Golden Recruiting Wire: Daniel Lasco pledges to Cal

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August 5, 2010 | July 28, 2010 | July 22, 2010 | July 15, 2010 | July 8, 2010

Tedford & Company

• Daniel Lasco, RB The Woodlands (The Woodlands, TX) pledges to Cal [1] (HT ch0ster). He was honored at Houston's Touchdown Club for his preseason All-Greater Houston High School Team selection [2].

  Lasco is certainly hard to miss. His most immediate jump-out-and-bite you skill is his explosion. A recruiter once told me the ability to distinguish between a good back and an elite one can be found in the second between the handoff and when the guy hits the hole. Lasco passes the test in spades. He has great quickness, but it's his ability to see the space and rapidly take advantage of it that gives him such an advantage. Once he's into open space, he has the long-term speed to widen the gap between him and the defense and find the endzone.

  It must sound like we're casting him as a scat back, but we're not. He has power and a great frame for a collegiate running back. In many ways, he's one of the most balanced backs in the state this year. But it's like Mike Tyson in his prime; Tyson had great feet, but it was hard to notice anything but that right hook sometimes. Lasco's like that — where you watch exploit the defense with his agility and speed, only to sometimes forget that a one-on-one confrontation in the hole is titled in his favor [3].

• Jared Norris, ILB Centennial (Bakersfield, CA) offered by Cal [4]. Norris has already pledged to Utah. He is a teammate of Cody Kessler (USC pledge).

• Jason Gibson, DE Serra (Gardena, CA) has been selected to preseason Catholic All-American Team [5]. He is thinking about official visits to Cal, Oregon, Washington, UCLA. Florida or Miami will get Gibson's fifth official visit.

  Gibson said he grew up playing basketball and only hit the football field as a freshman in high school, but he did admit that when he began playing football, he dreamed of playing at one of California's universities—but he added that it doesn't mean he's definitely staying home.

  One thing he'd like to do is switch positions in college. He's played a lot of defensive end in high school, accumulating 27 sacks and 165 tackles the past two seasons, but he has his heart set on linebacker in college.

  "I know I can make that transition, so that's what I'm going to do," Gibson said. "I want to play linebacker [6]."

  Gibson is a natural pass rusher and attacks extremely hard off the edge. He has phenomenal quickness and packs tons of strength in his frame allowing him to blow by slow footed offensive lineman and overwhelm smaller backs. His initial burst is incredible and guys are always having to adjust to what he is doing on the field, and not the other way around. His agility and lateral quickness are remarkable. Combine this with his impeccable footwork and you have a pass rusher who can move swiftly in either direction and change directions easily.
  
  He has a strong repetoire of moves that enable him to get by lineman and uses his hands extremely well. Once in the backfield Gibson becomes a nightmare to deal with because he closes in on the quarterback so quickly. He gets a ton of force and momentum by his hits and just collapes the pocket by himself. He does a great job of chasing quarterback downs from all angles and he leads perfectly with his shoulders on tackles [7].

• DeAnthony Arnett, WR Saginaw (Saginaw, MI) favors pro-style offense and has decided to officially visit Cal [8].

  Arnett is an interesting prospect, and has been very outspoken about his midwest roots and proving himself against the stereotypes of the "southern" speed. "Being from the midwest, most kids think you're slow and that you can't keep up with them. We, as a whole, just try to prove them and the media that we're just as talented as them, and faster too," Arnett said. "The kids down south get a lot of hype because they're in bigger states and all about football where they're from. In the midwest, we feel like we own football and basketball so it's the best of both worlds. Kids from down south can't play in cold weather. Kids from the midwest can play in any weather."

• Avery Walls, S Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, GA) is planning possible official visits to Oregon, Michigan, Cal, Tenn, and Virginia [9]. Walls' transfer from Union Grove to Eagles Landing Christian has been positive [10][11]. He's slated to play FS/SS/RB/KR/PR for the Chargers [12].

• Jon Lewis, DE Klein Oak (Spring, TX) named Cal & Texas Tech leaders [13]. He will be officially visiting Berkeley Saturday September 18, 2010.

• Danny Shelton, DT Auburn (Auburn, WA) names Cal, Oregon, Washington as leaders [$14].

• Ben Goodman, DE West Brook (Beaumont, TX) has top 4 of Cal, Houston, Kansas, Louisiana Tech leaders [$15]. Kansas holds a slight lead over Cal & Houston. Distance is not a factor for Goodman but education is.

• Richard Rodgers, TE St. Johns (Shrewsbury, MA) visited Cal unofficially for the second time this summer [$16].

• Jordan Morgan, S is transferring to Lakeside Blue Ridge (Lakeside, AZ). He will be taking over the starting QB duties for the Arizona Class 3A program.

