National Signing Day Thread

[cbbryan]

Illinois is ranked 18 by Scout.com:

 

Headliners: A.J. Jenkins (WR), Reggie Ellis (DT)

 

Ron Zook is at it again and you can bet that as long as he’s in charge of this program that they will be a fixture in the top 20 recruiting rankings. The Illini grabbed a solid signal caller from the south in Jacob Charest (QB) and some quality backs in Mikel Leshoure, Jason Ford and Deries Hodge. They also landed some top flight players on the edge in A.J. Jenkins (WR) and Cordale Scott (WR). They should compliment Arrelious Benn very nicely in Champaign. Hubie Graham should develop into a quality tight end. Across the offensive front, Illinois is bringing in four OLs, including one of the better tackle prospects from the Midwest in Graham Pocic. Reggie Ellis (DT), Corey Liuget (DE) and Glenn Foster (DE) lead this defensive class. Donsay Hardemann (S) is one of the top JuCo defensive backs in the nation. Illinois would love to close with Jamie Harper (RB) away from the Sunshine State.

 

If Zook manages to pull Harper to Illinois I'd be blown away. He visited Illinois early before any other school, but he's also visited Miami and Florida State.

 

His scouting report:

 

Jamie Harper has good size and if he doesn’t blow by you he can run through you or make you miss. He runs with power, finishes runs and has a good stiff arm. He shows excellent quickness, hips, feet and the ability to make a defender look silly in the open field. Harper has good vision, balance and instincts and can stop on a dime and show extraordinary change of direction and athleticism. Harper has blazing speed and is so explosive.

 

He runs a 4.35 40! I'd call that blazing speed.

 

I can't wait until Wednesday to see what he decides. He'd get every opportunity to play right away at Illinois. That's got to be a big plus to Zook's pitch.

 

While I would love to see Harper at FSU, IMO he's headed to Clemson. Or at least that's what I've heard from my sources at FSU.

 

I know Clemson is a big player too. Honestly, I think he'll go to Illinois or Clemson. I'd be surprised if he went anywhere else. I'm crossing my fingers for Illinois. That would cap another great year recruiting for Zook.

[wolf stansson]

ASU's class is 22 at Rivals and 14th at Scout. Erickson is the man.

[SouthSideRyan]

Dennis Erickson might be my least favorite college football coach. Even worse than Bowden.

[wolf stansson]

Dennis Erickson might be my least favorite college football coach. Even worse than Bowden.

I'm going to need a few more years of spoiled winning before I get picky about my coach's ethics. That's just me being honest. It'll happen, just not yet.

[Guest]

This is 2009-related but the younger brother of one of my closest friends in high school (and I'm pretty sure the only other Cub fan in my graduating class) was offered a scholly by UCLA yesterday and my friend says he has already picked UCLA (though won't verbal for a while). Kinda cool for me. :)

 

http://ucla.scout.com/a.z?s=12&p=8&c=1&nid=2731756

[da bears]

Mizzou has a solid class, as Cubbies75 pointed out. Definitely the best on paper of the Pinkel era. Should only be even better next year, especially if we win 10+ games. Two of the top 5 or 6 players in next years class have already committed to Mizzou, and the rest of the top players in state really like Mizzou as well.

[CubinNY]

Is The MAC is so bad that they aren't even listed on Rivals?

 

I wanted to find out how good ole' Western Michigan University was doing.

[Andy]

Is The MAC is so bad that they aren't even listed on Rivals?

 

I wanted to find out how good ole' Western Michigan University was doing.

I haven't heard much about them. They seem to be one of those teams that always seems to coach their recruits up well no matter where their class ranks, though.

[snoodmonger]

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802040351

 

Don't know if anyone has seen this, but a kid announced to his entire HS that he was accepting a schollie to Cal, and it turns out that Cal, Oregon (his other finalist) and perhaps no other school ever offered him. It looks like he was the victim of a prank.

 

Here's another article, which features a hilariously depressing pic of him selecting a Cal hat at his signing assembly.

