Plus Notre Dame vs. Michigan, Washington vs. Auburn, and more.

The final gun just sounded on the 2017 college football season. But already, there are some betting lines on 2018 college football games that you can bet on.

As always, caveats apply. This is for entertainment purposes only, and these odds come with low limits (books don’t want to take a lot of money on events this far in the future) and they are offered at -120 odds (a ripoff). All the lines are for opening weekend.

These odds come courtesy of 5Dimes Casino.

• Alabama -30 vs. Louisville (Orlando)
• Auburn -4 vs. Washington (Atlanta)
• West Virginia -8 vs. Tennessee (Charlotte)
• Texas -10 vs. Maryland (Landover)
• Miami -1 vs. LSU (Arlington)
• Michigan at Notre Dame -2
• BYU at Arizona -7.5
• FAU at Oklahoma -21
• North Carolina at Cal -4
• Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss (Houston) is a pick ’em
• Colorado -6 vs. Colorado State (Denver)
• Cincinnati at UCLA -13
• Northwestern at Purdue -1
• Oregon State at Ohio State -31
• Army at Duke -9
• San Diego State at Stanford -15
• Navy -12.5 at Hawaii
• Washington State -7.5 at Wyoming

Betting Alabama will be expensive in 2018

Right off the bat, It is very, very clear that bettors are going to pay a huge premium to bet on the Tide. THIRTY points against Louisville is wild. I know that Lamar Jackson is gone, as is much of the Cards’ defense, but still, 30!? This is what happens when Alabama has a dangerous offense to go with its defense.

Either Notre Dame or Michigan fans will begin the year angry

The spread of 2 on this contest suggests that both sets of fans will go into the game fully expecting to win. And one fan base will be crushed when that does not happen. Also, I wouldn’t want to bet on this game without first knowing if Ole Miss transfer QB Shea Patterson will be immediately eligible for the Wolverines.

Miami vs. LSU could be a defensive battle

A ton of speed on defense? Major questions at quarterback? Opening weekend, which often sees defense ahead of offense? Check, check, and check.

Revenge games galore

Remember when San Diego State beat Stanford? Or when Maryland went to Austin and hung half a hundred on Texas? Bet the Cardinal and Longhorns do, and the lines suggest they’ll get their revenge.

FAU vs. Oklahoma intrigue?

OK, the Owls are probably going to get blown out by the Sooners, but there is a fun subplot here in that former OU QB Chris Robison is probably going to be the starter for FAU.

New coaches in their debuts

Tennessee faces a stiff test under new coach Jeremy Pruitt in a WVU squad that can really put up points. Chip Kelly takes over at UCLA and welcomes a dreadful Cincinnati team. Unless BYU can seriously bounce back, Kevin Sumlin should have an easy opening weekend to start his Arizona tenure.

Some were stars; others weren’t even recruited to play football.

The Super Bowl is the biggest games in football. But every player in the game had to start somewhere. And most were recruited out of high school and evaluated by scouts.

With the help of the 247Sports Composite, we’ve got a time machine that tells us how almost every player in Super Bowl 52’s Eagles-Patriots game was rated coming out of high school. Not counting kickers and punters (who’ve rarely been rated), each team has a handful of starters who didn’t get ranked before college, either because they weren’t scouted well enough, developed late, or came through high school before the modern recruiting industry. Recruits have been ranked publicly only since the early 2000s.

Though 17 out of 22 Patriots starters were rated at least three-stars, the Patriots average star rating sits at 2.7, thanks to five unrated recruits.

* Tom Brady was around before recruiting rankings, but we’ve retroactively made him a four-star with an asterisk. From California, he was a Michigan signee with plenty of offers from other national powers and attention in national media outlets. In today’s landscape, he would’ve unquestionably been a blue-chip.

*Chris Hogan was actually a lacrosse player in college, for Penn State. And he was a damn good one, being selected as a 2006 Under Armour High School All-American.

The Eagles are a much different story.

The Eagles on the other hand, skew much, much higher, with an average star rating of 3.5. Recruiting fans scanning the Eagles’ roster will be familiar with those like Nelson Agholor, Tim Jernigan, Brandon Graham, Nigel Bradham, Ronald Darby, and Alshon Jeffery.

Perhaps the most interesting story on the Eagles is Lane Johnson. In high school, Johnson was 6’5 and 202 pounds. He went to junior college and just kept growing. And growing. And growing.

Eventually, Johnson wound up as a 6’6, 317-pounder. He went from a QB to a left tackle. That is rather unheard of:

“He was starving himself to play at 270 (pounds) to play D-end,” coach Bob Stoops said. “I asked (strength) Coach (Jerry) Schmidt how long it would take him to get to 300 pounds. He said, ‘About a week and a cheeseburger.’

Let’s get nerdy

• Five-stars: The Patriots have one, while the Eagles have five.
• Four-stars: The Patriots have four, while the Eagles have seven.
• Three-stars: The Patriots have 12, while the Eagles have seven.
• Two-stars or lower: The Patriots have five, while the Eagles have three.

Thirty-nine percent of the Super Bowl starters were four- or five-star recruits. To put it another way, about two in every five Super Bowl starters were four- or five-star recruits, but only about one in every 770 recruits are rated as such. So yes, your odds of starting in the Super Bowl are, unsurprisingly, much higher if you were a superstar recruit in high school.

Who will land the No. 1 class?

Morgan Moriarty and Bud Elliott return with another episode of The SB Nation College Football Recruiting Podcast. Be sure to subscribe to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, or your favorite podcast platform.

With just two weeks until National Signing Day, here are the storylines we discuss on the show.

Who will get the No. 1 class? Who will land a top-5 class?

Is it just Georgia and Ohio State for the top spot? Which players could lock up the crown for those respective powers? And what about Alabama?

Can Texas keep the No. 3 class and stop Alabama, Penn State, and Miami?

Where will the top players sign?

Patrick Surtain, Tyson Campbell, Devon Williams, Nicholas Petit-Frere, Isaac Taylor-Stuart, and Olaijah Griffin are discussed.

What are the loaded positions this year? Lacking?

On the plus side, we have quarterback, cornerback, and guard. On the flip side, defensive tackle and running back are lacking this season.

And which positions don’t quite measure up?

National Signing Day is just eight days away. Each college football recruiting class is different from another. Some years provide great linebackers. Other years offer a ton of superstar running backs. But there is not the same amount of talent available at each position on a year-to-year basis.

Coaches know this, and they have to balance their needs with their wants. For example, if a staff knows that the coming year lacks elite players at a certain position, it might try to load up in the current class at that spot. Or vice-a-versa.

What does the 2018 recruiting class offer? Let’s take a look at which positions stand out compared to recent years, and which might not quite measure up.

Up: QB

This is a special QB class, probably the best in a decade. It is awesome at the top, and pretty deep.

Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence, Georgia’s Justin Fields, and USC’s J.T. Daniels could easily each be not only the top QB in many previous years, but the top players overall.

Lawrence is probably the most highly acclaimed passer ever. Fields is like a jumbo version of Russel Wilson. And Daniels was so good that he is skipping his senior year altogether to enroll at USC, where he might start.

But it’s also a deep year. On the 247Sports Composite rankings, there are 32 QBs with a four-star rating. That is way more than 2017 (24), 2016 (21), 2015 (23), or 2014 (24).

Down: Running back

We’ve been spoiled in recent years.

The 2014 class featured five five-star running backs, including Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook, Sony Michel, and Nick Chub — players who were no doubt NFL bound if they could stay healthy. The 2017 class was nearly as good, with four five-stars including Najee Harris, Cam Akers, Stephen Carr, and D’Andre Swift.

The 2018 class has just two five-star backs, Georgia’s Zamir White and Miami’s Lorenzo Lingrard. White tore his ACL recently. It’s also not a deep year for the position, with the fewest number of four- and five-star players (15) in the last five classes.

Up: Receiver

Justin Shorter, the No. 1 receiver is Penn State bound, and those who are fans of both the Eagles and Nittany Lions should be happy because his pro comp is Terrell Owens. USC’s Amon-Ra St. Brown is one of the most technically advanced receivers I’ve ever scouted. LSU’s Terrace Marshall has great size, hands, and body control. And Clemson’s Derion Kendrick should be a nightmare in space.

But what makes this position up for 2018 is the depth. There are 64 receivers rated four- or five-stars, way more than the average of 49 from the previous four classes.

Up: Guard

The numbers don’t fully back me up on this, as the 17 blue-chip guards is right about the average of the last four classes. This argument is not about depth, however, it’s about the elite of the elite. Georgia’s Jamaree Salyer might be the best guard prospect in the history of modern recruiting rankings. Fellow Georgia signee Trey Hill could be an immediate starter at a lot of top schools. Penei Sewell, who is uncommitted as of Jan. 30, is also special and had a legitimate argument for five-star status.

Down: Defensive tackle

Where are the freaks? Not in 2018 at defensive tackle, I can tell you that. It’s not a bad year for the position in terms of depth, with 26 blue-chippers equaling the average of the previous for classes.

