Class of 2008: Some Elite Running Backs (Part IV)

Ryan Williams RB/DB 5′10 193 4.52 Manassas Stonewall Jackson Virginia

Williams challenges Kevin Whaley as the top RB in Virginia and is among the nation’s better RB prospects…….As a junior he was named AP Second Team Class AAA All-State and Washington Post Honorable Mention All-Metro after carrying the ball 167 times for 1,572 yards and 20 TDs………..His sophomore season was cut short after having surgery for a torn meniscus, however he rushed for over 500 yards and 7 TDs in earning Second Team All-District honors at RB…………As a freshman, Williams rushed for 920 yards in 9 games and scored 7 TDs. He also had 14 receptions for 224 yards and two scores and returned two kickoffs for scores. He started as strong safety in the playoffs……. Has the combination of speed, strength and athleticism to become a top back…..…….Looked good on the 2006 combine circuit (4.50 forty, 4.63 shuttle, 21 bench reps, 36-inch vertical)…….275 bench, 255 power clean as a sophomore…..Ran a 10.94 100-meters as a freshman…..3.0 GPA as a sophomore…..By the end of 2006 there were unconfirmed reports that he had offers from the likes of Clemson, Notre Dame, Maryland, Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Debrale Smiley RB 5′11 225 4.60 Thomasville Thomas County Central Georgia

One of the nation’s top backs…………As a junior he was named Honorable Mention Class AAAA All-State even though he had to split carries with a talented senior TB………..As a sophomore, this prep fullback he rushed for 1,423 yards and 22 TDs on 222 carries and earned First Team Class AAAA All-State honors….Some feel he is the best junior in the state……Has great size and is a strong, powerful runner who really beats up defenses on the inside. Runs with terrific balance.

Tauren Poole RB 5′10 194 4.65 Toccoa Stephens County Georgia Tennessee

Poole is one of the South’s top backs…….First Team Anderson (SC) Independent Mail Georgia Area and the Player of the Year as a junior after rushing for 1,975 yards and 25 TDs……..As a sophomore he rushed for 1,350 yards (4.8 ypc)and 24 TDs despite missing two games…….He has a great work ethic…….A downhill runner who runs hard, has decent speed, great power (benches over 300), a nice cutback and fine vision……..Looked very good at the 2006 Georgia summer camp……Really impressed on the 2006 combine circuit (34-inch vertical, 4.35 shuttle, 4.65 forty, 25 bench reps)……..3.6 GPA and 1,200 on the SAT……Plans to enroll in college in January 2008…..There are conflicting reports as to whether Poole committed to Tennessee in November over unconfirmed offers from Clemson and Auburn.

Jeremy Hills RB 6′0 186 4.40 Alief Elsik Texas Texas

Hills is one of the elite backs in Texas an among the nation’s better backs……..As a junior hen earned First Team All-District 18-5A honors RB after earning Second Team District 19-5A honors as a return man his sophomore year……..Looked good at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine…..Rushed for 1,328 yards (7.3 ypc) and 15 TDs and had 264 yards receiving during the regular season as a junior……. As a sophomore he rushed for 518 yards and 3 TDs on 58 carries (8.9 ypc)………Runs with great speed, quickness and vision. He won’t be caught from behind. Nice hands catching the ball out of the backfield…….Good bloodlines as his older brother, Tony, is starting OL at Texas.…..As of mid-February he had offers from Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M………He committed to Texas in February.

Delano Howell RB/DB 6′1 185 4.50 Newhall Hart California

It’s a pretty good year for running backs in the Los Angeles area and Howell ranks up there among the best…….He plays for a program that regularly produces Division I talent………….As a junior he was named CalHiSports.com First Team Underclass All-State and First Team All-Area by the Los Angles Daily News after carrying the ball 235 times for 1,491 yards (6.35 avg.) and 29 TDs. He also had 41 receptions for 625 yards (15.24 avg.) and 6 TDs………..As a sophomore he had 147 carries for 762 yards (5.18 avg.) and 9 TDs and 13 receptions for 153 yards in earning First Team Sophomore All-State honors despite being injured for part of the season…… Was the only sub-junior on the varsity as a freshman and carried the ball 12 times for 35 yards…….Also starts at DB and could project on either side of the ball in college due to his toughness and aggressiveness……..A physical and tough runner who has pretty good quickness and nice feet. Really excels at catching the ball out of the backfield…….Has an older brother, Dan, who plays at Washington.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Wide Receivers (Part IV)

Marcus Sales WR/DB 6′2 185 4.50 Syracuse Christian Brothers Academy New York

Sales is the top WR in New York and among the nations best……As a junior he caught 33 passes from All-American senior Mike Paulus for over 600 yards and 7 TDs despite missing two games. He was named First Team All-Conference at WR and Second Team at CB…….As a sophomore he caught 25 passes for 625 yards and 9 TDs………..Sales is a smooth runner with nice size, fine speed and excellent ball skills……Has picked up the game quickly as his sophomore season was his first year playing the game……Stars in basketball as well, averaging over 20 points per game…….Solid “B” student……As of early February he had offers from Miami, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Virginia.

