MAX EMFINGER.com

SUPER SIXTY-FOUR

TEAMS IN RECRUITING

 

VOLS WIN RECRUITING CHAMPIONSHIP IN SPRING, 2000

 

         COLLEGE     Rate    MAX EMFINGER.com ALL-AMERICANS                                POINTS                         

1.	TENNESSEE	7.0     6.0     5.0	(9) QB Casey Clausen, NG Lynn McGruder, WR Rashad Baker, OT Mike Munoz, OT Sean Young, WR Tony Brown, ATH Shyrone Carey, OG Jason Respert, & FS O.J. Owens! (10) SS Kevin Burnett, DE Mondre Dickerson, CB Jabari Greer, WR Mark Jones, CB Corey Larkins, LB Karlton Neal, QB John Rattay, CB Lee Wheeler, SS Tony Campbell, & DE Jason Witten! (3) OG Brad Hilsher, OT William Jerrnigan, & LB Robert Peace! (The Volunteers put together an incredible recruiting class including an Amazing 18 HS All-Americans!)	117.0
2.	FLORIDA	7.0   6.0   5.5 5.0	(8) QB Brock Berlin (COVER), RB Willie Green, CB Cory Bailey, WR Reggie Vickers, LB Darrell Lee, FS Tre Orr, OT Shannon Snell (COVER), & WR Carlos Perez! (6) LB Travis Harris, DT Bennie Mills, OT Max Starks, CB DeShaun Carter, WR Kevin Kight, & DT Thomas Pittman, Expos Baseball. (1) JUCO All-American in LB Kennard Ellis! (9) OT Jonathan Colon, LB Reid Fleming, CB Matt Jackson, DT Kenny Parker, DT Ian Scott, ATH O.J. Small, DE Santonio Thomas, OT Chad Tidwell, CB Guss Scott,  & DE Bobby Williams! (An Amazing class for Coach Steve Spurrier and his staff!)	112.5
3.	ALABAMA	7.0   6.0   5.5   5.0	(6) DT Antwan Odom, DT Anthony Bryant, DT Albert Means, LB Brooks Daniels, DT Mac Tyler, and DE Nautyn McKay-Loesher! (7) OT Wesley Britt, OT Maurice Mitchell, OG Justin Smiley, LB Jason Rawls, P Matthew Sanders, DE Gerald Clark, & SS Harold James! (3) JUCO All-Americans in LB Aries Monroe, SS Connie Brown, & DE Shawn Oglesby! (6) SS Carlos Andrews, WR Triandos Luke, OT Danny Martz, FS Thurman Ward, & SS Cornelius Wortham! (An incredible array of defensive talent with 12 All-Americans!)	110.5
4. Tie	FLORIDA STATE	7.0   6.0   5.5 5.0	(7) DE Travis Johnson, FB Greg Jones, SS Yohance Buchanan, FS Claudeus Osei, CB Bryant McFadden (COVER), ATH Michael Boulware, and LB Eric Moore! (5) LB Nate Hardage, ATH Chad Mascoe, OT Alex Barron, LB DeVaughn Darling, & QB Chris Rix! (2) JUCO All-Americans in WR Javon Walker & DT Eric Powell! (6) WR Devard Darling, DE Charles Howard, OT Ray Willis, FS Leroy Smith, OC Bobby Meeks, & K Brent Cimorelli! (An incredible class, including the #1 player at his position in the country in Johnson, Jones, Buchanan, Osei, & McFadden!)	110.0
4. Tie	TEXAS	7.0   6.0   5.0	(6) WR B.J. Johnson (COVER), TE Brock Edwards (COVER), WR Sloan Thomas, WR Roy Williams, CB Nathan Vasher, & K Matt McFadden! (8) QB Chance Mock, DE Adam Doiron, DT Sonny Davis, OT Lionel Garr, P Justin Smith, FS Phil Geiggar EB Sneezy Beltran, & DT Stevie Lee! (6) FS Tony Jeffery, DT Marcel Moses, LB Aumon Satchell, DE Kalen Thornton, FB Will Matthews, & LB Austin Sendlein! (An Amazing trio of All-American receivers in Johnson, Thomas, and Williams, an All-American TE in Edwards; plus Geiggar and Lee who have already made it to the second team in spring training!)	110.0
6.	OHIO STATE	7.0 6.0     5.5 5.0	(3) IB Sam Maldonado, LB Marco Cooper, & DE Will Smith! (9) FB Brandon Joe, FS Willie Allen, OT Shane Olivea, LB Jamal Muhammad, RB Terry Pogue, LB Robert Reynolds, LB Darrion Scott, DT Alphonso Townsend, & OG Alex Stepanovich! (1) JUCO All-American in LB Jack Tucker! (7) WR John Hollins, WR Michael Jenkins, WR Andrew Lee, K Josh Huston, OT Larry Kinnard, CB Harlen Jacobs, & QB Rick McFadden! (An Amazing Linebacker Quartet, plus Maldonado the Great!)	105.5
7.	PENN STATE	7.0 6.0   5.0	(2) TE/FB Sean McHugh & OG Chris McKelvy! (9) DE Derek Wake, DE Sam Ruhl, DT Erik Noll, DE Dan Acri, LB Tim Johnson, RB Tony Johnson, CB Adam Taliaferro, OT Nick Marmo, & QB Zac Wasserman! (8) DE Jeremiah Davis, QB Zach Mills, SS Pete Gilmore, NG Scott Davis, RB Michael Gasparato, LB Jesse Neumyer, CB Gerald Smith, & FB Paul Jefferson! (An Amazing haul of defensive players, including Wake, Ruhl, Noll,, Acri, Johnson, & Taliferro!)	103.0
8.	MIAMI	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(4) LB D.J. Williams, WR Willie Dixon, RB Willis McGahee, & FS Carl Walker! (4) QB T.J. Prunty, NG Vince Wilfolk, DT Carlos Joseph, & TE Willie Roberts! (1) JUCO All-American in DE Cornelius Green! (10) QB Derrick Crudup, ATH Al Marshall, LB Jon Vilma, LB Darrell McClover, SS Jared McClure, DE Alton Wright, OT Chris Myers, FB Kyle Cobia, K Mark Gent, & OC Joel Rodriguez! (The Amazing “Wil” and “Carl” Team, highlighted by Two #1 Ranked Californians!)	102.5
9.	NEBRASKA	7.0 6.0     5.5 5.0	(2) LB Jason Richenberger (COVER) & TE Chris Septak! (7) DE Manaia Brown, OC Martin Flaum, OG Mike Erickson, OG Jake Anderson, CB Lornell McPherson, LB Ira Cooper, & CB Terrell Butler. (An Amazing group of Linebacker and Offensive Linemen) (1) JUCO All-American in RB Thunder Collins! (8) K Sandro DeAngeis, WR DeWayne Long, WB Alvin Marshall, LB Lannie Hopkins, CB Willie Amos, LB T.J. Hollowell, OT Nick Povento, & DE Bernard Thomas!	101.5
10. Tie	AUBURN	7.0 6.0 5.5     5.0	(3) TE Jay Ratliff, LB Mayo Sowell, & K Phillip Yost! (4) RB/LB Ronnie Brown, QB Jason Campbell, DT Marcus White, & NG Nate French! (4) JUCO All-Americans in QB Daniel Cobb, RB Rudi Johnson, DE Alton Moore, & DE Javor Mills! (6) WR Silas Daniels, RB Derrick Graves, ATH Donnay Young, DE Bret Eddins, & CB Rodney Mars! (An Amazing class, including 1998 All-Americans TE Robert Johnson & WR Deandre Green, who was the recent A-Day Offensive MVP!)	101.0