But over the last three classes, there have been 15 five-star DTs come through the ranks, and the vast majority of them would have easily been the No. 1 DT in the 2018 class. As it stands Ohio State’s Taron Vincent is listed as a five-star, but the services are fairly split on whether there should even be one in the class at all.

Up: Long corners

Teams want length at cornerback. This year, they can find it. 18 of the top 25 cornerbacks are listed at 6’0 or taller, with 13 of the 25 at 6’1 or more. That includes Pat Surtain Jr., and his American Heritage teammate Tyson Campbell, both of whom are uncommitted. This class is not incredibly polished, but for my money it has the most freakish athletes since the class of 2013.

Don’t let these common mistakes cause a college coach to miss you.

This time of year, the next crop of college football recruits are anxious to receive scholarship offers. And one of the primary ways colleges contact recruits is through Twitter direct messages.

In order to do that, coaches, scouts, media, etc. will search for the recruit on Twitter in order to follow him. And this is where a lot of recruits mess up by making it difficult or impossible for recruiters to find them. Don’t let Twitter mistakes prevent your hard work in the classroom and on the field from getting noticed!

What a good Twitter profile contains:

• Real name: Either in the player’s @, or in the Twitter name, the recruit should have his real name as it would appear on his transcripts. If a nickname is common, put it in the bio. This is the most important thing. Without it, it is basically impossible to find the player on Twitter, and coaches are only going to take so much time searching.
• Class year: Let the coach know which class you are in. 2019? 2020? 2022? Whatever it is, put it in there.
• High school name: If a coach has searched for your name, one way he can pick your profile out from other profiles who have the same name is by confirming that you attend the high school that he is looking for. Don’t abbreviate this.
• Position: Let the coach know what position(s) you play.
• Location: Again, a defensive back putting “______ Island” is cute, but it doesn’t help a coach or scout quickly find the player.
• Profile picture: Have it be of your face. If the coach has seen you before, he can quickly ID you from your face.
• Background picture: Have it be something football related, to again signal to coaches that you are a football recruit.
• Highlight link: Don’t make coaches go hunting for this! Put your link in and then go to your profile and click on it to make sure it works. Too often, recruits screw up when putting the link in, and it doesn’t work.

Here is a perfect example:

Dontae Lucas has his name, face, class year, background pic, school, position, location, and a working link to his highlight film.

Here is what should not be in a twitter profile:

• References to drugs: The other day, I was discussing a player with a coach, and he told me, “you do realize this kid’s Twitter name is a reference to drugs, right?” I didn’t, but the coach explained it. Don’t cost yourself a scholarship trying to be slick — college coaches are smarter than you think.
• Inside jokes that are going to be offensive to outsiders: A college coach meeting a recruit for the first time is an outsider. Don’t give him a reason not to offer.

The college recruiting process is like a job interview, and Twitter is part of that job interview. It can’t be treated like Instagram or Snapchat. Oh, and when a college coach follows you, follow him back.

How can someone so talented go unnoticed in the state of Georgia?

Update 2/4

FSU did convince Young to take the visit to Tallahassee. His mother accompanied him on the visit, and Young changed his Twitter bio from “Wide Receiver at The University of Tennessee” to “Wide Receiver at The Florida State University.” That’s not an official confirmation of a flip, however, especially not since Young really seems to enjoy having fun on social media. It’s also not uncommon for other recruits to play pranks on one another and change their social media.

Update 1/31

Schools have not given up on flipping Jordan Young from Tennessee.

Florida State will be visiting Wednesday, with the hope that it can lock in a visit for the final weekend before National Signing Day. Young has not taken any other visits since visiting and subsequently visiting Tennessee. This is an interesting battle as a lot of the new Tennessee staff (Jeremy Pruitt, Charles Kelly, Tino Sunseri) have ties to FSU. Tennessee will visit after, presumably with the hopes of getting Young to shut down his recruiting process.

Update 1/19

Since this article’s publishing, several other schools have reached out to inquire about Young, including Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Illinois and Virginia. Tennessee sources believe he will commit to the Volunteers soon, since they were the first to reach out and host him on a visit. (Young did commit to Tennessee).

Original Story

The second-highest high school athletics classification in Georgia is 6A. The 6A state champion in the 100M hurdles is 6’3 and 185 pounds and lives within 30 minutes of Atlanta.

As a senior, he caught 66 balls for 1,562 yards and 17 touchdowns and made Second-Team All-Georgia in the fourth-most talented state in the country for high school football talent.

And watching his film, it is clear he is not just a track guy — he is straight Mossing opponents:

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As of Sunday, Jordan Young had zero Power 5 offers.

Several DII schools were on him, and his 247Sports recruiting profile showed an offer from Coastal Carolina.

That changed Monday when the University of Tennessee offered him. 247Sports found out, apparently watched his film, and he went from unrated to the No. 192 player in the nation.

But how in the heck did a player with those measurables, production, and film fall through the cracks? To find out, I spoke with college coaches in Georgia and the Southeast who were recruiting him, on the condition of anonymity because it is an NCAA violation for coaches to publicize prospects.

Young’s senior year was nothing like his previous seasons

“He came out of nowhere,” an FBS coach said. “This just doesn’t happen. He is a f***ing freak and I can’t believe we didn’t know about him. At least he’s going to go big time and not to a competitor.”

Young went from catching 23 balls for 276 yards and one touchdown as a junior to an incredible 66 catches for 1,560 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior. It’s a remarkable turnaround.

Hudl

“He didn’t play much or put up numbers before this year,” a coach said.

Young’s highlights as a junior aren’t bad, they just aren’t special. Plus, there are not that many of them. As a senior, though, he seems to have put it all together.

Everyone matures at a different time. It could be that Young didn’t really come into his own until his senior season. The numbers certainly suggest so. And he does look like a different player as a senior.

Another coach shared that typically with a player this good, his coach or community will be calling coaching staffs to hype him up, but the coach didn’t hear much about him. Neither did local scouting services.

Why some lesser schools thought they had a shot

Other coaches expressed that they thought they had a shot because they weren’t sure what track his academic profile would take. Schools at lower levels can accept partial qualifiers. But an FBS coach told me that Young is “totally fine, good to go,” and said that he had an impressive test score. That killed the hopes of smaller schools and opened doors for Young.

The Aggies are getting an elite player in O’Neal.

Four-star safety Leon O’Neal committed to Texas A&M on Monday.

Out of Cypress (Texas) Springs High School, O’Neal is one of the top safety recruits in the nation. He chose the Aggies over at least 32 other offers, including Clemson, Oklahoma, Georgia, Alabama, Oregon, and more. He had previously committed to Texas A&M in June, but decommitted in early December, after the firing of coach Kevin Sumlin.

O’Neal was so coveted because of his combination of skills. At 6’1 and 195 pounds, O’Neal has excellent size for a safety prospect coming out of high school. It makes him a quality defender in the box against the run. Yet he has the coverage ability that should allow him to remain at the safety position instead of moving to linebacker, like some with his frame might have to do.

Despite physicality being a significant part of his game, O’Neal shows well in the non-contact setting of 7v7 football, covering smaller receivers in open space.

On a cold day in February 2017, O’Neal posted a SPARQ score of 99 at the Houston Nike Opening regional camp.

He’s the No. 3 inside linebacker in the country.

Four-star linebacker Solomon Tuliapupu committed to USC on National Signing Day, Wednesday. According to the the 247Sports Composite, the prospect out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei is the nation’s No. 3-ranked inside linebacker, the No. 86 player overall, and the No. 10 player in California. He is an elite talent.

Tuliapupu had two official visits this fall, including one to Oklahoma earlier this month and one to Notre Dame in October. He was being recruited hard by Ohio State earlier this fall, but Buckeye fans knew he was more of a USC lean. Here’s Land-Grant Holy Land:

While Davis is making the trip out West, getting Tuliaupupu out of California to commit may be a bigger hurdle. Right now on the 247sports Crystal Ball Predictions, eight of the nine predictions point to Tuliaupupu committing to the USC Trojans.

The 6’2, 220-pound prospect is a big addition for Clay Helton’s team.

Why Solomon Tuliaupupu is great

Attitude! Solomon Tuliaupupu arrives at the ball carrier with the intent to punish him, and he does just that. Of course, intent matters, but so does being 220 pounds and one of the strongest linebackers in the class. And consider that he also has good speed relative to his size, and it’s easy to see how he is so effective against the run or when blitzing. — Bud Elliott

The big offensive tackle announced his choice on National Signing Day.

Four-star offensive tackle Rasheed Walker committed to Penn State on National Signing Day. Out of Waldorf (MD) North Point, Walker had 27 scholarship offers, and selected the Nittany Lions over schools like Ohio State, Maryland, and Virginia Tech.

Walker is widely considered one of the 10 best tackles available in the recruiting class of 2018.