 

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/PREPSPORTS/802050369

[Butterscup1679666578]

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008802040351

 

Don't know if anyone has seen this, but a kid announced to his entire HS that he was accepting a schollie to Cal, and it turns out that Cal, Oregon (his other finalist) and perhaps no other school ever offered him. It looks like he was the victim of a prank.

 

Here's another article, which features a hilariously depressing pic of him selecting a Cal hat at his signing assembly.

 

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080205/PREPSPORTS/802050369

 

Wow. If someone did that to him that's awful.

[Butterscup1679666578]

Dammit. Aaron Boyd drop Mizzou and is down to UK and Oregon. Second big time recruit Mizzou has lost a chance at in two days, with the other being an OL named Hall (I forget his first name, but he's 6-10 320 pounds :shock: ). It'd be nice if we could land a surprise on signing day to make up for these.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

dag nabbit. Aaron Boyd drop Mizzou and is down to UK and Oregon. Second big time recruit Mizzou has lost a chance at in two days, with the other being an OL named Hall (I forget his first name, but he's 6-10 320 pounds :shock: ). It'd be nice if we could land a surprise on signing day to make up for these.

 

Matt Hall, he's going to pick Arkansas.

 

The only other name I've heard is an Arizona guy(yeah, I don't know either) named Gerell Robinson that we might be in on. That link has him as a verbal to Arizona State, but I guess there were rumors that his verbal was just for show or something. Doubt we end up with him.

[Keener98]

Heres an article regarding U of I's class,

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/illinois/cs-080204-illinois-recruiting-zook,1,6966603.story

[RedFlash]

FSU is having a big year. Great class, and several big fish still out there that we have a chance at, including Julio Jones (and possibly Robert Lester), Josh Jenkins, TJ Bryant, and Corey Liuget.

 

This could be a class that FINALLY gets us back to the upper echelon of college football.

 

Yeah....you can forget about Julio Jones. He's been a virtual lock to Alabama since the Alabama/Arkansas game. There's less then a 5% chances that Jones signs with any team not name Alabama come tomorrow. And it's even less for Robert Lester. FSU fans can forget Jones/Lester as FSU was never consider a "strong" possibility for either kid. And TJ Bryant, well the rumor around my neck of the words...if that TJ will be a surprise commit to Alabama. I don't buy the rumor, as I believe he'll end up at FSU. Which is might as well, seeing as Saban viewed both Alonzo Lawrence and Robby Green as higher priorities then Bryant.

 

My team is kicking butt in the recruiting this yr. We just picked up a RB from the Big 10 country (Mark Ingram) and I would challenge anybody to name a better class then what Alabama has, and still could land. (I know people will throw out GA, Fla, blah, blah...but at worst..Alabama is right there with those two teams in recruiting no worse). Alabama still could land Julio Jones, Jerrell Harris (TOP LB prospect), TJ Bryant, Marcel Dareus (Top DT prospect) and his brother. Easily a top 3 class, might even be the Top class.

 

So yeah, my team is kicking butt in recruiting this yr.

[Warpticon]

Joe Adams, I wish you'd make up your mind faster. You're the only reason I care about tomorrow.

[shnsajax]

Pryor not going to decide tomorrow. Wonder how long this will last, I just don't see Penn State being a good fit for him.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/news/story?id=3233143

[Guest]

Nice link to check on when certain high profile recruits might make their decision (time-wise): http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/content.asp?SID=880&CID=765305

 

The big 4 who still have a decision to make in regards to UCLA:

 

Datone Jones - DE - Compton, Calif.

Expected to sign with other Bruin commitments at a local restaurant according to his head coach. It's also a good indication Jones will stick with UCLA.

Uona Kavienga - LB - Los Angeles (Calif.)

Leuzinger. Committed to BYU and once committed to UCLA, Kavienga is down to BYU, UCLA and USC. Will sign at 9:30 p.m. ET tomorrow on television.

Milton Knox - RB - Lake Balboa (Calif.) Birmingham.

Officially visited Notre Dame this past weekend. Will decide among UCLA, Notre Dame and Florida on Signing Day at 7 p.m. ET on local television.

Hamani Stevens - C - Hemet, Calif.

