It’s a down year for talent in the state, both with the number of elite prospects and the overall number of high-major prospects, but there are still some very good players to be recruited.

The glamour positions of quarterback and wide receiver are severely lacking, and there are no elite offensive linemen or linebackers, but there is an excellent running back which is a rarity in the state, three excellent cornerbacks, and a slew of exciting pass rushers.

As always, the final rankings are my own, but only after talking to many high school coaches, college scouts, and independent scouts, such as Joe Butler of Metro Index Scouting.

1. Ben Koyack, Oil City HS (Oil City) TE – It’s not often that a tight end is the best player in the state, but there is little doubt that will be the case this year. At 6′5″ and 230 pounds, he has good size with a frame to get even bigger. He also possesses great hands to go along with good speed and athleticism. More of a threat as a receiver but is a willing and good blocker. Most of all, he just knows how to play football. Committed to NOTRE DAME over Penn State, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Oklahoma, West Virginia, LSU, California, Virginia Tech, USC, and many others. Bottom line – A perfect fit for new coach Brian Kelly and there’s no reason why he can’t be a star at the college level.

2. Jameel Poteat, Bishop McDevitt HS (Harrisburg) RB – At 5′10″ and 195 pounds, you would think he may have trouble being an every down back, but that’s not the case due to his solid body, tough inside running, and blocking ability. But to show what a versatile talent he is, he also has great feet, good quickness and speed, and excellent hands. Has over 40 offers and considers Pittsburgh (where cousin Hank Poteat played), Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Cincinnati to be four of his final ten. The other six will come from a list of West Virginia, Wisconsin, USC, Washington, Tennessee, Boston College and Florida. Bottom line – Has it all except great size, but he offsets that will his vast array of skills.

3. Dondi Kirby, Gateway HS (Monroeville) CB/S – Terry Smith’s Gateway Gators are no strangers to the list as they produce multiple top prospects every season. At 6′2″ and 190 pounds, Kirby’s size, especially his height, is in the elite category for the position. His athleticism and quickness are excellent and could be enough to stay at the position, but if not, he could always be an excellent safety, or even a wide receiver. His impressive offer list includes Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan, USC, Florida, Wisconsin and Iowa. Bottom line – Big athletes that can legitimately play cornerback are a rarity, but the fact that Kirby has that chance makes him highly coveted. Even if he can’t pull it off he should be a quality player at a different position.

4. Terrell Chestnut, Pottsgrove HS (Pottstown) CB – Solidly built and tough at 5′10 1/2″ and 185 pounds. Plays quarterback for Pottsgrove so he is inexperienced as a corner, but he has the elite athleticism, speed, and football skills to make the transition. Also can project as a dangerous punt returner. Offers include Pittsburgh, Penn State, West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, LSU, Maryland, Virginia, South Carolina and Rutgers. Bottom line – Will have to learn the position, but his ideal speed and athleticism could eventually make him a quality corner and game breaking punt returner.

5. Kyshoen Jarrett, East Stroudsburg HS (East Stroudsburg) CB – Solidly built at 5′11″ and 180 pounds. Cover corner with excellent speed and athleticism but is well-rounded with the ability to come up strong against the run. A true corner who knows how to play the position. Offers include Pittsburgh, Penn State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Stanford and Virginia. Bottom line – Pretty even with Chestnut as a prospect and has what it takes to be a successful player at the next level.

6. Mike Caputo, West Allegheny HS (Imperial) S/LB – Became a WPIAL legend as a junior by going toe to toe with rival Rushel Shell, Hopewell’s ‘12 phenom, and by ending the season with over 2,600 yards and 38 touchdowns. Currently at 6′1″ and 200 pounds, Caputo has the speed and athleticism to play safety, but could also add some weight and play linebacker. Offers include Pittsburgh, Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin and Cincinnati. Bottom line – A real western PA football player and class kid. The kind of player that every school wants in their program because he will be great both on and off the field.