Darryl Stonum WR 6′2 185 4.39 Sugarland Fort Bend Dulles Texas

Stonum is one of the top prospects in Texas and among the top receivers in the nation…….Earned First Tam District 23-5A honors as a junior after catching 47 passes for 1,053 yards and 14 TDs despite missing almost two games with an ankle sprain……..His coach says that he is the most talented receiver he has seen, and he’s been coaching for 30 years. He has nice size, great athleticism, blazing speed and good hands…….He can catch the long ball but is also very dangerous in the short routes and picking up huge yards after the catch……Two Class of 2007 teammates, Brandon Herron and Troy Woolfolk, signed with Michigan, and Stonum is considered to be a superior prospect to both..…….Runs track…….As of late January he had offers from Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas and Michigan.

Wes Kemp WR/DB 6′3 223 4.60 St. Louis DeSmet Missouri

Kemp is the top receiver in Missouri and among the better receivers in the nation. He has been an impressive performer for a solid DeSmet program since his freshman season…………As a junior he was a First Team Class 6A All-State selection and St. Louis Post-Dispatch Third Team All-Metro honoree after catching 39 passes for 769 yards and 7 TDs………As a sophomore he was a Second Team All-Metro St. Louis selection and Second Team Class 6A All-State aftr leading his team to the 6A state title by hauling in a team-leading 46 balls for 1,062 yards (23.09 avg.) and 7 TDs…………A long-strider with good height who can really go up (34-inch vertical at a combine) and catch the ball. Has the size and strength (18 bench reps as a soph) to overpower overmatched DBs. Not as effective in gaining yardage after the catch. Lacks jets (4.70 soph combine forty, but was injured) and great quickness (4.62 shuttle) but should make a very fine possession receiver in college……… As of mid-January he had offers from such programs as Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State, Mississippi and Michigan State.

Laron Byrd WR/DB 6′4 210 4.40 Boutte Hahnville Louisiana

It’s a deep year for wide receivers both nationally and in Louisiana, and Byrd ranks among the bets…….Has two things you can’t teach-size and speed……Will need to watch his grades……Also starts at CB…..Very athletic. He also stars in basketball……..Really exploded onto the scene as a sophomore……Has explosive leaping ability and does a great job of positioning himself to make the catch. Has the strength to stave off smaller defenders and the speed to run by most of them……Being heavily pursued by most of the SEC.

John Goodman WR/QB/ATH 6′4 185 4.60 Fort Wayne Bishop Dwenger Indiana

Goodman is among the top receivers in the Midwest and top overall prospects in Indiana……….As a junior he was named to the Bloomington Herald Top 33 All-State team after catching 36 passes for 719 yards (19.9 avg.) and 9 TDs, carried 22 times for 141 yards (6.4), returned 4 kickoffs for 251 yards (62.7) and 2 TDs and returned 13 punts for 215 yards (16.5) and 2 TDs…….As a sophomore he was an Honorable Mention Class 4A All-State selection. He caught 24 passes for 660 yards (27.5 avg.) and 12 TDs and had 2 fumble recoveries and 1 interception. Rushed for 3 TDs and passed for 1 TD. Returned 11 kick-offs for a 22.7 average and 1 TD. Blocked 2 field goals and returned 1 for a TD. He blocked 1 punt.…….He’s a tall and rangy WR who can really go up and catch the ball and shows surprising speed and quickness. Capable of making circus catches and not afraid to go across the middle. He has outstanding football instincts. Needs to fill out a bit.……Was very impressive at the 2006 U.S. army Combine……Bowling Green, Iowa, Michigan and Purdue were among his mid-February offers.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Offensive Linemen (Part IV)

