News on recruiting the all-important SEC defensive linemen

[jbcarol]

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc 9h9 hours ago

#STRecruiting: DE Mykelle McDaniel of Loganville, GA did not visit USC Saturday because test score has not come in.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 15m15 minutes ago

D-line is a recruiting priority for schools everywhere, so how does #Alabama keep reloading? http://ow.ly/YobOD 

Those intimately familiar with the football landscape will tell you there's a shortage of defensive linemen capable of excelling in a game now dominated by hurry up, no huddle spread offenses. Athletic defensive ends are especially hard to come by given the need for a player to fare well in multiple fronts. Everyone wants the freak defensive end who can play three downs, but there aren't near enough to go around.

"The game is changing at the high school level," said former Cleveland Browns general manager Phil Savage. "You have more wide receivers, more defensive backs and less defensive linemen. The pool has shrunk for those front-seven players which is why you keep that at a premium."

Crimson Tide had the deepest, most talented defensive line in the country in 2015. It'd be unfair to attribute Alabama's national championship to only one unit, but the defensive line deserves as much credit as any. Headlined by A'Shawn Robinson, Jarran Reed and Jonathan Allen, Alabama had a defensive line that could stop the run, get pressure on the quarterback and not tire over the course of the game because of all the players that rotated in...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/700031658678812672

[jbcarol]

LSU coaches impressed by 4-star DE Bryan Jones, asked 'What are you feeding him?'

"When I arrived on campus, Coach O (Ed Orgeron) and Coach Cam (Cameron) were amazed with my body and my length," Jones told SEC Country.

"They asked my grandparents what they have been feeding me."

The secret: home-cooked meals.

The nation's No. 8 strong-side defensive end out of Madison Prep Academy (Baton Rouge, La.) admits he's a huge fan of his grandmother's cooking, which can only be good news to the interested LSU coaches.

"I love my grandmother's cooking," Jones said. "She's the best in the kitchen."

Orgeron and the rest of the Tigers coaches were certainly interested in Jones' diet, but equally determined to bring the stud pass-rusher to LSU as part of the 2017 recruiting class.

With that unique combination of size and speed, Orgeron told Jones he could be among the best defensive ends to ever play at Tigers Stadium.

[jbcarol]

Zachary Carter, nation's No. 3 strongside defensive end made his latest trip to Gainesville on Saturday with both parents in tow.

"I really enjoyed it," Carter said. "Every time I come to UF, it's always a good time. It always feels like home."

6-foot-4, 255-pounder from Tampa (Fla.) Hillsborough spent the entire day with Gators defensive line coach Chris Rumph, Florida's primary recruiter for his area.

"I have a really good bond with coach Rumph," Carter said. "I met him last summer and our relationship has just grown a lot. I love him as a person, just his personality.

"I like his coaching style and his background. My mom loves that, too. He makes feel like a priority at Florida and I can get the ball rolling (in Tampa)."

In addition to UF, Carter said Auburn, Clemson, Notre Dame and Tennessee are recruiting him the hardest. He named the Gators his leader back in July 2015, and they're still one of his top options.

[jbcarol]

Muschamp is running a tight ship:

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc 1h1 hour ago

STRecruiting:  DE Tyreek Johnson postpones visit to USC today because coaches are on vacation. Will reschedule.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 2h2 hours ago

5-star offer: UGA going after a 6-foot-5 defender from California http://sec.news/1RmplLJ

Jaelan Phillips hails from Redlands East Valley High School in California. He had 87.5 tackles and 13.5 sacks in 2015. He also showed off his agility and ball skills with three interceptions.

The weak-side defensive end is rated No. 1 in the nation at his position by 247Sports. Stanford and UCLA are seen as the teams to beat at this time. 

The junior is also rated as the nation's No. 9 player overall by 247Sports.

[NoNC4Tubs]

I'm not sure that UGA is a hot enough brand to be reaching out to Cali kids yet. 

[jbcarol]

Courtney Cronin's replacement is onboard:

Will Sammon ‏@WillSammon 10h10 hours ago

Story: Why a four-star 2017 defensive end in California has Ole Miss as his number one school right now: http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/recruitingreport/2016/03/16/four-star-dj-johnson-has-ole-miss-as-leading-school/81881304/ ...

D.J. Johnson, a consensus four-star 2017 defensive end from Sacramento, California, has 32 offers to play at the next level from all over the country, but there's one school that stands out to him above the rest.

Ole Miss.

"They have so many things to offer," Johnson said Wednesday. "The tailgating is crazy, the fans are crazy and it is just a great place that I can see myself definitely considering as a new home. It wasn't hard to put them at number one."