One of the main reasons so many schools wanted Walker was his potential. At 6’6 and close to 300 pounds, the U.S. Army All-American already has good size. But with his frame, he has the potential for so much more. Walker displays good quickness in space, which should allow him to get to the second level. This is backed up by his 5.35 time in the 40-yard dash.

What could take Walker from a good to a great player is increased feel for the game, and adding additional muscle to become more of a mauler in the run game. If Walker gets that, he could be an elite college lineman, since it would also come with more confidence.

Penn State blog Black Shoe Diaries says:

This is what elite recruiting looks like, folks. Walker now joins Nana Asiedu at offensive tackle, giving Penn State their top two offensive tackle targets heading into this recruiting cycle. Both Walker and Asiedu were made to play offensive tackle — long, athletic, and powerful — and should be bookends on Penn State’s offensive line in the future. The days of having to shift 6’3 center out to tackle are over.

Walker already has impressive size, weighing in at 300 pounds, but should end up in the 320 range. He has a massive frame that will have no problem carrying another 20 pounds or so. Like most offensive tackle prospects, he’ll need a redshirt year to adjust to the rigors of college football, but Walker doesn’t appear to be a project. He should be ready to play in 2019 if needed, and will absolutely push for a starting spot as a redshirt sophomore in 2020.

Welcome to Penn State, Rasheed!

Why Georgia, Washington, TCU, and Minnesota were special classes in 2018.

Now that National Signing Day 2018 has (mostly) come and gone, I’d like to review some of my favorite recruiting classes.

These are not necessarily the best classes, as that would be boring. Instead, I picked my favorite great class, excellent class, good class, and above-average class.

Great: Georgia Bulldogs (No. 1)

Georgia is as chalk as they come. The Bulldogs signed a superstar quarterback in Justin Fields, the No. 1 running back in Zamir White (who, when healthy, was miles ahead of any other 2018 RB), a top-three tight end, and three of the best eight offensive linemen in the country.

That is impressive considering UGA is ostensibly a defensive program in the Alabama/Saban mold.

In all, Georgia signed one of the best recruiting classes in the history of recruiting. Literally. Not just this year, but all-time.

What’s not to like? Every position was addressed with overwhelming, elite talent.

Excellent: Washington Huskies (No. 13)

There is so much to like about this class. Let’s start with the fact that the Huskies secured two commitments from top quarterbacks in Colson Yankoff and Jacob Sirmon, both of whom are considered top-10 at their spots in what is generally being discussed as a great year for QBs. Recruiting quarterbacks is a complete crap-shoot, but Chris Petersen has a good track record with it, and signing two increases the chance that one will work out.

Linebacker Brandon Kaho, out of Reno (Nevada), is a name that college football fans are likely to know in 2019, if not 2018. Kaho has it all — size at 230 pounds, range, instincts, motor, and nastiness.

I also like Domonique Hampton, a 6’2 potential corner out of Peoria (Arizona) Central. He moves well, and the Huskies might have signed a gem, despite Hampton being one of the lowest-rated players in Washington’s class.

Washington has been blown out several times by more talented teams in recent years, but the Huskies are in the middle of a gradual build. Washington is probably one more elite class away from joining the Blue-Chip Ratio club.

Good: TCU Horned Frogs (No. 25)

TCU is stepping up its recruiting efforts and somewhat separating from the likes of Oklahoma State, Baylor, Texas Tech, etc. All those year of winning seem to be paying off. I won’t tell you this class is in the same realm as the Longhorns and Sooners, but it is a nice class.

QB Justin Rogers is an excellent addition out of Bosier City (La.) Parkway. Rogers is big at 6’4 and 210 pounds, and he can really throw. He can also run enough that opponents need to respect his legs, which should create more opportunities to throw into single coverage.

I’m also a big fan of Trevon Moehrig-Woodard. The Spring Branch (Texas) Smithson Valley defensive back can do it all, and with good size at 6’2. The Horned Frogs got a steal there. He committed to TCU in April and stuck.

Above average: Minnesota Golden Gophers (No. 35)

I heard more about Minnesota’s recruiting this year than I had in all my years doing this job previously — combined. And the reason was Early Signing Period. Minnesota convinced so many kids who would have had spots at more successful programs later in the cycle to instead stick with them and sign early. Row the boat.

Tifton (Ga.) Tift County WR Rashod Bateman is a egregiously underrated at the No. 61 receiver in the nation on the 247Sports Composite rankings. Bateman has good size at 6’1, he’s fast enough, and he has a great feel for the game while catching everything. A lot of major programs in the Southeast were bummed when he stuck with Minnesota.

Ditto that for Snellville (Ga.) South Gwinnett CB Terrell Smith, a 6’0 corner who passed up interest from bigger programs to stick with the Gophers. And they paired him with Benny Sapp Jr., a 6’0 corner from Eden Prairie (Minn.) whose namesake played for the Vikings and Dolphins.

Big IMG Academy linemen Daniel Faalele and Curtis Dunlap round out the class.

Bonus for new coaches: Alabama

Losing coach Jeremy Pruitt definitely hurt the Tide’s defensive coaching staff, but I absolutely love the hires Nick Saban made, both from a coaching and recruiting perspective.

Getting Dan Enos from Michigan, Josh Gattis from Penn State, Pete Golding from Texas San Antonio (a really bright defensive mind), and Jeff Banks from Texas A&M is really something. Whether it is coaching, recruiting, or both, Saban knocked his assistant hires out of the park.

Taylor-Stuart is a speedster with size.

Four-star class of 2018 defensive back Isaac Taylor-Stuart, one of the country’s fastest players, will play college football at USC. Taylor-Stuart announced his commitment to the Trojans on National Signing Day, and he’s a huge get for head coach Clay Helton.

He’d also been considering Tennessee and Alabama. He’s USC’s big cornerback commit of NSD, after five-star Olaijah Griffin earlier.

“Best player to come out of San Diego in a decade: you think that’s legit?” I asked Taylor-Stuart at an Opening regional camp in Los Angeles earlier in 2017.

“Yeah, it’s legit, I wanna say,” he laughed.

His early 0.9844 score on the 247Sports Composite rankings gives him the highest grade of any recruit ever billed from the city of San Diego. At 6’2, 187 pounds, Taylor-Stuart has the size to battle with bigger receivers, a popular trend in the higher levels of football. He also ran track as a freshman and sophomore, and hopes to return some kicks and punts in college. He’s got the physical tools to be dangerous there.

Copeland said he had to make his own decision.

Four-star wide receiver Jacob Copeland committed to Florida on National Signing Day. He picked the Gators over offers from Alabama and Tennessee.

Awkwardly, Copeland’s mom left the ceremony as soon as he committed. She’d been wearing an Alabama hoodie and apparently really wanted him to pick the Tide or Tennessee, whose hat she was wearing.

“I can’t go with my mom,” Copeland told ESPN. “I gotta go with my heart.”

Copeland’s mom returned later and embraced her son:

Copeland appeared to be agonized during his recruitment:

But by the end of the day, laughed off the moment on Twitter.

Copeland isn’t the first recruit in recent years to defy his mother during a commitment ceremony. Former Alabama safety Landon Collins did it a few years ago:

Copeland’s a really good player.

Copeland, the Pensacola, Fla., blue-chipper, currently ranks as one of 2018’s top 10 receiver recruits and the No. 14 overall recruit in the state, per the 247Sports Composite. He said at the New Orleans regional camp of Nike’s The Opening tour early this year that Clemson co-OC Jeff Scott has referred to him as a Sammy Watkins-type.

Clemson, Florida, and Auburn were his biggest standout colleges earlier in the cycle, with Alabama emerging down the stretch as a threat.

He was, for a time, committed to Florida before the Gators’ coaching change forced him to go a different way. Tennessee came in as a late suitor and once Jeremy Pruitt got hired, secured a visit in mid-December.

Tennessee got a bump on Copeland the second Jeremy Pruitt arrived. Some of the staff has already paid Copeland an in-home visit.

Standing 6’0, 192 with a Spider-Man tat, he expects to reach about 205 in a college strength program. He cites academics and playing time as his biggest factors.

In order to focus on his grades. Copeland changed high schools amid a coaching change for his senior year.

Let’s unpack some recruiting storylines around the Southeast.

National Signing Day has come and gone. Over the next few days I’ll be emptying my notebook and brain, sharing my thoughts and observations about what happened and what is coming next. In this piece, I’ll discuss the Southeast, the only region which features heavy overlap between two Power 5 conferences — the SEC and ACC.

1. Those Georgia fans who for years sounded outrageous? They were right: Mark Richt did underachieve at Georgia.

You were right, Georgia fans.

I agreed with you that Georgia should have been better, but I didn’t think it should be this much better. What Georgia is doing is going to give so many other fan bases wildly unrealistic of what coaches can do in two years at schools without the resources Kirby Smart has in Athens.

Smart’s last two classes are head and shoulders above any Mark Richt ever brought to Georgia, on paper. Over the last two years, the state has produced 33 prospects rated 0.94 or better on the 247Sports Composite. Georgia has signed 19 of those 33.