7. Deion Barnes, Northeast HS (Philadelphia) DE – As we’ve said many times before, kids inside the city of Philadelphia often get under recruited, and that’s the case this time with Barnes. At 6′4″ and 220 pounds, he obviously needs to get much bigger, but he has the frame to do so. On the plus side, his arms are extremely long, his quickness on the pass rush is topnotch, and he is already strong for how lean he is. He is also tough against the run and closes just as fast on a running back as he does on a quarterback. Offers include Penn State, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Georgia, Louisville and South Carolina. Bottom line – Pass rushers, especially fast ones with long arms, are highly coveted, and it’s a shame that he does not have more than a dozen offers.

8. Ejuan Price, Woodland Hills HS (Pittsburgh) LB – One of the more undervalued and underpublicized top prospects in the state this season, but one look at his film will show anybody that he is a big time player. Not big at 6′0″ 220, but he makes up for it with his elite level quickness and aggressiveness. Against both the run or the pass, he fires across the line of scrimmage like a rocket. Currently holds offers from Pittsburgh, Ohio State, West Virginia, Michigan State, Syracuse and Iowa. Bottom line – Many schools may not look at him because of his size, but that’s their mistake. As current 5′11″ Pitt (and former top 5 prospect from Penn Hills) starting middle linebacker Dan Mason proves, when you’re good, you don’t have to be over 6′ tall to be an excellent college linebacker.

9. Branden Jackson, McKeesport Area HS (McKeesport) DE – Another rangy 6′4″ 220 pounder with great quickness. Plays middle linebacker for the Tigers but with his great length and quickness, he will likely be a speed rusher at the college level. Skinny and needs to add a lot of muscle, but once he adds the weight, he could be a big time player. Offers include West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers, Texas Tech, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Louisville, Iowa and Virginia, among others. Bottom line – One of a handful of potential big time pass rushers coming out of the state this year.

10. Delvon Simmons, McKeesport Area HS (McKeesport) DT – Jackson’s partner in crime and every bit as good. Raw, but at 6′5″ and 265 pounds, he has the natural size, speed, and athleticism to be turned into a potential college star some day. Offers include Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Maryland, Connecticut, Louisville and Rutgers, among others. Bottom line – McKeesport always has a tough defense, but rarely have they had such a potentially dominating duo as Simmons and Jackson.

11. Desimon Green, Clairton HS (Clairton) DE – Class A power Clairton may be a small school but they are a power that routinely sends top prospects to top colleges. This year they may have their best prospect in many years in the 6′4″ 220 sack artist. A man among boys in Class A, Green has used his great length and speed over his sophomore and junior seasons to accumulate an amazing 50 sacks. Also an effective quarterback, and has some offers for that position, but his destiny is on the defensive line. Local school Pittsburgh may be the favorite, but Texas Tech is a sleeper. Both have offered as have West Virginia, Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, Purdue, Cincinnati, Louisville, Syracuse and half of the MAC schools. Bottom line – Once he gets bigger, the sky is the limit due to his excellent length and speed.

12. Quinton Jefferson, Woodland Hills HS (Pittsburgh) DE – The third of the three excellent WPIAL defensive end prospects this year, but he’s only third on the list because somebody has to be. At 6′3″ and 225 pounds, he is in the same size range as the other top DE prospects in the state, and he also has the same explosiveness off the edge. Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Boston College, Wisconsin, Maryland, Iowa and Cincinnati are among his offers. Bottom line – It’s the year of the pass rusher in the state and Jefferson has the potential to be as good as any of them.

13. Ben Kline, Dallastown Area HS (Dallastown) LB – Solid, blue collar middle linebacker with decent 6′2″ 220 pound size, good strength, and topnotch intangibles. Should get bigger and stronger, and then become a very good run stopper in the middle of the defense. Chose PITTSBURGH over West Virginia, Michigan, Boston College, UConn, Rutgers, Maryland, Vanderbilt, Illinois, and Duke. Bottom line – Physically, he is not at the elite level at any aspect of his game, but he is above average at everything. Combine that with his toughness and intangibles and you have a future quality starter in college.