Matt Hall OL 6′9 312 5.60 Dardanelle Arkansas Arkansas

Hall is probably the top overall prospect in Arkansas and among the very best OT prospects in the nation. He’s also definitely at the top of the blue-chip list in terms of size…….Has vastly improved the past couple of years as he has grown into his body and started to put together his rare package of skills. His footwork is much improved and he has knocked off almost a half-second from his forty time………….Spending a lot of time in the weight room and is doing a great job of redistributing his weight……First made a name for himself with an impressive performance at the 2005 Arkansas summer camp and he followed that up with an outstanding performance at their 2006 summer camp, regularly beating up on opposing defenders in drills……Also impressed at 2006 LSU and Tulsa camps.…Born to be a OT in college……Has an unusually high ceiling vis-à-vis the other top linemen in the nation, but he is still a bit on the raw side. He still needs to get quicker and work on his technique…… He committed to Arkansas in September 2006.

Tyler Love OL 6′7 270 5.20 Birmingham Mountain Brook Alabama

Love is the top OL in Alabama and among the nation’s best………..Has the ideal skill set to become a big-time college OT: Great height and frame, quick feet and fine body control, and balance…….Could still add another 30 pounds to his frame…..Uses his hands well and sets up his feet effectively in pass blocking situations……His grandfather played football at Florida…….Looked good at the 2006 LSU camp…………As of mid-January he had offers from the likes of Clemson, Vanderbilt, Louisville, Mississippi, Washington and Alabama.

Gregory Shaw OL/DL 6′6 270 5.35 Miami Monsignor Pace Florida

Shaw is another outstanding national-level offensive lineman out of Florida…….A First Team Class 3A All-Stater and Miami Herald First Team All-Dade County Small Schools selection as a junior after earning Honorable Mention All-Dade kudos as a sophomore……..Had 72 pancakes and allowed two sacks as a junior….Has grown from 6-2, 220 since the summer before his sophomore year……..Has remarkable quickness for a lineman (ran a 4.26 shuttle at one combine) and an impressive 105-inch wingspan…….Especially effective at pass blocking due to his quick feet, balance and ability to adjust in space…….Needs to fill out and get stronger, but he has the wide frame to get quite a bit bigger without losing his quickness…….Interesting bloodlines, as he is the younger brother of former Miami and now Louisville linebacker Willie Williams……Very impressive at the 2006 Florida State summer camp, the 2006 Down & Dirty lineman camp and the 2006 Miami summer camp (Won the top OL award)…….Will have a nice selection of schools to choose from when all is said and done.

Vaughn Dotsy OL 6′3 349 5.59 Ventura St. Bonaventure California

I first learned of Dotsy when he was a freshman at St. Bonnie, and he’s been near the top of my list of top Class of 2008 prospects ever since…….He plays for one of the most powerful programs in southern California as St. Bonaventure regularly turns out prep All-Americans (Michael Williams and .Blaine Irby in the Class of 2007, Dotsy and super transfer Darrell Scott in 2008 and watch out for Lorenzo Booker’s cousin, RB Patrick Hall, in 2009!)…………..His coach feels that he could be the nation’s top offensive lineman as a senior……A CalHiSports First Team Underclass and Sophomore selection the past two years and also named First Team All-County by the Ventura County Star both seasons……..A naturally big kid, was already 6-3, 300 as a freshman…..Very, very strong as he put up 31 bench reps as a sophomore at a combine, but he needs to improve a bit on his quickness (5.32 shuttle).……….A real mauler who really moves the pile and is a great finisher…….Will be a guard in college…..An honors student……Will be one of California’s most heavily recruited prospects.

Allen Carroll OL/DL 6′4 300 5.20 Oakland McClymonds California

The best OL prospect in northern California and one of the nation’s best OL prospects………….McClymonds is Oakland’s top producer of talent. They had a great group in the Class of 2006, a couple of quality prospects in 2007, and now Carroll, who leads the was in the Class of 2008………….. San Francisco Chronicle First Team All-Metro selection and CalHiSports First Team Underclass All-State as a junior……Was a sophomore starter on a very powerful team…..Really passes the eyeball test, possessing a great frame and very little fat……….His coach calls him a special, special player and says that he will be the best lineman he has ever had, including former prep AA Derrick Hill…….A punishing prep OT who has the long arms to play LT but the pulling ability and height more suited for a move to guard in college…….Very physical with a nasty demeanor on the field……Very athletic. Also plays basketball…….Nebraska, which does an excellent job of evaluating prospects in California, was the first school to offer Carroll.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Defensive Linemen (Part IV)

Toby Jackson DL 6′4 244 5.05 Griffin Georgia

Jackson is one of the top DT prospects in the South……He’s a very athletic DT who has great takeoff, moves his feet well and has the frame to add quite a bit of additional weight without losing his quickness. Has very good lateral movement.………Especially effective at getting to the QB….…As a sophomore, he posted 56 tackles, 11 sacks and 9 TFL………..Looked very good on the 2006 combine circuit (4.91 forty, 4.94 shuttle, 16 bench reps, 25-inch vertical)….….By late 2006 he had already received offers from Tennessee, Georgia and Auburn.