Wednesday, Georgia signed the No. 2 class of all time. All time! Georgia signed more than twice as many five-star recruits as the rest of the SEC combined!

The Bulldogs signed a superstar quarterback in Justin Fields, the No. 1 running back in Zamir White (who, when healthy, was miles ahead of any other 2018 RB), a top-three tight end, and three of the best eight offensive linemen in the country. And 11 defensive four- or five-star recruits. The outlier example of Georgia is going to warp expectations in a bad way.

2. Imagine being a fan of Florida or Tennessee right now.

New coaching hires are supposed to come with a large dose of optimism.

Florida signed the No. 14 class, with 12 four-star players, Tennessee signed the No. 20 class, with eight four-stars.

And I won’t say that the honeymoon period is over in Gainesville or Knoxville, but a heavy dose of patience is going to be needed because the talent gap between Georgia and its two biggest division rivals is as big as it has been in 40 years.

• Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two years (42) than Florida and Tennessee combined (36).
• Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two classes (42) than Florida (37) or Tennessee (39) on their own has in the last four years.
• Georgia’s roster is several years of recruiting ahead of the Gators and Vols.

The vast majority of elite players signed in the new Early Signing Period. That means that teams that made coaching changes got hosed. And it came at the perfect time for Georgia.

Florida’s class will be better in 2019, as will Tennessee’s thanks to not having to adjust to a coaching change. But Florida needs to hit home runs in 2019 and 2020 to close the gap with Georgia, and Tennessee is probably an additional year behind.

Dan Mullen and Jeremy Pruitt have a lot of work to do.

3. Florida can catch up eventually. Just maybe not now.

I really like some of the pieces the Gators brought in. Mullen got his QB in Emory Jones, a four-star from Atlanta who flipped from Ohio State. And don’t forget the transfer receivers in Ohio State’s Trevon Grimes and Ole Miss’ Van Jefferson, both of whom will be two of the more talented players on the roster the moment they step on campus.

It feels weird talking about a top-15 class as something other than a success, but Georgia has simply raised the bar.

For the next year or two, due to the talent it signed, it is hard not to see Georgia as the odds-on favorite (“odds-on” meaning the favorite is more likely to win than the field) for the East, much like Alabama has been for a decade now for the West. We’ve never seen Georgia do this.

4. The clock is ticking on LSU.

When the Tigers hired Ed Orgeron, the narrative was that LSU could execute the Clemson plan, but in a more talented state than South Carolina. The Clemson plan was supposed to be a dynamic recruiting CEO personality at head coach, like Dabo Swinney, surrounded by elite coordinators.

In theory, the Dabo plan should work at LSU. But so far it has not. Coordinator Matt Canada already left. LSU had a disappointing year on the field and followed it up with a recruiting class that ranked 15th. It is the first LSU recruiting class to rank outside the top 10 in a decade.

The disappointing finish was exemplified by Alabama landing five-star cornerback Pat Surtain Jr., a top prospect from Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) for whom the Tigers had the lead for much of the cycle. Surtain’s family is from Louisiana, and he made multiple trips to Baton Rouge. And yet he went to Alabama. The Tigers also missed on QB James Foster, a Montgomery (Ala.) prospect who chose Texas A&M, athlete Mario Goodrich (Clemson), and safety Ar’Darius Washington (TCU).

LSU was supposed to be gaining ground on Alabama on the recruiting trail. That is not happening. From 2015-16, Alabama signed 79 percent blue-chip players, while LSU signed 63. In Ed Orgeron’s two classes (2017-18), the gap is exactly the same.

Considering Alabama just made some awesome recruiting hires as well, good luck closing the gap in 2019 without a significant improvement in the on-field product being sold in Tiger Stadium.

Luckily for LSU and its staff, its home state is loaded with top talent for the class of 2019.

5. Texas A&M might be a pain in LSU’s side, too.

New coach Jimbo Fisher, despite having only eight weeks to do so, pulled Texas A&M’s class almost even with LSU’s. The Aggies finished 17th and signed the same number of blue-chip prospects as the Tigers: 13. That should concern LSU fans. Orgeron had a whole year to work on LSU’s class. Fisher basically equaled it in eight weeks.

The Aggies have a ton of momentum right now for 2019, especially in the city of Houston. Houston is a traditional battleground between A&M and LSU, and if A&M gains more of the upper hand than it normally has, it will hurt LSU. Recruiting is a zero-sum game.

6. Clemson’s approach is risky, but its hit rate has been unreal.

This is not a criticism. It’s just something I’ve been wondering about. ‘

Clemson signed just 17 players on National Signing Day. Part of that is a result of so many elite players returning to school instead of going to the NFL draft. But part of it is Clemson being super selective and not filling its spots.

The interesting thing is that Clemson signed just 14 players in the 2017 class, meaning it has signed just 31 players in the last two classes. That is a shockingly low number, much lower than elite recruiting counterparts like Georgia (52), Ohio State (47), and Alabama (46). It’s even 10 lower than notoriously selective USC (41). Just about the only top football school with fewer is Stanford, with 29.

Of course, this should set up Clemson to take quite a large class in 2019, with departing seniors and attrition.

But this has worked only because Clemson’s hit rate has been unreal. The Tigers sign super-talented recruits. Their prospects have developed rapidly, both physically and mentally. And for the most part, they’ve stayed healthy.

Clemson is no doubt on a great run with its hit rate. But part of me does feel that the Tigers are playing with fire taking so few prospects in a two-year span. When a school does this, any attrition is felt more than it would be at a school that signs more prospects, simply because it represents a greater portion of the whole. I don’t think you’ll see Clemson go this route again in 2019.

7. South Carolina is set up to consistently pull an upset and go to a bowl.

I like what South Carolina is doing. I know its fans think the program should be aspiring to much more than it is, but the facts are that South Carolina is in the midst of its best 15-year stretch ever, which includes 11 bowl appearances. In the previous 100 years, the Gamecocks bowled about once per decade. South Carolina is recruiting to sustain the successful run.

The Gamecocks know they have to pull some elite talent but that they won’t be able to consistently win recruiting battles against elite SEC teams. So the Gamecocks have been able to identify which top recruits they should invest their time with, and then they also do a good job scouting mid- and lower-level gems.

South Carolina seems particularly good at figuring out which players might fit as its Plan A, while being perhaps Georgia’s Plan B or Plan C. They win by showing plenty of love to the player throughout the process and letting the recruit know he is top priority, not just a player of interest.

Going after too many elite players can lead to a roster with big holes. Going after too few can create a roster with good numbers but not enough talent. Will Muschamp’s team has found a sweet spot.

8. A lot of talent left Florida this cycle, but look deeper.

A lot has been made of elite players leaving the state of Florida. It was a legitimate issue in the 2018 class. Only 25 of the state’s 66 players rated four- and five-stars stayed in the state.

But was the problem really that bad for the programs in the state? And if so, why?

The answer to the first question was no. It was bad, but the rankings in Florida are skewed by the inclusion of IMG Academy, an elite boarding school home to primarily players from outside the state who usually return to their home regions. Eleven of the 66 elite Florida players in this class attended IMG, and only one stayed in the state.

Removing the IMG set from the data presents a clearer picture: 55 four- and five-stars, 24 of whom stayed in the state. Miami kept 12, while Florida and Florida State each kept six. UCF, USF, FIU, and FAU signed zero. Considering that both the Gators and Seminoles had coaching upheaval this season, it’s not entirely surprising that the more than half of the players left the state. In a given year, the state’s big three should be expected to sign more than half of the elite Florida natives, but the talent flight this season was foreseeable.

9. FSU will have a huge in-state focus in the 2019 class.

FSU signed the No. 1 class of any school that made a head coaching change, at No. 11 overall. But as discussed above, FSU did not hold serve in its home state, mostly due to not having much time to put together the class. FSU has signed just 12 four- or five-stars from Florida combined in the last two cycles and will be looking to sign that many in 2019 alone.

Neighboring state Georgia has also become more difficult to recruit for all programs not named UGA, ever since the Bulldogs kicked things into high gear.

But the Seminoles whiffed on two key positions. The first, linebacker, can largely be remedied in 2019 by looking in-state. But quarterback, at which the Seminoles lost James Foster to Texas A&M, is not a strong position in Florida for 2019, so all three programs in the state may need to look outside for help.

10. Ole Miss desperately needs a better class in 2019.

I was going to write a few hundred words about Ole Miss, but this from Red Cup Rebellion really sums it up:

[Top-35 classes] won’t get it done in the SEC. So onward to the 2019 class in which eight of the top 10 targets inside the state of Mississippi are on the defensive side of the ball, per 247Sports Composite Rankings. Perfect, right?! Because that’s what the Rebs need, right? This next cycle is going to mold the next five years and dictate what kind of tenure [Matt] Luke has as head coach of the Rebels. Fair or not, the heat is on.

Ole Miss has seen the talent on its roster decline dramatically in the last two seasons, and Coach Luke must knock out the 2019 class or the Rebels will be the doormat of the West.

