left, Townsend was pretty much a shoe-in for SC. When Carroll left, the coach told me Townsend was open to anyone. He told me back then all the schools that were recruiting him, and it was an impressive list of assistant coaches that had been to the school to check him out, including SC, UCLA, Miami, and yes, ND.

I got to see Greg one night up close and personal, and he has a great body for football already as only a junior. Kid has some really nice size as far as height and thickness, and that is without even doing weights yet (his dad won’t let him). It’s interesting that jason, in post 2 in this thread, compared him to Chris Martin, as that is the exact same gregarious personality Greg Townsend Jr has. Without getting into details, all I’ll say is that I can predict with great certainty that he will not come to ND. I hope that you can can all laugh at me and say that I was wrong 9 months from now, but I doubt it…IrishEnvy Forum

Prob ’SC imo

I notice that there are relatively few attendees to either the Cal or Ucla camps that currently have schollies offered by us. Is that just because we are getting picky, or because the kids have expressed zero interest at all?

Nathan Broussard, LB Plano West (Plano, TX) took first in shot put (48-10) at the Texas District 8-5A Track & Field Meet (LINK).

Bradley Sylve, WR South Plaquemines (Port Sulphur, LA) was cleared medically to return to Track & Field after being sidelined for 7+ months with a foot injury. Sylve is the reigning Class 1A state champion in the 100m [10.47s] and 200m [21.33s] (LINK).

Victor Blackwell, WR Mater Dei (Santa Ana, CA) ran the season best of 50.26s in 400m at the Tri-Meet of Mater Dei, Servite, and Rosary (LINK).

George Atkinson, ATH [10.65wa] & Josh Atkinson, DB’s [10.73wa] personal best time at Stanford 100m finals were wind-assisted (LINK). The Atkinsons are from Granada HS in Livermore, CA.

Q: One thing that everybody talked about leading up to that game [CA state championship bowl, De La Salle vs Crenshaw] was your incredible speed. Now you are in the middle of track and field, how are your times this season?

A: I ran my personal best time, which is a personal record, I ran 10.5 yesterday [March 27] at College of the Canyons and then I came back in the 200 I ran 21.4 and then right after I had like a 10 minute rest I came back and ran a 47.5 split and we actually won the 4×4. We still have 2 months to go until the state meet. We go to Texas Thursday for the Texas Relays, that’s our big track meet for is this year too. Crenshaw has never been to the Texas Relays so we’re going to the Texas Relays and hopefully our team shows out.

Q: If all goes well your senior year, you could potentially be one of the top recruits coming out of California. How are you dealing with recruiting right now?

A: Right now recruiting is tough. A lot of colleges have been trying to get at me. I’m trying to slow it down a little bit to find my favorite school but I haven’t found it yet.

Q: Okay DeAnthony, let me rephrase the question. So far what schools do you like?

A: USC, Washington, it’s a couple of schools that I like.

Q: Why are you leaning more towards the Pac-10?

A: Well I just want to stay close to my mom and stay local.

FoxSports West

Juniors Vei Moala of Grant and Robert Ash of Cosumnes Oaks are in the Bay Area this weekend for the Under Armour All-American Combine. They already are major recruits.

Moala, The Bee’s Defensive Player of the Year, seemingly has the largest hands on record. They are virtual scoop shovels he uses to power past or over people, not that his 6-3, 350-pound frame doesn’t help. – Joe Davidson, The Sacramento Bee

Just as everything Grant football starts with Alberghini, everything Pacer defense begins with defensive tackle Viliami Moala, a 6-3, 300 pound wrecking ball in the middle of the defensive line. Already holding scholarship offers from most of the Pac-10, the man known as “V” could become one of the most highly recruited line prospects in the country.

“Dominating, aggressive, relentless,” Harris said about Moala. “It’s a blessing that we have special athletes such as ‘V’ because he’s a leader. It makes our job easier. He leads by example and everyone else falls in place. There are no inconsistencies.”

“He has speed, athleticism, size and strength,” Alberghini said. “A defensive tackle that requires a double team — that he can sometimes beat by himself — is very nice to have. For a while he just got by being strong. But he’s developed a little bit of a motor and some anger. He gets frustrated with being double teamed now and he has that mean edge.”

While Moala may be a big cog in the Grant defense, he’s not a big talker. He has gone out of his way to deflect all recruiting questions, and instead focuses on what he and his teammates have an opportunity to accomplish.

“College is the next step, but expectations are high for us this year,” he said.

But what might be the most amazing feat of all is that with those four seniors headlining the defense, perhaps the best prospect is junior cornerback Shaquille Thompson. The younger brother of former Grant Union and University of California star Syd’Quan Thompson, he is coming off a sophomore season in which he rushed for 364 yards and seven touchdowns, caught passes for 101 yards, another score and recorded 74 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions on defense. For good measure, he averaged just over 40 yards on seven kickoff returns.