Sean Cwynar DL/OL 6′4 280 Wodstock Marian Central Catholic Illinois

Cwymar has emerged as one of the Midwest’s elite two-way linemen and he has the potential to star in college on either side of the ball……He was named First Team IFCA Class 5A All-State and Special Mention Chicago Tribune All-State on the OL but many schools are recruiting him for defense………As a junior he registered 103 tackles and 17 sacks from his DE spot and started at OT in helping to lead his team to the state Class 5Am title game…….Sophomore starter……Looked very good at the 2006 Notre Dame summer camp…….A very versatile lineman with good size, great strength and excellent quickness. He is very effective playing in space…….From the same school that produced Class of 2007 standout lineman Bryan Bulaga (Iowa signee)…….Great 4.2 GPA and 27 ACT…..As of early February he had received offers from Notre Dame, Virginia, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Northwestern and Purdue.

Reggie Ellis DL/OL 6′3 285 5.10 Washington Dunbar D.C.

Ellis is the top overall prospect in D.C. and among the nations better DL prospects……….Is very quick off the ball, showing an explosive first step, excellent strength and athleticism in his game films…….Runs very well and has solid technique for a young lineman……Very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning First Team All-Combine honors…….….Not quite at the level of 2007 D.C. star DL Marvin Austin, but not too far behind……..Outgoing personality……As of late January he had early offers from Maryland, Virginia and Illinois.

Glenn Harbin DL 6′6 225 Mobile McGill-Toolen Alabama

Harbin is among the top overall prospects in Alabama and among the top DLs in the South…..As a junior he received All-State and All-Metro honors after recording 72 tackles, 25 TFL and 11 sacks………He was very impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning First Team All-Combine honors…………A tall and rangy DE prospect, he has a great frame with long arms and the potential to add a lot of weight without losing any of his surprising speed and explosiveness……..Overlooked a bit as a junior as he played at the opposite DE from LSU signee Sidell Corley…….Very athletic and explosive off the edge, he has a very high ceiling…….Also a standout with college potential in basketball and baseball, so he wil need to decide which sport to focus on at the next level……..Being heavily recruited by the best in the SEC.

Ethan Johnson DL/OL 6′5 253 5.16 Portland Lincoln Oregon

Ethan is probably the top line prospect in Oregon and among the best linemen in the West…..As a junior he was named Second Team Class 6A All-State by the Oregonian as a DL………Stars on both sides of the ball in high school, but with his athleticism and quickness he projects on the DL in college……………Looked very good as a sophomore on the 2006 combine circuit, putting up some outstanding marks: 5.16 forty, 4.44 shuttle, 18 bench reps, 28-inch vertical……….Has the speed, athleticism and power to be a disruptive force in the backfield and helped make Lincoln one of the state’s premier defenses the past couple of years………..By the end of 206 he had already received offers from both Oregon and Oregon State.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Tight Ends (Part III)

Aaron Douglas TE 6′7 240 4.90 Maryville Tennessee Tennessee

One of the state’s top overall prospects and one of the top tight ends in the nation…….Douglas was a consensus First Team Class 4A All-State selection and Class 4A Mr. Football award winner as a junior. He was also named to the Orlando Sentinel’s All-Southern team………He plays for one of the strongest programs in Tennessee and was a starter on their 2005 and 2006 state championship teams……..As a sophomore, he had 20 receptions for 236 yards and a score and excelled blocking……Has great size and is unusually agile. Wears a size 16 shoe……His father, David, played at Tennessee and in the NFL as an offensive lineman……..He committed to Tennessee in August of 2006.

Everette Thompson TE/DL 6′5 230 5.34 Burien Kennedy Washington

Thompson is among the nations better tight ends and one of the top overall prospects in Washington……As both a junior and sophomore he was a First Team All-Conference performer at both TE and on the defensive line……Helped lead his team to the state title game as a junior……Being recruited as both a DE and TE……. Looked good at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine…..2006 combine marks include a 5.34 forty, 25-inch vertical and 11 bench reps……As of early January he had received offers from Washington, Oregon and Washington State.