Interviews with 15 top prospects, highlights, and observations.

MISSION VIEJO, CALIF. — Some of the best athletes on the West Coast gathered Sunday to compete in the Under Armour All-America Camp’s L.A. tour stop for a chance to go to the Under Armour All-America Game.

Here is what I learned via observations and interviews.

Heard: Washington coming on strong

It was no surprise that among the elite players, USC is still far and away the top choice. It has been that way for almost their entire lives. But with Chip Kelly taking over at UCLA, I thought I would hear more about the Bruins. Instead, I heard Washington, Washington, and more Washington. Chris Petersen and his staff are slowly building something special in Seattle. I had Washington as one of my four favorite classes in 2018, and that could continue for 2019. We’ll see how UCLA and Oregon do as their new staffs get more footing.

Outside the Pac-12: Oklahoma, Nebraska, and ... Tennessee?

Because very little elite football is played in the Mountain time zone, the West region is the most geographically isolated from the rest of the country. Kids often talk about going to schools in the East or South, but it usually doesn’t happen.

When it does, it is typically to schools who have a history of success with California players. And those are the names I heard Sunday: Oklahoma, Nebraska (Calibraska), and even some Tennessee.

Under Armour All-America Game Invites

These players, based on film evaluation and camp performance, earned invites to the Under Armour All-America Game: Mykael Wright, Jason Rodriguez, and Mase Funa. I have interviews with Wright and Funa, below.

Future 50 invites

Three players earned invites to the Future 50, an event in January featuring the best underclassmen in the nation. And yes, that is NFL legend Chad Johnson’s son.

5 standouts

These five players stood out to me on the day.

1. Valencia (Calif.) cornerback Mykael Wright was sticky all day. He has good size at 5’11, and nice recovery speed. I did not see anyone beat him deep on the day. Information on Wright’s recruitment is in the “scoop” section, below.
2. Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills tackle Jason Rodriguez was dominant all day. At a long 6’6 and 321, Rodriguez is a player who is coming into his own and beginning to understand how to control that much body. He handled both speed and power rushers on the day, and his confidence is growing. Rodriguez teased an interesting dream offer in the “scoop” section, below.
3. Carlsbad (Calif.) athlete Asa Turner is a really interesting prospect. At 6’4 and roughly 200 pounds, he could play receiver, tight end, safety, but I am intrigued by the option of him playing linebacker. He was super athletic at linebacker Sunday, and has the long frame to add 30+ pounds at the college level. It would not shock me to see him grow into an edge rusher in college.
4. Corona (Calif.) Centennial defensive lineman Drake Jackson was arguably the best defensive lineman on the day. Jackson is a bit of a tweeter, and could be a five- or three-technique in college. He was too much for opposing guards to handle.
5. Logan Loya: See the “young guns” section, below.

3 players who are better than their ranking

These are three players who are better than their current recruiting ranking (if they even have one).

1. Blake Antzoulatos, 2019 LB, West Hills (Calif.) Chaminade: Antzoulatos is currently rated the No. 20 inside linebacker nationally. Quite simply, if that is the case, then this is the best year for inside linebacker recruits ever. Antzoulatos has some great film. He’s super aggressive, and physicality runs in his family as his dad was a pro hocker player. But he backed it up in person, measuring in at 6’1, 218, and showing very well in agility drills and in coverage. Boston College and Cal are his current best offers.
2. Jamari Ferrell, 2019 RB, Mission Viejo (Calif): Ferrell is 5’7, 180 and makes some sharp cuts to get open. He looked good going through bags, and caught the ball well. Ferrell is yet to receive any offers.
3. Na’Im Rodman, 2019 DT, Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco: Rodman won rep after rep on the day, beating some good guards with quickness and power. He is listed as the No. 70 DT nationally as of February 26, and that seems low.

The scoop: In their own words

I chatted with 15 or so of the West’s best prospects. Here they are in their own words, plus intel I gathered on them talking with area experts and media.

Mykael Wright, a cornerback from Valencia (Calif.) was one of the top players at the event. At roughly 5’11, 180, Wright has good size and was like glue on receivers all day. I chatted him up after he received his invite to the Under Armour All-America Game.

“If I had to make a Top 5, I know that Oregon, USC, and Arizona would make it,” he said. Wright has connected with the new staff at Arizona. He’ll visit USC the first weekend in March, and will see Oregon in the spring.

Wright recently picked up an offer from Alabama, which he classified as a “game changer.” He thinks Texas and Michigan could be the next to offer.

Intel: Speaking to local recruiting media, they don’t think Wright is going to leave the West Coast.

Jason Rodriguez, of Hesperia (Calif.) Oak Hills had a strong day as well. A strong week, really. The 2019 tackle prospect added an offer from USC on Saturday, and on Sunday, received an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game. Rodriguez came in at 6’6 and 321 pounds, but doesn’t look sloppy.

Among his current offers, USC and Oregon really stand out to him.

Rodriguez was very excited to talk about his USC offer, but there was another school he wanted to discuss.

“Texas A&M,” Rodriguez said when asked what offer he still really wants. “That’s where my family is. They have a great program for my major (genealogy), because I want to be a geneticist. And they have amazing facilities.”

If A&M offers, the Aggies will be on the lead lap.

“A&M would be right up there with USC and Oregon,” Rodriguez said.

He models his game after tackle Donald Penn of the Oakland Raiders.

Intel: Rodriguez had a ton of enthusiasm when discussing A&M. I think the two Pac-12 schools are currently in the driver’s seat, but for him to know so much about the Aggies suggests to me that he has legitimate interest in the program.

Linebacker Jonathan Perkins, of San Bernadino (Calif.) Cajon continued his strong run Sunday, picking up an offer from LSU right before the event.

“I just talked to (LSU defensive coordinator) Dave Aranda this morning,” he said, excited about the offer. Perkins wore a purple undershirt to show off the love he was feeling from the Bayou Bengals.

Perkins’ list of top schools is interesting for its lack of California schools: Oklahoma, Oregon, LSU, Texas A&M, and Texas. The first three stand out more, and of his five, all but Texas have offered, though he thinks Texas and TCU could soon offer.

But what about the California schools?

He was a UCLA commit until the coaching change, but decommitted.

“I’m still interested in UCLA, Chip Kelly came by my school and I am getting to know the new staff,” Perkins said. USC has not shown interest.

Intel: Perkins looked good in early drills, which surprised me a bit because he looks heavier than his listed 6’1, 207. There’s no doubt that when he’s in top shape, he’s a baller.

Lawndale (Calif.) running back Jordan Wilmore is short at 5’8, but he is quick and packs a punch at 200 pounds. The four-star also caught the the ball well on Sunday.

Wilmore has 15 offers, but one really stands out: USC.

“It made me say ‘wow,’” Wilmore said of his USC offer.

“With USC, it’s my hometown,” Wilmore said. “I’m cool with all the coaches, they’re all cool with me. It’s family.”

Utah is also strongly in the running for Wilmore.

“Coach Mac hits me up all the time, he’s a great guy,” Wilmore said of Utah RB coach Kiel McDonald.

He thinks Georgia could be the next to offer. He wants to pick up offers from Oklahoma, LSU, and FSU.

Wilmore plans to major in communications and business, with a minor in kinesiology.

2019 DT Keyon Ware-Hudson is a prospect I was eager to see, as the four-star is coming off a torn ACL. The 6’3, 305-pounder out of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei looked good.

He said that Oregon is recruiting him the hardest, and wants to return to Oregon for its spring game.

“Oregon is on me every week,” Ware-Hudson said.

USC is the other school standing out. He visited USC for junior day a few weeks ago.

Ware-Hudson said that he thinks Virginia Tech and FSU could be close to offering.

Bonus: Look for my interview with four-star defensive lineman Stephon Wright, to come Tuesday on SB Nation Recruiting.

Young guns

Take this opportunity to learn about some of the top young players in the game.

Logan Loya, 2020 WR, Orange (Calif.) Lutheran: Whoa. Logan Loya is really nice. An underclassman, the 6’0, 170-pounder was quite simply the best receiver at the event all day. He was able to vary his tempo, gets in and out of his breaks without having to gear down, and catches everything. I was shocked that Loya only has one offer (San Jose State). That should change soon. Loya is currently unrated by all of the major sites.

The top 2020 QB DJ Uiagalelei has everything going for him. The Bellflower (Calif.) St. John Bosco prospect is huge at 6’5 and 240 pounds. He has a cannon for an arm. He has a very high IQ, both on field (countless relatives are coaches) and off (he says he has the grades to play for Stanford or Cal). He is also an excellent baseball player who will likely get drafted, though he expects to play football. Basically every major program in the nation has offered.

Intel: Everyone, and I mean everyone, I spoke with expects him to go to USC.

Keep an eye on Sefita Tupe, a 2020 DT out of Gardena (Calif.) Junipero Serra High School. At 6’0 and 280 pounds, Tupe’s only offer is from Oregon State. But he plays with a lot of power and a good motor, getting rep after rep. Arizona is showing interest, and he wants offers from USC, Notre Dame, and Oregon. Like many players of Polynesian descent (Tupe is Tongan), Tupe looks up to Oregon defensive line coach Joe Salave’a.