10 Tie	NOTRE DAME	7.0 6.0     5.0	(1) DT Greg Pauly! (11) QB/ATH Caryle Holiday, QB Jared Clark, WR Lorenzo Crawford, RB/WR Vontez Duff, LB Mike Goolsby, WR Ronnie Rodamer, ATH/WR Jerome Collins, QB Matt Lovecchio, LB Derek Curry, DE Jason Sapp, & WR Jovan Witherspoon. (4) WR Omar Jenkins, TE Billy Palmer, CB Garron Bible, & CB Preston Jackson! (An Amazing class of quarterbacks, receivers, and linebackers after a dismal 5-7 season!)	101.0
12. Tie	MICHIGAN	7.0 6.0     5.0	(1) RB Chris Perry! (9) RB Reggie Benton, LB Larry Stevens, TE Tyler Ecker, OC Andy Christopfel, OT David Baas, QB Jermaine Gonzales, OG Jeff Gaston, DE Alain Kashama, & K Adam Finley! (7) RB Timmy Brackin, WR Calvin Bell, LB Emmanuel Casseus, CB Markus Curry, FB Kevin Dudley, WR James Taylor, & LB Kolby Wells! (The Wolverines did not do as well as in past years, but a #11 class and getting Perry the Great is certainly not bad, plus Timmy Brackin & Alain Kashama may be the two biggest steals in the country!)	100.0
12. Tie	SOUTHERN CAL	7.0 6.0   5.5   5.0	(2) SS Matt Grootegoed & TE Alex Holmes! (6) DE Nate Goodson, WR Keary Colbert, RB Chris Howard, OT Blair Jones, OT Joe McGuire, & OT Kenechi Udeze! (4) JUCO All-Americans in CB Chris Cash, TE Doyle Butler, OT Phillip Eaves, & LB John Cousins! (4) QB Matt Cassel, FS Jason Leach, DE A.J.Single, & OG Travis Watkins! (The Trojans had an exceptional year and the Matt & Alex show will begin in the fall!)	100.0
14.	MISSISSIPPI STATE	7.0 6.0 5.5   5.0	(2) WR Antonio Hargro & QB/ATH Ray Ray Bivens! (3) FS Jonathan Bell, CB Bryan Shumaker, & LB J.J. Grant! (5) JUCO All-Americans in OT Courtney Lee, CB Dale Hall, SS Marco Minor, WR Clarence Parker, & OT Tommy Watson! (9) LB Jason Clark, K John Michael Martin, DT Jadice Moore, RB Fred Reid, WR McKinley Scott, DE Robert Spivey, DE Demotto Youngblood, OT David Stewart, & RB Marvin Vaughn! (An Amazing Blend of HS & JUCO All-Americans for Coach Jackie!)	99.5
15.	OKLAHOMA	7.0 6.0   5.5   5.0	(2) OT Wes Sims (COVER) & DT Jamaal Brown! (5) WR Antonio Perkins, CB Brandon Shelby, LB Ronbrose Jones, RB Renaldo Works, & SS Vernon Maxwell of the San Diego Padres Baseball Club! (3) JUCO All-Americans in DE Marcus Chretien, OG Howard Duncan, & CB Terrance Simms! (6) RB Jerod Estes, WR Ataleo Ford, WR Will Peoples, FS Darren Stephens, LB Jimmy Wilkerson, & OG Cliff Takawana! (An Amazing Haul for Second Year Coach)	98.5
16.	GEORGIA TECH	7.0 6.0   5.0	(2) RB Jimmy Dixon & LB Hobie Holiday! (5) OG Leon Robinson, QB Mark Logan, QB Brandon Sumner, TE Darius Williams, & LB Daryl Smith! (10) CB Jonathan Cox, SS Tony Hollings, TE J.P. Foschi, SS Sterling Green, WR Nate Curry, LB Keyaron Fox, DT Reggie Koon, OT Jeremy Phillips, FS Jonathan Smith, & DE Chirod Williams! (An Amazing two great quarterbacks, a great running back, and great defensive help, highlighted by two fabulous linebackers in Holiday and Smith!)	98.0
17.	ARIZONA STATE	7.0 6.0   5.5 5.0	(1) RB/ATH Terrell Suggs! (5) WR Sammy Moore, OG Adrian Ayala, QB Andrew Walter, WR/ATH Skyler Fulton, & Michael Williams! (3) JUCO All-Americans in DT Paul Glass, OT Travis Scott, & DE Danny Masanial! (7) RB Derick Arnold, ATH Emmanuel Franklin, LB Eric Keefner (4th round baseball draft), LB Zach Mims, K Travis Cloyd, LB Jimmy Verdon, & Jared Wolfgramm! (An unusually exceptional recruiting class for the Sun Devils!)	97.5
18. Tie	ARKANSAS	7.0 6.0   5.5 5.0	(1) CB Lawrence Richardson! (5) LB Carlton Baker, CB Lee Hayes, CB Bo Mosley, DE Jason Peters, & DT Jayson Johnson! (1) JUCO All-American in WR Sam Breeden! (8) LB Shane Collins, DT Arrion Dixon, WR Steven Harris, RB Brandon Holmes, LB Brandon Mayweather, K Brennan O’Donohoe, NG Pat Winn, & OG Steve Spivey! (An Amazing defensive class with three outstanding cornerbacks!)	96.0
18. Tie	TEXAS A&M	7.0 6.0   5.5 5.0	(1) CB Jonte Buhl (COVER)! (5) CB Adam Black, RB Keith Joseph, DE Linnus Smith, DT Marcus Jasmin, & P Cody Scates! (1) JUCO All-American WR Robert Ferguson! (8) FB Mathus Gill, ATH Dawon Gentry, OC Geoff Hangartner, QB Dustin Long, LB LaBrandon Sheppard, K Chris Sims, NG Eddie Brown, & LB Brian Thompson! (The Aggies started slowly, but they finished with another outstanding defensive class!)	96.0
20.	COLORADO	7.0 6.0 5.5   5.0	(1) RB/ATH Marcus Houston! (3) QB Craig Ochs, RB Bobby Purify,  & TE Quinn Sypniewski! (5) JUCO All-Americans in QB Bobby Pesavento, OT Dave Wilford, OC Neal Hannifin, OT Rawle King, & K Jeremy Flores! (5) DE Matt McChesney, NG Brandon Dabdoub, CB Allen Mackey, CB Corey Alexander (18th round baseball draft), ATH Clyde Surrell, & LB Sean Tufts! (An outstanding recruiting class and getting Houston is huge for the program!)	95.5
21.	MICHIGAN STATE	7.0 6.0 5.0	(3) WR Chuck Rogers, RB Tyrell Dortch, & QB Jeff Smoker! (4) OT Sean Poole, OT Quenton Jackson, DE Brad Littlejohn, & DT Dwight Whitfield! (6) FS Jeremy Fairrow, DT Jesse Sias, NG Greg Taplin, TE James Cooper, TE Luc Mullinder, & FS Damon Dowdell! (Getting the next Plaxico Burress in Rogers is huge!)	95.0
22.	NORTH CAROLINA	7.0 6.0   5.0	(1) QB Aaron Leak! (7) RB Andre Williams (COVER), RB Jason Crawford, LB Clarence Gaddy, RB Brandon Russell, LB Kitwana Jones, LB Madison Hedgecock, & DE Jermicus Banks! (5) OT Justin Barton, QB Darian Durant, K Blake Ferguson, FS Bryant Macklin, & DT Jonas Seawright! (An Amazing class for a new coach, including a Super quarterback, three great running backs, and three great linebackers!)	94.0