Mark Wedderburn TE/LB 6′6 230 4.72 Philadelphia Cardinal O’Hara Pennsylvania

Wedderburn is among the nation’s better TE prospects…….He is very athletic. He also stars in basketball, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per game as a junior…..He’s a tall and rangy athlete who will need to add about 20-30 pounds to play Division I ball…..Didn’t catch many passes as a junior as the team did not have an effective passer……..As a sophomore he had 287 receiving yards and 3 TDs…..Has excellent speed (4.72 combine forty) for a big guy and a 30-inch vertical…….He’s the younger brother of former Penn Stater Floyd Wedderburn……..As of late January he had offers from Pittsburgh, Virginia, Temple, Rutgers, Illinois and Boston College.

Tyler Edwards TE 6′3 232 4.71 Monroe Ouachita Louisiana

Edwards is among the top overall prospects in Louisiana and top tight ends in the South……As a junior he earned First Team Class 4A All-State honors after pulling in 22 passes for 328 yards and 4 TDs…….A bit smallish for a TE, but he has a frame that can add weight, has very quick feet and excels as a blocker. He’s a real downfield threat when catching the ball. He runs very good routes and has soft hands…..Really likes to mix it up and get physical….Excellent strength: 285 bench, 360 squat, 300 clean, plus a 29-inch vertical, 4.27 shuttle, 16 bench reps……His older brother is former LSU TE Eric Edwards……Should qualify easily…..As of mid-January he had offers from LSU, Auburn, Southern Mississippi, Louisiana Tech and Mississippi.

Jake Stoneburner TE/WR 6′5 220 4.53 Dublin Coffman Ohio

Stoneburner is one of the top skill prospects in Ohio and among the nations better TE prospects……..He plays WR in high school but has the size and frame to play TE in college…..As a junior he was named First Team All-Area by the Columbus Dispatch and was a First Team Central District-Division I selection after hauling in 63 passes for 946 yards (15.0 avg.) and 8 TDs. He also excelled as a punter and kickoff specialist…….As a sophomore he had 31 receptions for 538 yards and 5 scores……Plays for one of the top talent-producers in the Columbus area (think Brady Quinn)……Was impressive at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, earning Second Team All-Combine honors after running a 4.53 forty and 4.37 shuttle……Has the athleticism (a very fine hurdler in track), speed and quicks to be a possession WR and the frame that could easily fill out to be a TE……Has very soft hands and ball skills……..3.5 GPA……..As of mid-January he had offers from Iowa and Clemson.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Quarterbacks (Part III)

Darius Banks QB 6′1 180 4.50 Culver City California

Banks emerged as one of the nation’s top QB prospects after putting up monster numbers as a junior………….Earned First Team Junior All-State honors after completing 253 of 379 passes (66.8%) for 4,155 yards, 51 TDs and 11 INTs. He also carried the ball 45 times for 169 yards (3.76 average) and 3 TDs.……..As a sophomore, he completed 150 of 258 passes (58.1%) for 2,211 yards, 26 TDs and 4 INTs. He carried the ball 68 times for 228 yards (3.35 ypc) and 2 TDs……Looked solid at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, throwing the ball well but measuring in a touch on the short side………On film, he looks very comfortable in running a spread offense and really does a nice job of spreading the ball around to his receivers. As a sophomore, he tended to move outside the pocket more often but as a junior he was more effective in staying in the pocket. He shows fine leadership skills and gets excellent spin and velocity on his throws….His coach says that he’s a better prospect than another star QB he coached a few years ago, former Florida State QB Chris Rix.

Seth Doege QB 6′2 200 4.60 Wolfforth Frenship Texas Texas Tech

Doege is among the nation’s top QB prospects and among the top overall prospects in Texas……As a mere sophomore, he earned AP First Team Class 2A All-State honors after completing 115 of 171 passes (67%) for 2,439 yards and 27 TDs and just 4 INTs and rushed for 526 yards and 3 TDs on 78 carries……….He injured his knee during the 2006 pre-season and missed his entire junior season…….Looked very impressive at the 2006 Texas Tech mini-camp…….Has excellent arm strength, accuracy and a very quick release. He has excellent skills and mechanics. Is really able to spread the ball around. Also a threat running the ball………He committed to Texas Tech in September 2006 and is an ideal fit for Mike Leach’s offense.