For a guy on the west coast with no ties to Mississippi, Johnson seems to know a good bit about Ole Miss — including its past, present and potential future.

"The coaching staff is great and the players there love the coaching staff," Johnson said. "I want to go somewhere where the players believe in the coaches. Then the players themselves are like a family and it has a great atmosphere. Ole Miss has a great future coming. They have a great quarterback coming. (Shea Patterson) is a great dude in the class in front of me and he's a stud who is going to get over there and ball. It's going to keep getting better. They took down Alabama two years in a row and it will only get better."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 3h3 hours ago

After recent offer, #Alabama is out front for Georgia DE B.J. Sharpe: http://ow.ly/105uSA 

6-foot-3, 261-pound BJ Sharpe, a three-star recruit in the 247Sports composite, visited Alabama's practice. Head coach Nick Saban offered him after the practice.

"Coach Saban said that he had watched my film," Sharpe said. "He liked the way I played and he wanted to offer me a scholarship.

"They liked my energy and they liked the intensity I bring to the game. I'm very hyped up and passionate about the way I play the game."

Prior to the Alabama offer, only Miami of Ohio and Mercer had offered.

State offered on Wednesday.

Should improve is rating in the next cycle.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/715550082389684228

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 36m36 minutes ago

5 LSU targets to watch at The Opening in Houston http://sec.news/22VFK5E


Jeff Sentell/AJC

Marvin Wilson, five-star DT, 6-foot-4, 316 pounds (Bellaire, Texas)

The gargantuan Texas defensive tackle visited LSU along with Alabama and Florida State last month, and has since expressed his interest in LSU and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron to SEC Country.

Orgeron is the person to watch in this, as the recruiting aficionado has a unique relationship with Wilson that could eventually land him in Baton Rouge, La., as a signature part of LSU's new defensive line after 2016.

[jbcarol]

 Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 10h10 hours ago

Five-star DT Marvin Wilson says Alabama's defensive line depth draws him to the Tide http://sec.news/223QRUe

Wilson, the nation's No. 4 prospect from Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Texas), told SEC Country at Nike's "The Opening" regional in Houston that the biggest reason drawing him toward the Crimson Tide is the ability to play early.

"That draws me to them so much," Wilson said. "If the depth chart is thin, that just means I can go in and play early. That's important to me."

6-foot-4, 316-pounder has already told SEC Country's Jeff Sentell that Alabama and LSU will be finalists when that time comes for Wilson to release his official top schools. On Sunday, he told SEC Country that Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M are working their way in the mix for him. It's clear though that Alabama and LSU hold an edge right now.

"Those schools still stick out the most to me," Wilson said...

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 11h11 hours ago

One of nation's top defensive ends lists 5 SEC schools among his leaders http://sec.news/22aTxj0

Four-star defensive end Chase Young reduced his list of schools from 42 to 15, and Alabama, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU and Florida are all still in contention.

Young is rated as the No. 52 player in the country and the No. 4 weakside defensive end in the Class of 2017, The Hyattsville, Md., native is the No. 2 player in the state.

[jbcarol]

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc 3h3 hours ago

#STRecruiting:  Mississippi State offered Pendleton DE Brad Johnson Wednesday night.

#STRecruiting: North Augusta DE Tre Lawson was offered Thursday by Mississippi State.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 20h20 hours ago

He's been committed to #LSU for more than a year, but it hasn't stopped him from making several visits to #Alabama:

Tyler Shelvin has been committed to LSU for more than a year, but it hasn't stopped Alabama from recruiting the five-star defensive tackle.

The 6-foot-2, 329-pound Shelvin is the top prospect in Louisiana and the No. 13 prospect nationally. He has made multiple trips to Tuscaloosa in the past year.

"I love the atmosphere," Shelvin said Sunday at the New Orleans Opening Regional. "I love (defensive line) Coach (Bo) Davis, love (running backs) Coach (Burton) Burns, love Coach (Nick) Saban. It's awesome up there. I've toured the campus and watched the football team. It's awesome."

As for his commitment to LSU, Shelvin said, "it's strong, but in the back of my head, I'm still looking."

Shelvin said that he's also hearing from USC, Texas A&M and Mississippi State.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 40m40 minutes ago

Junior college defensive end names four SEC finalists

After five official visits, Josiah Coatney is down to four SEC schools

The junior college defensive end from Holmes C.C. (Mississippi) named Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida and Texas A&M as his finalists Thursday. He said the Crimson Tide and Rebels are tied for first place, followed by UF and A&M.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/RyanCallahan247/status/723608249291956224

[jbcarol]

Shea Dixon@Sheadixon

Former #LSU DT Travonte Valentine opens up on second chance, talking with Ed Orgeron...

