The U.S. Army and ESPN, television sponsor of the Underarmour all-star football game, are going to war over which event will land the most talented senior players for their 2009 showcases.

Underarmour has received a commitment from USC-bound quarterback Matt Barkley of Santa Ana, Calif., the nation's top-rated player.

So Underarmour has two of the nation's top 20. The U.S. Army, which sponsors the All-American Bowl game in San Antonio in January, has 10 of the top 20 to date, including running backs Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., and Chris Whaley of Madisonville, Texas, and cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick of Gadsden, Ala.

The U.S. Army also has the two leading Illinois prospects, defensive end Craig Drummond of Morgan Park and offensive lineman Chris Watt of Glenbard West.

It will be more competitive than last year when the U.S. Army clearly dominated the field. Why? Because Barkley's quarterback guru Steve Clarkson, who ran Air 7 for Sportslink, the company that owns the U.S. Army game, had a falling out with Sportslink and joined Underarmour. He is calling other prospects and has talked wide receiver Marlon Brown of Memphis, Tenn., to join Barkley in the Underarmour game.

Another player who figures to play in the U.S. Army game is quarterback Aaron Murray of Tampa, Fla., who recently committed to Georgia. I believe he is the equal to Barkley as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation. But Murray is two inches shorter.

In my view, in Murray Georgia got a quarterback who is better than current starter Matt Stafford. Murray can run better, is a great athlete and is a perfect fit for the spread offense. He could step in as a freshman if Stafford is injured.

Posted by Second Season at 07:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

The bloggers who touted Melvin Fellows as a great college prospect after he committed to Illinois might be playing a different tune now that the 6-5, 260-pound defensive end from Garfield Heights, Ohio, has changed his mind and decided to commit to Ohio State.

I saw Fellows on film. I didn't think he was so great and said so. Wow, some bloggers jumped all over my case. But Fellows reminded me of Michigan's Shawn Crable...same build, not as quick, not a dominating player.

One scouting service in Ohio rated Fellows as the No. 1 player in the state and a lot of bloggers accepted that information as gospel.

Well, there is no doubt in my mind--and the Ohio State coaching staff--that the two best players in Ohio are defensive tackle John Simon of Youngstown and offensive tackle Marcus Hall of Cleveland, who both have committed to Ohio State.

At his impressive size, Fellows looks the part. He passes the eyeball test. And he plays well. But he isn't a dominating player yet. He doesn't do what Simon and Hall do. He committed to the first school that offered him, then changed his mind. He could change his mind again.

I didn't rank Fellows in my early listing of the top 100 juniors in the nation because I felt that, even though he has the body to be a top 100 player, he hasn't played like one. I felt the same about Montini's Garrett Goebel (Ohio State) and Marian Central's Sean Cwynar (Notre Dame) last year. To their credit, they came on at the end of the season to earn spots among the top 100;

Posted by Second Season at 07:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

It isn't as good a year in Alabama as a year ago, when nine of the top 10 players in the state signed with coach Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide. But cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and linebacker Nico Johnson rank among the leading prospects in the nation at their positions.

Kirkpatrick, a 6-2, 180-pounder from Gadsden, is one of the top three cornerbacks in the country.

Johnson, a 6-3, 230-pounder from Andalusia, has 4.5 speed and rates among the top 10 linebackers in the nation.

The best offensive lineman in the state is 6-6, 320-pound D.J Fluker of Foley, who is committed to Alabama. Because of Hurricane Katrina, he has attended four high schools in four years.

Other top prospects are 6-4, 190-pound quarterback A.J. McCarron of Mobile, 6-4, 255-pound defensive lineman Anthony Orr of Harvest, 6-2, 290-pound defensive lineman Jamar Travis of Drewton, 6-2, 250-pound Auburn-bound defensive end Terrance Coleman of Mobile, 6-3, 220-pound wide receiver Kendall Kelly of Gadsden and 6-6, 290-pound defensive lineman Brandon Moore of Montgomery.

Posted by Second Season at 09:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Per capita, Mississippi produces more football talent than any state in the union. Not a lot of people but a lot of blue-chip athletes. I've driven through the state three times to rate the top 40 players and, so far as I can tell, Illinois coach Ron Zook hasn't been here.

Mississippi is a difficult state to evaluate because there is only one large city, Jackson, the state capitol. Brett Favre, Walter Payton, Archie Manning and Jerry Rice all came from small towns.

Another thing about Mississippi...most kids go to SEC schools, almost every one. Of course, a good number go to junior colleges first because of poor grades.

Why does Mississippi produce so many good prospects? Because there are no professional football teams in the state, there isn't a lot to do, basketball is good but football is king, like Texas.

It is a poor state so instead of playing video games and enjoying other distractions that can be found in wealthier states, football is a way out, as baseball is in the Dominican Republic.

The No. 1 player in Mississippi is 6-4, 280-pound defensive lineman Josh Boyd of Philadelphia, probably the best player to come out of his town since Marques Dupree in 1982. He is one of the top three defensive linemen in the state.