Conner Kempe QB 6′4 215 4.90 North Palm Beach Benjamin Florida

Kempe is considered to be one of the top QBs in the South but he will have to recover from a serious kite-surfing accident that he suffered in November 2006. He is recovering from serious head and facial injuries and a collapsed lung (so serious that he was even read his last rites by a priest)……..As a junior he passed for 1,920 yards and 13 TDs…….A hard-nosed athlete who played as a sophomore with a separated shoulder but still managed to throw for 1,653 yards and 17 TDs while completing 103 of 224 passes. He earned Second Team All-Palm Beach County honors for small schools……….A very accurate passer who can spread the ball around and gets fine zip on his throws……..Has a nice frame and is working to improve his footwork……3.3 GPA…..Won the accuracy award as a sophomore at the Miamio Elite 11 camp…..By the end of 2006 he had received offers from Virginia and Stanford.

Randall Mackey QB/ATH 5′11 190 Bastrop Louisiana

Mackey is one of the top QBs in the South……He was named First Team Class 4A All-State and to the Orlando Sentinel All-Southern team as both a sophomore and junior. As a freshman and eighth-grader he was named First Team Class 1A All-State while playing for Port Sulphur…..…….As a junior he passed for 2,066 yards and 27 TDs despite sitting out the first two regular season games…….As a sophomore he completed 111 of 198 passes for over 1,961 yards, 26 TDs and only 8 INTs despite not starting until week 8. He led his team to the state title and was named the game’s MVP, although the title was later forfeited due to irregularities over his transfer to Bastrop…….Lacks ideal height for a QB, but compensates with a strong arm, elusiveness and outstanding athleticism…….Compared by some to Chris Leak……Very effective in spreading the ball around…….A cannon for an arm. He can really throw the deep ball…..Athletic and speedy enough to play other skill positions in college, but with his arm he should be a QB…….Academics are a concern…..Transferred after Hurricane Katrina to Bastrop from Class A power Port Sulphur, where he was already starting in the eighth-grade……His coach claims he already had some undisclosed Division I scholarship offers in 2006.

Kyle Parker QB 6′0 190 4.55 Jacksonville Bartram Trail Florida

Parker is one of the top QB prospects in Florida…….As a junior he was named Third Team Class 5A All-State after completing 126 of 224 passes for 1,786 yards, 12 TDs and 12 INTs. He also rushed for 679 yards and 11 scores…….As a sophomore he started the final five games of the season and passed for 804 yards, rushed for 382 yards and had 115 yards receiving, accounting for a total of 13 TDs……A dual-threat QB who has a very strong arm, solid athleticism and runs very well…….Impressed at the 2006 Florida State summer camp (ran a 4.55 forty)……Has a knack for making the big play and improvising out of trouble…….Also a college baseball prospect…..His father is former Vanderbilt and NFL receiver Carl Parker……As of mid-January he had offers from Clemson and Nebraska.

2007 University of Michigan Signees: Ceilings and Floors

The 2007 Michigan recruiting class isn’t ranked as highly as previous classes by the so-called recruiting gurus, but there actually are some things I really like about this class, and one in particular that stands out.

First, some background.

The recruiting rating universe is “star-centric” and a prospect is typecast as either a 5-star, 4-star, 3-star, etc. In my opinion, assessing a prospect is a lot more complicated than that and what I have tried to do is come up with a different paradigm in identifying the potential of a prospect.

When I look at players I try to determinewhat sort of ceilings and floors they have. By that I mean what is their upside and what is their downside. Nothing novel in that concept, as players are often referred to as being high ceiling types.

What I will attempt to do below, however, is broaden the context of the term from that of being a mere adjective to in some way “quantify” the potential upside and downside of a prospect. That will give us a better idea of what sort of athleticism we are bringing into this class and also give a sense as to what extent Michigan is making “bets” on high ceiling/low floor types as opposed to taking the safe road and putting more of a premium on High Floor prospects.

A lot of D-1 prospects have high floors but just average to slightly above average ceilings (when speaking in D-I BCS terms). In a sense, what you see is what you get. There will be an average amount of improvement in college but they are often already pretty sound fundamentally and will be solid to very, very good college players (and in some cases exceptional college players but not NFL types).

What is meant by a “high ceiling” is a prospect who has the speed and athleticism that may enable him to play at the NFL level if he puts everything else together (hard work, fundamentals, discipline, developing-if they can be developed-football instincts/understanding as to how to play the game). Usually the term is used on its own without also adding that the prospect has a “low floor” (i.e. a raw football player who may never contribute). Of course, prospects who have both high ceilings and high floors are called difference-makers (instead of being referredto a high ceiling kids) and are usually only the top 25-40 prospects in the nation (i.e. 5 stars).