14. Kevin Reihner, Scranton Prep (Scranton) OG – It’s a poor year for offensive linemen in the state, but this tough brawler would be near the top of the list in any year. At 6′3″ and 275 pounds, he will need to add size, but he is an extremely brutal and aggressive run blocker that goes all out until the whistle blows. He even once blocked a defensive lineman 30 yards until both ended up in the end zone. Father was an offensive lineman for both Penn State and the Houston Oilers. Excellent student who wants to be a doctor. Chose STANFORD over Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Rutgers, Syracuse, Minnesota, Northwestern, and North Carolina State. Bottom line- A brawler with brains and you can’t ask for two better traits in a guard.

15. Shawn Oakman, Penn Wood HS (Lansdowne) DE – Yet another defensive end, but at 6′8″ and 240 pounds he isn’t exactly cut from the same cloth. Needless to say, his height is at the elite level, and the only concern is if he has stopped growing yet. Muscular, but can put on another 30-40 pounds easily. A mid-major basketball prospect with offers from Temple and LaSalle, but his quickness is only adequate. Football offers include Penn State, Pittsburgh, South Carolina, North Carolina State and UConn. Bottom line – You can’t teach 6′8″ so schools are going to be tempted to see what they can do with him, if he decides to play football.

16. Armstead Williams, Gateway HS (Monroeville) LB – Once again Terry Smith puts multiple players near the top of the list, this time with the 6′2″ 200 pound Williams. Quick and fast enough to play wide receiver for the Gators, and he could play at that position at the next level, but more than likely he will end up on the defensive side of the ball. Must get stronger and more physical if he does stay on defense. Offers include Michigan, Boston College, Illinois, Maryland, Louisville, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Purdue and North Carolina State. Bottom line – Has the makings of a very athletic and quick college linebacker.

17. Paul Gaughan, Dunmore HS (Dunmore) OT – Great size at 6′6″ 280, plus he has the frame to add more. Moves very well for his size and could possibly pan out on the left side. Excellent student with a 3.7 GPA. Has offers from Boston College, Michigan, Wisconsin, Stanford, Maryland, Illinois, Syracuse and Northwestern among others. Bottom line – Has the natural size and intelligence that schools covet for the position, especially if he proves that he can make it at left tackle.

18. Jordan Kerner, Fairview HS (Fairview) DE – At 6′5″ he has great height for the position, plus the frame to add to his current 230 pounds. Strong with good straight line speed. Plays all out on every play and even excels on special teams by making tackles on kick and punt coverage, and blocking field goals. Could also end up at tight end. Has offers from West Virginia, Boston College, Rutgers, Iowa, Maryland and Minnesota. Bottom line – Good natural size combined with good athletic skills and all out hustle makes him intriguing.

19. Brandon Clemons, Delaware Valley, Delaware Valley HS (Milford) – OG/DT- Very raw, but at 6′4″ and 250 pounds he has the frame to get much bigger. If he can keep his speed and quickness then he could be a real find. Tore his meniscus in his knee last season but played through it. Had surgery in November and appears to be healthy now. Projects equally well on both sides of the ball. Has offers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Rutgers, Maryland, UConn and Boston College. Bottom line – Raw but physically impressive. Has a high ceiling.

20. Brandon Cottom, Council Rock North HS (Newtown) RB/LB – Physically imposing 6′2″ 230 pound beast who is athletic and fast enough to return punts and kicks last season (returning a few for touchdowns). Projects equally well on both sides of the ball but it looks like he may get a look at running back first. Smart kid who wants to be an airline pilot. Chose PURDUE over Cincinnati, Rutgers, Duke, Syracuse, Illinois, and Minnesota.

21. Dexter Bridge, Conestoga HS (Berwyn) WR – Under recruited athlete who has good 6′2″ 185 pound size, speed, athleticism, and leaping ability. Runs smooth routes and has good hands. Has only two offers, from Illinois and North Carolina State, but more should come his way eventually. Bottom line – May not be a star at the next level, but has all the tools to be an effective starter eventually.

