On Monday, Jan. 29, ESPN.com recruiting analyst Tom Lemming returned to chat to update users on prospects' campus visits, who's
recently committed, and which schools are en route to a top
10 class.
Lemming, editor of Prep Football Report, is considered one of the nation's most
respected and knowledgeable recruiting analysts. Throughout his 20-plus years of covering the
national high school football recruiting scene, he has made it a point to visit hundreds of the
nation's top prospects every spring and summer, traveling thousands of miles through most of the
50 states. This firsthand perspective allows him to provide users with expert evaluation of each
prospect's potential for college and NFL greatness.
Here's an edited transcript of the chat:
| |  | | Carnell Williams, who ranks No. 4 on Lemming's RB list, decommitted from Tennessee in favor of Auburn on Monday. |
jimmy:
How will Butch Davis going to the NFL affect Miami recruiting?
Tom Lemming:
Usually coaches don't leave this late in the recruiting season. Based on past experience, this
could devastate Miami's class, which I have ranked in the top 10 right now. Top catches such
as Leon Williams, Brandon Sebald and possibly Antrel Rolle may start looking elsewhere this
coming weekend. I'll be posting my top 10 classes as of right now here on ESPN.com at tne end of the chat.
UTfan:
Now that Carnell Williams has committed to Auburn, which RBs besides Cedric Houston do
you think Tennessee will sign?
Tom Lemming:
It surprised me somewhat that Williams chose Auburn over Alabama, since he told me he was
an Alabama fan from childhood, but Auburn did a great job of continuing to recruit him after he
committed to Tennessee.
The Vols still have good shots at Jabari Davis and De'Arrius Howard.
Bignole:
How did Joe Mauer's and Adrian McPherson's visits in Tallahassee go this weekend and how will Jared Jones'
dismissal weigh into their decisions?
Tom Lemming:
The visits went well. I do believe that because of the timing of Jared Jones' dismissal, the
Seminoles will end up with one of those two stars.
hod35:
Is there any up-to-date news concerning Matt Roth's current favorites?
Tom Lemming:
Yesterday he dropped two schools from his list: Miami and Kansas State. Right now, it's a
dead heat between Iowa, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin. My prediction has always been
that it'll come down to Iowa and Nebraska. Matt will probably choose by next Sunday.
Blue_Sam:
Tom, is there any new info on Charles Rush? Who leads?
Tom Lemming:
Charles had it down to Michigan, Penn State and Miami. Now, with Davis resigning, it'll
probably come down to PSU and Michigan, and he'll choose any day now.
lions1:
Does PSU have a chance to win back Leon Williams?
Tom Lemming:
Of course, now that Davis has resigned, I'd think Penn State has a 50-50 chance of signing
Williams, who had originally committed to the Nittany Lions. Right now he has no reason to
stay at Miami because of the uncertainty of the coaching staff.
Rui:
Hey, Tom, what is up with Lydell Ross and Notre Dame? Is he a catch for the Irish or is he a
Gator? What do you think?
Tom Lemming:
Ross committed to Notre Dame last Monday and promptly took a visit to Gainesville on
Friday. Now he says he's 50-50 between Notre Dame and Florida and will make his decision
on Signing Day.
BruinSigEp:
What's the latest with Shaun Cody and Michael Craven? With Kevin Simon out of the mix after a bad "official
weekend," any chance we can land these two and have a top 5 class?
Tom Lemming:
I think Craven will end up at UCLA, and Shaun Cody is 50-50 between Notre Dame
and UCLA unless his visit to USC this past weekend changed his mind.
GoBlueForever:
Any impressions of how Tyler Reed is leaning? Has Tennessee been eliminated?
Tom Lemming:
Yes, Tennessee has been eliminated. I believe he's slightly leaning to Penn State over Pittsburgh
and Michigan.
Chode72:
Any word on Eric Shelton?
Tom Lemming:
I believe he will end up choosing FSU over Florida and Texas.
BoilerMike:
What's the latest with Angelo Chattams? Slim and none have not left town yet as it looks like
the Boilers still have a chance?
Tom Lemming:
It looks like he's going to give a firm commitment to Ohio State some time today or tomorrow.
