Rutgers Recruiting

BRANDON COLEMAN LOOKS TO VISIT THREE SCHOOLS

Rutgers, Maryland and Virginia Tech comprise athlete’s ‘must-see’ list of schools

When NBE Sports first saw Brandon Coleman in action in a sporting event it was on the basketball court as he helped Bishop McNamara Cruise in CRC hoops event last January in Wheeling (WV). The 6-foot-6 forward was oozing of athletic potential while blocking shots and throwing down alley-oop slam dunks in transition against a Northeast (PA) Catholic team that featured elite 2011 recruit Rakeem Christmas.

NBE was told then that Coleman was being recruited by many top football programs as a big wide receiver. Now, into his senior season, the 6-foot-6, 205-pound senior (2010) has colleges looking at him as a receiver, H-Back or Tight End at the next level. It seems as though three schools have caught his eye and he would like to see each in a more up close and personal manner.

“I have not visited any schools officially yet, but I plan to at least visit Rutgers, Maryland and Virgina Tech,” Coleman told NBE Sports this weekend.

Coleman has been a big reason that coach Bryce Bevill’s Mustangs are off to a 4-1 start, their best start in over a decade. Their lone loss came at the hands of a very talented Good Counsel squad last weekend.

Coleman, at last check, was well on his way to his personal goal of earnign 1st-team All-Met honors with 16 catches for 268 yards and four touchdowns in just their first three games of the season. In their win over St. Albans, Coleman had six catches for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Even with the loss to Good Counsel, Coleman is hoping for a WCAC championship and tough games ahead with DeMatha, Bishop O’Connell and others will give them every opportunity to make up the ground following last weekend’s loss.

Stay tuned…Brandon Coleman is one athlete we will keep a close eye on through the recruiting process.

CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: COREY MAJORS

Neshaminy junior has Big East offer and favorites on his list already

This past Friday night, the Neshaminy (PA) ‘Skins upended league rival Truman 28-8 to move to 4-1 overall in 2009 and even their Suburban One League record at 1-1 on the season. It was their 14th consecutive win over Truman and got the ‘Skins back on the winning track following their first loss of the season the week prior to Abington.

One major contributor to the ‘Skins success is 6-foot-1, 225-pound junior (2011) linebacker /fullback Corey Majors. Majors has been a force on both sides of the ball this season and had the athletic ability to play on either side. however, he wants to play linebacker in college and tells NBE Sports that is the position most colleges are also recruiting him for. Already, colleges are making him a priority in the 2011 class.

“Pitt offered,” Majors told NBE prior to Friday’s contest with Truman. “My favorites in order are, Rutgers , [Penn] State , Pitt and Boston College.”

Last year, Rutgers came into Neshaminy and signed TE Paul Carrezola, so the Scarlet Knights have a close tie to the Neshaminy High School program, and that has definitely paid dividends early on with their recruitment of Majors.

“Not sure when I will start visiting [schools] most likely after the season is over,” said Majors. “I really want to see Rutgers and Pitt.”

Majors also mentioned that Connecticut, North Carolina State and Syracuse are also recruiting him. for now, however, Major and his Neshaminy High School teamates have more pressing concerns, like winning the Suburban One League and moving into the states.

“My goal is, of course, make it to playoffs and possibly states as a team,” said Majors. “Personally, I do not want to ever be satisfied and continue to get better.”

Big East fans and east coast recruitniks alike should keep the name Carey Majors in mind over the next year, he just might be a player that will be competing in the Big East in the not-so-distant future.

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CLASS OF 2011 INTRO: QUENTIN GAUSE

From time to time you come across a student-athlete that seems to ‘get it’ at a young age. When getting to know Rochester (NY) Bishop Kearney HS football player Quentin Gause, you find just such a young man.

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.

“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.”

Gause knows hard work remains and he has gone out of the box to learn more about the game and the dedication it takes to play at the highest levels of the sport. He has set lofty goals for himself as a player and understands success as a team will be most important in helping him reach individual goals as the top student-athlete in New York State and a highly rated player nationally in his class.

“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.

CLASS OF 2011 PROSPECT INTRO: TERRELL CHESTNUT

With a hard-fought 28-7 win over Perkiomen Valley on Friday night, coach Rick Pennypakcer’s Pottsgrove (PA) Falcons are now 4-0 on the season. Led by junior quarterback Terrell Chestnut, big things are expected this season out of the Falcons and teams are gunning for them.

“We are going to get everybody’s best games,” Pennypacker concluded following the game to the Pottsgrove Mercury.

In Friday’s win, Chestnut scored on a 14-yard run and connected with Angelo Berry on a 13-yard touchdown pass. The 5-foot-11 Chestnut plays QB for the Falcons and is getting a lot of college recruiting interest as an elite athlete.

“Colleges are recruiting me as an athlete right now,” Chestnut told NBE Sports prior to Friday’s game. “The schools that are recruiting me [include] Penn State, Rutgers, Pittsburgh, Villanova, Temple, Michigan, Florida State, Northwestern, Syracuse, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Notre Dame and other schools.”

