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Verbal commits are marked w/ (Cal)
September 21, 2011
CGB Recruiting Thread | Golden Recruiting Board
Tedford & Company
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Zach Hoffpauir, S (Cal) Centennial (Peoria, AZ) quotables:
"I loved everything about the place [Berkeley] when I went there on an unofficial visit. I loved coach Pendergast, coach Tedford, coach [Ashley] Ambrose, and I feel that I have a pretty good chance of competing as a freshman for a spot. I liked their baseball program when I was there, too [1]."
"I'd say my ball-skills are one of my strengths," said Hoffpauir. "I get to the ball quickly and cause a lot of turnovers, punching balls out and stripping them. I have good closing speed, covering ground well and my instincts are good, too.
The all-state safety chose Cal over Arizona and Stanford and is bullish on Cal's future.
"I think we're going to be really good," said Hoffpauir. "I think Shaq Thompson's coming in, too, and I know our quarterback, Zach Kline. He's really good. There's lot of great young talent there and I know Coach Pendergast will continue to work with the defense and get them on point.
"The future looks great [2]."
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KeiVarae Russell, RB Mariner (Everett, WA) rushed for 284 yds and 4 TDs after crashing his moped and missing two weeks of football [$3]:
"I was ready to go," Russell said. "I was never more excited to play than before that game. I hated to miss the opener so I had two weeks of energy just burning up inside me and I released it all on the field and it felt great."
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Cedric Dozier, ATH Lakes (Lakewood, WA) still undecided about his leaders after spring and summer [$4]:
"I always though I preferred offense but now, I'm not even sure about that any more," Dozier said. "I've gotten calls this month from Arizona, Arizona State, Cal, Washington and Oregon. I think there could be a few more but that's I can remember right now."
Shaq Thompson, ATH Grant Union (Sacramento, CA) out for the last game with deep thigh bruise after one game at QB [5].
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Darius Hamilton, DE Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) profiled as the a NFL defensive superstar in the making [Video: 6].
Hamilton is trying to tackle the college recruiters the way he tackles opposing quarterbacks, but it hasn’t been as easy as being a ferocious pass rusher.
"At first, you get all the letters and calls and attention and that’s fun, but then it gets a little overwhelming," Hamilton said. "But after it all, you realize how lucky you are, that you’re getting the chance that most kids would die for. A lot of people know who I am. A lot of others would love to have this attention."
Hamilton said that he will make his decision known on television in December [7].
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Jordan Payton, WR Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA) visited Michigan last weekend. Payton will visit Oklahoma this weekend and Penn State in November [8]:
"It’s been on my mind for a while, ever since the sanctions hit them and they wanted me to come out and say I was only with USC, so I had to do what I had to do," Payton told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in July.
"I couldn’t do that and come out that I was only USC. I’ve said all along that I’ve been exploring my options. It’s really important that I choose the right school."
He told the Los Angeles Times that he is considering Oklahoma, Michigan, Notre Dame, California and Arizona State. However, the Democrat-Gazette reported that he also has a strong interest in Arkansas.
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Ishmael Adams, CB Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA) may have UCLA slightly over Cal [9]:
UCLA and Cal have emerged as the two top teams for Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian cornerback Ishmael Adams and our guess is that the Bruins hold a slight edge in his recruitment - but only if Neuheisel is retained. Adams has a close relationship with UCLA's coach and after much consideration the four-star seems to want to stay closer to home.
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Taylor McNamara, DE Westview (San Diego, CA), Christo Kourtzidis, TE Lutheran (Orange, CA) are both considering official visits to Cal to confirm their verbal commitments to Arizona and Florida State [10]:
Four-star tight end Taylor McNamara, an Arizona commit who fashions himself in the mold of former Wildcats star Rob Gronkowski, said he's considering official visits to Cal, Notre Dame and Colorado. Rated as the second-best tight end in the 2012 class, McNamara said the Golden Bears' staff has been especially recruiting him hard and that he owes it to himself to make sure he made the right decision by committing in June. No dates have been set yet.
Another four-star committed tight end could be hitting the road on visits before National Signing Day. Orange (Calif.) Lutheran's Christo Kourtzidis, a Florida State pledge, said he wants to investigate all his options before signing with the Seminoles and that Cal will probably receive one of his visits. Kourtzidis isn't sure of any other trips but there's a good chance he could see a few schools in the coming months.
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Aziz Shittu, DT Buhach (Atwater, CA) visited Cal unofficiallly over the weekend [11]:
"It should be a lot of fun," Shittu said. "I've been to Cal before and I like the school a lot. This is actually the first college football game I've ever been to. I know that's hard to believe but it's true so I'm pretty pumped up."
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Yuri Wright, CB Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, NJ) plans to visit Michigan in a couple of weekend [12]. The Wolverines are the presumed leader for Wright [13].
He [Wright] has all the tools to be a top-level cornerback in college. He has the size of a safety, but the hips, feet and quickness of a top cornerback. He also plays an aggressive style of football and is a hard hitter. Overall, he's the complete package [14].
"I'm a 6-2, 180-pound cornerback that has real good technique, is real physical, plays really good in man-to-man press, and I have great speed," Wright said confidently. "My jumping ability is off the chart. There really aren't a lot of guys of my size that can play the position like I can. I have the size to be able to play against big receivers [15]."
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Bryce Treggs, WR (Cal) St John Bosco (Bellflower, CA) profiled on local tv KCAL9 as one of the "Stars of Tomorrow" [Video: 16]. Treggs will be visiting Arizona State this weekend [$17]:
"I'm going to visit Arizona State," Treggs said. "They're having a lot of recruits in town for the SC game so it should be cool. I think Scott Starr (Norco, Calif.) and Jabari Ruffin (Downey, Calif.) will be coming too so it should be a lot of fun."
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Ellis McCarthy, DT Monrovia (Monrovia, CA) limped off the field last Friday after taking a helmet to the knee [18]. He's missing the Bulldogs' next game against San Dimas [19]. McCarthy interviewed after fighting through double and triple teams the entire game [Video: 20].
Byron Marshall, RBValley Christian (San Jose, CA) out for the next two weeks due to an injured shoulder [21].
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Luke Kaumatule, DE Punahou (Honolulu, HI) verbally committed to Stanford [22].
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Eddie Goldman, DT Friendship Academy (Washington, DC) has Florida State, Alabama, Auburn, and Miami ahead of Clemson, Cal, Maryland [23]. Goldman visited Florida State last weekend for his first official visit [24][25].
Friendship coach Aazaar Rahim can't say enough about his selfless five-star prospect. Casual fans might not notice, but Goldman is the center of Friendship's defense. Opposing offenses never assign him just one blocker and he often times takes up three. Sure, that adversely affects his statistics, but you won't hear Goldman complain.
"The position that Eddie plays is a tricky situation," Rahim said. "It's not the cute position like a defensive end. He could do his job the whole game and people in the stands might not even know it because he's doing what we're asking him to do and that's push the pocket and command a double team.
"So it's not that sexy position where he's going to get sacks and make plays every time. Sometimes him taking two or three people allows someone else to come free and make a play [26]."
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