It is a good year for defensive linemen and quarterbacks in the state. Two other outstanding linemen are 6-4, 240-pound Fletcher Cox of Yazoo City and 6-4, 260-pound Ryan McSwain of Hattiesburg.

Five quarterbacks rank among the best in the country--6-3, 210-pound Clayton Moore of Louisville, 6-5, 220-pound Chris Garrett of Tupelo, 6-2, 190-pound Cameron Lawrence of Senatovia, 6-5, 200-pound Tyler Russell of Meridian and 6-3, 210-pound Jamie Collins of Meadville.

Collins, who is such a good free safety that he might be moved to defense right away, could be the best of all. Moore was the Class 3A player of the year. Lawrence impressed at the U.S. Army Combine in San Antonio in January. Russell committed to Mississippi State after Garrett de-committed.

Two outstanding wide receivers are 6-3, 210-pound Pat Patterson of Macon and 5-11, 185-pound Chad Bumphis of Tupelo, who has over 20 offers.

Reuben Corley of Batesville, a 6-2, 240-pounder, is the best blocking fullback in the country.

Posted by Second Season at 08:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Notre Dame got oral commitments from two outstanding prospects during its spring scrimmage Saturday in South Bend--running back Cierre Wood of Oxnard, Calif., and defensive lineman Tyler Stockton of Princeton, N.J.

Wood, a 6-0, 200-pounder, is a five-star performer who chose Notre Dame over UCLA. Last fall, he rushed for 2,600 yards and 42 touchdowns.

How good is Wood? He is ranked as the No. 3 player in the nation by Rivals.com. In my view, he is the best running back in the West and one of the top three in the nation along with Bryce Brown of Wichita, Kan., and Trent Richardson of Pensacola, Fla. Richardson plays at Escambia, the same high school that produced Emmit Smith. Last season, Wood was acknowledged as the most valuable player in his area, ahead of Colorado-bound Darrell Scott, who was rated as the No. 1 senior running back in the country.

Stockton, a 6-0, 290-pounder, is a four-star player.

Posted by Second Season at 09:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In 1978, when I began traveling around the country to evaluate football players, recruiting was in the Dark Ages. It was a cloak-and-dagger operation. There was no USA Today, no ESPN, no Internet.

Major colleges didn't release the names of their recruits until two months after signing day. They didn't want any information to leak out. Instead, they stockpiled more players. They didn't want to mention names so they could continue to recruit.

Joe Montana was one of seven quarterbacks brought in at Notre Dame in 1974. Major Ogilvie was one of several tailbacks recruited by Alabama in 1977. Later, they said they didn't know anything about the others. In those days, it was an acceptable way of doing business.

I was on my own, the only recruiting analyst on the road. There was no Rivals, no Scout. Colleges went out of their way to discourage me. They didn't want any recruiting information to be made public. They had a good thing going and they didn't want anybody to change it.

But look how things have changed. As I noted in my book, "Football's Second Season," recruiting today is a season onto itself. Some fans and alumni get more enjoyment and entertainment out of following the recruiting wars than going to their alma mater's games. It's like conducting the NFL and NBA draft every day of the year.

Look what has happened since the early 1980s, since USA Today, ESPN and the Internet turned recruiting into one of the most popular game shows since Jeopardy. Colleges soon gave up trying to keep it secret. Now they embrace recruiting. They want to get as much publicity as possible on signing day.

It has brought parity to recruiting and college football. Because the NCAA has reduced the number of scholarships from 35 in 1977 to 30, then to 25 in the 1980s, more college programs have become competitive. More schools are going to bowl games. Instead of sitting on the bench at Notre Dame or Michigan or Ohio State or Alabama or Oklahoma or USC or Texas, kids can play at other schools.

The kids are smarter, more savvy about the recruiting process, not as naive as they once were. They are wary of schools that try to stockpile talent. They ask more questions. They are more mature and aware of their options.

Take the case of Nico Johnson of Andalusia, Alabama. He comes from a small town about two hours southeast of Montgomery. It is so far out of the mainstream that my cell phone didn't work there.

Twenty-five years ago, Johnson probably would have slipped through the cracks. He might have received only one or two offers from local schools. Today, he has 20 offers and probably will attend Alabama or Auburn. But he still plans to visit Florida, Florida State and Tennessee.

The point is Johnson is one of the best linebackers in the country but hardly anyone would know about him and he certainly wouldn't know about the X's and O's of the recruiting process if he didn't have access to the Internet and other means of learning how the process works.

Posted by Second Season at 08:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It is an average year for football talent in Missouri, as it is throughout the Midwest, but St. Louis has several good prospects and the best of all is 6-2, 210-pound running back Ronnie Wingo of St. Louis University High.

A four-star player, Wingo has been offered by Illinois, Oklahoma, Tennessee and several other Big 10 and Big 12 schools.

Another running back to watch is 6-0, 228-pound Devin King of DeSmet. He has no offers to date but one recruiting service rated him as the No. 1 player in his class two years ago. But a series of injuries slowed him down.