I liked what I saw from La Habra (Calif.) cornerback Cam Phillips III. The 5’10, 180-pound 2020 CB is very physical, and plays with great focus. He tries to make the most of every rep and had a good day in coverage.

Next at the controls of the machine that is Mater Dei HS is 2020 QB Bryce Young. Young transferred from Cathedral to Mater Dei after the departure of J.T. Daniels, who elected to graduate a full year early in order to enroll at USC. Young threw the ball very well.

2020 guard Myles Murao, of Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei impressed me in January during the Army All-American Bowl combine, and did so again Sunday. The 6’3, 270-pound Murao has a great sense of body control and footwork for a young players. Among his offers, Washington and USC stand out, and he is hoping Stanford and Notre Dame will come through with an offer. Murao wants to stay close to home.

2020 DT Ricky Correia is a name to keep an eye on. The 6’4, 300-pounder from Fresno (Calif.) Edison carries his weight well, and if he gets more accustomed to his newfound size, he could be pretty good. Arizona offered under the previous coaching staff, and Correia wants to receive offers from USC, Washington, and Arizona State.

USC, Washington, and Nebraska have his interest early in the process.

Mission Viejo, Calif. — Stephon Wright is one of the better players on the West Coast and ranked in the top 250 nationally.

The Los Angeles (Calif.) Cathedral defensive lineman has over 15 offers entering his senior season, including from the likes of Arizona State, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, USC Trojans, Utah, and Washington Huskies.

At 6’3 and 270 pounds, Wright is an impressive physical presence. He can rush off the edge and stack against the run. But he is also growing, and has the ability to make an impact sliding inside and rushing the QB on passing downs, as he did in the clip below.

I caught up with Wright at the Under Armour All-America Camp tour in Los Angeles.

Wright said that three of his current offers are on top.

“Nebraska, Washington, and USC are standing out the most,” Wright said.

“Washington is exciting. I am visiting in April and I can’t wait,” Wright said. “I know all their coaches, and they talk to me like I am already on the team. [Defensive line coach] Ikaika Malloe is a great guy.”

The hometown Trojans are also a major factor.

“USC just feels like home. All the coaches love you and welcome you to the family,” he said.

And a school outside the Pac-12 also has Wright’s interest after recently extending an offer.

“I got Nebraska last week,“ Wright said. “They are telling me that they are excited about me and can’t wait to form a relationship with me. It’s Nebraska. Once I get to know them, I’ll like it even more.”

Nebraska recruited California well under its previous staff, and Wright thinks the new staff under Scott Frost will also do so, even though the prior staff did not offer him.

I asked Wright if he doesn’t go to USC, what school does he feel he is most likely to end up at. He first said Oregon, but then settled on Washington after stating that he does not yet have an Oregon offer.

“Oregon is the big offer I still want,” Wright said.

This could be a huge break for new coach Jeremy Pruitt.

The Tennessee Volunteers recruited well under Butch Jones. His first class, typically the worst for a coach, ranked 25th. His final, which many looked at as being signed by a lame-duck coach, was 17th.

But in between, he signed classes ranked seventh, fourth, and 14th. That is really good.

Developing the talent, hiring coaches, managing egos, etc. were a struggle for Jones. The job was too big for him.

Enter Jeremy Pruitt.

Pruitt signed a top-20 class in his first try, struggling to assemble a class in a few short weeks, like almost all new coaches hired under the new framework of the Early Signing Period.

I have no idea if the former Alabama defensive coordinator will fare any better than Jones on the field. He’s far less proven as a head coach. But I do know that he is a dynamic recruiter. And he made a smart director of player personnel hire in Drew Hughes, from Florida. While those don’t speak to program management, they are encouraging signs that Tennessee’s recruiting will get back to a high level.

And Pruitt will have a major advantage in compiling his first full class, the class which typically goes a long way in making or breaking a coaching tenure: right now, the state of Tennessee is much more talented than it normally is.

4- and 5-star recruits in Tennessee, by class

• 2009: 6
• 2010: 5
• 2011: 3
• 2012: 7
• 2013: 9
• 2014: 7
• 2015: 10
• 2016: 8
• 2017: 9
• 2018: 11
• 2019: 18

Early recruiting rankings are inherently suspect, released prematurely for the purpose of fan interest and selling subscriptions. Luckily, they are fairly dynamic as the rating services gain more information about the players. So know that this could change. But already, there are more four- and five-star recruits in the state than there were in any of the last 10 years, according to the 247Sports Composite.

In the 10 classes from 2009 to 2018, there were a total of 75 such recruits, an average of 7.5 per class in the state. This year, it looks safe to say the state is twice as talented as it normally is. That is a huge stroke of luck for a first-year coach.

To be sure, Pruitt and Co. still have to go out and land those players.

Tennessee is an odd-shaped state, and Knoxville is six hours away from the talented city of Memphis. But only four of the 18 players ranked as elite are from Memphis, with most from closer cities like Nashville, Murfreesboro, and Chattanooga.

If Tennessee is going to get back to contending for the SEC East, it is going to need to do extremely well in its own state, since recruiting in the former fertile areas the Vols used 20 years ago is now tougher.

That’s to say nothing of how Tennessee used to be able to raid North and South Carolina when NC State, UNC, Clemson, and South Carolina were all down, but now has to fight legitimate battles for at least some players from Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greenville.

But it can’t sustain solely on Tennessee. The Vols have to own Tennessee and cherry pick some battles in the Southeast and California. Catching up to the Death Star being built in Athens is going to be really tough because Georgia is now way out in front of the division in terms of recruiting.

-Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two years (42) than Florida and Tennessee combined (36).

-Georgia has signed more four- and five-star recruits in the last two classes (42) than Florida (37) or Tennessee (39) on their own has in the last four years.

For Pruitt to get Tennessee back in contention, it starts in state.

Length, speed, and aggressiveness. Yup, the state of Florida has loads of skill position talent in 2019.

Over the weekend, talent from all over the southeast descended on the state of Florida for some 7v7 competition. On Saturday, I drove up to the IMG Academy in Bradenton for the NFA 7v7 Southeast Championship. On Sunday, I headed over the the Adidas East Championship in Homestead (very South Miami).

Because fans care about players and the colleges for which they cheer, and not as much about 7v7 teams or events, I’ll be combining my observations and scoop from both events.

The best player I saw: Georgia WR commit Jadon Haselwood

This was a tough decision, because there were a number of standout players over the weekend, but I’ll go with Jadon Haselwood, of Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove. He was by far the best player on his team. Opponents knew the 6’3 receiver prospect, who many consider the best in the nation, would be getting the ball. They doubled him. They pressed him. They played off. They held him all day. And he still made tough catches, snatching the ball repeatedly, using his body to shield defenders, and his speed to go by them. He caught the touchdown to send his team to overtime, and the winner in that overtime to send his team to the semifinals. Haselwood was exhausted. He probably played 150 plays in five hours on Sunday.

After, I spoke with him. He is still solidly committed to Georgia. “We’re (UGA) building something special,” he said. But Haselwood does want to take visits and experience the recruiting process, though he has not yet figured out all of where he’ll attend.

But he does have one official visit locked in: Oklahoma. Haselwood feels “like family” at Oklahoma and likes how they throw the football.

The best play I saw: Marcus Rosemy impersonates Odell Beckham Jr.

Unlike figuring out who was the best player, this best play decision was easy. It was Marcus Rosemy, a 2020 WR out of Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas, making a ridiculous catch against one of the better corners in his grade. It was good coverage, and an even better catch. Just watch.

Rosemy is 6’1, 180 pounds, and has big hands. He has a good understanding of setting up routes for someone his age, and he plucks the ball well. I spoke with someone who has watched him at Aquinas, and they said the only thing he needs is confidence. He is certainly coming into his own, and claims early offers from Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas. I have to think Florida State and Miami will come soon.

2019 QBs continue to disappoint

2018 was an awesome year for QB recruits. So far, 2019 appears to be a very down year nationally for the position. That trend continued this weekend, as receivers were frustrated that their quarterbacks could not get them the ball. As you’ll read about in the “Young Guns” piece (coming Wednesday), the 2020 class offers some respite.

11 other stars recruiting fans should know

The following players caught my eye in the 2019 class.

