SEC East Football Recruiting Battles heat up

[jbcarol]

Florida fans call him Flipper.

The key to flipping recruits, Muschamp said, is not a secret. It's a simple approach.

"You stay on guys," he said, "and try to make valid points you've made throughout the entire recruiting process all the way through."

He's done it again this year, getting three of his nine early enrollees to flip.

"Back in the day when a kid committed, that was pretty much it. That's where he was going. But nowadays, college football is becoming a business."

http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/post/_/id/79076/will-muschamp-they-call-him-flipper

Chart at link lists 18 recruits that Muschamp has flipped since taking the job at UF including those projected in the '14 class.

[jbcarol]

John Talty ‏@JTalty ·26 mins
No UGA RT @AH__Athletics: Isaiah McKenzie will announce his decision tomorrow morning at 8:30. Choosing between VT, UF, and Ole Miss.

[jbcarol]

Keith Niebuhr ‏@Niebuhr247  38m
#Mizzou making late run at #Cincinnati DE commit Spencer Williams. Would be a heck of a late flip IF it happens. Big upside

[jbcarol]

Evan Woodbery ‏@TennesseeBeat  10m
After late push from Missouri, DE Dewayne Hendrix signs with Vols. He's the 9th signee today.

[jbcarol]

Lorenzo Carter to UGa.

[jbcarol]

Miles Autry

Official Norcross FB ‏@Norcross_FB  1m
@KingCinco_  announces to stay at home with his brother at #georgiatech #gojackets  @2nd_2None80

[jbcarol]

Clay Travis ‏@ClayTravisBGID ·2 hrs
Vols want to play more in Nashville because city is exploding when it comes to high school talent. Vols signed 8 from BNA this year.

Clay Travis ‏@ClayTravisBGID ·2 hrs
Smart move by Vols, they'll open the 2015 season in Nashville playing UAB at LP Field.

[jbcarol]

Guess That Team.

Over the five years prior to the 2013 football season, Team A's recruiting classes were No. 4 (2013), No. 3 (2012), No. 12 (2011), No. 2 (2010) and No. 11 (2009).

Team B's recruiting classes in the same period were rated No. 41 (2013), No. 31 (2012), No. 48 (2011), No. 21 (2010) and No. 40 (2009).

Yet when the two teams played in 2013, the score was Team B 36, Team A 17.

Team B finished 12-2.Team A finished 4-8.

Team B is Missouri, which won the SEC East and the Cotton Bowl. Team A is Florida, which was home for the bowl season.

http://www.kentucky.com/2014/02/06/3073266/mark-story-is-stoops-recruiting.html

Of course there is also examples similar to Team A No. 2 (2013), No. 1 (2012), No. 3 (2011), No. 1 (2010), and No. 4 (2009). Team B No. 32 (2013), No. 27 (2012), No. 21 (2011), No. 37 (2010), and No. 18 (2009).

Team A beat Team B, 52-0 and went to a BCS bowl while Team B stayed home.

[jbcarol]

Missouri's coaches were proud of themselves for holding onto a pair of prized prospects from Georgia during recruiting's final stretch.

The first was Tavon Ross, who made a final decision on signing day to stick with Missouri over UGA. The safety from Bleckley High School committed to Missouri last summer, and turned down last-minute overtures from UGA, Alabama, Auburn and Miami.

It wasn't like it was a tight relationship between Missouri and Ross either. Missouri offered Ross "sight unseen" last summer, and Ross committed on the spot because it was his only big offer at the time.

Ross didn't meet Missouri coach Gary Pinkel until shortly before signing day, and he didn't see Missouri's campus in person until last week.

"Unique kid, and a guy that really saw Missouri as a place where he felt very comfortable leaving Georgia for," said Missouri assistant Alex Grinch, who is Pinkel's nephew...