  Morgan, who committed this summer to play football at the University of California, withdrew from Chandler High after a week of school, his father said, because his wife Carla wasn't able to get a job and they needed more financial stability in their lives.

  They own a home in the White Mountains area and have a strong network of family and friends. Jordan's sister Nicole will be a freshman at Blue Ridge.

  It wasn't a sure thing that the Morgans could have proven hardship to the Arizona Interscholastic Association's board on Aug. 16 and gotten Jordan eligible to play at Chandler this season [17].

  Bill Morgan, Jordan's father, left Valley Christian and the head coaching job to get his family out of some bad situations. The move to the White Mountains and Lakeside Blue Ridge High School may provide some stability for the family.

  A couple months after winning a second 2A championship at Valley Christian, Bill Morgan resigned as coach. The internal squabbles between him and a group of parents were too much, and Jordan was getting caught in it. There was jealousy, accusations of favoritism and, consequently, other personal attacks toward the family.

  That eventually led to pulling Jordan out of school in mid-semester. He took online classes at home to finish the year, but a Valley Christian bylaw states once a student is no longer attending the school, his/her parents can no longer teach at the school.

  That meant Jordan’s mother, Carla, lost her job as a special education teacher at year’s end, and those jobs weren’t available in the Chandler district this fall. The Morgans own property in the White Mountains, and Carla was reportedly close to a teaching job up north [18].

• Kasen Williams, WR Skyline (Sammamish, WA) may be best suited for Washington's offense? [19].

  There's a noticeable change in the air under head coach Steve Sarkisian. The Huskies are a team on the rise and won't be sitting at the bottom of the Pac-10's standings for long. They're recruiting well, they're motivated, and the offense should be rolling on all cylinders in 2010.

  Expect that to carry over into future seasons as well as their continued success recruiting.

  Williams is a great fit for their system and he'll get plenty of playing time right from the get-go with a young and promising quarterback throwing him the ball.

  Selected personal info on Williams -

  Accomplishments Offensive Player of the Year; Athlete of the Year: offers from all Pac 10, all SEC; 3.1 GPA

  Nickname K-Dub

  Interests swimming

  Superstitions I have to wear my sleeves

  Favorite Athletes Marvin Harrison [20]

• Miles Shuler, ATH Long Branch (Long Branch, NJ) and his Long Branch Green Waves are expected to challenge for the New Jersey Shore Conference Division B-North Championship [21]. Will Yellow Fever go on a CGB roadtrip to check out Miles' big plays?

Shuler hasn't been such a hot topic around Penn State recruiting sites these days, probably due to Savon Huggins possibly cooling on the Nittany Lions. These two players have been very close through the process, and will likely go to the same school, but it's not definite. Still, Shuler hasn't committed anywhere yet, and hasn't outright said Penn State is done for [22].

• Stefan McClure, CB Vista (Vista, CA) is looking to announce his decison before August 23rd [$23][24].
  

• Devon Blackmon, ATH Summit (Fontana, CA) will officially visit Washington [$25]. He is going to take all five of his official visits [26] and probably won't be making a decision until National Signing Day.

• James Sample, S Grant Union (Sacramento, CA) will officially visit Washington on September 17th, 2010 when the Huskies take on Nebraska with teammate Viliami Moala [$27].

• Todd Barr, DT Lakewood (Lakewood, CA) visited Florida unofficially and attended a closed practice [28].

• Colt Lyerla, ATH Hillsboro (Hillsboro, NC) profiled [29]. His versatility and athleticism should allow him to succeed at different positions.

  "A lot of people tell me defensive end or tight end. If I get my speed fast enough, I'd like to play slot or linebacker," Lyerla said.

  ...

  He impressed in drills, according to Rivals.com analyst Barry Every, who compared Lyerla to former USC linebacker Brian Cushing.

  "As a linebacker, he crushed running backs as soon as they hit the line of scrimmage," Every wrote. "He also proved to have above-average hands and tremendous leaping ability as a receiver."

• Garrett Adcock, OG Dallas Christian (Dallas, TX) {2012} notes [30].

  A frame that goes only 6-2, 270 pounds as he enters his junior season consigns Adcock to an interior lineman in college and though his measurables don't jump out, his solid technique and athleticism make him a prospect. The question is if his upside is enough to intrigue major programs.

• (From left) Viliami Moala, DT Grant (Sacramento, CA), James Sample, S, Shaquille Thompson, ATH {2012}, Jordan Richards, WR Folsom (Folsom, CA) will lead the Grant Pacers and the Folsom Bulldogs into battle on Sept 27th. ESPN will televise Grant vs Folsom.

