Now that the college football regular season has ended, recruiting efforts shift into high gear, with more and more major prospects taking official campus visits and every weekend bringing news of big-name commitments.
ESPN.com's recruiting guru Tom Lemming chatted with users on Wednesday, Dec., 15, to bring them the latest from the recruiting scene. Here's an edited transcript:
Big Nate: How big is the Muñoz commitment to Tennessee, and what other big-name players do you see
committing to the Vols in the next week or so?
Tom Lemming: It's a major commitment for Tennessee, a great catch from the state of Ohio, and a great job of
recruiting by OL coach Mike Barry. It's also a tough loss for Ohio State, but the handwriting was
on the wall once his sister committed to the Lady Vols. He's more advanced than most OL
prospects because of his father's coaching, so he could contribute right away as a freshman.
I would rather doubt there'll be any major additional commitments within the next week because
most players will hold off until after the holidays, but so many players have already visited
Tennessee that there's always a chance.
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ABOUT TOM LEMMING
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Tom Lemming is editor of Prep Football Report. For information on how to subscribe to Prep Football Report's magazine, newsletters and website, log on to www.prepfootballreport.com. For year-round recruiting updates, call Tom Lemming's Prep Football Hotline at 900-860-9888. Calls are $1.79 per minute, and callers must be 18 years old or have parents' permission. |
MoonMan:
Anything new on Kwame Harris? I sure would like to see him in a Badgers uniform -- any chance?
Tom Lemming: Kwame is visiting Madison this weekend. He's gone on record that he won't make a decision until
he's visited all his schools, which include Michigan, Wisconson, Stanford and Cal for sure.
UGA2000: Where do you think Jason Campbell will go now that LSU has gotten a new coach and Auburn has
just gotten a verbal commitment from Daniel Cobb? Who seems to be doing the best so far with
recruiting, not necessarily with commitments, but with commitments and players leaning towards
one program over another?
Tom Lemming: I think Jason is one of the top two QB prospects in the country. He still says that Georgia,
Auburn, LSU and Georgia Tech are his top four schools, and I wouldn't bet against any of them.
Right now, it's FSU once again leading the pack with ball players leaning to the school, and I
wouldn't be surprised if the Seminoles' class ends up in the top three, if not No. 1.
J-Dawg:
How do you see the University of Washington finishing up? Has the Neu era made that much
difference? And what blue-chips are still looking at the U-Dub?
Tom Lemming: They lost top-rated linebacker Larry Stevens from Tacoma today to Michigan, but he could well
be the only major player in the state that they do lose. They've done a great job in-state and I
expect them to sign some of the top prospects in California. They're in on a lot of top players on
the West Coast; the next month should be kind to the Huskies' recruiting efforts.
ND99: How's Nick Saban doing considering he just got down there?
Tom Lemming:
Right now I think he's doing fantastic at LSU. He's already turned some of the kids around who
were upset at the loss of coach DiNardo, and he's expanded the recruiting efforts into the
Carolinas and Florida. I expect an above-average class for LSU, considering the coaching
change.
HuskersIn2000:
Carlyle Holiday -- Husker or Fighting Irish? How do the Huskers look in the running for top
linebackers?
Tom Lemming:
It's too close to call between Notre Dame and Nebraska. He's already visited Notre Dame and
will visit Nebraska in early January.
Right now, none of my top 10 LBs are going to be visiting Nebraska, but the Huskers are in on
some of the blue-chip LBs in Texas, most notably T.J. Hollowell of Copperas Cove.
AC Aggie:
How does it look for A&M with Robert Peace? He seemed very impressed with Coach Slocum
and our program. Any chance we can beat out Tennessee?
Tom Lemming: Tennessee has been considered the favorite, but if anyone can beat them out, it would be coach
Slocum, who's one of the best in-house recruiters. It should come down to a Tennessee-A&M
battle for the former LSU commitment.
Beetle: Do you think the University of Texas has a shot at B.J. Johnson or Roy Williams? What are the
chances that UT could land them both? What do you think of Sloan Thomas?
Tom Lemming: They're three of the top 15 WR prospects in the nation, with B.J. being No. 2. I think the chances
of Texas landing both B.J. and Roy Williams are outstanding.
Rice: What's the deal on Charles Rogers from Saginaw (MI)?