22. Tyler Kroft, Downingtown East HS (Exton) TE – At 6′5″ and 220 pounds, he obviously will need a few years to add good weight, but he has the frame to do so. Once he does get the size, he has good speed, athleticism, and hands to go with it. More of a receiver in high school so blocking is something he will need to learn. Chose RUTGERS over West Virginia, Boston College, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, Northwestern, and UConn. Bottom line- it will take a few years to get tight end size, learn to play the position, and to learn how to block, but eventually he could be a good college player.

23. Artie Rowell, Central Dauphin HS (Harrisburg) OG/C – At only 6′2″, he is limited to the interior line, but he is a solid, and well proportioned, 295 pounds. Very strong with quick feet. Chose PITTSBURGH over Northwestern and Temple. Bottom line- A solid prospect who should be able to play for the Panthers in the future.

24. Andrew Zeller, Red Lion Area HS (Red Lion) – One of the bigger surprises of this recruiting class as the 6′5″ 280 pound lineman was only 6′1″ and 220 pounds prior to last season. The best part is that he has kept his athleticism and speed. Has offers from Oregon, Rutgers, Maryland and Duke. Bottom line – Still a sleeper, but somebody may end up with a steal.

25. Lafayette Pitts, Woodland Hills HS (Pittsburgh) CB/RB – Not big at 5′10″ and 175 pounds, and he doesn’t possess elite speed or quickness, but he runs hard, is elusive, and knows how to play the game. Also an excellent special teams player, especially returning kicks and punts. Has offers from Pittsburgh, West Virginia, Maryland, Iowa and Illinois.

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WR Justin Scott (5-11, 205) of Camilla (GA) plans to announce his commitment Saturday at the state track meet. ScottWake Forest and South Carolina in the next two weeks. He has offers from the Gamecocks, Wake Forest, Louisville, Georgia, Georgia Tech, East Carolina, Stanford, Vanderbilt and Maryland.
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TE Drew Owens (6-5, 230) of Charlotte has decided to open his recruiting back up after narrowing things a little bit. He had South Carolina and North Carolina as his top two, but now he says there are no favorites. He’s doing this because he recently picked up offers from Louisville, Michigan, South Florida and Illinois. He also has offers from South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Maryland, East Carolina, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Duke. He plans to have a new top five before this season and those will be his official visits.
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LB Marcquis Roberts (6-1, 205) of Powder Springs (GA) is still favoring South Carolina over offers from Wisconsin, Memphis and Louisville. Gamecock recruiter GA Mangus was in recently, along with recruiters from Florida State and Purdue. Mangus is expected back for his spring game Saturday. He doesn’t plan to make a decision until mid-season.
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DB Geraldo Orta (6-0 180) of Valdosta (GA) has landed offers from Clemson and South Carolina. Orta also has an offer from Tennessee and is also getting interest from North Carolina, Illinois, Central Florida, Georgia, Troy and Louisville. Right now he’s favoring Clemson over Auburn, Tennessee and North Carolina. Orta plays cornerback and safety.
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ATH Ronald Baines (6-1 180) of Voorhees (NJ) is still waiting on that first offer and will be attending camps from May through July to be evaluated by the coaches. One of his camp stops will be South Carolina in early June. Schools showing interest include USC, Temple, Penn State, Michigan, South Florida, Connecticut, Tennessee, Rutgers and Kentucky.
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NBE Sports has watched plenty of Penn Wood (PA) High School big man Shawn Oakman on the basketball court, where he is a Division I prospect at 6-foot-8, 240-pounds. However his future might be on the gridiron at the college level as a defensive end as Oakman is Up to Six Division 1-A Offers (PennLive.com) in football.