Mizzou also secured North Gwinnett WR Nate Brown.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  4h
Spurrier is not happy with a Big Ten school doing some "negative recruiting" vs #Gamecocks --> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-ht

"We don't run into much of any negative recruiting around here as SEC coaches," Spurrier said. "We were involved with a player who was being recruited by a Big Ten school. They got negative a little bit with 'There's a lot of crime in Columbia, the big city. They don't graduate their players,' which was completely untrue. They searched for a little bit of everything but the player came with us anyways."

What does Spurrier say when people ask him how much longer he's going to coach?

"I've been saying 'four or five more years' since I was 55. And now I'm 68 and I say 'Three or four more.' I will probably be saying that next hopefully if we're winning, recruiting well, and everybody is happy. Hopefully that's what I'll say next year. Who knows?"

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·14m
"Look it up. The same 15 schools have the same top 10 recruiting classes every year." http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-hH

[jbcarol]

Rusty Mansell ‏@Mansell247 ·Feb 12
@sbterry247 @RecruitingAJC @247Sports One advantage state of Ga has is two junior All Star games. Get to see 150 kids go against each other

[jbcarol]

Damien Harris ‏@Damien_D1Harris  1h
#WhyNot 💰💰💰"@DylanDotson: so hype for today with my brother @Damien_D1Harris. #WhyNot"


"Why Not?" is UK's current recruiting catch phrase.

The Berea RB is ranked #1 by some services.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  16h
My 2015 Georgia 5-stars are Chuma Edoga, Terry Godwin, Jayson Stanley, Kaleb Kim, Preston Williams, Roquan Smith, Hyatt & T. Thompson

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  23h
UGA flips South Carolina commit on Junior Day http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-jX

One of South Carolina's top football recruits flipped to UGA on Saturday.
Chauncey Rivers is a 4-star defensive end from Stephenson High School who had been committed to South Carolina since last summer.

Rivers switched to UGA after attending Junior Day on Saturday. He finally got a long-waited offer from the Bulldogs three weeks ago. Rivers is commit No. 5 for UGA's Class of 2015.

"Georgia has always been my dream school," Rivers told the AJC. "I've always wanted to go to Georgia, and I really like the new defensive coaches that they brought in..."

UGa Soph. DE and former Tucker teammate, Josh Dawson, helped flip Rivers.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·4 hrs
NEW: Atlanta DB is NOT committed to Tennessee #Vols. Coach says it was "miscommunication" --> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-kN

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·3 hrs
If you're a 2015 kid & want to find out if your offer is "committable" have your HS coach talk directly to college coach

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·2 hrs
@ckmoneyshot That's why you get your HS coach to call colleges to find out if you really have offer. They will BS kids but not adults

[jbcarol]

Shortly after 5-star Rashad Roundtree heard the news that UGA safety Josh Harvey-Clemons had been dismissed from the team on Tuesday, Roundtree said he got a Twitter direct message from Bulldogs coach Mark Richt.

"He said the safety spot is wide open for anybody take it," Roundtree told the AJC. "Coach Richt said that's the role he wants me to play, and I could fill those shoes."

I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.

Then we can dig it.

[jbcarol]

Luke Stampini ‏@LukeStampini  19h
Recently minted 5-star WR & current Tennessee commit Preston Williams expected to visit #UF this weekend...

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  11h
Somebody pointed out #Vols top recruit changed his Twitter profile to say he's not committed to TN. I'm not reading anything into it

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  3h
Every college can absolutely publicly confirm whether or not they're recruiting a kid under NCAA rules. They just can't comment further

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·15 hrs
@SleeperAthletes Wisconsin is dropping offers in Georgia like Cal did last week

[jbcarol]

John Talty ‏@JTalty  18h
Ive gotten this same exact email four times now. It's one strategy to getting coverage, I suppose. pic.twitter.com/OmoNLC21Vv



Hugh Kellenberger ‏@HKellenbergerCL  18h
@JTalty Strange part is it's working. Do a Twitter search, his name pops up.