Chestnut also added that West Virginia, Pitt, Rutgers and Villanova have already extended scholarship offers.

However, before he sinks his teeth into recruiting, Chestnut is focused on this season and helping those in their last go-round of high school football accomplish their goals.

“My plans for the season is to win a championship so our seniors can have something to remember,” said Chestnut.

With the hope of more highlights to come, even after the strong 4-0 start to the season, Chestnut speaks highly of the efforts of his teammates and sounds like a seasoned leader already.

“We still have a long way to go if we want to be good, and to be honest, the highlight of the season has been the work ethic from our players,” according to Chestnut, sounding like a future coach.

While the season ahead is currently on the mind of Terrell Chestnut, he has already put himself on the minds of college recruiters from around the country. The Pottsgrove (PA) athlete is one to keep in mind in the class of 2011 as Big East teams begin looking for future talent to add to their program.

JAMEEL POTEAT IS NEXT BISHOP MCDEVITT FOOTBALL STAR

Plenty of Division 1-A football talent has come through the Bishop McDevitt Crusaders program during Jeff Weachter’s 12-year run as head coach at the Harrisburg (PA) school, including current Philadelphia Eagle rookie running back LeSean ‘Shady’ McCoy.

If last night’s performance by junior running back Jameel Poteat is any indication, coach Weachter’s next star is here now.

In front of an overflow crowd that some estimates had at 10,000 people, Poteat carried the ball 30 times for 214 yards and scored two touchdowns as the Crusaders (4-0) rolled past rival Central Dauphin (3-1) 48-13 at Landis Field.

It is not that many college coaches already didn’t know that Poteat was a potential star. The 5-foot-11, 200 pound tailback told NBE this morning he already holds offers from Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia, Tennessee, West Virginia, Akron, Duke and Michigan State. More and more teams are also getting involved.

“I’m getting some about every week now,” Poteat said about the scholarship offers. “[I'm also] getting looked at by Notre Dame, Miami, Oregon, Colorado, Michigan, Cal, UCLA, Texas Tech, Texas, Alabama, Florida, Florida State, Oklahoma [and] Oklahoma State.”

Poteat tells NBE he took in spring games at Pitt and Rutgers previously, but right now his focus is helping to lead Bishop McDevitt to a state championship.

RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: DOUG RIGG FOCUSED ON THREE; JUSTIN PARKER UPDATE

Bergen (NJ) Catholic outside linebacker/running back Doug Rigg has caught the attention of several prominent football programs at the 1-A level. The 6-foot-1, 225-lb class of 2010 prospect is being recruited to play on the defensive side of the ball at the college level and is anxious to get his senior season started on the field.

“Our season hasn’t opened up yet but during the scrimmages we have done very well and I’m excited for this upcoming season,” Rigg told NBE Sports Tuesday night. “I expect for our team to return to the state championship game and compete for a title.”

The season starts with a bang Friday night as the 16-time state champion Crusaders meet Iona Prep at Giants Stadium. It was on that field that last season ended with a 34-13 championship game loss to Don Bosco Prep.

With a senior season about to begin, Rigg will focus most of his attention to bringing home a 17th state championship for Bergen Catholic. On the recruiting front, Rigg has three schools on his mind currently, and plans to make official visits to all three during the season.

“Right now I’m considering Iowa, West Virginia and Rutgers but if any other schools come into play I’ll give them a look,” said Rigg.
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Another linebacker in the class of 2010 getting a lot of recruiting attention is Beaufort (SC) High School’s Justin Parker. The athletic 6-foot-2, 230-lb senior has registered 28 tackles, 4 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks and an interception through the first two weeks of the regular season helping the Eagles to a 2-0 start ahead of this weekend’s showdown with Fort Dorchester.

Friday’s game also marks senior night at BHS and Parker has big goals for his final high school season.

“I really don’t set personal goals but if I had to i would say that every time I step on the field I want my teammates to know I’m giving everything i got on every play,” Parker told NBE Sports Wednesday night. “As for the team win Region first and then worry about winning [the] state.”

As for his recruitment, it was reported in the state.com this week that Parker has offers from Georgia Tech, Nebraska, East Carolina, Mississippi State, South Florida, Colorado, Vanderbilt, Syracuse, N.C. State, Central Florida, Wake Forest and Maryland, in addition to the top local programs, Clemson and South Carolina, who form the top of his list.

“I’m still considering all schools that have offered,” said Parker. “Right now I would say my leader is Clemson. I took an unofficial visit to Clemson for their opener and I plan on going back up to Clemson as well as USC (South Carolina) and alot of other schools.”

Schools are primarily looking at Parker as a ‘mike’ backer to take advantage of his athletic ability and use him in space on the defensive side of the ball. While it looks like it will be very tough for a school to pull him out of his home state of South Carolina, NBE Sports will continue to follow his recruitment this season.
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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: OH DE/TE CHRIS ROCK HAS OFFERS; MORE NOTES

St. Francis DeSales of Columbus (OH) is a perennial football power in the gridiron crazed Buckeye state. Their 2009 team is once again poised to be among the top teams in the state and DE/TE Chris Rock is a big reason why.