Oakman has received offers from Connecticut, North Carolina State, Penn State, Pitt, Rice, and South Carolina. Schools like Michigan, Purdue, Rutgers, Virginia and West Virginia have shown interest.
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Bowling Green, Illinois, Louisville, Memphis, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Syracuse, Texas Tech and West Virginia have all offered Desimon Green as Clairton’s Green is Up to 10 Offers (PennLive.com). Green doubles as both a quarterback and a defensive lineman for Clairton which has gone 30-2 the last two seasons. The 6’4, 215-pound senior-to-be had a productive junior season at quarterback, throwing for more than 1,500 yards and running for more than 800 yards, accounting for more than 20 total touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball he has been a dominant pass-rusher, accounting for more than 45 sacks the last two seasons.
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Dallastown’s Ben Kline has received scholarship offers from Boston College, UCONN, Maryland, Michigan, Pitt, Rutgers, Vanderbilt and West Virginia as WR/LB Kline is Up to 8 Offers (PennLive.com).
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One key member to this year’s success for coach Glenn McNamee’s Rams is 6-foot, 190-lb senior (2010) Paul Coleman. Coleman makes an impact in several ways for Central Dauphin, whether it is bolstering the defensive backfield or returning kicks. Already this season, Coleman has returned a kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown against Harrisburg, had a 54-year punt return and intercepted a pass. While the individual accomplishments are nice, Coleman is looking for big things from his team during his senior season.

“My goals for this season are just to go out and win a state championship,” Coleman told NBE Sports this week. “Any individual accomplishments that come along would be great, but right now I’m just trying to help my team win.”

The Rams showed they are a team to be reckoned with by beating an undefeated State College team, 24-22, that was ranked #4 in the state.

Playing in an area that is a football hotbed with a traditionally strong program has several colleges keeping an eye on Coleman as a possible addition to their program in the future. Most schools, including a couple from the Big East, are recruiting him as a safety at the college level.

“I’m getting recruited by Louisville, Pitt, Marshall, Buffalo, Army, Navy, Maryland, Lafayette and I’ve been offered by Bucknell, Holy Cross and Lehigh,” said Coleman. “I really still don’t have a favorite, I’m just letting the season play out right now.”

Coleman has taken the opportunity to visit both Big East schools showing interest, Pitt and Louisville, and is hoping to see Maryland and Buffalo in the near future. He is also taking a trip to Annapolis this weekend to check out the program at the Naval Academy and has a visit planned to Lehigh in November. He has also visited Bucknell and Lafayette previously.

NBE Sports will continue to monitor the recruitment of Coleman and the season for Central Dauphin as they work toward winning a championship.
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“Yes, I commited,” Gloster told NBE Sports. “They have always been my favorite. I’ve built the strongest relationship with Coach Casteel (WVU LB coach) out of everyone who recruited me.”

Just last week, Gloster told NBE Sports he was looking over offers from 13 schools, including the Mountaineers as well as Michigan, Stanford, UNC, NC State, Iowa, Minnesota, Towson, Syracuse, Louisville, Wisconsin and Michigan State.

Gloster is one of the top college linebacker prospects in Maryland and stands 6-foot and weighs 220 pounds. He will now concentrate on his main goal for this season.

“My goal for this season is to win our conference championship,” said Gloster last weekend.

Gloster had visited Morgantown last spring and felt the time was right to make his decision.

“I felt very comfortable when I visited back in the spring time and the coaches showed me a lot of love,” said Gloster.
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Gause, a 6-foor-2, 215-lb junior (2011), does a little bit of everything for coach Eddie Long’s Kings. Those traits have brought plenty of recruiting attention his way as colleges are recruiting Gause as an athlete, with some liking him as a wide receiver, some as a running back and some as a linebacker on the defensive side of the ball.

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“Schools currently recruiting me are Michigan, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oregon, Old Dominon, NC State, UNC, UCLA, Stanford, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Florida Gators, FSU, Duke, Virginia , VA Tech, Boston College, Maryland, Nebraska, Pitt, Louisville Cardinals, Rutgers, Alabama, Tennessee and USC,” Gause told NBE over the weekend. “The offers I have received are from University of Syracuse and Akron University.”

