This year’s recruiting class in college football is filled with new school football players who have more talent in their little finger than any one of us mere mortals possess. Noel Devine, Joe McKnight, Jimmy Clausen, and Ronald Johnson just to name a few, are all solid NFL prospects. Many of these prospects have been blessed with incomparable speed, including Eric Berry, a defensive back who signed with Tennessee Wednesday morning, is listed as having a 4.33 40 time. No misprint here, 4.33 seconds. He is the number two overall prospect in the country with an enormous upside and “could be the next Champ Bailey” according to scouts. The Florida and Texas high schools, already known for their prowess on the football field, produced many of the top athletes – this year more than ever. Ohio is usually known for its football, as evidenced by its recent #1 ranking. The state’s top recruit did not disappoint as Eugene Clifford, from Cincinnati Colerain HS dominated the Army All-American game, in the process spiting the SEC coaches who passed him over.
Players like Devine, McKnight, Johnson, and many others were attracted to the prestigious, big time, big campus schools. Florida took home by far the most impressive recruiting class, with over a dozen players in the top 100 and 4 of the top 25. The Gators just keep on reloading; Urban Meyer has personally recruited most of these players and promised them and their parents nothing but excellence. All he expects is a repeat National Championship.
Here’s a list of the Top 5 recruiting classes, the Top 5 players in the country, according to me, Big Mike.
1) Florida - as mentioned above, they pulled in four of the best players in the country and two of the best players at their position in the country. Carlos Dunlap, and Torrey Davis will be the best inside-out defensive line combination the SEC has seen in a long time. Dunlap has 4.6 speed for his enormous 6'7" 265 lb. frame, and Davis just has unmatchable strength on the inside. Davis is enormous at 6'6" 300 lb. and can plow over any interior lineman in his path, the best DT in the country.
2) Tennessee - Phillip Fulmer went after a lot of stud recruits in and out of state, and reaped the benefits. He landed 4 five-star recruits, including the aforementioned Eric Berry, and the shocker out of Ohio, Ben Martin: a star at the Defensive End spot, who will shine for the Volunteers.
3) USC - Pete Carroll has done it again. Plain and simple. He recruited the most five-star athletes (6) than any other team in the nation. With Joe McKnight, a slot-back/running back hybrid out of Louisiana, Chris Galippo at linebacker, who dominated at Servite HS, (one of the many football powerhouses in California), offensive lineman Kris O’Dowd, defensive end Everson Griffen, and Ronald Johnson at wide receiver, Carroll reloaded big time after the departure of Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith, some of his big play makers.
4) LSU - Les Miles certainly made an impression on a lot of young prospective players with a resounding victory in this year’s Sugar Bowl and two potential top 10 draft picks in the 2007 draft, (JaMarcus Russell, and LaRon Landry). With Chad Jones, and WR Terrance Toliver signing Wednesday morning, the Tigers solidified their recruiting class. Toliver, a speedy 6'4" 220 pound receiver who can either go up and get it, or outrun you (4.47 40 time) and Jones, projected as an “Athlete” who is big (6'2"), fast (4.5 speed), and has a nose for the ball (12 interceptions and kickoff returns for touchdowns his senior year) will certainly be playing right away for LSU.
5) North Carolina - Yes, that’s right. They shocked the college football world this morning by landing big Marvin Austin out of Ballou H.S. in Washington D.C. Butch Davis has his mark already at UNC as his recruiting class has pundits thinking this may no longer be just a basketball school. Along with Austin comes Dwight Jones, a 6'5" wide receiver with all of the tools to be a star wide receiver in the ACC. With the class Butch Davis signed this morning, Carolina football fans are finally starting to come out of the woodwork.
Sleeper - Illinois- Ron Zook and the boys have made some huge pickups in signing five-star receiver Arrelious Benn, and Defensive End Martez Wilson, look for them to pick up some more recruits in the future and possibly climb out of the deep cellar in the Big Ten. (But with no help from Juice Williams)
Top 5 recruits
1) Jimmy Clausen - QB - 6'3" 210 - Notre Dame
A big time arm out of a high school known for its dominance in the California area: Oaks Christian where he was a teammate with USC recruit, RB Marc Tyler. Clausen’s older brother Casey played quarterback for Tennessee, but scouts are already calling Jimmy “the 10‑year, NFL talent that’s hard to come by”. He has a good frame for a quarterback, and good size and with 14 other rivals.com four‑star recruits along for the ride at Notre Dame with Clausen, Charlie Weis and company should be well equipped to potentially end their embarrassingly long bowl losing streak…but that’s just wishful thinking.
2) Joe McKnight - RB - 6'1" 195 - USC
An unbelievable talent out of Louisiana whose speed was unmatched by anyone in high school and will most likely be the same way in college. He combined for 22 TD’s his senior year: 9 rushing, 5 receiving, 1 kickoff return, 4 punt returns, and 3 interception returns. That screams versatility. Pete Carroll will find a spot for him in every way he can, and will definitely draw up some trick plays for this superstar in the making.
3) Carlos Dunlap - DE - 6'7" 260 - Florida
A freakish athlete out of South Carolina, Dunlap puts chills down defensive coordinators spines with just his numbers. He was the state’s leading pass rusher for in both 2005 and 2006. And to go along with his massive, towering size, he has 4.60 40 yard dash time to go along with it. Are you kidding me? 4.6 speed at 6'7"? I personally hope that Ohio State doesn’t meet Florida again in the National Title game with Alex Boone trying to prevent Dunlap from wreaking havoc. And I thought Derrick Harvey and Jarvis Moss were good.
4) Eric Berry - DB - 5'11" 195 - Tennessee
Berry is one of the fastest prospects that have come along in a while. He played quarterback in high school and defensive back as a side project and happens to be the top rated DB in the country. He had Ohio State, Florida, and Georgia salivating over him. That could give you a small idea of the upside that this guy has. After he makes an interception, he has impeccable vision because he’s used to having the ball in his hands from his quarterbacking days in high school. And when it comes down to it, his raw athleticism is scary.
5) Noel Devine - RB - 5'8" 175 - West Virginia
Over the course of his high school career, he has had roughly 7500 yards rushing, and 100 TD’s from rushing. He grew up in Florida, and with those kind of numbers against that kind of competition there is no telling what he is capable of when he hits the big stage of big time college football. His vision is exceptional, and he makes cutbacks at the exact right moment. He can break out of the pile while keeping his feet moving, as you’re asking yourself “how did that little man stay up that long??” He is the most electrifying player that football has seen since Reggie Bush came out of Helix High School in California. Now that is not a comparison I make everyday.
Sleeper - Brandon Saine - RB - 6'0" 200 - Ohio State
OK, OK, so I’m a little biased. But if you have seen as many scouting tapes as I have of this player from Piqua, you would be wondering how he went virtually unnoticed by the larger recruiting schools. With his raw speed (faster than Ginn!), he’s a great kick and punt return man, and once he gets into the open field, you can go on back to the sideline and get some water, because he’s already handing the ref the ball in the end zone.
Watch out for these guys and just remember who told you about ‘em.
- Big Mike
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