  Grant is ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN, No. 5 by MaxPreps and No. 9 by the National Prep Football Poll (and No. 1 in the West Coast). The Pacers, coached by Mike Alberghini, are led by defensive aces Vei Moala, Puka Lopa and James Sample.

  Folsom is the preseason No. 1 team in the Sac-Joaquin Section by MaxPreps, with Grant second. And CalPreps.com projects Folsom to beat Grant in a shootout. That should get a rise out of the Pacers.

  But here's how good Folsom is with coach Kris Richardson and offensive cogs in Dano Graves, Tyler Trosin and Kori Babineaux: A win over Grant would not be a stunner. Grant typically starts its seasons slowly, and Folsom, with its spread offense, typically roars out of the gate. Either way, game on [31].

  Richards has received offers from several Pac-10 schools including Stanford, Cal, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. The 5'11, 192-pounder will play the same position he did last year, lining up as a running back in the backfield with Graves, but will also see time as a slot receiver. Richards rushed for 492 yards and nine touchdowns last season and also caught 52 passes for 883 yards and nine scores.

  "The Monday after the loss to Del Oro (last season), we were in the weight room lifting," Richards said. "The way the season ended was so sour that we got right back to work. We're hungry [32]."

• Jordan Rigsbee, OG Pleasant Valley (Chico, CA) named to preseason All-CIF Northern Section Football Team [33].

• (From left) Kyle Boehm, QB Archbishop Mitty (San Jose, CA), Amir Carlisle, RB The King's Academy (Sunnyvale, CA) selected to All-Central Coast Section First Team [34].

• Jermichael Selders, RB Cypress Creek (Houston, TX) named Player to Watch by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Preview. He is a two-time all-district player who is fast and violent with great burst [35].

• Ray Drew, DE Thomas County Central (Thomasville, GA) is slowing down recruitin because of Fall Practice but he is definitely interested in Florida [36].

• Kris Frost, ATH Butler (Matthew, NC) has top 2 of Auburn and Michigan [$37]. Cal eliminated.

• Raymond Nelson, TE Modesto Christian (Modesto, CA) pledged to UCLA [38][39]. Raymond's brother Reeves is on the UCLA basketball squad. Cal eliminated.

• Jermauria Rasco, DE Evangel Christian (Shreveport, LA) is still not sure who his top 5 programs are. [$40]. Texas, LSU, Alabama, Florida State, UCLA and Georgia are recruiting him the hardest. Texas and Florida State may lead [41]. Notre Dame may get an official visit [42]. Cal eliminated.

• Cyrus Kouandjio, OT DeMatha (Hyattsville, MD) has top 11 of Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Maryland, Miami, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Virginia and USC [43]. Cal eliminated.

 

Montgomery's Crew

• Kyle Wiltjer, PF 6-9/225 Jesuit (Portland, OR) profiled [44][45]. He played for Canada in the NIKE Global Challenge last weekend [46][47]. One day he would like to play in the Olympics for Canada [48].

  Trail Blazers fans might see similarities between Wiltjer and Blazers rookie Luke Babbitt, the forward taken 16th by the Minnesota Timberwolves and traded to Portland in a deal for Martell Webster last month.  But Wiltjer is bigger than Babbitt, and he'll look to display his improved footwork and quickness on both ends of the floor [49].

  He said he plans to reduce his list to about 10 before school starts next month. Universities in the hunt include Oregon, Kentucky, Kansas, California, Gonzaga and Washington [50].

  Wiltjer led Team Canada over USA East in double OT 105-100 on day 1. He scored 31pts and grabbed 18 boards [51].

  Wiltjer is arguably the most skilled 4-man in the country. He isn't overly athletic and he needs to get stronger for the next level, but his skill level is peerless. He has savvy beyond his years and understands scoring angles better than most. His up-and-under moves, step-back jump shots and left-handed finishes are impressive. The knock on him through the years has been his tendency to play soft, but throughout the summer that area of his game has significantly improved. Overall, he didn't have his 3-point shot going (1 of 7), but he finished the night with 31 points and 18 rebounds [52].

  USA South defeated Wiltjer's Canadian team on day 2 112-99. Wiltjer went 6-19 on the court w/ 15pts and 8 rebounds [53]. Wiltjer scored game-high 20pts, grabbed 7 rebounds, and dished out 2 assists as Canada defeated INSEP (France) 85-75 [54] on day 3 in the consolation game.
  
  NBA scouts are already on top of Wiltjer -

  “He has a black-hole mentality – he gets his shots,” said Steve Johnson, the ex-NBA all-star who showed up Sunday night specifically to get a look at Wiltjer. “He’s more aggressive than he used to be, and that’s a good thing. I like him. He’s going to be a very good college player.”