“Last season, he could have been our starting running back. This year, he could end up being our starting quarterback. He’s a man amongst boys out there. He has great size and is the quickest guy on the team. At his track meets, he’s just running away from people. He’s the real deal,” Alberghini said.

Thompson, who hesitated in stepping into a leadership role last season, deferring to more experienced teammates like tailback Devontae Butler, will have an opportunity to show what he can do out front, on both sides of the ball. And the increased role will likely garner him even more attention and offers at the collegiate level.

“Right now, Cal, talks to me and Washington a little bit,” Thompson said. “I’m thinking that I might follow my brother to Cal, but then I might have to think about that. He already set his name there and I might want to go somewhere else to do my own thing.”

What’s certain is that Thompson is about to do his own thing this season, perhaps filling the team’s biggest potential hole, at quarterback.

“I can do a lot of things if I put my mind to it and practice a lot,” he said. “This year I feel I can do more to compete with the seniors — to be at their level.”

Erik McKinney, WeAreSC / ESPN

100m
1st Atkinson, George Granada 10.61
3rd Thomas, DeAnthony Crenshaw 10.67

200m
1st Thomas, DeAnthony Crenshaw 21.48
2nd Atkinson, George Granada 21.53

George Atkinson’s 10.61 in 100m is the 5th best time in CA this season, behind Diondre Batson (10.44wa), Jamison Jordan (10.58wa), Tevin Carter (10.58), and DeAnthony Thomas (10.59)

ESPN RISE

Brandon Shell 6-8 295 Goose Park (Charleston, SC) – unconfirmed from Phil Kornblut
Andre Yruretagoyena 6-5 258 Chaparral (Scottsdale, AZ)
Spencer Drango 6-6 264 Cedar Park (Cedar Park, TX)

USC, UCLA in front for Thomas

There aren’t too many players more dynamic than DeAnthony Thomas (Los Angeles/Crenshaw). He has been one of the state’s top running backs since his sophomore season, but emerged last season as a force on the defensive side of the ball as well. He played safety for the Cougars but has the size, speed and overall athleticism to be a shutdown corner at the next level as well.

Thomas is being recruited by schools nationwide, but it sounds like it could be tough to get him out of the Southern California area when all is said and done.

“I’m really close with my mom and right now, I’m definitely leaning towards staying close to home,” Thomas said. “I want to take all my visits and I’m going to check out schools outside the West for sure. If I find a place that I’m comfortable with and feel is the best fit for me, I’ll definitely leave home but right now, I’m leaning to staying local.” – ($)Greg Biggins

In what is a loaded class out West for receivers, Devon Blackmon (Walnut, Calif./Summit) is someone that doesn’t seem to get mentioned as much as he should. He’s easily among the elite players in the region and one of the best receiver prospects in the country.

Blackmon is a dynamic athlete who played quarterback last year, but definitely projects at the receiver position. He’s also one of the state’s top athletes in track and won league hurdle championships his freshman and sophomore seasons.

“I’ve had a bad hamstring for awhile now and haven’t been able to do much this year,” Blackmon said. “I’ve really been trying to nurse it and get it better so right now, I’m just resting it. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to do any camps because of my hamstring but we’ll see if it gets better in the next week or so.” – ($)Greg Biggins

Kasen Williams, Scout.com’s #1 WR, has Cal and Washington and Florida making the early cut. – ($)Brandon Huffman, Scout.com

Guys, need one more rec to keep it sticky up top. Thanks!

DeAnthony Thomas After UCLA’s Spring Practice on Apr 12 -

Jon Gold: What’d you think of UCLA today?

DeAnthony Thomas: “I’ve been here at UCLA since the ninth grade, and I’ve been loving it since BP and Reggie and Chiny and Raymond Carter were here. I’ve been up here and experienced a lot of things, and I’ve loved it so far. Now I’m getting back to coming up here.”

JG: Where does the Mamba name come from? Is that a Kobe thing?

DT: “Nah, I’m the original Mamba. I got the name from the Snoop League. Snoop gave me the name. Guess it fits me so far.”

JG: What are you trying to prove during your recruitment?

DT: “Man, I’m just out here trying to break the cycle. Lot of people don’t think guys can make it from the city. I’m trying to prove them wrong.”

JG: You were recently switched to Scout.com’s No. 1 cornerback; what do you want to play in college?

DT: “Whatever a team needs me, that’s where I’ll play. It doesn’t matter to me.”

JG: How long has it been since you’ve been to UCLA? Anything changed?