UCLA has made up huge ground on Stevens when Oregon and BYU were thought to be the two favorites. Has postponed his announcement twice and will sign at 3:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

 

I'm pretty sure Uona will stick with BYU and am starting to get very nervous on Knox.

[CuseCubFan69]

Pryor not going to decide tomorrow. Wonder how long this will last, I just don't see Penn State being a good fit for him.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/recruiting/football/news/story?id=3233143

 

I don't either. I think he's just trying to get as much cash as he can from Michigan/OSU and using Penn St as leverage. Michigan is going to have to beat the Escalade and jobs for 3 members of his family.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

LSU is likely to have a top ten class, but not a top five class. I'm a little dissapointed, but we've gotten some good players who will help on defense. I still think the team will be set up nicely.

[hardcorecubfan]

I love that Pryor did not sign, it is ridiculous be forced to choose, esp. being that good.

[CuseCubFan69]

I love that Pryor did not sign, it is ridiculous be forced to choose, esp. being that good.

 

I hear he's waiting for 11:30.

[Derwood]

I love that Pryor did not sign, it is ridiculous be forced to choose, esp. being that good.

 

you love that the top recruit in the nation didn't sign on National signing day? yeah, that's the kid I want...the one who is 18 and already doesn't want to play by the rules because he thinks he's too good for him.

 

yeah, he won't hold out of NFL camp in 3 years for a huge contract or anything.

 

Hey Tyrelle, maybe you'd heard of Maurice Clarett? learn from the past

[Keener98]

I love that Pryor did not sign, it is ridiculous be forced to choose, esp. being that good.

 

you love that the top recruit in the nation didn't sign on National signing day? yeah, that's the kid I want...the one who is 18 and already doesn't want to play by the rules because he thinks he's too good for him.

 

yeah, he won't hold out of NFL camp in 3 years for a huge contract or anything.

 

Hey Tyrelle, maybe you'd heard of Maurice Clarett? learn from the past

 

Or it could be that hes an 18 year old kid, trying to make the biggest decision in his life so far, and hes still undecided. But I guess that would just be absurd and arrogant of him.

[stuy119]

FSU is having a big year. Great class, and several big fish still out there that we have a chance at, including Julio Jones (and possibly Robert Lester), Josh Jenkins, TJ Bryant, and Corey Liuget.

 

This could be a class that FINALLY gets us back to the upper echelon of college football.

 

Yeah....you can forget about Julio Jones. He's been a virtual lock to Alabama since the Alabama/Arkansas game. There's less then a 5% chances that Jones signs with any team not name Alabama come tomorrow. And it's even less for Robert Lester. FSU fans can forget Jones/Lester as FSU was never consider a "strong" possibility for either kid. And TJ Bryant, well the rumor around my neck of the words...if that TJ will be a surprise commit to Alabama. I don't buy the rumor, as I believe he'll end up at FSU. Which is might as well, seeing as Saban viewed both Alonzo Lawrence and Robby Green as higher priorities then Bryant.

 

Not to burst your bubble, but Jones has visited FSU more than any other school. Lester has made several unofficial visits to FSU without anyone knowing (I have this confirmed through ex-players).

 

All signs point to Lester going where Julio goes as a package deal.

 

But we'll find out around noon.

[shnsajax]

I love that Pryor did not sign, it is ridiculous be forced to choose, esp. being that good.

 

you love that the top recruit in the nation didn't sign on National signing day? yeah, that's the kid I want...the one who is 18 and already doesn't want to play by the rules because he thinks he's too good for him.

 

yeah, he won't hold out of NFL camp in 3 years for a huge contract or anything.

 

Hey Tyrelle, maybe you'd heard of Maurice Clarett? learn from the past

 

Or it could be that hes an 18 year old kid, trying to make the biggest decision in his life so far, and hes still undecided. But I guess that would just be absurd and arrogant of him.

 

Agreed, especially in light of the kid who just got screwed over. I am sure Pryor has been feed more BS from just about every school in the nation, can't be too easy to make a decision. The last thing he wants to do is make a decision he will regret next week.