Tom Lemming:
He was stabbed in the back with a fork a couple of weeks ago, which collapsed a lung. He's
healthy now and visited Michigan this past weekend. Although FSU, Tennessee and UCLA are
very much in the race, I believe it could come down to a Michigan State-Michigan battle, and the
Spartans are slight leaders at this time.
Go Blue 32: What do you think of Sammy Maldonado of Harrison, NY? Where is he looking at going to school?
Tom Lemming: When I visited him last spring, I thought he was one of the top three prospects in the state of New
York. Nothing has changed; he's still one of the top players.
Right now he's considering FSU, Syracuse and Ohio State and may also visit Arizona and
Tennessee. As of now, Ohio State and Syracuse are the two leaders.
Dave: Any news on the Jason Respert front?
Tom Lemming: Right now Jason appears to be leaning towards Florida and Tennessee over Georgia and FSU.
With the Gators losing the state of Georgia's top prospect, Sean Young, to Clemson, Respert has
become a priority.
HuskersIn2000:
How good is O.J. Owens? Also, what is your take on Derick Arnold?
Tom Lemming: Owens is one of the hardest-hitting defensive players I've seen nationally this year. When I was
in New London, N.C., I sat down with O.J. and his father to watch film and was impressed with
his aggressive play and surprising speed. I also believe that Derick Arnold is one of the top 10
backs in the country; he combines good size with great speed and strength.
Owens only has a visit to East Carolina set up, but he's probably also going to visit Tennessee and
North Carolina. Arnold has already visited Michigan and Arizona and may also look at Nebraska
and Colorado.
Go ND:
Will ND pursue any other RB's aside from Vontez Duff? Do you think they will land him?
Tom Lemming:
They have a slight lead at this stage for Duff. They've already had Derron Parquet and Albert
Hollis on campus. They're also trying to secure a visit from the nation's No. 1 RB, Marcus
Houston.
Noles#1: What is new with linebackers Eric Moore and Hobie Holiday?
Tom Lemming: Eric Moore's leading schools are Tennessee, FSU and Miami. Hobie Holiday is considering
Nebraska, Alabama, Auburn and FSU.
LA John: Do you think Joe McGuire is the top OL prospect in the West?
Tom Lemming: Right now Paul Mociler ranks slightly higher than McGuire, but along with Dan Dicks of
Washington, they rank as the top three offensive linemen on the West Coast.
Barry: Are there any Peyton Manning-like QB prospects out there?
Tom Lemming:
The most athletic QB is Jason Campbell from Taylorsville, Miss. But the most heady QB is
Florida-bound Brock Berlin of Shreveport, La.
To answer your question, no, there are no Peyton Mannings out there this year.
Go ND: I haven't heard much about Brandon Sumner recently. Does he have a favorite yet?
Tom Lemming:
Brandon's favorite has been Notre Dame, but he won't visit there until January and by then they
may be finished recruiting QBs. Georgia Tech may be the school that benefits from N.D.'s late
visit.
Justin Franklin: Everyone here in DeSoto H.S., TX is real excited about Tatum Bell going to Oklahoma State.
How great of a future does he have there?
Tom Lemming: He's one of the most underrated backs in the country and should rate as one of the top prospects
in the state of Texas.
Eric:
What is the latest with Willis McGahee? Does it still appear that Auburn is one of his top choices?
Tom Lemming: Yes, Auburn, Georgia, FSU, Michigan State and Tennessee along with Miami all rate high on
Willis' latest list.
Ben C: How are the 'Canes doing this recruiting season?
Tom Lemming: Outstanding. The national recruiting effort looks like it will reap a great harvest. They appear to
be in on several of the nation's top prospects and are also doing a great job in southern Florida.
Noles#1: How good is Chad Mascoe and where do you think that Bryant McFadden will go?
Tom Lemming:
Mascoe may be the best athlete in Florida and could excel at any of several positions. I think
McFadden will end up at FSU over Georgia and Michigan when it's all said and done.
Craig: What do you think about Stu Schweigert from Saginaw, MI? Will he be wearing Spartan Green
next year?
Tom Lemming: I thought so up until a few days ago, but now I think he'll end up at either Notre Dame or Purdue.
He's the fastest player in Michigan, a 6-3, 200-pound QB who will end up playing either WR or
DB in college.
Copper Cutters:
What is your take on Larry Stevens?
Tom Lemming: I think he's one of the quickest linebackers I've seen in the country. He's very expressive on the
field, so much so that you can actually hear his voice on the game film. He's a very active and
a tough defender who could make an immediate impact with the Wolverines in 2000.
