News on recruiting the all-important SEC defensive linemen

[jbcarol]

Coveted defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt flips from South Carolina to Georgia

3-star defensive lineman from Towers High School in Decatur, Ga. flipped Monday to Georgia.

Towers' coach Dr. Brian Montgomery: Wyatt is highly-regarded in Athens.

"Kirby Smart told me he feels the big tackle from Lee County (Aubrey Solomon) and Devonte are the two best defensive tackles in the state of Georgia this year," Montgomery said.

[jbcarol]

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc 41m41 minutes ago

#STRecruiting: DE MJ Webb of Madison, GA rated his last visit to USC a 10 out of 10 and plans to visit Aug. 19 to watch practice.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/RecruitingThurs/status/763890520909164545

Miki Suguturaga

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/764568967625269248

Thomas, from Spanish Fort, is a 6-foot-5, 255-pound prospect ranked the No. 20 strongside defensive end.

LSU now has 20 players committed to its Class of 2017, which is ranked No. 3 in the nation.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/765160124197511168

[jbcarol]

USC news:

SportsTalk ‏@sportstalksc 2h2 hours ago

SportsTalk Retweeted Jake Lichtenstein

⭐️

#STRecruiting: DE Jake Lichtenstein of Fort Lauderdale has committed to Southern Cal. Also had South Carolina offer.

[jbcarol]

Towers High senior defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt was a coveted big man before Will Muschamp or Kirby Smart ever wanted him

And it was Dr. Brian Montgomery, not Smart, who won the most important tug-of-war in Wyatt's life

"He just had a different mindset than the other boys he was growing up around," Montgomery starts off.

But others were pulling the big guy toward them. They had a street operation that could use some muscle.

They tugged Wyatt toward their lifestyles. The sort that required having a big guy like him around. Extra muscle on the street.

"But he never had that bully-type attitude," Montgomery said. "He'd listen every time you would tell him something."

He first got to know Wyatt when he was coaching at Tri-Cities but teaching at Towers. Montgomery was part of an after-school program that helped students with reading. Wyatt was always wanting to better himself. He didn't let his pride keep him from being a part of that program and a trust was built between the two before he was even his coach.

It wasn't long before Wyatt needed to be "snatched away" from the wrong neighborhood influences.

"We were having a function in front of the school and they came and got him and was trying to pull him out and away from school," Montgomery said.

Montgomery had to act.

"I jumped in my car and rode down the street," he said. "Then I told those guys 'Man, you all are not going to have him now. Go on about your business. If you really care about him, leave him be. If he listens to what we are saying and sticks in school he will go places. It will take him to college and in three years he'll be in the NFL.' I told them when he does that, he can take care of all of them then. Just not now. Let me have him."

That wasn't met with the response he expected.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/767684014836555776

[jbcarol]

'17 Morgan County 270-lb SDE MJ Webb gave a verbal to South Carolina.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/767871806330077185

Michigan sent Solomon's mom a card thanking them for going to a Michigan barbecue.

The problem? They didn't attend — and names were spelled incorrectly.

Aubrey Solomon: "I do not know which recruit they were talking to, but it was not me. It was just a little heartbreaking, for me to supposedly be so high on their list, for them to confuse me with someone else. Plus they spelled both of my names wrong after I told them, but that was not the main issue. I guess they do not have tabs on me."

Solomon, who plays for Lee County, is listed at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds. 247Sports rates Solomon as the No. 5 DT in 2017, the No. 8 player in Georgia and the 78th best recruit in the country.

Solomon's news comes only a few hours after Leonard Taylor, another 4-star recruit, also decommitted from Michigan.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/768806743388352512

Michigan's recruiting snafu with 4-star defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon nearly broke the Internet earlier in the week. Teammate and 3-star fullback Tory Carter had a firsthand view.

Carter, an LSU commit, naturally sided with Solomon after Michigan sent him a letter thanking him for his presence at a recruiting event that he didn't attend in Ann Arbor, Mich. The truth is that Solomon was next to Carter in Baton Rouge for the team barbecue along with teammates Akileis LeRoy and safety Otis Reese, both of whom hold offers from the Tigers.

So, why not team up?

"It's an opportunity for LSU to get him," Carter told SEC Country.

Carter hasn't put a lot of pressure on Solomon — yet — but believes his teammates enjoyed the trip to campus last month. Solomon competed with defensive line coach and area recruiter Ed Orgeron on the Saturday of the camp...