23.	ARIZONA	6.0 5.5     5.0	(2) CB Tony Wingate & WR Ricky Williams! (6) JUCO All-Americans in DE Tony Thompson, OT Ralph Zarate, DT John Vorschek, LB Ray Wells, K Tommy Kirovski, & QB Erik Garcia! (A great blend of HS and JUCO athletes, and potentially great RB’s!) (8) RB Tremaine Cox, FS Justin Jochum, OT Perry Thompson, ATH Juan Valentine, RB Clarence Farmer, RB Anthony Fulcher, NG Vince Feula, & RB Chris Harris!	93.0
24.	LOUISIANA STATE	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(2) SS Adrian Mayes & OT Kade Comeaux! (3) RB Derron Parquet, RB Devery Henderson, & LB Marvin Jones! (1) JUCO All-American in DT Howard Green! (7) RB Randall Gay, CB Erin Diamond, NG Jarvin Armelin, DE Lionell Turner, NG John Paul Jones, ATH Cory Webster, & LB Jarvus Reyes! (An Amazing group of athletes, plus three potential freshmen starters in Mayes, Parquet, and Henderson!)	92.5
25.	VIRGINIA TECH	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) CB Richard Johnson! (3) DE Jim Davis, SS Chad Cooper & OT Jonathan Dunn! (2) JUCO All-American in DT Channing Reed & SS Kevin McCadam! (8) QB Jason Davis, TE Jason Lallis, LB Mikel Baaque, P Vinnie Burns, OG Robert Ramsey, DT Malcolm Wooldridge, FS Mike Daniels, & Jared Mazzetta! (This is an outstanding class of “D” boys for the Hokies, including Davis, Davis, Dunn, & Daniels, plus QB Davis has already been through spring training!)	92.0
26.	SYRACUSE	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) WR Johnnie Morant! (3) RB Diamond Ferri, RB Walter Reyes, & OT Jeremy McCorkle! (3) JUCO All-Americans in QB Chad Elliott, TE Jeremie Frazier, & B.J. Darnell! (6) DE James Dumervil, FS Cedric Edmonds, DE Julian Pollard, ATH Jared Jones, SS Barry Baker, & RB Tony Swittenburg! (A trio of great running backs in Ferri, Reyes, & Swittenburg, plus Morant the Magnificent and Dumervil the Sackmaster!)	91.5
27. Tie	OLE MISS	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) OG Doug Buckles! (3) WR Trey Fryfogle, ATH Rob Robertson, & FS Travarus Horne! (2) JUCO All-Americans in OT Jason Youngs & FS Rodney Burgess! (7) WR Chris Collins, K Jonathan Nichols, WR Bill Flowers, TE Bo Hartsfield, OT James Campbell, LB Johnny Ducking, & P Cody Ridgeway! (An outstanding group of athletes highlighted by three great receivers in Fryfogle, Flowers, & Collins plus a great tight end in Hartsfield!)	91.0
27. Tie	UCLA	7.0 6.0   5.0 4.0	(1) OT Paul Mociler (COVER)! (7) FB Pat Norton, OC John Ream, CB Keith Short, WR Craig Bragg, RB Manuel White, WR Tab Perry, & P Chris Kluwe!  (4) LB Ray Cassaday, LB Tim Warfield, FS Ben Emanuel, & LB Brandon Chillar! (2) OT Steve Vieira & OG Eyoseff Efseaff! (This Bruin class is small, but it is very talented! Norton, Bragg, Perry, and Short may play as freshmen, as could Mociler!)	91.0
27. Tie	VIRGINIA	7.0 6.0 5.5   5.0	(1) LB Raymond Mann! (2) RB Jonathan Ward & P Bryan Smith! (4) JUCO All-Americans in WR Almondo Curry, RB Art Thomas, Jamaine Winborne, & DE Zac Yarborough! (6) RB Jonathan Ward, RB Dennis Haley, FS Marquis Weeks, WR Michael McGrew, Rich Bedesem, & RB Hikee Johnson!	91.0
27. Tie	WISCONSIN	7.0 6.0 5.0	(1) DE Darius Jones! (4) OG Kalvin Barrett, FB Ryan Englebert, WR Travann Hayes, & QB Matt Schabert! (8) RB Tyrone Griffin, RB Jerone Pettus, TE Mark Bell, DE Traison Lewis, TE Tony Paciotta, FS Kareem Timbers, K Adam Espinoza, & LB Jerron Smith! (The Badgers had a great class, highlighted by Jones who may start as a true freshman, plus Englebert or Griffin could become the next Great Dane!)	91.0
31. Tie	KENTUCKY	7.0 6.0 5.0	(2) OG Antonio Hall & NG Jeremy Caudill! (2) QB Shane Boyd (13th round baseball draft) & OC Josh Jaggers! (8) WR Chad Scott, CB Leonard Burris, WR Justin Hermes, WR Antoine Lias, K Dustin Wynn, OT Stephen Moody, RB Anthony Stevenson, & NG Dewayne Robertson! (A great blend of skill players, two great blockers in Hall and Jaggers, and getting an All-American defensive lineman in Caudill was huge for the Wildcat program!)	90.0
31. Tie	OREGON	6.0 5.5 5.0	(3) WR Keith Allen, TE Willie Walden, & WR Paris Warren! (2) JUCO All-Americans in RB Maurice Morris & CB Gary McGraw! (9) CB Charles Favroth, LB Ryan Jackson, ROVER Keith Lewis, QB Chris Lombardo, RB Mario McDowell, K Jared Siegel, FS Eddie Smith, CB Steve Smith, & FS Marley Tucker! (This is the best Duck class in the last decade and is keyed by 3 great receivers in Allen, Walden & Warren and 2 great JUCO M&M’s in Morris & McGraw!)	90.0
31. Tie	PURDUE	6.0   5.0	(4) QB Brandon Hance, ATH/WR Stuart Schweigert, WR Gary Heaggans, & OT Kelly Butler! (9) RB Deaunte Ferrell, FS Richie Gilcrease, RB Joey Harris, RB Jon Goldsberry, CB Antwaun Rogers, WR John Standeford, Andre Henderson, WR Taylor Stubblefield, LB Niko Koutouvides, & P Aaron Levin! (An Amazing group of skilled players with a great QB from California and big receivers from Indiana, Kansas, Ohio, Michigan, and Washington! Schweigert and Heaggans are steals for Coach Tiller!)	90.0
34. Tie	CLEMSON	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) TE Todd McClinton! (4) DT Donnell Washington, WR Derrick Hamilton, K Aaron Hunt, & RB Keith Kelly! (1) JUCO All-American in OT Derrick Brantley! (5) FS Ronny Delusme, CB Ryan Hemby, WR Terrance Huey, LB Brandon Jamison, & WR Ronnie Thomas! (A great Tiger class of only 14 players, but McClinton may be the best TE in America and Hamilton may be the most under-rated player in the country!)	89.5