Ross Dellenger ‏@RossDellenger 2h2 hours ago

Ross Dellenger Retweeted Shea Dixon

Valentine hints that he may rejoin #LSU in August or at least get an offer.

From July 2015:
LSU freshman defensive tackle Travonte Valentine is leaving the program and will transfer, LSU sports information director Michael Bonnette said Wednesday.

Sources close to LSU say Valentine failed multiple drug tests and missed an excessive amount of class time after enrolling last fall. He was a highly touted defensive tackle recruit from the Miami area but reported late because of academic issues. He practiced with the team after reporting but did not participate in spring practice.

He is the third member of the Tigers No. 2-ranked 2014 signing class to leave. Defensive tackle Trey Lealaimatafao was kicked off the team after being arrested for punching and robbing a woman in June and linebacker Clifton Garrett left the team and decided to transfer out in mid-June. Both have transferred to Arizona Western Community College. The school confirmed that Valentine will also transfer there.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/725720379277201408

LEESBURG, Ga. — One factor that won't matter in Aubrey Solomon's recruitment is proximity to home.

For the nation's No. 5 defensive tackle, home is wherever the Navy sends him.

"With my mom being in the military," Solomon said, "I've done a lot of moving."

In the last game of his freshman season, Solomon had a breakout performance highlighted by two sacks and four tackles for loss.

"Ole Miss and Mississippi State were there and they both offered me right after the game," Solomon said.

Since then, Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia and several other schools have followed suit. The opportunity to play in the SEC is appealing to Solomon.

"The SEC has all the juggernauts," he said. "Just big, talented D-linemen. I know there's a rich history in the SEC and that gives them the upper hand."

But where Solomon will play college ball is still to be determined.

https://twitter.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/724701350072741888

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/samspiegs/status/726026025721700352

[jbcarol]

 AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 11h11 hours ago

One of the highest-rated signees of #Alabama's 2016 class is on track to be eligible: http://ow.ly/4nnPrZ

One of Alabama's top signees in the class of 2016 is "on course to be eligible" but still needs to work on a few things.

Raekwon Davis, a four-star defensive end from Meridian (Miss.), told SEC Country last week that he was qualified to enroll at Alabama this summer. Davis appears to be well on his way to achieving that, especially after a recent bump in his ACT score, but he still is in the process of finishing the school year strong academically.

"He's working to be eligible," Meridian coach Calvin Hampton told AL.com. "He's on course to be eligible."

Davis double-signed with Alabama and Jones Junior College in February, signaling to some that there could be qualifying issues. Hampton said Meridian devoted a support team to looking after Davis and making sure he did what he needed to in order to qualify academically at Alabama. While it seems he isn't fully out of the woods yet, he's well on his way to enrolling at the school this summer.

Alabama is getting a 6-foot-7, 330-pound defensive lineman who could become a behemoth if properly developed once he arrives in Tuscaloosa.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/samspiegs/status/726026025721700352

https://twitter.com/RDMW6/status/727718884397158400

[jbcarol]

Keith Niebuhr ‏@Keith247Sports 14h14 hours ago Brookhaven, GA

The #USC #Trojans have offered D-Tackle Travonte Valentine of Mississippi Gulf Coast CC http://247sports.com/Player/Travonte-Valentine-21006 ...

[jbcarol]

Patrick Ochs@PatrickOchs

Louisiana is calling to Gulf Coast DE Isaiah Buggs (@BigPooh_91) - is he listening?  http://www.sunherald.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/patrick-ochs/article75374057.html ... #LSU

Isaiah Buggs is one of the more highly coveted junior college recruits in the country.

Chances are, by the time you finish this column he'll have picked up another offer. Just Tuesday morning Southern Cal offered the talented Mississippi Gulf Coast defensive end. The Trojans are the latest on a who's who list of offers that includes most of the SEC, Oklahoma and other elite programs.

When the Ruston, La., defensive end arrived in Perkinston prior to last season, the Bulldogs staff was giddy to land him. Without any offers in his pocket just yet, Buggs went to work and produced almost immediately, recording six tackles in his first collegiate game, a 40-23 win at Northeast Mississippi Community College.

t last Wednesday's scrimmage, which wrapped up Gulf Coast's spring season, representatives from Texas A&M, Auburn, Minnesota, Memphis and elsewhere were on hand to see Buggs and a handful of his top-end teammates like former LSU signees Brandon Martin and Travonte Valentine, and offensive lineman D'Marcus Hayes. A few days before LSU's Ed Orgeron -- more on the Tigers later -- swung by Perkinston.