Iowa has offered 6-0, 160-pound cornerback Bryant Allen of Maplewood, who also is the top-rated point guard in the state.

The best defensive lineman in Missouri is 6-4, 275-pound Sheldon Richardson of Gateway Tech.

The best offensive lineman is 6-5, 300-pound Darius Ford of Hazelwood East, who has been offered by Illinois, Missouri and Kansas.

There are several promising quarterbacks. The four best could be 6-0, 200-pound Jordan Webb of Union, who would command more offers if he was taller; 6-1, 180-pound Nathan Scheelhaase of Kansas City Rockhurst, who has 4.55 speed; 6-0, 180-pound T.J. Moe of Fort Zumwalt West; and 6-1, 190-pound Blaine Dalton of Blue Springs South, who has committed to Missouri.

Other standouts are 6-5, 210-pound wide receiver Alex Sanders of Springfield Glendale, 6-4, 225-pound tight end/defensive end Tommy White of Boonville and 5-11, 210-pound running back Montee Ball of Wentzville.

Iowa is making a presence in the St. Louis area because of assistant coach Eric Johnson. But Illinois, Missouri, Kansas and Kansas State are zooming in on the area. Nebraska's influence isn't being felt as it has been in the past.

Posted by Second Season at 04:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The good news is Illinois has offered scholarships to more good prospects than any other school, especially in the traditionally fertile recruiting states of Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida and the Carolinas.

The bad news is one of coach Ron Zook's first commitments doesn't appear to be as committed as he hoped he would be.

Illinois is leading the nation in offers, at least 150, and the list includes of the top five quarterbacks in the nation, the best player and the best offensive lineman in Pennsylvania and four highly rated prospects at the top producing football program in the Midwest.

John Simon of Youngstown, Ohio, a 6-4, 270-pound defensive tackle with 4.7 speed, is the No. 1 player in his state. He has committed to Ohio State over Notre Dame.

But Illinois has offered the No. 2 prospect in Ohio, 6-5, 300-pound offensive lineman Marcus Hall, and three of his teammates from coach Ted Ginn's football factory at Cleveland Glenville--5-10, 175-pound defensive back Michael Edwards, 6-1, 210-pound linebacker Travis Freeman and 6-2, 220-pound linebacker Jonathan Newsome.

Hall, a 5-star player, also has been offered by every Big 10 shool except Northwestern. Newsome also has been offered by Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana and Purdue. Edwards also has been offered by Indiana. Thomas said Illinois has indicated it will make an official offer soon.

Melvin Fellows, a 6-5, 245-pound defensive end from Garfield Heights, Ohio, who is rated the No. 1 player in his state by one Ohio recruiting service, originally committed to Illinois. But he has visited Ohio State and Michigan State and said he plans to visit other schools.

In my view, Fellows remains uncommitted. It can't be considered a commitment in the true sense of the word if he is visiting other schools. He has a college build and a lot of potential. But I have talked to high school coaches in Cleveland who don't believe he is the best player in Ohio.

Meanwhile, Tom Savage, a 6-5, 230-pound quarterback from Philadelphia, has been offered by Illinois and every Big 10 school except Michigan. He is one of the top five quarterbacks in the country.

Zook invited coach Mike DeAntona of Scranton, Pa., to speak at the Illinois high school football coaches clinic in Champaign on Saturday. DeAntona brought along two of his players whom Illinois has offered, 6-5, 290-pound Eric Shrive, the best offensive lineman in Pennsylvania, and 5-11, 200-pound fullback Shawn Bodtman.

In Pennsylvania, Illinois also has offered 6-0, 180-pound defensive back E.J. Banks of Pittsburgh, 6-2, 180-pound wide receiver Je'Ron Stokes of Philadelphia, 6-4, 248-pound defensive lineman Tyrone Ezell of Steel Valley, 6-3, 205-pound defensive back Todd Thomas of Beaver Falls, 6-7, 270-pound offensive tackle Nick Kindler of Camp Point and 6-1, 180-pound wide receiver Corey Brown and 6-1, 225-pound linebacker Dorian Bell of Monroeville.

Bell, my choice as the No. 1 player in Pennsylvania, has 49 offers, including Illinois and all major schools. He is one of the top three linebackers in the country and reminds me of former Florida State star Derrick Brooks when he was coming out of the Florida Panhandle.

Thomas, one of the best safeties in the country, has 17 offers, including Illinois, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Michigan. Brown as 31 offers, includiang Illinois, Notre Dame, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State. Kindler has been offered by Illinois and West Virginia.

Illinois lost 6-2, 185-pound cornerback Justin Turner of Massillon, Ohio, who chose Michigan over Illinois, Ohio State and Michigan State. Stokes committed to Tennessee.

Notre Dame landed its first commitment--6-4, 220-pound tight end Jack Golic of West Hartford, Conn., a 3-star player who is the son of former Notre Dame star and ESPN's Mike Golic.

Posted by Second Season at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)