34. Tie	University of Washington	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) OT Dan Dicks! (1) CB Jimmy Newell! (1) JUCO All-American in DT Marcus Roberson! (11) LB Marquis Cooper, LB Zach Tuiasosopo, SS Donte Nicholson, SS Grady Sizemore (3rd round baseball draft), SS Greg Carothers, OT Andre Reeves, OT Brandon Lockheart, OC Aaron Butler, OT Ryan Brooks, RB Derrick Johnson, & RB Sean Sweat!	89.5
36. Tie	BOSTON COLLEGE	7.0 6.0 5.0	(1) DT Justin Hinds! (2) TE Dave Kashetta & DT Anthony Crossen! (10) WR Grant Adams, WR Joel Hazard, TE Joel Tyburczy, DT Robert Bennett, OG Jordan Stockwell, LB Sydney Baskins, NG, Doug Goodwin, OC Chris Snee, FS T.J. Stancil, & QB Eric Boatwright!	89.0
36. Tie	KANSAS	6.0 5.5     5.0	(1) OG Travis Watkins! (8) JUCO All-Americans in WR Roger Ross, DE Ervin Holloman, DE Demond Benford, DT Ryan Atkinson, OT Marlon Dale, DE John Culp, LB De’Nard Whitfield,  & LB Columbus Wooley! (5) QB Mario Kinsey, QB Kevin Long, K Chris Tyrell, OT Tony Coker, & WR J.T. Thompson! (A great JUCO class with some key HS talent, including two Killeen, Texas super sleepers in FS Johnny McCoy & DE David McMillan, a super sleeper FS in Santana Lane of Houston Westbury, a Texas sprint champion in Leo Bookman!)	89.0
36. Tie	KANSAS STATE	6.0 5.5   5.0	(2) OG Chris Boggas & TE Jon Doty! (6) JUCO All-Americans in RB Josh Scobey, CB DeMarcus Faggins, LB Ken Greene, DT Jerry Togiai, CB Derrick Yates, & DT Billy Miller! (4) DT Jared Cowan, TE Brian Casey, DE Mike Johnson, & P Jared Brite! (An Amazing, but small class, however one can NEVER underestimate the JUCO talent that signs with the Wildcats and all six are already ticketed to start; plus Cowan and Johnson could be the surprises of the year!)	89.0
39. Tie	GEORGIA	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) RB Albert Hollis! (3) RB Musa Smith, QB/ATH Sean Jones,  & TE Andre Zellner! (1) JUCO All-American in DE Nic Clemons! (6) QB David Greene, DE William Thompson, SS Rod Davis, DT Jonathan Sullivan, WR Tavarus Morgan, & LB Derrick Holloway! (A disappointing year, but it still has AA RB’s in Hollis and Smith, some QB help, and 1998 #1 National Bluechips WR in the country in Reggie Brown!)	88.5
39. Tie	SOUTH CAROLINA	6.0 5.5   5.0	(1) QB Dondrial Pinkins! (3) JUCO A-A’s in WR James Adkisson, CB Corey Alexander, & QB Jarrod Reese! (10) QB Rod Wilson, DE Ron John-Finn, ATH Gonzie Gray, NG Carl Smalls, CB DeAndre Eiland, LB Jeremiah Garrison, RB Jamacia Jackson, LB Jack Johnson, CB Rachiem Monroe, & DT Preston Thorne! (A really incredible class for an 0-11 team, highlighted by three great quarterbacks in Pinkins, Reese, and Wilson, plus an NFL type receiver in Adkisson!)	88.5
41. Tie	IOWA STATE	6.0 5.5	(2) LB Tyson Smith & RB Jermaine Billups! (8) JUCO All-Americans in LB Tyrone Tucker, OC Kerry Carlson, LB Justin Eilers, OT T.J. Woods, OT Lorenzo Green, WR Devin Green, RB Larry Anglin, & DT Willy Judd! (An incredible JUCO class of which six of eight will probably start in the Fall!)	88.0
41. Tie	STANFORD	7.0 6.0 5.0	(2) OT Kwame Harris & LB Amon Gordon! (3) RB Brandon Royster, TE Will Svitek, & ATH Teyo Johnson! (4) LB David Bergeron, QB Ryan Eklund, RB Ken McCandless, & WR Nick Sebes! (An Amazing Top 5 players, including Harris and Gordon who are two of the Top Three players in the country at their position, while Royster, Svitek, & Johnson are Top 10!)	88.0
43.	CALIFORNIA	6.0 5.5   5.0	(2) QB Reggie Robertson & FB Pana Faumuina! (4) JUCO All-Americans in WR Chad Heydorff, QB Eric Holtfreter, OT Eddie Martinez, & OT Nofoaalii Tuitama! (4) WR Geoff McArthur, DE Tosh Lupoi, LB Wendell Hunter!, & ATH James Bethea! (An Amazing two great quarterbacks, a monster fullback, plus an outstanding JUCO talent highlighted by the “H” team of Heydorff and Holtfreter!)	86.0
44.	OKLAHOMA STATE	6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) RB Tatum Bell! (3) JUCO All-Americans in WR Lawson Giddings, LB Ron Able, & OC Jed Newkirk! (7) FB Johnny Bizzell, SS Cashan Clark, DT Clay Coe, RB D.D. Cox, OG Clint Gillispie, FS Richard Moten, & DE Darrius Whitehead! (This Cowboy class could possibly be much better in the Fall if Bell, Clark, Cox, Gillispie, & Whitehead are ready to play. Bizzell and Reggie Promise are big sleepers, but Bizzell needs to make his grades!)	85.5
45. Tie	BAYLOR	6.0 5.5 5.0	(3) QB Aaron Karras, SS John Garrett & WR Robert Quiroga!! (2) JUCO All-Americans in QB Greg Cicero & K Adam Stiles! (4) RB Jon Golden, LB Robert Forney, FS Marcus Stenix, & CB Danielle McLean! (A few good players, but mostly big-time sleepers in DE Khari Long, WR Marques Roberts, OT Ryan McDaniel, DE Billy Crawford, & WR John Martin!)	85.0
45. Tie	EAST CAROLINA	5.5   5.0	(4) JUCO All-Americans in LB Mark Strickland, LB Greg LeFever, WR Dexter Davis, & WR Derrick Collier! (7) LB Vonta Leach, RB Marvin Townes, RB Art Brown, WR Terrance Copper, CB Cliff Timpson, CB Brandon Rainer, & P Wes Herlocker!	85.0
45. Tie	ILLINOIS	6.0 5.0	(4) QB Mark Kornfield, WR Jamaal Clark, WR Ade Adeyemo, & DE Derrick Strong! (5) RB Kenny Rogers, K Patrick King, DE Mike Maloney, LB Lee Sicinski, & LB Jermari Perry! (This is a great skill class with exceptional receiving talents in Clark and Adeyemo, a great QB prospect in Kornfield, and a versatile RB in Rogers! Strong, Maloney, Sicinski, and Perry could all see action in the fall on defense!)	85.0