1. Brendan Gant, S, Lakeland (Fla.) Kathleen: What makes a great defender? Mentally, it is instincts and relentlessness. But physically, it is the ability to “play up” with great size. By that I mean, a linebacker who can play the position while being defensive end size, a corner with safety size, or in the case of Gant, the ability to play safety despite having linebacker size. The 6’2, 190-pound Alabama commitment covered well on Sunday, and he has room to grow. He is still open to taking visits.
2. John Dunmore, WR, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna: Dunmore is just so smooth that defensive backs underestimate his speed. He gets in and out of his breaks, he makes tough catches and has excellent body control. Dunmore was open a lot more than he got the ball, too. Florida State is in a good spot with Dunmore, as he visited recently and called the Seminoles his “dream school.”
3. Tyrique Stevenson, DB, Homestead (Fla.) South Dade: Stevenson is a phenomenal talent. He has the height at 6’0, he’s thick at 190 pounds, and he is so fast twitch. He is raw technique wise as a corner, yet shows good instincts for the position. Stevenson could be a major asset in college, capable of moving all over the field and blitzing as well. Stevenson has been to Miami a bunch of times, and will visit Southern powers this spring. I didn’t get the sense that he is close to making a decision.
4. Isaiah Washington, WR, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian: Washington made several tough catches for the eventual champion Rat Pak squad. He is currently rated the No. 120 receiver nationally, and the No. 126 player in Florida, which just goes to show how early it is in the rankings process. The 6’3, 190-pound Washington holds offers from Purdue and Boston College. I expect him to gain more offers and for his recruitment to change.
5. Te’Cory Couch, CB, Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna: The Tennessee cornerback commitment made play after play during the final stretch on Sunday, helping to keep his team alive. Couch is quick and instinctive. Couch is still taking visits, though he remains committed to Tennessee.
6. Frank Ladson, WR, Homestead (Fla.) South Dade: Ladson is a skinny 6’4 with an easy top gear who can go up and get the ball with the best of them. He is not the best high school receiver in the country, but he might have the highest receiver ceiling as a prospect because of what he could become once he fills out. Clemson is in a good position with Ladson, though in-state schools like FSU and Miami will try to change that.
7. Marcus LaFrance, S, Ft. Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas: I think the 6’2 LaFrance will eventually make his money playing safety, since he has a lot of room to fill out. Given his length,I was impressed by how well LaFrance covered playing corner on Saturday. LaFrance wants to visit Texas and Louisville. He would like an offer from Auburn and FSU.
8. Marcus Crowley, ATH, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian: The Miami commitment is one of the most interesting players in the class. He is listed as a running back, can also play linebacker, but he is so good catching the football, sensing open space, and beating defenders that I’d be tempted to play him at H-Back. Linebackers, even the good ones, can’t cover him. Crowley isn’t huge, nor is he a freak athlete, but he has so many good qualities of a versatile, winning football player.
9. Jack Kiser, LB, Royal Center (In) Pioneer: Kiser plays QB in high school, but he is a solid 6’2, 200, and moved well at linebacker. He already holds offers from Iowa and Michigan State, and wants to add offers from Notre Dame and Stanford.
10. Tamauzia Brown, ATH, Newton (Texas): Brown is listed as a cornerback on most of the recruiting sites, Brown looked nice at receiver on Sunday. He is a legit 6’1 with excellent burst and change of direction, and those skills translate at cornerback as well. He already has offers from Arkansas and Baylor, and it won’t surprise me if the bigger schools in Texas, Oklahoma, and the SEC jump in soon. Newton is a town of less than 3,000 people, so it makes sense that Brown’s offers might lag behind his talents a bit.
11. Jarvis Brownlee Jr., CB, Miami (Fla.) Carol City: Brownlee Jr. is a physical, aggressive cornerback who is picking up steam on the recruiting trail. I think he’s intriguing at corner, where he worked Sunday, but also as a nickel safety since he will probably be 6’0, 190 in college. Toledo and FIU are his best offers to date. I believe Brownlee can play in the upper half of the Power 5.

Miami the beneficiary of Adidas tournament

With the Adidas tournament being in Miami, many of the teams took the opportunity to swing by the campus of the Hurricanes on the previous day. Players from Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale, and Orlando did so, as well as players from state’s like Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, and some Midwestern states. Here’s a photo of Pro Impact, Jacksonville’s elite 7v7 team visiting the Hurricanes, courtesy of elite 2020 CB Miles Brooks.

Five-star running back recruit Tre Sanders, of the IMG Academy visited Miami for the second time this year. A Hurricanes’ source told me he believes Miami is more in it for Sanders than some outsiders think. Sanders, by the way, was elite on the day but his team’s QB could not get him the ball.

Florida pulling out of Dade County?

There was a good bit of speculation on the sidelines as to whether the Gators will be de-emphasizing Dade County compared to previous years. I’ve certainly heard this a few times so far this year, as the Gators lost several staffers with connections in Dade County. Florida had put increased effort into the county in recent years under the prior staff, but failed to land the elite of its elite prospects.

We’ll see if this happens, but I do expect Florida to continue to recruit Broward and Palm Beach counties, where they have been strong. I also expect Florida to focus strong on Orlando and Jacksonville, both of which are within a two-hour drive of campus.

Big men on the road

I spoke with several linemen, who for obvious reasons don’t participate in 7v7. They do, however, hang out on the sidelines and support their teammates.

I spoke with IMG four-star offensive lineman DeyavieHammond, who decommitted from Alabama early in 2018. Hammond is a massive 6’4 and 320 pounds, with interest from many top schools.

He told me that he is still friendly with Alabama, despite the decommitment. “I still speak with coach (Mike) Locksley,” he said of the Alabama co-offensive coordinator.

Hammond plans to visit LSU with fellow offensive lineman Charles Turner. He also wants to visit Florida, since he has not been since the staff transition. Turner also wants to visit UF. He is aware of Florida’s strong tradition at his former school, Lakeland High.

Hammond said that he does not have a top list, but that if he had to make a list of top schools, the only school he knows would make it is Florida State, where he visited for junior day. I found this interesting, as FSU is not a school I’ve previously heard associated with Hammond.

Other scoop and observations

Tallahassee (Fla.) Godby defender Cortez Andrews is listed as a safety by some recruiting sites, but he is absolutely a linebacker at the college level due to his frame and build. I think he’ll be a good one. Alabama is thought to be in a good position. .Jahleel Billingsley, a tight end of Chicago had some really nice catches. He just picked up an Ohio State offer and is one to watch.

These names will be the college football stars of 2021 and 2022.

Background: Tuesday, I covered elite southern recruits in the class of 2019.

Over the weekend, talent from all over the southeast descended on the state of Florida for some 7v7 competition. On Saturday, I drove up to the IMG Academy in Bradenton for the NFA 7v7 Southeast Championship. On Sunday, I headed over the the Adidas East Championship in Homestead (very South Miami).

Wednesday, it’s underclassmen, made up primarily of 2020 prospects.

Usual disclaimer: I am only one person. With two fields being used simultaneously, I am only seeing half of the plays. It is entirely possible some other players had great performances when I wasn’t watching, or players on this list performed less great when I wasn’t watching. I can only relay what I see.

Quarterbacks!

The QB class in 2019 so far is seriously lacking compared to the awesome group in 2018. That chasm only widened when J.T. Daniels, the unanimous best player in the class of 2019, reclassified to the 2018 class and enrolled a full year early, looking to fill the spot vacated by Sam Darnold. But from what I have seen, the 2019 QB class is also lacking compared to previous years.

But for the 2020 and 2021 classes, I saw two encouraging prospects.

The first is 2020’s T.J. Finley. From Ponchatoula, Louisiana (northeast of New Orleans, where I-55 meets I-12). Finley is 6’6, 230 pounds, and doesn’t turn 16 until March 25. Physically, Finley stands out. He is a giant, and has a young body. His dad joked with me that they had to carry his birth certificate around when he was a kid.

Finley has a big arm, which you’d expect from a kid of his size, but he impressed me with his combination of zip and touch. That’s not something you always see. And he had a good idea of where to go with the football.

Finley is currently unranked (as are most players in the class of 2020), but claims offers from Alabama, Auburn, LSU, and the Mississippi schools.

Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher was in attendance Sunday (permissible under NCAA rule, as his son plays on a Tallahassee-area 7v7 squad), and I couldn’t help but think he was having flashbacks to another huge QB he coached: JaMarcus Russell.

Another young QB who really impressed Sunday was Aaron McGlaughlin, of Buford (Georgia). He is actually seven months older than Finley, but is in the 2021 class. McGlaughlin is 6’4, 205 and, like Finley, throws the ball with plenty of RPMs and touch. He seems to know where to go with the ball. He was one of the best QBs at the event. Plus, he simply looks like every Georgia QB ever. Offers include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, USC, and Texas A&M.

Special pass catchers

If you read Tuesday’s piece, you saw the absolutely ridiculous catch by Marcus Rosemy.

Unlike figuring out who was the best player, this best play decision was easy. It was Marcus Rosemy, a 2020 WR out of Ft. Lauderdale (Florida) St. Thomas Aquinas, making a ridiculous catch against one of the better corners in his grade. It was good coverage, and an even better catch. Just watch.

Rosemy is 6’1, 180 pounds, and has big hands. He has a good understanding of setting up routes for someone his age, and he plucks the ball well. I spoke with someone who has watched him at Aquinas, and they said the only thing he needs is confidence. He is certainly coming into his own, and claims early offers from Florida, Georgia, Ohio State, and Texas. I have to think Florida State and Miami will come soon.