[jbcarol]

A&M lands second DL commit of the day in DE Tyree Johnson

3-star 2017 defensive end Tyree Johnson announced that he was committing to the Aggies. Earlier in the day, the Aggies landed a commitment from 3-star defensive tackle Jayden Peevy.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/769173284130816000

[jbcarol]

 Paul Jones ‏@PJ247Sports 1h1 hour ago

Sources tell Bulldawgs247 that 2017 Juco DE Montez Sweat committed to Miss State earlier today.Huge get for Bulldogs http://247sports.com/Player/Montez-Sweat-32013 ...

[jbcarol]

The nation's No. 1 defensive tackle in the Class of 2018 doesn't sound too interested in Alabama at the moment.

Taron Vincent, a 5-star prospect from IMG Academy, shook his head no when asked if he cared if the Tide reached out to him come Sept. 1. Why is that? Ohio State

[jbcarol]

Romello Martin, the No. 27 ranked defensive tackle in the class of 2017, cut down his list of schools

Martin, who's from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn, N.Y., took a multi-day visit to South Carolina in August. He also made stops at Florida and Florida State this summer.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/LuhhDaniel/status/772229462192640001

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/773159254803017728

[jbcarol]

Baton Rouge eatery is  featuring LSU verbal commits in commercial with stars from the past

The new TJ Ribs commercial features a slew of LSU flavor.

3-star LSU defensive line commit Aaron Moffitt is the first person seen in the new commercial. The Catholic High (Baton Rouge) product is rocking his No. 9 jersey and shown wrapping his shoulder around a teammate, walking through the door of the infamous ribs establishment just as the commercial gets underway.

Right behind him is fellow LSU commit Clyde Edwards-Helaire, a 3-star running back and one of the early pledges in the Tigers' 2017 class. Edwards-Helaire is flanked by none other than his personal protector, fullback Ben Miles.

For a commercial that features Patrick [Johnson] Peterson, the Honey Badger and Billy Cannon, a former Heisman Trophy winner, there's a lot of young talent in the advertisement.

TJ Ribs plays host to Miles' weekly call-in radio show every Wednesday during the season.

https://twitter.com/Mathieu_Era/status/773695091781148672

[jbcarol]

Defensive end Rasool Clemons II de-commits from Ole Miss

Clemons originally committed to Ole Miss in 2015 but had to spend last season at East Mississippi Community College. He committed to the Rebels again earlier this year but has decided to take another look around.

Clemons is a 6-foot-6, 240-pound prospect who has previously received scholarship offers from fellow SEC schools Mississippi State and A&M...

[jbcarol]

6-3, 260 Daquan Newkirk, '18 Mississippi Gulf Coast CC, gave a verbal to Auburn.

WDE

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ESPN_SEC/status/780871995818774528

The prize of the Georgia Bulldogs No. 3-ranked recruiting class is no longer a solid commitment. Five-star defensive end and No. 4 overall prospect Robert "Hundred Dollar" Beal is set to make an official visit to Alabama this weekend with his parents.

While Alabama will receive the first shot at flipping Beal, it will not be the only school to receive an official visit. The Under Armour All-America Game selection also plans to visit NC State, North Carolina, Texas and Georgia with the Bulldogs receiving the last official visit.

[jbcarol]

FWIW, Clemons and his coach are scheduled to be on Recruiting Thursday tonight at 8. Can listen at www.foxsportsarkansas.com

Cisco CC DE

[jbcarol]

Brooklyn DL target Romello Martin of Brooklyn will not be able to take any of his official visits during the season

When he gets around to scheduling those visits USC is a lock for one of them.  The other schools on his short list are Florida, Tennessee, Miami, Ole Miss and Rutgers.  He visited USC and Florida this summer.

Martin said he talked with USC recruiter Lance Thompson about getting that official visit set up.  He's also in regular visit with the other five schools so no leader has emerged from the group.

"Everything is still the same with me," Martin said.  "My top six is not in any order, it's just my top six schools.  I still want to see a couple of more places before I make my final decision."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/pychke/status/784740879894405120

https://twitter.com/pychke/status/785170093948989440

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https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/787711550475894785

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ArRecruitingGuy/status/787703836437716992

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https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/788417906883366912

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https://twitter.com/JesseReSimonton/status/789106694617903105

"I understand that whether there's 50,000 fans or 100,000 fans, whether you wear Nike, Adidas or Under Armour, whether you have fun on a recruiting visit, that's not going to help me play football, get my education or grow up," Butler told me.