DT: “I haven’t been here in a long time, but I wanted to keep the tradition going and make Crenshaw, my community and my family happy. Yeah, there have been changes. They had a good recruiting class; last year they recruited alright, but this year, the class was great, and hopefully they’ll do something this year during the season.” – Inside UCLA

Oklahoma offered Klein Oak TE Max Stevenson at the OU spring game today.

The offer from OU puts the Sooners in the lead over Texas Tech, Notre Dame and LSU for Klein Oak TE Max Stevenson.

Klein Oak DE Nathan Hughes also attended the OU spring game and the Sooners are right at the top for the 2011 Under Armour AA – Gerry Hamilton, ESPN

Of the handful of football recruits that will be taking in the Cal football team’s early morning Cal Day practice on Saturday, Gardena (Calif.) Serra’s Jason Gibson and San Jose Archbishop Mitty QB Kyle Boehm are the two most eye-catching names… ($)BearTerritory.net

ESPNU 150 Watch List talent Jabriel Washington picks the Tide

Head coach Nick Saban and his staff at Alabama have snared their 10th Class of 2011 commitment in highly-recruited athlete Jabriel Washington of Trinity Christian (Jackson, Tenn.).

The 5-foot-10, 165-pound standout is expected to play cornerback for the Tide.

Washington has over 30 offers, including LSU, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Duke, Kentucky, Memphis, Mississippi, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.

Among others were Notre Dame, California, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Southern California. – ESPN On the trail

We shall see if Washington pledging to ’Bama has any effect on Josh Atkinson getting his offer.

The program, which is tucked beneath the skyscrapers of Jersey City, produced Florida safety Will Hill, who played in the first Under Armour All-American Game in 2008. For the 2011 recruiting cycle, the program has three top-of-the-line Division I prospects, led by elite running back Savon Huggins.

“I am grateful for having them, honestly, but I am proud of them,” [Rich] Hansen [Head Coach, St Peters Prep] said. “You don’t get to be a player at that level without a lot of hard work. They’ve certainly worked hard to put themselves in a good position. They have to go out and perform now senior year. We have to win 12 football games and it will be a perfect world, but the three of them have a world of talent, a ton of potential and a bright future.”

Last season, the 6-foot, 210-pound Huggins rushed for 1,444 yards on 211 carries with 22 touchdowns.

“I think he has all of the great physical attributes that you would want in a running back,” Hansen said. “He has balance and speed. He runs with power and has good strength. He knows what we are doing on offense, which is obviously very helpful. Any great back, though, is going to have those attributes. I think the thing that sets him apart is he has an unbelievable attitude and work ethic. The kid is a machine. He works harder than anyone we’ve had. There are no excuses or if, ands and buts — he’s going to be in the weight room, out on the field and doing the things we ask him to do.”

Huggins has more than 40 scholarship offers, including from Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State, Rutgers, South Florida, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Stanford, Boston College, California and others. He’s as wide-open as they come, but look out for schools on the West Coast (including USC and UCLA) as things start to heat up.

Huggins and his family will continue with unofficial visits this spring and summer.

“Academics are my No. 1 priority,” Huggins said. “I also want a family atmosphere and a BCS program. I want to be on the big stage as well. I just want to play the best. The goal is to get to signing day, but who knows? I could fall in love with a school and do it sooner. I want to see what all schools come in the month of May. After that, then I could possibly start to narrow it down some.”- JC Shurburtt

[Cliff] Smith: What school is recruiting you the hardest right now?

Savon: Florida, Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina. South Carolina is recruiting me heavy. Florida told me I’m the number one recruit on their board. A lot of schools are really going after me.

Smith: What are some of the things that will help you come to a decision?

Savon: Depth chart. I really want to see that I’ll have the chance to play early. Then if I don’t play early, what will the situation be for me. A BCS program that can win National Championships. That’s something that I really want to be a part of. Comfort with the players. The coaches too but they can leave really any time and they’re different after you sign anyway. I just feel that I should be comfortable around the players and stuff more so than the coaches. The whole atmosphere, if the coaches left, would I still want to be at that school you know? The social life, the little things, how I fit in. If I fit in with the players and all, then that could be a good choice for me.

Smith: Is there anything unique about you that a school needs to address while recruiting you?

Savon: My leadership skills. If you actually watch a game film of me. Not just highlights. You get to see I’ll get on my lineman when I need to. I’m a very emotional player. I’m really into the game and I have passion for the game. People don’t really ask me about that, you know. They ask about recruiting and stuff but when I’m in the zone, you really can’t stop me. When my mind is set, everybody knows it: my teammates, the opposing team.

Smith: Why do you think a program should consider you?