• Another star receiver to watch out for is Marcus Fleming of Miami Northwestern. Fleming is 5’11, 170, and is just always getting open. He has good top-end speed, but it is his quickness and change of direction that put distance between him and other defenders. Fleming reliably catches the ball with his hands and shows a good feel for finding space and sitting down in it. I have seen him three times so far in 2018 and am sold. He can play slot in the upper half of the Power 5. So far, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisville, and NC State have offered.
• Aydin Henningham, Deerfield Beach (Fla.): Henningham is 6’1, 200, and has a balanced game. He is not the biggest, nor the fastest, but he makes tough catches, knows how to get open, and does the little things right. Florida, LSU, and Ohio State have offered. Henningham is a serious student and told me he is interested in hearing from Stanford.
• Ja’Corey Brooks, Miami (Fla.) Booker T. Washington: Brooks is the only freshman on this list, but he’s actually been known in recruiting circles since the eighth grade, when Tennessee offered him. Eyeballing, I’d say he is 6’3, 190, and uses his big body to shield defenders. He is adept at going up and getting the football, and for his size and age, he is not slow. Florida, Georgia, and Miami have already offered.

Long cover guys aplenty

In the past, it seems like many receivers moved to defensive back later in their careers. But more and more, I am noticing that players who look like receivers are playing defensive back at a younger age. Here are a few who caught my eye. With two years before they play college ball, it’s possible some of these corners grow into safeties, but they are all ballers.

• Dwight McGlothern, New Caney (Texas): I’ve long been a fan, and whether corner or safety, the 6’3 defensive back continued to make plays. McGlothern is one of the few players in this piece who are already rated (four stars). LSU, Texas A&M, Texas, and all the SEC powers have offered.
• Henry Gray, Miami (Fla.) Central: 6’1, 175, good speed, good body control, good instincts, and a great mentality for the position? Sign me up. Gray just picked up a Miami offer, so expect his recruitment to take off.
• Ja’Marquis Johnson, Nashville (Ga.) Berrien Co.: If Johnson played in a bigger town, he’d be more well known. But he’s blowing up anyhow. He is 6’3, 208, with an 80-inch wingspan. He plays receiver and cornerback in high school, but played QB when his team’s QB got hurt. He looks like Vince Young running and Josh Harvey-Clemons in the secondary. With his frame, I expect he will either turn into an elite jumbo safety, linebacker, or hybrid tight end/receiver. So far his offers are Florida State and Southern Miss. Junior day visits to Clemson, Georgia, and other southeastern powers are planned.

• Fred Davis and Miles Brooks, Jacksonville (Fla.) Trinity Christian: Davis (6’2, 170) is a little longer and lankier, while Brooks (6’1, 175) looks a little more filled out. Both are going to be fought over by the elite of the elite, and good luck throwing against TCA in the coming years. Davis has already been offered by Alabama, Florida, Nebraska, UCLA, and Virginia Tech. Speaking of the Hokies, they offered Brooks when he was a freshman, and Florida, Miami, Nebraska, South Carolina, and UCLA have all followed.
• (Bonus player who is not from the Southeast) — Luke Hill, Washington (D.C) St. Johns College Prep: Hill has some stickiness to him at 5’11, it’s easy to see why Hill has picked up offers from Boston College, Maryland, Penn State, South Carolina, and both Virginia schools. Hill has a great short memory for a cornerback; he is the player against whom Rosemy made the ridiculous catch (above), but bounced right back to make several plays of his own.

Dunmore is one of the best receivers in the nation

FT. LAUDERDALE — Another day, another dominant performance for four-star Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna receiver recruit John Dunmore. This time, it came at the Under Armour All-America Game camp, at which he earned an invite to play in the prestigious all-star game.

Just as he did the previous weekend at another competition, he consistently worked to get a clean release, caught everything, and showed good deep speed. He can vary tempo to lull defenders. Dunmore uses space well and can sit down in voids in a zone. Dunmore is the best receiver I have seen so far in Florida’s 2018 class. While an argument can be made that Homestead (Fla.) South Dade’s Frank Ladson has the higher ceiling, Dunmore might have a higher floor, and both are elite.

His recruitment has taken off since his January decommitment from the Florida Gators. That coincided with Florida coach Ja’Juan Seider leaving the Gators to take a job at Penn State.

Dunmore will have a top 10 soon, but he knows a handful of schools are locks to make it, including Penn State thanks to Seider. Seider was Dunmore’s connection to Florida before his decommitment from the Gators, and was recruiting the star receiver back when he coached at West Virginia, as well.

“Coach Seider is like my big brother, I know he has my back,” Dunmore said.

Dunmore is looking forward to getting the chance to learn more about the Nittany Lions.

“Penn State is just lovely,” He said. “Not too many players have the opportunity to go there.”

Georgia is another school high on his list.

“It’s just Georgia, they keep it real with me,” Dunmore said. “I plan to get up there this summer and see how they treat me and my family.”

Then there’s Florida State, which Dunmore recently called his “dream school.”

Dunmore wore an FSU wrist band during workouts.

“That’s my dream school. When I touch down on campus, I’m comfortable. I don’t have to be shy, nervous, anything, just comfortable,” Dunmore said.

Dunmore said he has the best connections with receivers coach David Kelly, Dade County recruiter Telly Lockett, and head coach Willie Taggart. “They all hit me up.”

He plans to make a return visit for Florida State spring practice March 31.

Five more: Auburn, Ohio State, Miami, Florida, and Michigan

Dunmore is also interested in Auburn, Ohio State, and Miami. He cited Ohio State’s use of big receivers like Benjamin Victor, and Miami’s proximity to home in our chat.

“I’ve also been communicating with Miami,” he said to a reporter wearing a Hurricanes shirt.

Dunmore will also visit Florida March 30, and wants to re-establish the relationship with the Gators.

Interestingly, Dunmore did not mention Michigan in our chat despite being scheduled to take a spring official visit to see the Wolverines on April 14.

As for a timeline, Dunmore says he wants to take his visits before committing, so don’t look for a pledge to come this spring.

Elam is one of the most talented and hardest-working corners in the country.

FT. LAUDERDALE — Recruiting is all about floor and ceiling and the balance between them. Floor is the minimum level at which a prospect should be projected to play. Ceiling is the maximum. Some prospects have a narrow gap between their floor and ceiling, while others, like those which involve a lot of projection, have a significant gap.

Cornerback Kaiir Elam, though, has the best combination of both.

Out of the Palm Beach Benjamin School, Elam is an elite talent. He is 6’1.5, 180 pounds, and has top-notch athleticism. That sets the ceiling for a cornerback.

But it’s his floor which also is so impressive. At Under Armour All-America Game regional camps, invites are limited. This means prospects get a lot of reps. Many times, I’ve seen recruits give less than maximum effort during the positional drills, instead saving themselves for the 1v1 portion.

Not Elam. He went max effort on every rep I observed, actively looking to make himself better. Camp coaches who played in the NFL noticed as well, and combined with an elite performance in the 1v1 period, Elam earned an invite to the Under Armour All-America Game next winter in Orlando.

When a prospect with as much talent as Elam has works as hard to better himself as he does, the term “can’t miss” fits.

Oh, and he has great bloodlines, as his father Abram played seven years in the NFL, and his uncle Matt was a star at Florida and played four years with the Ravens.

If he stays healthy and on the right path, it’s almost impossible to see Elam not panning out.

Elam was the only cornerback to check elite receiver John Dunmore all day:

Dunmore is perhaps the best receiver in Florida and was torching the many elite defensive backs at the camp until Elam bested him.

Elam spoke with SB Nation about his recruiting process.

Elam has no plans to commit early, preferring to take his visits and make sure he is making an informed decision. He does not have an official top list of schools, either.

But relationships do matter in recruiting. And the Gators have a good connection to the Elam family via new head coach Dan Mullen, who recruited his father at Notre Dame. And his uncle Matt previously starring for the Gators doesn’t hurt, either.

“Coach Mullen recruited my dad when he was at Notre Dame,” he said, acknowledging the family connection.

But while Mullen was off to Mississippi State by the time Matt was being recruited, Urban Meyer was still there, and that relationship also carries weight now that Meyer is at Ohio State.

“They recruit me real, real hard,” Elam said of Ohio State. “We FaceTime every other day, the DBs coach texts and calls me, and they recruit me very hard.”

Other than Florida and Ohio State, Elam also said Oregon, Georgia Tech, Syracuse, Florida State, and Stanford are also recruiting him hard.

Elam does know what he is looking for in a school. He’s “looking for a good home environment, a place where I feel the coaches recruit me hard, a place I can go play early, and coaches who put players in the league,” Elam said.

And he has some trips coming up during his spring break next week. He and his dad will be visiting NC State, Georgia, Clemson, Alabama, and Auburn.

All of those schools have offered except for Alabama. What would a Tide offer mean?

“Pretty big” Elam said. “It would show that my hard work is paying off.”