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Verbal commits are marked w/ (Cal)
May 4th, 2011
Spring practice is over. Coaches are hitting the recruiting trails. First stop for Tedford & Co seems to be Oaks Christian to see Jordan Payton. Follow CGB for more recruiting updates throughout the year.
Tedford & Company
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Kevon Seymour, CB Muir (Pasadena, CA) offered by Cal [1].
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Kenny Walker, ATH Kennedy (Richmond, CA) offered by Cal [2][3]. Walker is projected by Boise State as RB [4].
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Seth Jacobs, OLB Arroyo Grande (Arroyo Grande, CA) offered by Cal [5][6].
It is hard to classify Jacobs as one player, because he has the statistics of 6. He tackles like a linebacker, plays the ball like a defensive back, and can score in every way imaginable. "My versatility definitely helps me as a football player," Jacobs said. "I think of myself as an athlete first, and you know when I was younger, everyone played every position. As an 8th grader, my goal was to start on varsity as a freshmen, and I knew that I'd have to be able to contribute in a lot of different ways. Now that I've established myself as a good athlete, I know that the more ways I can help the team the more success we're going to have [7]."
Yuri Wright, CB Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) offered by Cal. Wright is also a Notre Dame target.
Local schools are going to do everything they can to try to keep Wright close to home. Being from Don Bosco Prep, a highly regarded program in New Jersey, he is used to the national stage. Notre Dame is one program that has come on strong, but schools like Alabama, Pitt, Rutgers, Tennessee, USC and Virginia Tech are likely suitors as well. "I love getting in a guy’s face and using my long arms against them," Wright said. "I'm very good in the press technique. College coaches love basically everything I just mentioned, and my size at 6-foot-2, which is kind of big for a corner. They also like my ability to still keep up with some of the smaller, speedy guys on the field [8]."
Leonte Carroo, WR Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) offered by Cal. Carroo is a track star who ran in the 4x100 relays and almost made it to Penn Relay Race finals [9].
Darius Hamilton, DE Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) offered by Cal.
The son of former New York Giant Keith Hamilton, Darius is an active defensive lineman with extremely quick hands that lines up both on the inside and outside for his high school team and makes plays in both spots. His versatility, size/speed/athleticism and bloodlines make him a can't miss type of prospect [10].
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Shaq Thompson, ATH Grant Union (Sacramento, CA) committed to play the US Army All-American Game in San Antonio January 2012 [11].
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Eddie Goldman, DT Friendship Academy (Washington, DC) does not have a favorite in his recruitment.
"Facilities can be good and you can find good facilities everywhere, but you can’t find good people everywhere," he said. "I am just trying to find people to have good relationships with. I am also looking at academics and want to meet the players on the team."
Goldman, who has been invited to both the Under Armour All-American Game and U.S. Army All-American Game, but has not made a decision on which game to play in yet, says that there's a chance he will make a decision at one of those games [12].
Goldman is a powerful defensive tackle with quick hands and excellent agility for a 300-plus pounder. He's dominant at his current level of play, but his ceiling remains high as he is not a finished product by any stretch. Goldman has been on the radar since his sophomore year and there's a reason why nearly 50 college programs have offered [13].
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KeiVarae Russell, RB Mariner (Everett, WA) is a Notre Dame target [14]. Russell has been busy on the track lately, participating in 100m and 400m relays.
Keivarae Russell, ATH, 6-0, 175, Mariner High School, Everett, WA is more than just an outstanding football player. He is also on the swim team, track team, just got elected class president and plans to get involved in a tutoring program.
"I put a little bit too much on my plate at times," Russell admitted. "It kind of kills me, I’m not going to lie, but it makes me tougher where later on in life I can overcome adversity."
Russell continued.
"I’m a busy guy, that’s why when I choose my school, I’m going to see how my teammates are. Are they just doing football? Are they not trying to do anything else? Are they getting 2.1 GPA’s? Are they not trying to work hard? I don’t want that to rub off on me. I want people around me that want to do the best of their ability."
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Joshua Garnett, OT Puyallup (Puyallup, WA) interviewed [15].
N2FL: What are some of the considerations you have when deciding between schools?
J.G.: The academic rigor of the school, the science field they offer, and my ability to come in and play early.
N2FL: Who are the schools currently on your list for consideration? Any leader(s)?
J.G.: Every school is on my list of consideration. I am not leaning towards any one school.N2FL: Who is currently recruiting you the hardest?
J.G.: California-Berkeley
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Byron Marshall, RB Valley Christian (San Jose, CA) nominated for Army All-American Game 2012 [Video: 16]. Marshall recently picked up two more offers from Oregon & UCLA.
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Ellis McCarthy, DT Monrovia (Monrovia, CA) placed first in shot put at San Gabriel Valley Track & Field Championships. McCarthy only started learning putting techniques less than two months ago [17]. He visited Cal unofficially last weekend.
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Jordan Simmons, OT Crespi (Encino, CA) spent time visiting USC & Cal [$18].