John Talty ‏@JTalty  18h
@HKellenbergerCL Yup. And people are pretty much tweeting what he wants them to. It's a new age of recruiting.

[jbcarol]

Keith Niebuhr ‏@Niebuhr247  4h
FREE: National champ #FSU hitting Georgia hard in recruiting (as usual) with 20-plus offers out http://ow.ly/uf4J9  #Noles

[jbcarol]

Sleeper Athletes ‏@SleeperAthletes ·5 hrs
@RecruitingAJC #Norland HS (FL) & #WVU #Mountaineers commit 4-star WR Jovon Durante receives offer from the #Georgia #BulldogsSleeper Athletes

‏@SleeperAthletes ·5 hrs
@RecruitingAJC #Easton HS (LA) 3-star LB Arthur McGinnis (@amg_arthur) receives offer from the #Georgia #Bulldogs

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·Mar 10
Ex #UGA defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder is one of two Notre Dame assistants recruiting GA: http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-nK

Was also at Auburn.

[jbcarol]

Sentinel Recruiting ‏@OS_Recruiting  Mar 15
#Gators commit Deondre Farrier of Lake Nona wins WR MVP at NFTC #UF #Florida
@DeondreF3 ...

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC  8h
How did Mizzou hold off #UGA #Bama & Miami for DB Tavon Ross aka @BCFlight_9 --> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-pS

[jbcarol]

Josh Kendall ‏@JoshatTheState  1h
Gamecocks win only recruiting battle I can remember that came down to South Carolina and Oregon. http://www.gogamecocks.com/2014/03/24/572163/lemieux-has-seen-enough-commits.html?sp=/99/113/&ihp=1 ...

Offensive lineman Shane Lemieux (6-6, 295) of Yakima, Wash., made a return visit to South Carolina on Monday after first visiting on Friday and before leaving he made a commitment to the Gamecocks, giving USC four new pledges for the 2015 class in less than a week.

Lemieux said he's completely sold on USC and his commitment is solid, though he does want his mom to visit and give final approval...

Since last Thursday, USC has added wide receiver Michael Bowman, defensive back Mark Fields Jr., offensive lineman Paris Palmer and Lemieux to the Gamecocks' 2015 class.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·Mar 25
What about mother of top Georgia prospect "really not liking" #Vols? Has that changed? http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-rN

[jbcarol]

Two 2015 prospects gave verbals recently to Vandy:

Nashville Ensworth 4-star CB Donovan Sheffield
Elmore, AL Edgewood Academy 3-star RB Josh Crawford

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·2h
New QB commit fell in love with GaTech after attending #UGA OT game --> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-sG

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·3 hrs
If Mark Richt has sent you a hand-drawn portrait in #UGA uniform, please tweet it out. We're up to 4 -> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-tf

[jbcarol]

6-4 and a biscuit shy of 3 bills, Stilwell KS OG AJ Harris has given a verbal to Mizzou.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·3 hrs
If Mark Richt has sent you a hand-drawn portrait in #UGA uniform, please tweet it out. We're up to 4 -> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-tf

[jbcarol]

'15 4-star 6-1, 210 East St. Louis RB Natereace Strong has given a verbal to Mizzou.

[mizzouman]

Mizzou on a roll with the Drew Lock commitment.

[jbcarol]

Gabe DeArmond @GabeDeArmond  ·  41m ago
With Lock's commitment, #Mizzou has the No. 1 player in Kansas, the No. 2 player in Missouri and the No. 3 player in Illinois per @Rivals

[jbcarol]

David Morrison ‏@DavidCMorrison ·11 hrs
Lock says he still plans on talking with Pinkel and Frank Haith on possibility of playing basketball. Also wants to play senior hoops season

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·6 hrs
I still can't believe McGarity agreed to ban recruits for GA/FL when every other SEC game at neutral site doesn't --> http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-vn


UGa AD

[jbcarol]

Chris Clark ‏@GCChrisClark  11h
RT @rivalsmike: TE Chris Clark has decommitted from #UNC -- my guess is #NotreDame will be final destination.