The Kings moved to 4-0 with an exciting 24-23 win over Canisius HS of Buffalo (NY) this past weekend.

“When we fell behind 23-18, but we kept our poise and fought hard with a great defensive stand,” said Guase of the win. “To win the game 24-23. I caught a 82-yard touchdown pass from Jake Meek to seal the victory. This has been the highlight of my season so far.”

photo courtesy of Rochester Democrat & Chronicle

“I understand what it takes to have success from your hard work,” Gause said. “I have talked to mentors like Roscoe Parrish, Cecil Martin, Roland Williams, Anothoy Jordan and Tony Collins, all former NFL players. These mentors shared and helped create impact in my life on and off the football field.”

Gause has taken the time to check out potential colleges, making unofficial visits to Rutgers, Notre Dame, Miami, Ohio State and Syracuse. More will come, but not until after the season as there is more work to be done on the field this fall.

“Our team mission is to lead by example, pushing each other to act like champions, play like champions and be champions,” he said. “By using this formula we can reach our team goal of winning a state championship.”

For fans of the Big East and college football, keep an eye on Quentin Gause in the recruiting process in the next year. He is a player that ‘gets it’ and will bring a tremendous lift on, and off, the field wherever he ends up.

WVU recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday has long been known as an ace recruiter in the talent-laden state of Florida and Bell and Millines join another pair of Palm Beach County prospects as 2010 verbal commitments as Pahokee wide receiver Fred Pickett and Dwyer defensive back Robert Clark have previously commited to West Virginia.
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Here are the latest Big East recruiting mentions from Phil Kornblut’s Recruiting Buzz that appears every Monday at thestats.com, South Carolina’s homepage…

Athlete Sherard Cadogan (6-3 230) of Cherry Hill, N.J., has firmed up his South Carolina official visit for Oct. 10 after considering arriving this weekend. He will also visit Wisconsin, West Virginia, Pittsburgh and Michigan State.
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Wide receiver Dyjuan Lewis (6-3 188) of Indianapolis remains undecided on his official visits from his offers of South Carolina, Michigan, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Purdue, Illinois, Colorado, Minnesota, Louisville, Cincinnati, Tennessee, Oregon and Arkansas. Lewis said he will take all five of his visits after this season.
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USC remains interested in athlete Todd Neal (6-2, 195) of Mobile, Ala., as a defensive back. He talked recently with defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward.

“He said they are keeping the offer on the table,” Neal told thestats.com, who also has offers from Southern Miss and Troy. He is also hearing from Florida State, Ole Miss, Marshall and Louisville.
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Defensive lineman Michael Thornton (6-2, 280) of Stone Mountain, Ga., says the only official visit of which he is sure is Penn State. Other offers include Clemson, USC, Miami, Auburn, Georgia, Georgia Tech, N.C. State, Arkansas and West Virginia.
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Offensive lineman Duvon Milsap (6-6, 300) of Buford, Ga., remains undecided about his official visits. He has had calls from South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss and Louisville, and his top three are USC, Ole Miss and Oklahoma State. Milsap also has offers from Clemson, Mississippi State and East Carolina.

According to the State.com’s Monday Recruiting Notebook, Wide receiver Torian Richardson (6-0, 180) of Byrnes (SC) says he will take official visits to Michigan State and Mississippi State. He is going to East Lansing for the Penn State game Nov. 21. He is also looking at South Carolina for a possible visit and will take one if the Gamecocks offer. He has offers from Michigan State, Mississippi State, Rutgers, Tulane, Louisville, Syracuse, Kansas State and East Carolina.
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Here are some more Big East related notes from the previous week’s Notebook at the state.com:

South Carolina is recruiting athlete Todd Neal (6-2, 195) of Mobile, Ala., as a defensive back who could play safety or corner. Neal also plays receiver and said Florida State likes him for that spot. He has offers from USC, Florida State, Southern Miss and Troy. He said he’s also getting interest from Clemson, Mississippi, Arkansas and Louisville.
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Running back James White (5-10, 196) of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., has Clemson, Wisconsin and Iowa among his favorites. He said there’s a good chance he’ll take an official visit to Clemson. He is scheduled to visit Wisconsin for its home opening game. White visited Clemson last summer. He also has offers from Tulane, Princeton, Rutgers, N.C. State, Michigan State, South Florida, Louisville, Syracuse, Indiana, Purdue, Minnesota and Kentucky.
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Wide receiver O.J. Ross (5-10, 176) of Daytona Beach, Fla., has set an official visit to Purdue for Oct. 16. He’s also looking at USC, North Carolina, Rutgers, West Virginia and Kentucky for his other official visits.
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Irmo (SC) running back Mustafa Greene (6-1, 205) said last week he currently favors Rutgers. He also told StateofRutgers.com that N.C. State and Maryland were recruiting him hard.
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- Beaufort (SC) linebacker Justin Parker (6-2, 225) made an unofficial visit to Clemson over the weekend, his first visit to the school. The Tigers and South Carolina are in a battle for Parker and are currently at the top of his list. Parker also has offers from Maryland, Mississippi State, Wake Forest, Central Florida, N.C. State, Syracuse, Vanderbilt, Colorado and South Florida.

- Wide receiver Kadron Boone (6-1, 185) of Ocala, Fla., has his list down to South Carolina, Clemson, Texas Tech, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Cincinnati, Miami and Notre Dame.

- South Carolina is showing some interest in wide receiver Dominique Roberts (6-0, 203) of Daytona Beach, Fla. He has been offered by Connecticut, Florida International, Western Kentucky, Florida A&M and Bethune-Cookman.

- Athlete Sherard Cadogan (6-3, 230) of Cherry Hill, N.J., has South Carolina in his top five along with Michigan State, Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Penn State. He plans to make an official visit to USC. They Gamecocks are looking at him for defense.

- Defensive back Devont’a Davis (6-2, 175) of Gainesville, Fla., is strong on South Carolina and plans to take an official visit. He also likes Miami, North Carolina, Louisville and Arkansas.

- Offensive lineman Danny Foose (6-6, 310) of Paramus, N.J., is getting a strong push from South Carolina and wants to take an official visit with the Gamecocks this fall. He has offers from USC, Stanford, Minnesota, Illinois, Rutgers, Boston College, South Florida, Louisville and Akron.

- Linebacker Antoine Pozniak (6-3, 220) of Hamberg, N.J., attended USC’s Showcase Camp, and the Gamecocks plan to watch him this season. Penn State and Syracuse also are interested along with Buffalo, LSU and Southeast Missouri State.

- Clemson and USC remain in touch with running back Jawan Jamison (5-8, 195) of Jacksonville, Fla. He cites offers from Clemson, Wake Forest, Rutgers and Northern Illinois with no favorite.

- Running back Cassius McDowell (5-9, 166) of Deerfield Beach, Fla., says he has offers from USC, West Virginia, Michigan, Wake Forest, Mississippi, Connecticut, Central Florida and Florida International.

- Running back Corey Brown (6-1, 184) of Springfield, Pa., has Clemson in his final group even though he’s not heard from the Tigers in some time. He also is looking at Florida, Florida State, Miami, Rutgers, West Virginia, Penn State, Alabama, and Ohio State.
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According to InsideNoVa.com, Osbourn Park High School junior Dominique Terrell received word last week that the University of Tennessee plans on extending him an official written offer when Division I and FCS schools can do so for juniors, starting Sept. 1.

Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Pittsburgh, Liberty and Richmond are the others.