Marco:
How strong is Reggie Williams' committment to Washington? Is there a chance Michigan could
steal him away?
Tom Lemming:
Yes, his commitment is strong. There's not much of a chance that Michigan will be able to lure
him back from the Huskies.
Dan Alford:
Why hasn't Texas been able to recruit any high-profile defensive players this year? They have
a lot of quality recruits (overall) but no "big" names at the positional rankings.
Tom Lemming:
Today, they got their first really big defensive name in LB Derrick Johnson of Waco. However,
it was not a good year for five-star defensive players in Texas, and the Longhorns' pursuit of
other five-star defenders nationally was in vain.
steve:
Does anyone think Iowa State will have a good class?
Tom Lemming:
Yes, I think by Iowa State standards, this year should be a pretty good year. They lost some
in-state prospects, but made up for it with out-of-state prospects such as RB Ellis Hobbs of
DeSoto, Tex., LB Brandon Brown of Houston, JC All-American LB Jeremy Loyd of Tyler,
Tex., and JC All-American QB Seneca Wallace of Sacramento City College.
Eric:
How is Wisconsin's recruiting class shaping up? I haven't heard too much about it.
Tom Lemming:
I have the Badgers in my top 10 right now. Since they only have one scholarship left, they may
drop off the list by Signing Day. However, this is a solid top 15 class.
Russell:
Since Butch Davis left today to go to Cleveland, does that improve Tennessee's chances of
getting Kevin Simon?
Tom Lemming:
Yes, I believe Tennesssee is now the favorite to land Simon, simply because if he chose Miami
now, he wouldn't know what type of situation he'd be heading into.
Ducksjohnson:
Tom,
the Oregon Ducks have a great offense coming back next year; what additions has Bellotti made thus far,
and how do you feel about the Ducks next year?
Tom Lemming:
I think both Oregon and Oregon State have improved their recruiting tremendously, and both
are on their way to having their best class in the past several. Obviously the top-name recruit for
Oregon is QB Kellen Clemens, but they also have JC All-American safety Willie Northern and
OL Jason Mohammed of Fontana, Calif.
Tim:
Does Pitt have a good class?
Tom Lemming:
Outstanding. This will be the best class under the Walt Harris regime, led by WR Larry
Fitzgerald of Minneapolis, DE Thomas Smith of Suitland, Md., and local stars such as Kevin
Harris of Sharon, WR J.J. Horne of Franklin, and TE Erik Gill of Belle Vernon.
00Hokie:
Tom, what is your take on VT's recruiting class this year? Do they rank in the top 10, and how
is the race for Michael Robinson going?
Tom Lemming:
Right now, VT would rank probably in the top 15, led by the commitment of Kevin Jones. The
Hokies seem to lead with Robinson over Penn State, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech.
SpartanGreen:
Which top prospects does Michigan State have a good shot at landing in the final days of
recruiting?
Tom Lemming:
They still have an outside chance at Michael Robinson and are actively recruiting Jeff Littlejohn,
who committed to Clemson but has since visited Michigan State. They're one of the three
finalists for DL Marcus Green of Louisville, Ky., and they're battling Tennessee and LSU for
DL Matt Askew of Ft. Lauderdale.
gatorman:
Fred Gibson -- how good is he and where is he going?
Tom Lemming:
He's on my All-American team. Right now it looks like it'll come down between Georgia and
Florida for this super receiver.
Marc:
What are the chances of RB Maurice Hall going to the Buckeyes? How would you rank Ohio
State's class?
Tom Lemming:
I think the chances are 99.99 percent that Hall will go to Ohio State over FSU. However, the
Buckeyes' chances for a top 20 finish went out the door with John Cooper.
David:
Jerome Carter and Montrell Jones -- where are they going?
Tom Lemming:
It looks like it's betweeen Florida and FSU for Carter. Jones appears to be leaning to
Tennessee.
GatorMary:
Mark it down Mr. Lemming: Eric Shelton will sign with Florida!
Tom Lemming:
Mark this down: Eric Shelton will sign with FSU. You can take that to the bank.
Steven:
Is Bob Davie doing a better job recruiting? Notre Dame hasn't had a top 3 class in years now.