Greg Root: How do you rate Illinois' class of 2000 so far?
Tom Lemming: It's a good, solid class. It doesn't rank with last year's, but it's better than those of the pre-Turner
years. Right now it doesn't have the marquee names of the '99 class. The top prospects right now
are WR Jamaal Clark of St. Louis and DL Mike Maloney of Joliet, Ill.
Spartan Fan: Have any of Saban's Spartan recruits jumped ship? If so, where? Please don't tell me LSU.
Tom Lemming: So far none of the committed players has jumped ship. Saban has stopped recruiting the
committed Spartan players.
LA John: Has John Robinson been able to attract any attention to UNLV's program?
Tom Lemming: He and his quality staff are doing a bang-up job not only in Nevada but the entire West. They're
not attracting the top 100-type players, but they're getting the next level down, which is good
enough for most schools including UNLV.
Justin: How is Lou Holtz doing at South Carolina?
Tom Lemming: I think South Carolina could have one of the better years. They've already gotten a few top
offensive linemen committed; now their biggest needs are a blue-chip QB and a couple of
big-time running backs.
PSUfan: What is the latest with D.J. Williams?
Tom Lemming:
The latest with D.J. is that he's already visited Miami and will visit Texas Friday. Then he'll take a
break until early January, when he'll visit Michigan, Cal and FSU.
CUbuff: Are Barnett's home-state efforts going to pay off, and how is the recruiting class looking?
Tom Lemming: The Colorado class is looking very good. In-state, they're getting just about every player they
want with the exception of RB Marcus Houston, the state's top prospect, who's looking at UCLA,
Texas and Colorado.
JIM: Is there a linebacker who can step in and play at Ohio State?
Tom Lemming: Right now, Darrion Scott of Charleston, W.Va., who's already committed to the Buckeyes, could
possibly play right away at either RB or LB.
Maize and Blue: How will Michigan do nationally in the recruiting picture this year?
Tom Lemming: They're getting just about all the top prospects they want to visit, but haven't landed any, which is
about normal for this time in December. Larry Stevens is a good national catch, and they're still
counting on getting shots at Travis Johnson, Bryant McFadden, Alex Holmes, Derick Arnold, D.J.
Williams and Darrell Lee.
hawkeyejoe: How are Iowa and Iowa State doing recruiting ?
Tom Lemming:
Iowa is working hard at recruiting out-of-state and in the JUCO ranks; it's an average year in the
state for talent.
For Iowa State, every year their recruiting seems to be getting better and this year they seem to
be in on more big-time prospects than ever. They may come in second in many cases, but at least
it shows that the program is gaining legitimacy.
Sparty: How is MSU fairing in the national picture?
Tom Lemming: For the first time in the 20 years I've been doing this, they have a shot at a top 10 class and
finishing No. 1 in the Big Ten recruiting race.
Rusty: This year was the first recruiting class at Penn State that JoePa didn't guarantee he would be
there to see them graduate. Will that affect recruiting?
Tom Lemming: It's too late to affect recruiting now since they have commitments for just about all the available
scholarships, but it may affect recruiting over the next couple of years.
Gopher Guy:
What are some "blue chip" recruits that the Golden Gophers have a chance at?
Tom Lemming: Minnesota is having an outstanding year. They've already gotten a commitment from Greg Taplin,
one of the top defenders in Florida. They're also close to getting every top prospect in the state
and received a commitment from the top JUCO WR, Antonio Burns. They're expecting a visit
this week from one of the nation's top LBs, Marco Cooper of Detroit, and one of the JUCO's top
QB prospects, Nick Rolovich.
Blue_Sam: How good is Chris Perry from Fork Union, Va.? Where do you think he'll end up? Do you think
he's better than Derick Arnold?
Tom Lemming: He's a different kind of back than Arnold. He's a very quick back, is the top prep-school back in
the nation and could end up playing CB in college. He'll probably choose between Ohio State and
Michigan.
big nay: Why aren't major colleges recruiting more in the New York City area? Is it because there aren't many
prospects in the area?
Tom Lemming:
You hit the nail right on the head. Some high schools in New York City proper don't play high
school football. The majority of top prospects in the New York City area come from Long Island.
Thanks to everyone for joining us today. I'll be back to chat again after New Year's Day.
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