Rock, a 6-foot-5, 245-lb junior (class of 2011) started off the season with a bang in the Stallions’ opening weekend 38-0 win over Gahanna (OH) Lincoln. Scouting reports from the game listed Rock as ‘unblockable’ as he anchors one of the best defensive units in the state.

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RECRUITING NOTEBOOK: CONNOR WUJCIAK HAS OFFERS; DONTREWELL KELLEY & DONTAE JOHNSON UPDATES

New Jersey is a a hotbed for football talent and the current class of 2011 in the Garden State is widely regarded to have a bumper crop of high-major Division 1-A prospects that Big East fans will be learning more and more about. One of the members of the class of 2011 is Seton Hall Prep’s Connor Wujciak, a defensive end prospect.

Recruitniks might recognize the name Wujciak as Connor’s older brother, Alex was a standout linebacker for SHP before moving onto the University of Maryland on a full scholarship. It comes as no surprise that the Terrapins are among those active early in Connor’s recruitment.

“I have no favorites although Boston College, Maryland, and Rutgers have offered me and Notre Dame, Penn State, Wisconsin and Pittsburgh have been in touch,” said Wujciak of his recruitment.

While a college decision is well off in the future for this standout, preparing for his junior season with lofty expecations is foremost on his mind.

“The expectations for our team this year are very high,”Wujciak told NBE Sports. “Our goal is to win the conference and state championship. We have a lot of talent on this team and the team chemistry is very good so I think our goals are very realistic.”

The quest to accomplish those goals will begin on the road on September 12th with the season opener at Morristown. Wujciak will also line up as an H-back on offense for the SHP attack and see some time on the interior defensive line as well. Big East and college football fans along the east coast should keep an eye on this 6′3, 250-lb prospect as he is likely to develop into one of the most coveted prospects in the loaded New Jersey high school class of 2011.

Dontrewell Kelley Update

Suitland (MD) running back Dontrewell Kelley is gearing up for the season opener this weekend versus Largo High School and is seeing several schools interested in keeping an eye on his progress this season. The 5-foot-10, 175-lb RB/DB has set a personal goal for the season of gaining 1,500 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns while hoping to deliver a state title for Suitland HS.

“Temple, Maryland, UNC and Syracuse,” replied Kelley when inquired which colleges he is currently considering in the recruiting process.

At last check, Syracuse had extended Kelley a scholarship offer and other programs are looking to see him in action in his senior season to monitor his progress on the field.

Dontae Johnson Narrowing List

Pennington (NJ) School athlete Dontae Johnson has been a familiar name among those following east coast recruiting. As a well-rounded student athlete, Johnson has seen his share of suitors. The 6-foot-3, 185-lb safety prospect has the size in the secondary college coaches love. He is looking for a strong end to his high school career.

“This year i expect my team to be more consistent with everything we do,” said Johnson. “I would like to be looked upon as a leader for my team and be the best player that I can be”.

At one time, Johnson had a long list of schools he was considering, but at this point, with his senior season opening in eight days on September 11th against Lower Merion (PA), Johnson looks to have narrowed things down.

“NC State, Stanford and Maryland,” Johnson stated to NBE when asked what schools he was currently considering.

TO PITT OR NOT TO PITT: TREVOR CLEMMINGS UPDATE

By Zach Smart

Word around the campfire is Trevor Clemmings gave a verbal commitment to play football at Pittsburgh.

After speaking with his father, Trevor Clemmings Sr., NBE Sports learned that nothing is etched in stone.

Clemmings, a wide-bodied defensive end who has been hounded by Big East schools such as Pitt and Rutgers, as well as a growing list nationally, is apparently weighing his options.

Clemmings Sr. wouldn’t divulge aspects at the core of his reasoning. He would not say whether his son was re-opening his recruitment, either.

He did say, however, that as of now Pittsburgh is not the future gridiron home of Clemmings Jr.

“I don’t think so,” said Clemmings Sr. When asked if his son is Pitt-bound.

“I have no confirmation on that. When we have an answer, you’ll know about it then.”

The 6-foot-6 Clemmings has been a two-sport star at Paterson Catholic HS in New Jersey.

Clemmings, a wide-bodied forward on the hardwood in the class of 2010, will likely be concentrating strictly on football this season.

The kid who drew interest from plenty of Big East schools for basketball (namely Marquette and St. John’s for example) has ruled out playing the sport this winter.

“He’s strictly football right now,” said Mark Jerrell-Wright, Clemmings’ coach on the AAU circuit.

Clemmings’ could change his decision after the fall.

“I mean I don’t foresee it (Clemmings playing basketball this season) I mean, he’s a kid,” said Jerrell-Wright. “Anything can happen.”

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BIG EAST RECRUITING NOTES (8/31/2009)

A quick update from South Carolina’s state.com of some southern players getting Big East interest on the recruiting trail…

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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