Tom Lemming:
Davie is an excellent recruiter. However, his staff would probably rank below-average as far as
recruiting is concerned. The Irish have no shot at all at a top 3 class this year, but if they can
keep Lydell Ross and land Shaun Cody, they may finish in the top 10.
GO DAWGS: Do you think the University of Washington has a shot a top 5 class?
Tom Lemming:
An outside shot, but they're more likely to finish in the top 10. Look for our top 10 rankings as
of today right after the chat.
guyzilla:
What does the addition of "Cadillac" Williams do for Auburn's
recruiting class standing?
Tom Lemming:
It certainly adds a lot of luster to a class that was pretty good already. They now have two
five-star players in Williams and Lemarcus Rowell and have several three- and four-star players
committed also.
DannyC: What's the deal with Craphonso Thorpe? Has he decommited from FSU?
Tom Lemming:
There have been rumors that he might decommit, but the last time I talked to him, he said he's
happy with the Seminoles and will sign with them.
Tigerfan:
What's the deal with Airese Currie? I've heard for weeks it was Clemson/Georgia, but today
I'm hearing FSU/South Carolina?
Tom Lemming:
It's between FSU, South Carolina and Clemson right now, with Georgia and Tennessee still
there.
GoNits:
Does Penn State have a shot at a top 15 class this year after somehow losing both Kevin Jones
and Leon Williams? And why do we continue to lose out on the blue chips? We have not had
any superstars since LaVar Arrington.
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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 three yearly magazines and five newsletters, fax your request to 847-842-1313 or write to P.O. Box 59113, Schaumburg, Ill. 60159. Attention new subscribers: You'll receive Lemming's Class of 2001 wrap-up issue FREE if you subscribe for the upcoming season. 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. |
Tom Lemming:
Yes, Penn State has a shot at the top 15 if they finish strong by landing Williams, Charles Rush and
Tyler Reed. The main reason why Penn State has not landed superstars since Arrington is that they've
usually run out of scholarships before January and had none left to pursue the nation's premier
players, who almost always wait until the last minute.
Dawgs:
Jabari Davis is announcing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday. Are you hearing Tennessee or Georgia?
Tom Lemming:
It was Tennessee all the way until the coaching change at Georgia, when Mark Richt kept
Rodney Garner. Now Jabari's coach and several other officials at his high school would like for
him to sign with the Bulldogs.
IGTBAMH!:
Is it not true that schools attempting to recruit against Miami have been saying for months that
Davis is leaving? If so, wouldn't this tend to temper the impact of him actually leaving?
Tom Lemming:
Davis put all the questions about his leaving to rest a few weeks ago when he said there was
absolutely no way he was leaving the Hurricanes. Since then, all the negative talk about his
possible departure ceased, and the Hurricanes did not have to worry about that being used by
other coaches recruiting Miami's prospects. Now the players are committed to a school where they
don't know who the coaches will be. Therefore, it would be in their best interest to start looking
around.
HAWKTALK:
Where do you think the nation's No. 1 FB, Ayo Saba, will end up? How do you like Iowa's chances?
Tom Lemming:
As I said last week, he was slightly leaning to K-State, but he had a tremendous visit to Iowa
City this weekend and it now looks like a battle between K-State and Iowa for his signature.
gator fan:
Will D.J. Shockley have an instant impact on Georgia?
Tom Lemming:
He definitely has the ability and smarts to make an instant impact, and I'd be shocked if
Shockley didn't have that sort of impact. You can see D.J., along with 23 other Reebok/ESPN
All-Americans, on our TV show from Chicago at 2 p.m. ET Feb. 19 on ESPN.
Now, here are my top 10 classes as of Jan. 29:
1. Michigan
2. LSU
3. Oklahoma
4. FSU
5. Texas
6. Tennessee
7. UCLA
8. Miami
9. Washington
10. Wisconsin
Look for changes in this list based on what happens between now and Signing Day. And
remember, more than 30 of my top 100 prospects are still visiting and deciding.
Thanks to everyone for joining us. I'll be back at 3:30 p.m. ET on Thursday to chat again.  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories
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ALSO SEE
Recruiting: Lemming's revised top 100
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