Louisiana's calling

At the beginning of the month, Buggs tweeted his Top 10 (IN NO ORDER!). Oklahoma, Alabama, Texas A&M, Baylor, Miami, Ole Miss, Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia and Florida all made the cut. One interesting omission from the Ruston product: LSU.

"Top 10s, that really doesn't mean nothing," Buggs said last Wednesday, 20 days after the tweet. "That's just who I'm looking at right now."

So what about LSU? Where do the Tigers stand?

"That's home," Buggs said. "I know everybody is waiting on that answer. You never know what might happen."

Buggs continued to talk about building relationships with coaching staffs, regardless of the school. Perhaps the Tigers figured Buggs was a foregone conclusion and started to sleep on the defensive end's recruitment. Whatever the case, the list must have awakened Les Miles' staff because LSU has been showing Buggs much more love as of late.

"It's all about building relationships with coaches..."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sportstalksc/status/733148928842010625

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/734486089524772864

[jbcarol]

Interest amping up for JUCO DT Josh Curry

Defensive tackle Josh Curry (Yuma, Ariz./Arizona Western Junior College) said he spoke with Tennessee's ace recruiter Tommy Thigpen Friday afternoon.

"He said to stay in touch and let him know what camps I'll be going to," Curry said. "He told me to call him back Monday."

Arkansas State has offered.

Curry said he will visit there this summer.

Tennessee, Utah State, Memphis, Arizona State and Ole Miss are showing interest.

6-foot-2, 305-pounder runs a 4.9-second 40-yard dash and bench presses 300 pounds.

Curry, who played his high school ball at Columbus, Ga./Carver, enrolled in the Community College last August. He's slated to graduate in May of 2017.

Last fall, as a freshman, Curry started in front of former LSU defensive tackle Travonte Valentine...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/bmarcello/status/735530563940036609

Isaiah Buggs made a strong statement when he excluded LSU from his list of top schools last month.

But the nation's No. 1 junior college weak-side defensive end has flipped the script, trimming down his list from 10 to eight...

LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Ole Miss and Texas A&M all made the cut, as did Florida State and Oklahoma.

The four-star prospect hails from Ruston, La.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/736010350538018816

[jbcarol]

Four-star defensive tackle Ryan Johnson (Mobile, Ala.) released the 12 schools remaining on his list

Four SEC schools — Alabama, LSU, Auburn and Tennessee —



Ryan Johnson 4⃣
4⃣ ‏@ryanjohnson_50 16h16 hours ago

🙏🏾Top 12🙏🏾

[jbcarol]

Four-star DE Zachary Carter releases his final four schools

https://twitter.com/_ZachAttacks/status/736301918176333824

[jbcarol]

Alec Jackson dropped a stacked list of top 10 schools

Florida Gators are currently the front-runner for the 6-foot-5, 270-pound defensive tackle at Jeff Davis in Montgomery



https://twitter.com/_TheFuture7/status/736294463568515073

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/736692859718488064

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/738106067922657281

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/loganlowery/status/738483851844947969

State announced that nine football players from the 2016 signing class have enrolled as classes started for the June term on Thursday.

Among those beginning both their academic and football careers as Bulldogs is Noxubee County defensive end Jeffrey Simmons, who was charged with disturbing the peace and simple assault for striking a female in an altercation involving his sister at an apartment complex in Macon on March 24.

Simmons, a five-star prospect and the top-rated recruit in Mississippi, has been permitted to enroll at MSU "with conditions" according to a release from the university. The 6-foot-4, 277-pounder will be suspended for the first game of his college career, must be evaluated by MSU's Student Counseling Services and will have to complete any program that office prescribes.

Joining Simmons on the Starkville campus for the first summer term are defensive linemen Kobe Jones of Starkville and Marquiss Spencer of Greenwood.  Defensive tackle Tre Brown from the 2016 class enrolled in January.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ZachAbolverdi/status/739156570483744769

You don't find many kids growing up Florida fans in Texas, but Javier Edwards is one of them.

The junior college defensive tackle began rooting for the Gators when he was 8 years old, which is why he committed on the spot, Thursday, when they offered him.

"There was no hesitation," Edwards said. "My older cousin has always liked Florida. I hung with him when I was little and it kind of stuck with me. I fell in love with Florida and that's where I wanted to go."

Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins coached at Mississippi State when the Bulldogs offered Edwards in May of 2014. Defensive line coach Chris Rumph was with Texas in 2014 and had his sights set on the Houston product from Aldine Davis High School.

But Edwards didn't have the grades to qualify, so he stayed in-state and went to Blinn junior college.

"I used to hang out with the wrong crowd and didn't go to high school," Edwards said. "I just fell behind and couldn't catch back up or pass my classes. It was frustrating.

"Lord knows I did not want to go Blinn. I wasn't smiling on signing day or nothing. I was just upset because I knew what I was capable of."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JasonHButt/status/739257108852527104

One high-caliber player from Lee County, part of the 2017 recruiting class, is Aubrey Solomon.

But of the 100 or so players on the field Thursday evening, Solomon — a 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman — sat in the shade. Dressed in a black Lee County athletic shirt and black shorts and with a towel over his head, Solomon did not join his teammates on the field to participate in the camp.

"This summer I won't do any camps," he said. "I don't feel like I need to."

He's ranked ninth in the state, 30th in his region and fourth in his position. He's also ranked 61st in the ESPN 300. As of now, the four-star recruit is undecided on his college choice, but he has options.

Solomon has narrowed his list of programs to five: Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Clemson and Ohio State. He said Alabama is atop the list while the other schools follow behind, in no particular order.

Making the final decision won't be easy for Solomon.

[jbcarol]

Martin Andrus' top 10 list is flooded with Pac 12 schools, but one SEC school made the cut.

The four-star defensive tackle from Los Angeles mentioned LSU in his list

Andrus is rated as the No. 13 defensive tackle nationally in the Class of 2017 and the No. 24 player in California. He has received 16 reported offers, including one from Tennessee.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Tomas_Verde/status/739895447716831236

Four-star Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College defensive end Isaiah Buggs left Auburn this weekend — his first visit to the Plains — impressed with what he saw from the Tigers. How impressed? After putting out a list of top eight schools nearly two weeks ago, Buggs said this weekend that Auburn is "very high" on his list now.

"They're on my list," Buggs said. "They've been recruiting me throughout high school, too, and as soon as I got to junior college they stayed with me too, so they're definitely on my list as well."

Along with Auburn, Buggs is considering offers from LSU, Florida State, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Although LSU is considered the favorite for the 6-foot-5, 280-pound defensive end, his visit to Auburn's campus left a lasting impression on Buggs —

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/740741245039960065

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/740598338945421312

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/740943909602381824

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Tomas_Verde/status/740949028117057536

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/742395709358505984

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/741810460975071233

LSU, Alabama, Texas A&M and Ole Miss all made the cut. As did Texas, Florida State, Southern California, UCLA, Oklahoma and Ohio State.

Five-star prospect maintains a strong relationship with LSU defensive line coach Ed Orgeron. After spending time in Baton Rouge, La., in late February, Wilson told SEC Country that the Tigers "set themselves apart" during a unique visit with the coaches.

The Episcopal High School (Bellaire, Texas) product has had a unique relationship with Alabama. Wilson was originally very high on the Tide after making a visit to the school in February, then told SEC Country he was no longer considering the program following the dismissal of defensive line coach Bo Davis. However, soon after the hire of replacement Karl Dunbar, Wilson re-established a connection...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/742833523028045824

315 pounds, defensive tackle prospect Damion Daniels, Dallas, Texas product, released a Top 12 list on Twitter.

Florida, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and LSU were four teams that represented the SEC.

As the younger sibling of Oklahoma State DL Darrion Daniels, it is a bit surprising to see that Damion did not include the Cowboys on the list of 12.

Daniels is listed as the No. 39 defensive tackle in the 2017 recruiting class...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/743190842219839488

Hutch has Texas A&M, Tennessee, Missouri and Mississippi State among his list of seven schools. Memphis, Louisville and Nebraska complete the list.

6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive tackle is a three-star prospect and the 49th best defensive tackle in the country...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/743156869053685761

HOUSTON — At 6-foot-4 and 211 pounds, it's difficult to ignore K'Lavon Chaisson's physical stature.

Long, ripped and the embodiment of the term "quick-twitch," the 4-star Texas product naturally became a top target for LSU as soon as the coaches caught a glimpse of him at camp one year ago.

That was before Chaisson ever played a down of football.

The nation's No. 5-rated weak-side defensive end was a relative unknown as he attended LSU's high school camp last June with former teammate and current Tigers safety Eric Monroe. It was where he collected his first college scholarship offer — from LSU.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/sportstalksc/status/743305841361641473