After you get below the 5 stars, you have the 4 and 3 stars who have some combination of ceiling and floor which is below high/high. A lot of these kids could be average ceiling/high floor, which means that it is pretty sure that they will be very good college football players but they probably lack the great athleticism tobecome NFL-type difference-makers. Others will be high ceiling types with lower floors. These high ceiling types may have as much upside as the five stars but they have more downside (i.e. they are higher risk recruits)

Michigan usually doesn’t recruit a low floor prospect unless he has a high ceiling. The low floor may be due to several factors: 1) Very raw athlete (Mike Kenn); 2) Little playing time in high school, didn’t get many touches (Desmod Howard), a chance to showcase his skills (Elvis Grbac running the wishbone) and/or developed late (Braylon Edwards); 3) Character/Academic issues. In other words, taking one of these kids is a bit of a crapshot that could pay huge dividends or just as easily not work out at all. I still rmember the class where we brought in a lot of these high floor/low ceiling types (the Demetrius Smith, William Peterson, Jason Brooks class). That year most of them didn’t work out. On the other hand, players such as Braylon Edwards and Desmond Howard did work out.

Historically (until just the past 4-5 years), most (not all) of Michigan’s defensive line and linebacker recruits had not been high ceiling types but rather high floor types who were athletic enough to get the job done when playing within the Michigan team system.

I think that a few years ago when the lack of speed on our defense was exposed by Tennessee and others Michigan started to move in a new direction and recruit high ceiling prospects at these positions as well. They recognized that teams were spreading things out quite a bit on offense and it was necessary to have more athletic and speedy players on defense as opposed to the more traditional hard-nosed and solid defenders that were effective for us from the 70s to mid-90s. As a result, we had an athletic defense in 2006 with the sort of skills and athleticism that one would usually associate with Miami and Florida State a fewyears back.

Here are some examples of how I would have rated some recent Michigan players when they were being recruited:

Erick Anderson Slightly above average ceiling/High floor

Mike Mallory Slightly above average ceiling/High floor

Jarrett Irons Slightly above average ceiling/High floor

Mike Boren Average ceiling/High floor

Glen Steele Slightly above average ceiling/High floor

MikeHammerstein Slightly above average ceiling/High floor

Larry Foote High ceiling/Low floor

Braylon Edwards High ceiling/Low floor

Charles Woodson High ceiling/High floor

Demetrius Smith High ceiling/Low floor

Jason Brooks High ceiling/Low floor

LaMarr Woodley High ceiling/High floor

Mike Hart Above average ceiling/High floor

DesmondHoward High ceiling/Low floor

This years class, although lacking in five and four stars, has more than its fair share of High ceiling/Low floor types. THAT is what I REALLY like about this class. Some of these kids will not pan out, but others will emerge as NFL type talents.

Just to give an example, a LB like Brandon Herron has the sort of high ceiling to be an Ian Gold type linebacker in the NFL. I would not say that about a prospect such as Chris Colasanti (a 4-star Michigander who signed with Penn State), who should have an outstanding college career but is more in the mold of some of thelinebackers that I listed above.

For you old-timers, an example of a program that had problems by recruiting High Floor types is Notre Dame back in the 1980s under Gerry Faust. He would go through the old Parade All-American listings and bring in loads of these prep stars who were great high school players but lacked high ceilings. Often they would be prospects who had the benefit of playing for top Catholic Schools such as Cincinnati Moeller and they were much more developed as players when arriving at Notre Dame. The problem was that many of these kids weren’t even great athletes and some (remember the undersized prep AA LB Tom Roggeman out of Arizona) didn’t even have high floors. But they were all paper all-americans.

With Michigan having 85 players on scholarship, my view is that it needs to continue to focus on the High Ceiling types at the expense of the High Floors. That is especially the case if it can’t bring in enough five-star talent because it will need to take chances with great athletes in order to compete with the USCs and Floridas of the world. Of course, the ideal High Ceiling prospect is one such as Herron who does not have character issues but is quite raw as a player. Let me make one thing clear, I am NOT advocating going the Michigan State route in taking questionable character prospects over the years. Michigan is in a position where, even though it may lose out on five stars to USC and Florida, it can still pick and choose among many lower-rated prospects with High Ceilings. That is exactly what the coaching staff did such a fine job of doing this year.