45. Tie	MINNESOTA	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) SS Dominque Sims! (1) RB Marcus Sanders! (2) JUCO All-Americans in QB Travis Cole & WR Antoine Burns! (5) LB Eric Stenzel, DE Steve Watson, OC Josh Plisch, SS Justin Fraley, & LB Darrell Reid! (This is a solid recruiting class for the Gophers, plus Sims and Sanders are impressive HS players, while the JUCO battery of Cole to Burns will be impressive next fall!)	85.0
45. Tie	Northwestern University	7.0 6.0 5.0	(1) K Brian Huffman! (2) QB Tony Stauss & RB Dan Pohlman! (6) FB Rob Shirley, WR Roger Jordan, OT Ike Ndukwe, RB Jason Wright, OG Matt Ulrich, & LB Syga Thomas! (This is a great class with a lot of great athletes in it, but the signing of Stauss, Pohlman, Shirley, & Jordan are the highlights!)	85.0
50. Tie	INDIANA	6.0 5.5 5.0	(2) DT Steve Williams & CB Unrico Lloyd! (3) JUCO All-Americans in WR Henry Frazier, OG Matt Genasci, & OG Antoine Grant! (4) WR David Lewis, LB Brandonn Baker, WR Travis Haney, & DE John Lumpkin! (This is a great Hoosier class, but Williams has to make his grades!)	84.5
50. Tie	MISSOURI	5.5 5.0	(3) JUCO All-Americans in LB Antwaun Bynum, DE Keith Wright, & LB Sean Ain! (9) QB/ATH Cody Buford, QB/ATH Brock Harvey, QB/AT Kevin Johnson, QB/ATH Brandon Blake, WR Octavious Jackson, WR Joseph Bruce, OT Phillip Hawkins, LB Henry Sweat, & DE Terrell Mills! (A solid class with 4 quarterback prospects 3 great defensive players from the JUCO ranks!)	84.5
50. Tie	PITT	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) FB Dustin Picciotti! (1) DE Brandon Hayes! (1) JUCO All-American in SS David Routt! (6) RB Malcolm Postell, OT Saul Freund, OT Rob Petitti, OT Jonathan Pressnell, P Andy Lee, & WR Donald Patrick! (A Super fullback and some great offensive linemen!)	84.5
53. Tie	SOUTHERN MISS	6.0 5.5 5.0	(2) QB Micky D’Angelo & WR Kenneth Johnson! (2) JUCO All-Americans in CB Carmus Haynes & DT Rashun Jones! (5) LB Skylor McGee, LB Beau Maggio, LB Jo Jo Scott, LB Terry Anderson, & LB Dillon Cleckler! (Amazing battery in D’Angelo & Johnson, plus five outstanding Lbers who make tackles from sideline to sideline!)	84.0
53. Tie	TULANE	7.0 6.0 5.0	(1) WR Roy Del Williams (5th round baseball draft)! (2) ATH Lynaris Elpheage & WR Ronald McClendon! (5) TE Eddie Williams, NG Lonnie Crayton, FB Kris Coleman, FS Wesley Heath, & LB Edgar Algere! (A small, but explosive class, including three great WR’s, but the summer could prove fatal if Williams opts for baseball and some don’t make their grades!)	84.0
55. Tie	CENTRAL FLORIDA	6.0 5.5   5.0	(2) QB/ATH Tracy Thorpe & TE Michael Gaines! (3) JUCO All-Americans in DE Derrick Crawford, OT Pat Jenrette, & OT Steve Edwards! (3) LB John Andrews, FB Andreal Curry, & RB Alex Haynes! (An Amazing class with two potential super stars in Thorpe and Gaines!)	83.5
55. Tie	TEXAS TECH	6.0 5.5   5.0	(2) RB Rod Ansley & CB Damian Chandler! (3) JUCO All-Americans in CB C.J. Johnson, WR James Wegener, & LB Rashon Rasberry! (3) LB Joe Norman, LB Jeremy Woods, & QB Jason Winn! (A much better class than first expected from new coach Mike Leach!)	83.5
57.	WEST VIRGINIA	5.5 5.0	(2) JUCO All-Americans in SS Arthur Harrison, & WR Shawn Swindell! (8) QB Rasheed Marshall, RB Mike Vernillo, WR Isaac Irby, OG Justin Williams, CB Lawrence Audena, CB Yulkeith Brown, SS Todd Mosby, & LB Adam Lehnortt! (The Mountaineers have some real surprises in their class including Marshall, Verrillo, Brown, and Irby who had great senior seasons! Harrison and Swindell will play next fall and Audena, Lehnortt, & Mosby may also be good enough to play in the fall!)	83.0
58.	IOWA	7.0 6.0 5.5 5.0	(1) RB Jermelle Lewis! (1) RB Fred Russell! (2) JUCO All-Americans in DT Derrick Pickens & OG Michael Allen! (2) DE Derreck Robinson & K Nate Kaeding! (New Head Coach Kirk Ferentz did not get the recruiting class that he wanted, but getting Lewis and Russell will put points on the scoreboard, plus LB Charles Bodiford, TE Tony Jackson, & LB Kevin Worthy are “big-time” sleepers who could surprise!)	82.0
59.	HOUSTON	5.5   5.0	(5) JUCO All-Americans in DE Adrian Lee, SS Hanil Milligan, LB Ronnie Braxton, LB Anthony Teal, & OT Josh Demarr!  (2) FS Jesse Grove & RB Bobby Tillman! (A solid class for new coach Dana Dimel and some instant help from the JUCO ranks!	81.5
60.	TCU	7.0 6.0 5.0	(1) Tyson Thompson! (1) NG Brandon Johnson! (4) RB Kenny Boyd, FS Marvin Godbolt, FS Chris Peoples, & LB Derrick Pope! (A solid recruiting class, but Super Star Thompson must make his grades!)	81.0
61.	WAKE FOREST	6.0 5.0	(1) RB Fred Staton! (6) DE R.D. Montgomery, WR Jason Anderson, OG Brad Palmer, FS Quentin Williams, OT Tyson Clabo, & QB/Ath Anthony Young! (A solid recruiting haul for the Up-and-Coming Demon Deacons!)	80.0
62.	SAN DIEGO STATE	5.5 5.0	(3) JUCO All-Americans in DE Andrew Brigham, TE Brian Gelt, & WR Jason Stone! (3) QB Danny Armstrong, QB Jon Stoner, & FB Justin Green! (Two great HS quarterback prospects and some great help from the JUCO ranks!)	79.5
63.	MARYLAND	7.0 5.0	(1) QB Chris Kelley! (4) DE Kevin Eli, CB Dennard Wilson, WR Maurice Shanks, & Ath Steve Suter! (An Amazing quarterback in Kelley, who may be the next Michael Vick!)	79.0
64.	HAWAII	5.5 5.0	(3) JUCO All-Americans in QB Jared Flint, QB Nick Rolovich, & SS Kevin Milhouse! (2) QB Timmy Chang & K Justin Ayat! (An Amazing three All-All-American quarterbacks for the new Rainbows program!)	78.5