  “He’ll be great as a college player,” an NBA general manager said. “He has good range, a good feel for the game, a nice body – a lot of things you like to see. He can rebound, and that transfers well. If you can rebound here, you can rebound at the next level. And he can score. I really like that about him.”

  “His versatility will really help him in college,” an NBA director of scouting said. “He’ll fit in well with whatever program he joins [55].”

  
  
  Wiltjer has been invited to the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Tournament in Venice Beach, CA on August 26-28 [56][57].

• Jabari Brown, SG 6-3/205 Oakland (Oakland, CA) was also participating in the NIKE Global Challenge, playing for the USA West team [58]. Despite of his 25pts effort in 36mins, USA West lost to France 108-112 on day 1 [59]. On day 2 USA West defeated All-Asia team 104-91. Brown shot 1/7 behind the 3pt line but finished w/ 19pts [60]. USA West took on USA East on day 3. Despite Brown's 21pts and 11 assists, USA West lost to USA East 123-129 [61] .
  
  Brown may visit Kansas officially on Friday October 15 for Late Night in the Phog with his good friend Josiah Turner [62]. He is attending the Boost Mobile Elite 24 Tournament in Venice Beach, CA w/ Kyle Wiltjer [63].
  
  The best AAU Team in the Nation featuring Brown, Kyle Wiltjer, and Brandon Ashley {2012} -
  

• Brandon Ashley, PF 6-8/225 Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, CA) {2012} also played for the USA West Team that lost its opening game to France, contributing 3pts in 11mins of play but picked up 5 fouls [64]. Ashley didn't fare much better on day 2, scoring 5pts against the All-Asia team and fouled out of the game.

• Darius Nelson, SF 6-5/220 Sheldon (Sacramento, CA) and his Huskies are looking to repeat as Sac-Joaquin Section Division I Champions while taking on an ambitious nonleague tournament schedule [65].

  On top of nonleague games against rival Franklin, the team the Huskies beat in the D-I section final, and Northern California power De La Salle of Concord, Sheldon is playing in major national tournaments in Southern California, Kentucky and Louisiana.

  The 16-team Santa Monica High School Tournament, set for Dec. 8-11, includes D-II state champion Lincoln of San Diego, D-II Southern California runner-up Compton and D-V SoCal runner-up Windward of Los Angeles.

  Sheldon will be one of two teams from west of the Mississippi in the 16-team King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic from Dec. 17-22 in Louisville, Ky. The Huskies will join D-I state champion Westchester of Los Angeles in the 16-team Allstate Sugar Bowl National Prep Classic from Jan. 6-9 in New Orleans.

• Norvel Pelle, PF 6-8/180 Price (Compton, CA) is playing for the Class of 2011 against the Class of 2012 at the All-Star SoCal Clash [66].

  Pelle is a physical freak. He is more naturally athletic than current UW bigman Matthew Bryan-Amaning. He has ridiculous vertical explosiveness, and impressive shot-block timing on the defensive end. However, his offensive arsenal only consists of dunks and lay-ins.

  The biggest problem with Pelle's game is his massive inconsistency. He has a tendency to disappear in games, and has been noted for sometimes lackadaisical effort. He also had to sit out this high school season after transferring to Price High School. If Pelle comes to UW, Coach Romar will have to work hard to get the most out of him, and convince him to play hard for the whole game [67].

  The [UConn] Huskies, according to sources, also are highly interested in guard Jabari Brown, a 6-5 guard from Oaklan, Calif. (rated 13th by rivals.com), as well as: Kyle Wiltjer, a 6-9 forward rated 22nd overall by rivals.com, from Portland, Or.; Norvelle Pelle, a 6-8 center rated 44th by rivals.com, from Compton, Calif. [68]

People's Park Stories

• Paul Richardson, WR (UCLA FR) is transferring to Colorado [69].

• Dylan Wynn, DE De La Salle (Concord, CA) pledged to Oregon State [70].

• Jeremy Reynolds, CB Oak Ridge Military Academy (Greensboro, NC) pledged to Texas Tech instead of Oregon State [71]. He holds a Cal scholarship offer.

• B.J. Kelley, CB Central East (Fresno, CA) offered by Oregon [$72]. How will Kelley's new offer affect Bigelow's decision?

• (From left) Ben Scott, QB Vanden (Fairfield, CA) {2012}, Zach Kline, QB San Ramon Valley (Danville, CA) {2012}Highlights available [73][74]. Bart Houston, QB De La Salle (Concord, CA) {2012} is also in the mix to earn a Cal scholarship for 2012.

• NIKE Global Challenge Tournament recaps: Day 1 [75]; Day 2 [76]; Day 3 [77].