Floyd considers two SEC schools
There are plenty of reasons why two Southeastern schools are in the thick of things to land one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country.
Florida and South Carolina were major players for defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd (Philadelphia/George Washington). Now the Gators and Gamecocks have nailed down two of the 6-foot-3, 308-pound prospect's official visits.
"In all of my interviews recently, I have just been clearing the air about what is actually happening and what people think is happening," said Floyd, an ESPNU 150 prospect who ranks as the country's No. 6 defensive tackle.
Floyd made two unofficial visits to Gainesville to check out the defending national champs this past summer, including one for Friday Night Lights, Florida's annual summer prospect camp that features some of the top talent in the country.
Floyd also got the chance to meet Gators defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and spent time with the other Florida coaches, including his recruiter, assistant coach Brian White.
"He's good guy, definitely," Floyd said. "He seems like somebody that I can easily get to know better."
He has not nailed down a date for his UF visit.
South Carolina quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus was the head coach at Division III Delaware Valley College in suburban Philadelphia from 2002 to 2005 and established plenty of recruiting ties in the City of Brotherly Love. Mangus was one of the first coaches to start recruiting Floyd, and the two have developed a good relationship.
"[Mangus] has been on me for a long time and keeping up with me for a long time," he said. "He's actually very funny. I like the way he is when he is on the field and then when he is off the field, he is completely different. I like that about him."
Southern California recently started to recruit Floyd, who says the Trojans have made him an offer. He said he recently spoke with USC assistant Todd McNair, who also has ties to Philadelphia as a former Temple running back.
Floyd says trips to Gainesville, Columbia and Los Angeles are definite. Rutgers and Penn State are strong contenders to land a visit. Boston College was thought to have been getting one, but not now, according to Floyd. The official visit dates have not yet been nailed down.
Ohio State is a team that was rumored to be getting in the mix, but Floyd said he doesn't know whether he has an offer from the Buckeyes. So at this point OSU is down his list a bit.
Floyd and his teammates have started preparing for the 2009 season.
"We've only been at it for two days, so it's hard to tell," he said. "But I think we can go all the way if we keep working hard."
The Leaderboard
Redshirt freshman Kyle Parker was recently named Clemson's starting quarterback. ESPN.com ranked the 2008 Under Armour All-American higher than did any other network that publishes prospect rankings. Parker, the fourth-rated quarterback in the country, impressed scout Tom Luginbill throughout the process. "If he were three inches taller, he would have been the No. 1 quarterback in the country," Luginbill said of the 6-foot Parker. Parker edged out ESPNU150 quarterbacks Willy Korn (Class of 2007) and Tajh Boyd (Class of 2009) for the job. He is also a standout baseball player for the Tigers.
Hot Sell: Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons are sitting on 15 commitments and have been on a tear of late, swiping cornerback Merrill Noel (Pahokee, Fla.) from Florida State and making the most recent cut for offensive lineman Arie Kouandjio (Hyattsville, Md./DeMatha). Head coach Jim Grobe and his staff do an excellent job of player development. (Linebacker Aaron Curry was the No. 4 overall pick of the 2009 NFL draft, among other success stories.) Winning the 2006 ACC title and getting to the Orange Bowl has given this program a lot to sell on the recruiting trail, and prospects are buying in.
Coast-to-Coast Notes
Cooper looking at options
Four-star running back Deontae Cooper (Perris, Calif./Citrus Hill) is keeping his options open when it comes to his college choice. During the summer, the 6-foot-1, 195-pounder did not make many visits. He went to a camp and checked out some practices at USC. He has swung by UCLA and also camped at Washington.
"I am staying open-minded," Cooper said. "I am favoring staying in the Pac-10, but I am staying open-minded."
Cavs getting an early start
One potential riser in the Class of 2011 could already be close to making a decision. Wide receiver Adrian Gamble (Charlotte, N.C./Independence) says that he received a verbal scholarship offer from Virginia during the summer, and he intends to commit to the Cavs as soon as the written offer comes on or after Sept. 1.
"I visited for a one-day camp, and I like the coaches," he said. "Plus, I liked the stadium, the locker room and everything about Virginia. The coaches there will take care of me."
Gamble said Florida State and North Carolina were two other schools he likes.
The 6-foot-2, 182-pound Gamble was impressive during a recent scrimmage against Rock Hill (S.C.). In Independence's pass-happy offense, he showed an ability to get open deep and come down with the jump ball. He said he recently was timed at 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash.
As close as it gets
Running back Dontae Williams (Houston/Aldine) made his intentions clear Tuesday: He wants to play for Oregon. With that, he hasn't made an official visit to Eugene yet, so he's going to wait before officially jumping in with both feet. This is the Ducks' latest pull from the talent-rich state of Texas. Williams is the nation's No. 11 overall running back prospect and is a good fit in Oregon's spread offense.
Short Stuff
Watch out for Florida State in the race for Under Armour All-America linebacker Jeff Luc (Port Saint Lucie, Fla./Treasure Coast). The Noles could be in better shape than most think. … Under Armour All-America cornerback John Fulton (Manning, S.C.) has scheduled two official visits, one to Georgia and one to Alabama. Fulton will visit Athens on the weekend of Sept. 11, when the Bulldogs play host to South Carolina. Fulton will be in Tuscaloosa on the weekend of Oct. 16 to see the Tide play host to the Gamecocks, who continue to lead for his services, followed by Bama. … It should come as no surprise that linebacker Tyrone Cornelius (Stone Mountain, Ga./Stephenson) committed to Miami. The Canes have been the longtime favorite, and unless they weren't going to take his commitment, he was heading to Coral Gables.
JC Shurburtt covers recruiting for ESPN.com. He can be reached at jcsespn@aol.com.