 

EDITOR’S NOTE: Based on my National player ratings, the final team points represent the Top 18 Players and their ratings in each recruiting class. This allows for seven potential sleepers in each recruiting class that are not counted. If a team did not have 18 players in their class, I gave them a “dummy rating” of 4.0, so each class would have 18 players. Many of the players were rated up in this final rating, but most of these players were probably rated up to where they really originally deserved to be. The coaches who signed them certainly thought so. Some of these players, who were relatively unknown, before the recap,  had incredible senior stats.

 

SUPER SCOUT GRAPEVINE

 

FEBRUARY 3

 

Three linebackers who I thought were highly under-rated were Brandonn Baker (6-1, 228, 4.6 or better) of Houston Westbury, TX, Beau Maggio (6-3, 210, 4.4) of East Beauregard, LA, and Terry Anderson (6-2, 210, 4.5) of New Orleans McDonogh 35. Another linebacker who I thought was fabulous at the end of the recruiting season was Marvin Jones (5-10, 225, 4.5) of Hammond, LA. On film, all four of these guys make every tackle from sideline to sideline. Baker signed with Indiana, while Maggio and Anderson signed with Southern Miss, and Jones signed with LSU!

 

JANUARY 4

 

One of the most incredible recruiting stories of the decade happened only a half block from where my Mother-in-Law, Rosalie Pasqua, lives in Plaquemine, Louisiana! I was sitting at my computer, in Covington, working on a newsletter, when a big LSU fan called me and told me that a running back named Timmy Bracken, of Plaquemine St John, has just committed to the University of Michigan. To be real honest, I started laughing so hard, that I nearly fell out of my chair in front of the computer. I take a really great pride in knowing as much as I can about all phases of recruiting and especially knowing who is recruiting who and who is being recruited. Timmy Bracken was not even on the LSU or Tulane recruiting board, much-less the Michigan recruiting board. He did not put up any big stats as a senior and St John is a very small private school. Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech, and Northeast Louisiana had offered him a scholarship, but St John, Ginger’s alma mater, is a 1A school. In the 28 years that Ginger and I have been married, I have made more than a few trips to Plaquemine and St John had never sent a player to a Division I school in football.

 

On Friday, January 7, Ginger and I drove to Plaquemine to spend the weekend with Rosalie, so I decided that I would do some checking on Mr. Bracken! Being only a half block away from the school, I decided that I would walk over and talk to their head football coach and find out the real scoop. The following is the incredible story that I found out:

 

Back in the fall, the Wolverines started recruiting a defensive back from cross-town Plaquemine HS, but they found out pretty quickly, that he was not going to qualify. The Michigan coach, Fred Jackson, then asked if there were any other great defensive backs in the area. This is when the name of Timmy Bracken first surfaced for the Wolverines. Coach Jackson then decided that since he was already in Plaquemine, a small town on the Mississippi River, just outside of Baton Rouge, that he would go over to St John and check this kid out. Ironically, the St John Head Coach, Coach Erik Willis, had coached the Wolverines starting tailback Anthony Thomas back when he was coaching at Winnfield.

 

“Coach Jackson, I’ll just put on the Kentwood game and you can see what you think about Timmy Bracken,” said Coach Willis!

Let me set the stage with this Kentwood team: Kentwood was ranked #1 in the State in Class 1A and they had already won three straight State Championships and were undefeated again, going into the fifth game of this season against a 3-1 St John team. Kentwood was favored to win by as much as 30 points. In the season opener, against Baton Rouge Southern Lab, Bracken had rushed for 231 yards and had TD runs of 68, 65, and 38 yards, but in the Kentwood game, Bracken was sensational, as he rushed for 323 yards and had TD runs of 80, 65, 48, and 24 yards! And also remember, this is against the #1 team in the State. Coach Jackson was obviously highly impressed with Bracken, but others on the Michigan staff would also have to see this game film and then they would have to make a decision on whether to recruit him or not. Sometime before their Bowl game, the Michigan staff agreed to recruit Timmy and invited him to the Orange Bowl where he saw them beat Alabama 35-34. Coach Jackson offered on Tuesday (January 4)  after the Orange Bowl and Bracken accepted, ending an incredible recruiting story!

 

DECEMBER 7

 

Brock Edwards (COVER) is projected as a tight end in college, but played running back as a senior in high school. I received film on Edwards last spring and I was astonished to find that he played tailback for most of the game. Brock did play tight end on a couple plays and it didn’t take long for me to find out that he was spectacular at either position. Edwards ran for 1,500 yards and 25 touchdowns as a junior and came back to get 2,226 yards and 24 touchdowns as a senior, averaging 10 yards per carry. Edwards visited Michigan last weekend (Dec 3), but the Longhorns are the team to beat for Edwards.