Rated the No. 1 junior in the state by VirginiaPreps.com, Terrell threw for 696 yards and ran for 920 more last season. He also returned three kicks for touchdowns.
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More throughout the week, so check back often

According to Phil Kornblut, in a special for the Post & Courier in South Carolina, here are the Big East mentions from his Monday recruiting notebook:

- Ego Ferguson Jr. (6-3, 260) of Hargrave Prep, Va. Clemson was one of the seven schools he cut. Also making the list were Miami, Oklahoma, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, UCLA, California, Vanderbilt, Florida State, Nebraska, Penn State, Tennessee and Maryland. Notre Dame, Oklahoma and LSU will get three of his official visits. Ferguson plans to get his list to 10 before leaving for schools Aug. 17.

- Darrell Givens (6-1, 172) of Indian Head, Md., is a DB that signed with Penn State last February, but last week was denied admission by the university despite being NCAA qualified.

Givens’ transcripts are to be reviewed by South Carolina’s admissions committee. If accepted, sources indicate there’s a good chance he will join the Gamecocks this week. Givens and his coach were in regular contact with members of South Carolina’s staff last week. North Carolina and Rutgers are the two other schools Givens is considering.

- WR Ace Sanders (5-9, 165) of Bradenton, Fla., ha South Carolina along with Purdue and West Virginia as his favorites. He plans to set two of his official visits with the Gamecocks and Mountaineers. He has offers from South Florida, Purdue, Indiana, Syracuse and Iowa. He’s hoping for one from Florida.

- DL Sharrif Floyd (6-3, 311) of Philadelphia was back at South Carolina early last week after attending the Gamecocks’ camp the previous Saturday. South Carolina is hoping to get one of Floyd’s official visits this fall. Some of his other offers are North Carolina, Syracuse, Rutgers, Penn State, Boston College, UCLA, Stanford and Maryland.

- Beaufort LB Justin Parker (6-2, 225) plans to visit Clemson this weekend. South Carolina and Clemson are even for Parker, who also has offers from Mississippi State, South Florida, Colorado, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, N.C. State, Central Florida, Wake Forest and Maryland.

- DB Rijo Walker (5-9, 173) of Hampton, Va., attended South Carolina’s camp late last month and likes South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia the most right now. He’s a cornerback, who had 15 interceptions over the past two seasons.

- Irmo RB Mustafa Green (6-1, 200) wants to visit Florida, Alabama and Rutgers during the season. He’ll also take in South Carolina and Clemson games. In fact, he plans to be at South Carolina’s home opener next month. Green did not attend any prospect camps this summer and does not have a favorite.

- Dillon WR Antuawn Blue (6-1, 185) likes Clemson the most, but has not been offered. He visited South Carolina and N.C. State over the summer and is hearing from Louisville, Coastal Carolina, The Citadel and Buffalo. He has no offers
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Jawaun Wynn woke up on Wednesday and decided Rutgers was the place for him, according to Zagsblog.com. The 6-foot-3, 187-pound rising senior wide receiver from Piscataway (NJ) High School decided to stay home to play college football locally over UConn, Temple and Boston College.

Wynn joins fellow Piscataway grads Marvin Booker (LB) and Anthony Davis (OL) at Rutgers.
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In an effort to bolster their recruiting efforts, Pittsburgh hosted a recrutiing gathering this past weekend the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman notes that the Pitt BBQ was Well Done.

The benefits were reaped almost immediately as Dan Schneider, an Ohio Tight End, Commits to Panthers while in town for the BBQ. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Avon Lake (Ohio) tight end made a verbal commitment to Pitt, picking the Panthers over 20 other offers, including from Cincinnati, Florida State and West Virginia.

Other top Pitt targets at the event included defensive end Sherard Cadogan (6-foot-3, 227 pounds) of Cherry Hill (N.J.) Camden Catholic; receiver Shakim Phillips (6-2, 191) of Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic; defensive back Brendon Felder (5-10, 163) of Gateway; and offensive guard Shane Johnson (6-5, 300) of Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic, all with scholarship offers and Gateway cornerback Dayonne Nunley and St. Ignatius quarterback Mark Myers also were among the attendees.
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