"I want to be on a team, for a lack of a better word, full of dogs. A team full of dogs that are level-minded. Not too high. Not too low. Everyone with the same goal. Not just a bunch of characters."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/791009789677625344

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/791263601923325952

Elijah Conliffe, a 4-star defensive lineman from Hampton, Va., is being told by the Alabama staff that it is planning on using him in a similar role to what Allen is doing for the Tide now. The pair got to talk after the Texas A&M game this past Saturday.

"He told me that one of the best decisions he's ever made in his life was joining Alabama," Conliffe told SEC Country. "He said it was a hard decision, but he pushed through it. It's obviously paid off. It was very exciting getting to talk to him. We didn't talk much about the game."

Conliffe, who was on commitment watch this past weekend, chose to hold off on a decision because he is announcing his college choice in a video with Bleacher Report.

[jbcarol]

Missouri received a commitment from 3-star defensive end Chris Turner

Turner is a 6-4, 225-pound defensive end from Hammond, La. Turner is Missouri's 13th commitment for the Class of 2017.

[jbcarol]

'17 Baton Rouge Madison Prep Academy DE Troy James gave a verbal to Arkansas.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/798541664419741696

The young Miami 3-star has some thinking to do.  Touch decision on whether he will replace one of the Vols' current 26 signees (two DEs).

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 52m52 minutes ago

Alabama JUCO DL target decommits from SEC East school http://trib.al/qM8kudC

Javon Kinlaw, a 6-foot-6, 305-pound defensive lineman from Jones County (Miss.) Junior College, decommitted from South Carolina on Monday night.

Kinlaw, a four-star recruit: "I am interested in Alabama because of who they are and because they offered me out of high school."

Schools such as Louisville, Maryland and Tennessee have offered.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/799010825814081536

Wilson is the No. 3 overall prospect in the Class o' '17...

Was originally scheduled to be a road game for LSU

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Sheadixon/status/799329351732822016

Spending part of Thanksgiving in College Station

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/803026370091593730

https://twitter.com/BigPooh_91/status/803010617313546240

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/802991887053455360

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/803420690057744384

Thomas, who considered making the move for his junior season, is leaving Wilson High School in Florence, S.C.

Thomas is the No. 2 overall prospect in the class of 2018.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/803389014761947137

Micheal Clemons, 4-star DE, Cisco (Texas) College

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/804340379814395904

[jbcarol]

4-star defensive end from Cisco College (Sachse, Texas) revealed his top 5 on Friday night, including A&M, Ole Miss, Arkansas, Oklahoma State and Missouri

Michael Clemons holds offers from 14 programs, and is ranked as the nation's No. 2 strong-side JUCO defensive end. He also ranks as the nation's No. 11 overall JUCO recruit

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter ‏@Dave_Matter 12h12 hours ago

Missouri juco D-tackle commit Rashad Brandon confirms he plans to enroll at Mizzou in January.


Was recruited by Ole Miss

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/805587662065307649

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/807027738263650304

Oregon offered Zachary Carter. Does he drop his UF commitment and [catch the last train for the] Coast?

Oregon isn't the only school pursing the 4-star defensive end from Tampa, Fla. Alabama has also extended an offer to Carter, who is Florida's top-rated commitment.

Carter is considering January visits to both Alabama and Oregon, but it will be difficult for those programs to flip him. He's been solid to UF since his summer pledge and is actively recruiting for the Gators.

If Carter were to switch schools, Oregon would seemingly have a better chance than Alabama because of his familiarity with new Ducks coach Willie Taggart...

What's the realistic chances of [Gators] getting QB Jarrett Stidham?

Stidham has until Dec. 12 to make it to Gainesville

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/807745393706536965

6-foot-4, 320-pound prospect most recently attended Wyoming Seminary Upper School in Woodbridge, Va. Campbell becomes the 14th member of the 2017 Florida recruiting class, which entered the day ranked as the No. 20 class in the nation

https://twitter.com/CoachMcElwain/status/807738017226117120

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/807713294677053440

[jbcarol]

3-star Orlando DE Robert Porcher IV decommits from Nebraska

Nebraska's 2017 class is now down to 14 pledges

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/BenRobertsHL/status/808692512865054720