 

NOVEMBER 18

 

NATIONAL SPEED FLANKER UPDATE: For over 20 years, I have rated and ranked big wide receivers as flankers. Those big receivers, in the past, have typically been players who are not afraid to go across the middle, while knowing from the start of the pass pattern, that they would probably be sandwiched by two or more defensive backs or linebackers. They are also very tough football players and generally one of the best athletes on the team. Ever since Randy Moss (6-4 and 205) and Keyshawn Johnson (6-4 and 212) came along, every college coach is now looking for the big receiver who can not only go across the middle, but who can also beat most cover cornerbacks deep on a “streak” pattern down the sideline.

 

Also, consider Plaxico Burress of Michigan State, Anthony Lucas of Arkansas, and Danny Farmer of UCLA. All three are 1999 All-American candidates. A couple weeks ago, against Michigan, and on national TV, Burress (6-6, 230, 4.4) caught 10 passes for a school record 255 yards as the Spartans beat the Wolverines 34-31. Lucas (6-3, 205, 4.5) and Farmer (6-4, 220, 4.5) made enough big catches last year to get their teams into Bowl games. Also, Kwame Cavil (6-2, 205, 4.5) has made big catches for Texas all year. Also consider , Javon Walker (6-3, 215, 4.4) of Jones County Community College, MS, is the #1 JUCO receiver in the country.

 

Charles Rogers, Johnnie Morant, Sloan Thomas, both Roy and Roy Del Williams, Ronnie Rodamer, Tab Perry, Jamaal Clark, Antonio Hargro, Mike Jenkins, Jerome Collins, and Tony Brown are all tall wide receivers who are at least 6-3 or better and can run like a deer. These twelve flankers are twelve of the top receivers in the country, and although not as tall as Burress, they are as tall as Keyshawn Johnson. This Dandy Dozen are still the Crème de la Crème of high school football flankers in the country.

 

Rogers is a great athlete who catches everything that is close and he also returns kicks. Rogers caught 47 balls as a junior for 956 yards and 15 TD’s, averaging 20.3 yards per catch. “Charles has great height and has a tremendous burst of speed,” says high school Coach Donald Durrett. “He also has long arms and great hands and has the ability to go up and out leap his opponent for the football. Chuck reminds me of another Jerry Rice.” Rogers has already visited Florida State and will visit Tennessee, Michigan, UCLA, and Michigan State. He joined his friend Ronnie Rodamer in Knoxville, along with B.J. Johnson.

 

Sloan Thomas and Roy Williams are considered to be at the same talent level as Charles Rogers. Sloan is having an unbelievable senior season after a spectacular junior campaign. Thomas recently caught 13 passes and 3 TD’s against Chance Mock and The Woodlands and is averaging around 25 yards per catch. Just last week, Sloan, while battling the flu, caught two TD passes of 27 and 36 yards, ran a 12 yard reverse for a TD, threw a 33-yard TD pass, and returned a punt 55 yards for another TD. This was all in the first half as he retired to the sideline in the second half.

 

In 1995, I drove from Spring to Humble, to see a player play.  This player in Humble, returned the opening kickoff about 65 yards, ran another punt back for a 70 yard TD, caught about five passes for another 100 yards or so, and lined up at quarterback on a few plays. He did about everything except take up the tickets and sell the popcorn. His name was David Boston. I haven’t seen another David Boston (6-2, 190, 4.4 in 1995) type player until now with Sloan Thomas. They are both incredible physical specimens with unlimited athleticism. Boston was one of our All-Americans on the Cover of our 1995 NATIONAL BLUECHIPS FALL MAGAZINE. Will Peoples (6-2, 190, 4.5) of Humble is also doing a great job in 1999 of impersonating Boston.

 

As a junior, Roy Williams caught 40 passes for an amazing 1,560 yards and 18 TD’s. Roy has been hampered all season by injuries, although he did catch 6 balls for 100 yards a couple weeks ago against Abilene. Both Thomas and Williams are looking closely to stay in Texas and the Texas Longhorns may have the early lead over Texas A&M and possibly Florida State.

 

Roy Del Williams is the best wide receiver that I have seen play, in person this fall. Williams is having a sensational senior season with 38 catches for 861 yards and 12 TD’s, while averaging 22.7 yards per catch and a TD catch on every third catch. Like all of these receivers, Williams is seeing double and triple coverage on every play and he is still able to make the catch. Roy Del had 40 catches for 1,023 yards and 12 TD’s, averaging an amazing 25.6 yards per catch as a junior. Roy Del will probably stay close to home in either Louisiana or Mississippi giving LSU, Tulane, and USM a real chance.

 

Antonio Hargro is catching passes from Damien “Ray Ray” Bivens, but he was one of the hottest receivers in the summer camps. Antonio is a big physical receiver that is willing to go over the middle, take the big hit, and make the clutch catch. Antonio is averaging 24.1 yards per catch as a senior with 27 catches for 650 yards as Gautier has jumped off to a 7-0 record. Mississippi State, LSU, and USM will get visits from Hargro. He may visit the Vols with Bivens.     

 

Michael Jenkins is a talented two-way player who will play on offense in college. Michael scored 11 TD’s as a junior while making 88 tackles and 4 interceptions. Jenkins is originally from the Cincinnati area and would not mind going back to the North. Jenkins will visit Ohio State, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and Georgia Tech.

 

Jamaal Clark and Antonio Hargro are two outstanding receivers that have emerged since last spring and their stock is still on the rise. After having a great junior year in which he caught 51 passes for 1,013 yards and scored 15 TD’s, Clark is following that with a sensational senior season. In game #5, he grabbed 10 passes for 249 yards and 4 TD’s. After six games, Clark had grabbed 30 balls for 830 yards, 10 TD’s, and had an eye-popping 27.7 yards per catch average. Jamaal likes Michigan, Notre Dame, and Illinois.

 

Javon Witherspoon may be one of the very top athletes in the country and he could play any number of positions in college. Javon plays receiver and linebacker in high school. Most coaches think he can become an All-American receiver in college. He has not gotten a lot of publicity this year, but he could become a real super star in college. Javon has already set official visits with Northwestern, Nebraska, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. He has already taken a trip to Purdue.