Much like he did a year ago as a rising junior, Crespi (Encino, Calif.) offensive lineman Jordan Simmons had a dominant showing taking home OL MVP honors [at USC Nike Football Training Camp].
"Last year, I came here for exposure and this camp definitely helped with that," Simmons said. "I had just one offer coming in to the camp and then landed five or six right after the camp was over. This year, I came here to improve, learn and compete. I have my offers already and don't need exposure but I love the competition and the chance to test myself against the other great players. I know I can improve and I'm working on my body, trying to trim down a little but I'll get there and I don't want anyone to outwork me [19]."
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Taylor McNamara, TE Westview (San Diego, CA) plans to visit Notre Dame. McNamara already visited Cal, USC, UCLA unofficially. Tenn, USC, UCLA, Miami, SDSU have all visited McNamara at Westview [20][21].
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Bryce Treggs, WR St John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) planned to attend Oregon's spring game. Treggs recently came back from visiting Northwestern and Notre Dame.
"I'm in a good place right now and the plan for me is cut down my list to five schools at some time in September,'' Treggs said. "Until then, it's back to work with Keyshawn. Being around someone like him is great opportunity. Most people don't ever get a chance like this [22]."
"I was there [South Bend] for the spring game and had a really good time," Treggs said. "The weather was terrible, it was cold and rainy the whole time but I loved the game and Notre Dame is a great place. They have great fans, I like the coaches and I met some great people out there. I really like everything about the school and I definitely think Notre Dame would be a nice fit for me [$23]."
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Arik Armstead, DE Pleasant Grove (Elk Ridge, CA) visited Cal unofficially. Armstead checked out Bears' spring practices at Grant Union [24] and Contra Costa College [25][$26]. Armstead hopes to play football and basketball in college [27].
Arik Armstead, a 6-8 junior out of Amador Valley, Calif./Pleasant Grove, is considered one of the top offensive tackle prospects out west. He has a big frame with long arms and very good feet. He committed to USC for football, but he could make an impact on their basketball team as well, due to his underrated skill set and agility [28].
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Kaiwan Lewis, OLB St Joseph (Hammonton, NJ) is still wide open in his recruitment [$29]. His visits seem to concentrate in the SEC w/ Florida, Florida State, Auburn, Tennessee and South Carolina. Florida Gators are going to be one of the leaders for Lewis [30].
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Jordan Payton, WR Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA) plans to take all five visits. If official visits were this month, Payton would go see Arkansas, Florida, Michigan, Cal, and Oklahoma. Cal coaches visited Oaks Christian Monday this week [31]. Oklahoma visited Payton also [32][33].
As of now, Cal is the only in state school on Payton's list not named USC.
"The coaches up there are great people. They showed that when I went up there for their junior day. They not only care about the football part, but they care about everything else. And I think Berkeley is like a curve ball, something different. Something that you've never seen before, and you have to go up there and experience it, and I liked it [34]."
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Zach Banner, OT Lakes (Lakewood, CA) is officially visiting Notre Dame 10/22/11.
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Andrus Peat, OT Corona Del Sol (Tempe, AZ) is open in his recruitment, even though his brother Todd is at Nebraska [35].
The question isn't which school has offered Arizona native Peat a scholarship; it's which BCS schools haven't. Several Pac-12 schools would love to keep him close to home. Nebraska, where his brother, Todd Peat, will play this fall, has also offered. The battle for Peat is going to be a crazy one — easily crazier than the one his blue-chip brother Todd went through. Andrus Peat told Sporting News that "as of right now I am wide open and don't have a list of favorites, but I'm planning to narrow my list this summer." He'll bring a load of ability to the next level. "College coaches have told me that they love my technique in pass protection and especially my kick slide," Peat said. "Also, they like my athletic ability, my quickness, my aggressiveness and my size. I feel like I can do it all at that left tackle position."
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Kyle Murphy, OT San Clemente (San Clemente, CA) got a workout visit from USC's Ed Orgeron [36]. Miami is Murphy's most recent offer. USC, Stanford, Oregon are standing out to Murphy [37]. Stanford, Miami, Colorado, UCLA visited Murphy at San Clemente [38].
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Ronnie Stanley, OT Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, CA) visited USC and plans to visit Auburn, Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska, Oregon and UCLA [39].
Preferred Walk-ons
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Brian Farley, OT Henry (San Diego, CA) turned down scholarships from Maryland and New Mexico State to play for Coach M [40].
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Ben Miroglio, TE Jesuit (Carmichael, CA) is converting from QB.
"He's been working hard and is going about 245 pound right now on his 6'5.5" frame. He's been working with Doug Cosbie on weekends on his tight end skills and is looking forward to being a part of the Cal football family [41].
Parting ways
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Aziz Shittu, DT Buhach (Atwater, CA) verbally committed to Stanford [42].
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DJ White, CB Union Grove (McDonough, GA) offered by Cal but verbally committed to South Florida [43].
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