Savon: I’m a leader. I’m a student of the game. I play with tenacity. I work hard on and off the field. Academics are never a problem with me. I have a 3.7 GPA right now and I’m taking the ACT in May. I’m driven. I make smart decisions. If you want to win, I’m a person that will be there to help my team, take them on my shoulders if I have to get the W. – Cliff Smith

Looking back at the Scout rankings, Alualu was rated at #55 in his position and Best was the #18 RB his year. This reminds me (and hopefully, others) that you can only imply so much from rankings. It also shows a lot about the insight of the coaches and their abilities to develop these kids.

Josh Atkinson (Granada, CA) wins 100m, running 10.61s. Josh and twin George now share the 5th best time in CA this season (LINK).

Todd Barr -

“Education and relationship with my coach. It’s a big, important thing with me, education is first of course because football is not always going to last forever, so I’m going to need a good degree to fall back on,.”

DeAnthony Thomas –

“Right now, the schools I feel most comfortable at is USC, Washington and Cal. That’s just for the local schools. USC, they showed me how they are going to use me in the system and how I can be a great player at USC. A lot of schools haven’t showed me that yet, so that’s why I feel so comfortable here and they are my favorite.”

“It’s true I don’t want to go too far away from home, but my mom can drive to see me at Cal or if I’m here in [Los Angeles] at UCLA or here [USC],.”

Victor Blackwell -

“My favorites right now is UCLA, Cal because they are top notch, Miami and Georgia.”

“I think I might go to Cal because they have an All-American showcase I want to attend and maybe Rising Stars,.”

“I have built the best relationships with Coach [Kevin] Daft from Cal and I like Coach [Rick] Neuheisel a lot. He’s a really cool guy,.”

Gerry Hamilton, ESPN

Camp performance –

Victor Blackwell -

There’s no denying that he’s a talented player and he’s certainly in line to become the next local receiver to earn an offer, but he didn’t do anything to jump out and show that he unquestionably deserves a Trojan offer right now. The fact that Blackwell hasn’t earned an [USC] offer from the previous staff or the current one is puzzling for recruiting fans, although Blackwell will have his senior season to make one final statement.

Todd Barr -

Barr is destined to become a very solid defensive tackle, as his work ethic and natural ability easily explain his double-digit offer list. He’s certainly someone who will remain on the Trojans’ radar through the recruiting period.

DeAnthony Thomas -

Thomas worked with the defensive backs on Sunday and said that it’s possible that he could play cornerback this season and into the future. Although, he also said that he’d possibly only play tailback this season as well. At either tailback or defensive back, Thomas ranks as one of the top players in the state and one of the top priorities for the Trojans in this class.

Erik McKinney, WeAreSC

Cal was another school Williams said he would be visiting on his way to LA.

He also mentioned the Bears were one of the schools recruiting him hardest. Per the article, they will definitely be making his next cut.

Last year, the Golden Bears showed new life in the recruitosphere, landing Scout’s best safety, Keenan Allen (who will actually be playing receiver), top defensive end Chris Martin, and solid linebacker Cecil Whiteside. They’ve opened 2011 by switiching defensive tackle Mustafa Jalil’s commitment from San Diego State to Cal.

I like them to survive his next cut and contend for an official visit. Their offense aligns with what he’s looking for at the next level, and he’d be the best prospect Jeff Tedford’s landed at the receiver position since Desean Jackson, whom Tedford got a lot out of, to say the least. – Bryan Kelly, Bleacherreport.com

Any hope we pull one or both?

Hughes is a DE & Stevenson is a TE.

http://insider.espn.go.com/ncf/recruiting/onthetrail?&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fncf%2frecruiting%2fonthetrail

LSU commit Anthony Johnson will take five official visits

Under Armour All-American defensive tackle Anthony Johnson (New Orleans, La./Walker) remains firmly committed to LSU but is not finished with the recruiting process, ESPN affiliate Web site CrimsonConfidential.com reports.

“I will take all five official visits. Miami, Texas, Oklahoma, USC, and Cal-Berkeley will be the schools I visit. I’m planning on taking two unofficials this summer to Miami and USC. And as I mentioned I’m sure I will be back to visit Alabama at some point, likely more than once,” Johnson said.

The one-time Tennessee pledge has also been offered by the Vols, Michigan, Texas Tech, Kansas State, Michigan State, Baylor, UCLA, Auburn and Mississippi among others.

One of the nation’s finest prospects, Johnson registered 79 tackles, 21 tackles for loss 16 sacks, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries last season earning state defensive player of the year recognition. – ESPN On the trail

Gerry Hamilton of ESPN/Scouts, Inc. disputes CrimsonConfidential’s report by Twitter -

Coach Powell, New Orleans O Perry Walker confirms top DT Anthony Johnson plans to visit LSU, USC, Miami, Texas and Alabama. LSU commitment

Texas fans are cautiously optimistic.

IMO it’d be a waste of an official visit for Johnson to LSU. He’d be wise to get a couple of free trips to Cali.

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