 

NOVEMBER 19

 

NATIONAL WIDE RECEIVER UPDATE: As a junior, B.J. Johnson (COVER) caught 43 passes for 948 yards and 20 TD’s and had a 22 yards per catch average. For the average high school football fan, any receiver who averages 22 yards per catch is probably a pretty good receiver. Those stats, however, don’t tell the entire story on this incredibly talented receiver. B.J. was the talk of the country after impressive summer camps in which he was timed as low as a 4.23 in the forty. This year, after eight games, being double and triple-teamed on every play, Johnson has grabbed 35 passes for 885 yards and an incredible 25.3 yards per catch average with 12 touchdowns. Texas is the overwhelming early favorite over UCLA, Oklahoma, Florida State and Tennessee, but B.J. took an unofficial visit to Tennessee on November 6 for the Notre Dame football game. The Volunteers not only entertained Johnson, who may be the best overall receiver in the country, but also Charles Rogers, and Ronnie Rodamer, who are also two of the best in the country. Johnson, Rogers, and Rodamer are all three rated by NATIONAL BLUECHIPS as the top 2 rated players at their position. Rashad Baker was also scheduled to be there, but was unable to make it. He has scheduled an official visit for later in the month. Our #2 rated quarterback Casey Clausen was there to help recruit the All-American receivers to Knoxville

 

NOVEMBER 20

 

NATIONAL QUARTERBACK UPDATE: I have been to see Brock Berlin (COVER) play as a junior and as a senior and he is simply a passing phenom! Brock can throw every single pass with tremendous accuracy and he has great touch. Evangel Christian runs a highly sophisticated passing offense with as many as five receivers. It’s an offense that most college defensive backs couldn’t defend, much less high school kids. In this high-powered offense, Berlin has completed an amazing 68.4 % of his passes for four years. Berlin has already passed for 2,082 yards and 20 TD’s after 7 games this season and is on schedule to break every single National passing record of J.R. House, who signed this past summer to play baseball. Berlin has already broken all of the Evangel records of Phillip Deas and Josh Booty. A couple weeks ago, Evangel Christian led Shreveport Fair Park after one quarter by the score of 34-0. The Eagles then removed their first team for the final three quarters as Berlin threw only ten passes, completing six of them for 148 yards and 5 TD’s. Berlin did not waste any time in the game, as he hit Phillip Geiggar with a 41yard TD pass on the first play from scrimmage. The final score was 58-18. This past weekend Evangel won their 52^nd straight game and Berlin has started every one of the 52 games. Berlin is a folk hero in Louisiana and has broken the state career passing record that was set by his friend and life-long hero, Josh Booty, who also played for Evangel Christian. Brock has now passed for 11,765 yards in his career with 129 TD’s. Although LSU was an option, Berlin has decided to “by-pass” LSU and has committed to play for Coach Steve Spurrier and the Florida Gators. “I am really looking forward to getting to Gainesville and working with Coach Spurrier this spring,” said Berlin. “Coach Spurrier is the best quarterback coach in the country and I want to learn every thing that I can from him.” Berlin is one of my all-time favorite players.

 

Another one of my favorite players is John Rattay. In watching Rattay on film, it is easy to compare him to a taller Steve Young. Rattay, a left-hander, has incredible leadership and passing skills. Casey Clausen is also an exceptional talent. In fact, I think that I like Clausen just a little better than Rattay, but they are both incredible talents. I only recently saw Clausen on film and he has as good of a command of the passing game as Berlin. I feel that Clausen is a little more advanced than Peyton Manning was at this stage in their career. I also think that Rattay and Clausen will form a very unique quarterback tandem for Coach Phil Fulmer and the Tennessee Volunteers. This situation reminds me of the quarterback pair that signed with the Vols back in 1994. Also remember that Manning stayed, but Branndon Stewart transferred to Texas A&M. There just wasn’t enough playing time for both quarterbacks and Stewart got home sick. How ironic is it that in 1994, my Top Three NATIONAL BLUECHIPS Quarterbacks were Josh Booty, Branndon Stewart, and Peyton Manning, and in that order. In 1994, the #1 quarterback nearly went to LSU, while #2 and #3 went to Tennessee. Both Clausen and Rattay are exceptional talents and will room together in Knoxville, but remember that their parents and all of their friends live a long way from Knoxville.

 

Jeff Smoker is another sensational quarterback prospect who has a lot of great athletic skills and is a very polished leader. Smoker impressed all of us in the various summer camps. When the newly formed Manheim Touchdown Club was looking for a keynote speaker for last year’s awards banquet, several BIG-10 head coaches declined the invite. One of the Manheim Touchdown Club members was an alumna of Michigan State and he thought that he could get Coach Nick Saban to speak. Coach Saban quickly accepted the offer to speak, and then he knocked them all dead. No one in the Smoker family can remember exactly what message was delivered by Saban that night. The one thing that the Smoker family can remember and will still agree on, was that Michigan State was not even in the race for Jeff prior to the speech, but a few hours later, Michigan State was a valid contender. Smoker selected Michigan State early over Michigan, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Smoker will help keep the Spartans at the top of the BIG-10 even after Bill Burke graduates.

 

Jason Campbell is another exceptional athlete who has as much potential as any quarterback in the country. On film, Jason looks like a tall, skinny quarterback with a world of potential. Campbell reminds me of a young Warren Moon who does a lot of things well. Campbell is not a polished passer like the four quarterbacks that are rated ahead of him, but he has the great charisma that the other four have and he has the great height. Campbell will also get a shot at basketball and Georgia and LSU are his early leaders!

 

Zac Wasserman and Matt Lovecchio are polished and talented quarterbacks who play in top programs in their state. Wasserman reads defenses as well as any quarterback that I have seen in recent years. Lovecchio has led his team to 16 straight victories and a USA TODAY #7 national ranking. Penn State and Notre Dame will lose senior quarterback starters and Wasserman and Lovecchio have the skills and ability to step in and play as backup as true freshmen! Wasserman will become the next great Nittany Lion quarterback. Lovecchio passed for 29 TD’s as a junior with only 3 interceptions as they won the State Championship and he may become the next great Notre Dame quarterback. Matt Schabert is having a fabulous senior season and he has all of the tools to keep Wisconsin in the running for the BIG-10 Championship. Kenny Irby has led his team to a 20 game winning streak and has a very strong arm. Irby could also play another position in college.

 

I have had Chance Mock rated as an athlete all year, but his great quarterback skills can not go unnoticed any longer. Mock will backup Major Applewhite and Chris Simms next year and will vie for playing time for Coach Mack Brown in Austin. Mock has exceptional athletic skills which make him virtually unstoppable. Brandon Sumner has similar skills and is a little larger than Mock. Sumner had 1,018 yards passing after five games. These two quarterbacks may be the best two athletes in the country that will play quarterback in college. Jared Clark is another athletic quarterback who is also big and fast. Clark has visits set for Georgia and Notre Dame. Andrew Walters, who has already committed to Arizona State, is having a sensational senior year with 1,228 passing yards and 12 TD’s after five games. Walters is so multi-talented, he could make Sun Devil fans forget Jake-the-Snake.