ESPN College Football Recruiting

Stanford continues to be able to recruit well in Georgia. The Cardinal have landed their second major commitment from the Peach State, snagging safety Daunte Carr (Gainesville, Ga./Gainesville) earlier this week.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pounder joins his teammate and Under Armour All-American wide receiver Tai-ler Jones in heading to Palo Alto, Calif.

After Carr narrowed his list to four schools, he was clear that academics were going to be a major part of his decision. When he spoke about Stanford and his three other finalists -- North Carolina State, Wake Forest and UCLA -- he spoke about the different academic programs and the scholastic experience at each university, a lot more than the football programs.

Along with having a football program on the rise, Stanford ended up giving him the best experience in terms of the classroom.

"The Stanford degree was the best by far," he said. "It was the best combination of academics and football. You get to go to one of the best schools in the country. The programs are ranked No. 1 across the board. It's really no different than going to an Ivy League school."

Jones is excited to have his teammate join him at Stanford.

"It's great to have [Carr] on board," Jones said. "That's one more person that I can bond with since he's from Georgia and will be going through what I am going through [heading to the West Coast].

"Playing together in high school will allow us to know each other's strengths and weaknesses, and we can help each other get stronger and lead our team together."

Cardinal assistant Willie Taggart recruited both prospects to Palo Alto. The Western Kentucky graduate is gaining a reputation for being one of the best out-of-region coaches to recruit in the Peach State.

"[Taggart] was very, very excited when I told him, as were all of the Stanford coaches," Carr said. "I had been out there before but never committed. Once they found out I did, they were very excited."

The leaderboard

More good news for the Wolfpack?

Linebacker Kendall Moore (Raleigh, N.C./Southeast) is closing in on a decision. The 6-2, 234-pounder will announce his commitment July 11, and his decision could be more good news for the hometown North Carolina State Wolfpack. The Pack, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Duke and Florida State are Moore's final five, and NC State and the Irish are the two teams to watch here. He recently returned from Notre Dame and gave the visit rave reviews.

Should Moore pick the Pack, he would be yet another in-state domino to fall for Tom O'Brien's team, joining talented tackle Robert Crisp (Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill) and speedy receiver Anthony Creecy (Durham, N.C./Southern). More players like defensive linemen Fre'Shad Hunter (Cary, N.C./Cary) and Alfy Hill (Shallotte, N.C./West Brunswick) have State high on their lists, and O'Brien's staff could put together yet another rock-solid class as it continues to build in Raleigh.

The hot sell

Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia has continued its hot streak on the recruiting trail with commitments from Under Armour All-American safety Alec Ogletree (Newnan, Ga./Newnan) and running back Ken Malcome (Decatur, Ga./Southwest DeKalb). The Bulldogs also are rumored to be getting one of the top junior college players in the country, defensive back Jakar Hamilton (Georgia Military College), and are in the thick of things for players like Under Armour All-American running back Mack Brown (Lithonia, Ga./Martin Luther King), Under Armour All-American receiver Antonio Goodwin (Atlanta, Ga./Martin Luther King) and ESPNU150 Watch List defensive end Garrison Smith (Atlanta, Ga./Douglass). It has turned out to be an exceptional year for prospects in the Peach State, and should Georgia end up with the lion's share of that talent, along with the tremendous work it's done in Florida (word is this is the start of a new initiative to hit the Jacksonville area with renewed vigor, and it makes sense, given that the Bulldogs play one game a year there and it's less than 30 miles from the Georgia border with a large alumni base), the Dawgs could be a candidate for a top-five class and the top class in the SEC.

Recruiter to watch

Randy Hart, Notre Dame The Irish defensive line coach led the way in convincing safety Chris Badger (Provo, Utah/Timpview) to switch from Stanford a couple of days ago. He also has done an excellent job of keeping defensive end Chris Martin (Princeton, N.J./The Hun School) strongly in the fold for the Irish. Assistant Brian Polian landed Martin's commitment on national signing day in February, but we all know it's just as challenging to maintain early commitments as it is to land them. Hart has developed a strong relationship with Martin. The veteran coach is an Ohio State graduate and most recently was the defensive line coach at Washington for 21

Coast-to-coast notes

Cowboys out in front

Defensive tackle Diamonte Wheeler (Arlington, Texas/Bowie) recently named his top five and has a solid leader.

"My top five in order is Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech," Wheeler said. "I like Oklahoma State because of the family feel that I get when I am there and because of my recruiter, [Cowboys assistant] Doug Meacham. They make me feel like I am wanted."

The 6-2, 297-pounder plans to visit OSU again next month. He also plans to check out Nebraska, Kansas and Kansas State.

Wheeler added that he plans to commit to the school of his choice during the middle of his high school season.

His teammate at Bowie, Donovan Vestal, also has the Cowboys strongly in the mix. Wheeler said it's very possible both will end up at the same school.

Lattimore to see Happy Valley

Running back Marcus Lattimore (Duncan, S.C./James F. Byrnes) will head to Penn State for an unofficial visit July 25, along with his teammate, receiver Nick Jones. That visit, along with possible stops at in-state schools South Carolina and Clemson, could be Lattimore's last before he narrows his list to five schools heading into the season. Both players, along with the rest of their Byrnes teammates, will be participating in the Nike 7 on 7 July 15-17 in Portland, Ore.

In other Byrnes news, Florida State is looking good for Lattimore and Jones' defensive end teammates, Corey Miller and Brandon Willis. North Carolina is a dark horse for the pair and for Lattimore.

Audibles
Penn State and North Carolina are the two strongest players for defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (Philadelphia, Pa./George Washington) at the moment. If he attends Florida's Friday Night Lights Camp later this month, the Gators could make a strong push. ... Last week, California snatched receiver Tevin Smith (Los Angeles, Calif./Santee) from Washington. The 6-3, 190-pounder has a ton of speed upside. He's been timed as fast as 10.51 seconds in the 100-meter dash in track, and given his size, that's excellent. ... Class of 2011 defensive tackle Jalen Grimble (Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman) participated in the Rising Stars Camp at the University of Southern California and picked up a verbal offer from the Trojans. He's the cousin of Class of 2010 tight end commit Xavier Grimble, also of Bishop Gorman. ... Kansas got a huge commitment earlier this week when junior college All-American linebacker Vernon Brooks of Blinn Community College signed on for the Class of 2009. He should be able to help the Jayhawks right away this season, depending on how quickly he adjusts to the Division I level in preseason camp.

JC Shurburtt covers recruiting for ESPN.com. He can be reached at jcsespn@aol.com.