4-star Avon Old Farms TE plays HS ball in ESPN Country.

[jbcarol]

Jeremy Crabtree ‏@jeremycrabtree ·Apr 12
#NoSurpriseToMe MT @TheOpening2014: Congrats to QB Drew Lock (@DrewLock23) on invite to @Elite11/@TheOpening2014 pic.twitter.com/cXa8MXDZp2

[jbcarol]

5.5-rated, 6-4, 220 WR/TE

Daniel Imatorbhebhe @_bhex2  ·  9m
ITS OFFICIAL!!!!!



Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  19s
That's tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe from North Gwinnett, Ga, who tweeted he committed to Missouri. Also with offers from Florida, Vandy

[mizzouman]

5.5-rated, 6-4, 220 WR/TE

Daniel Imatorbhebhe @_bhex2  ·  9m
ITS OFFICIAL!!!!!



Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  19s
That's tight end Daniel Imatorbhebhe from North Gwinnett, Ga, who tweeted he committed to Missouri. Also with offers from Florida, Vandy

Took a visit to Mizzou and was hanging out with DGB.  He Imatorbhebhe decided to commit after Pinkel dismissed DGB stating that he was impressed on how Pinkel handle the situation.  On the field, it's team first.  Off the field, get the player some help.

[jbcarol]

 Pete Scantlebury @PeteScantlebury  ·  12h 
Daniel Imatorbhebhe -- according to his brother, Josh, it's pronounced EEM-a-tor-bay-bay. Josh is a 2016 recruit with a Mizzou offer.

[jbcarol]

UGA will have to wait until at least next week before officially adding another member to its 2015 recruiting class.

Quincy Vasser, a defensive end out of a Texas junior college, tweeted on Thursday night that he had committed to UGA. The news spread quickly on Twitter, and was reported by many recruiting websites.

There was some confusion because traditionally at UGA, recruits have to talk over the phone or meet with Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt first before the commitment is officially accepted. Vasser hasn't talked to Richt, and the New York native has never been to Georgia.

[jbcarol]

Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  41m
Webster Groves' Cam Hilton, who committed to Mizzou on his visit today, said he expects to play safety at MU. Plays both safety & WR in HS

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·19 hrs
Chuma Edoga: 5-star commits to USC over UGA, Tennessee and Stanford http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-ye

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·19 hrs
Dabo Swinney said there's only 1 USC, remember? RT @clemsonlady you need to say Southern Cal.... All the Gamecocks got excited

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·3 hrs
QB/RB in Georgia this year is not so strong. But 2015 crop of OL and DL is simply ridiculous. One of best years I can remember

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·4 hrs
Augusta Christian (Ga) OL Zach Giella measured 6-foot-6 and 300 pounds at #LSU spring game, per father

Michael Carvell ‏@RecruitingAJC ·2 hrs
Michigan is checking on Augusta Christian (Ga) OL Zach Giella today & Miami will be there on Fri

[jbcarol]

  Michael Carvell @RecruitingAJC  ·  9h 
Nation's No. 1 APB commits to Oregon over Clemson, Ohio St. & UGA http://wp.me/p3Xdrl-zb

Andrew Bone @AndrewJBone  ·  19h 
Not the best week for the Georgia Bulldogs. They lose Chuma Edoga (#USC) and now Kaleb Kim (#Auburn).

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  2h  Report: Florida now contending for #Auburn QB target Chason Virgil, who's opening recruitment http://ow.ly/waDFh

West Mesquite 4-star dual threat QB

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell @RecruitingAJC  ·  19h
#Vols offered Griffin (Ga) WR Christian Owens @CO7HUNNIT, who is committed to #UGA