Here’s my breakdown of this year’s signees:

Ryan Mallett High Ceiling/High Floor – Entire package

Donovan Warren High Ceiling/High Floor – Great athlete from nations top program. Gone against AA WRsin practice for4 years

Martell Webb High Ceiling/Slightly BelowAverage Floor – Has the frame, speed and athleticism to dominate. Just need sto fill out and learn the game more. A bit raw.

Kenneth “Junior” Hemingway High to Above Average Ceiling/Average Floor - Great receiver skills

Michael Williams Above Average Ceiling/High Floor - Lacks athleticism and speed of Warren but is well-schooled and also from a top program

Ryan VanBergen Above Average Ceiling/High Floor – Motor always on go makes him a low rick kid

Dave Molk Above Average Ceiling/High Floor – Another low risk get, but upside limited by height

Toney Clemons High Ceiling/Low Floor- Has all the tools but senior season he wasn’t thrown to much and there were some other issues

Renaldo Sagesse High Ceiling/LowFloor – Great combo of size and speed,same as Alain Kashama. Most Canadians are low floor due to levelof competition

Austin Panter Above Average Ceiling/Low Floor – Nice size and athleticism but questions whether he can do it at a high level

Steve Watson Above Average Ceiling/High Floor – Well-schooled as he plays for a top program as pops was in the NFL

Zion Babb High Ceiling/Low Floor – Ditto Clemons

Avery Horn Above Averge Ceiling/Average Floor – Should be a solid contributor

James Rogers High Ceiling/Low Floor – Big and fast but will play a new position and his prep competition was poor

Mark Huyge Above Average Ceiling/Low Floor – I have a feeling he will be either a hit or miss. Reminds mea bit of Adam Kraus

Vincent Helmuth Above Average Ceiling/High Floor – Already physically developed and with th skills we are lookingfor at FB

Marell Evans Above Average Ceiling/Low Floor – Late-bloomer could surprise

Brandon Herron High Ceiling/Low Floor – Tests off the charts. Just needs to be more Tarzan and less Jane on the field

Troy Woolfolk Above Average Ceiling/Low Floor – Raw but upside high as he is getting bigger and you can’t teach his speed

Artis Chambers Above Average Ceiling/Average Floor – Very good skill set and fills a need

Class of 2008: Some Elite Defensive Linemen (Part III)

DeAngelo Tyson DL 6′2 276 5.10 Statesboro Georgia

Tyson is one of the top defensive line prospects in the South and overall prospects in Georgia……He was a sophomore starter fopr a state championship team that has sent several players on to D-I ball in recent years (Class of 2007 stars John Knox and Justin Houston signed with Georgia)…….He is a prototypical DT/NG prospect, possessing great strength, a quick first step and an understanding of playing with leverage……Sophomore combine figures include a 5.1 forty, 4.88 shuttle, 22 bench reps and 27-inch vertical…..Impressive at the 2006 Athens Nike camp……By the end of 2006 he had offers from the likes of Auburn Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and South Carolina.

Tony Gillespie DL/RB/TE 6′2 295 4.90 Jenks Oklahoma

Gillespie is one of the top overall prospects in Oklahoma and among the nation’s best DL prospects…….Gillespie plays for arguably the most powerful program in Oklahoma in recent history……As a junior he was named First Team All-State by the Daily Oklahoman from his DT spot after registering 83 tackles, 8 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries…….Was already dominant as a sophomore……Very strong (benches 365 pounds)…..Also played fullback as a sophomore…….Very quick for his size, running a sub-5.0 forty…….Some have compared his physique and style of play to Warren Sapp……By late in his sophomore year he was being heavily recruited by numerous Big Twelve schools.

Wes Horton DL/TE 6′6 230 4.80 Sherman Oaks Notre Dame California

One of the top defensive linemen in the nation and among the best prospects in California…….Horton plays for a talent-laden Notre Dame squad and is already drawing comparisons to former Notre Dame and Florida State standout Travis Johnson as a DE prospect………..Named First Team All-Area by the Los Angeles Daily News as a junior after tallying 13 sacks…….Has a great frame with a lot of room to fill out…..Tremendous pass rusher who will need to get stronger to become more effective against the run……Older brother Shane (RB/DB) is a heavily recruited Class of 2007 prospect at Notre Dame and his father, Myke, played at UCLA……Has a high ceiling and his best football is ahead of him.

Cornelius Washington DL/LB 6′4 220 4.51 Waynesboro Burke County Georgia Georgia

Washington is an athletic DE/OLB with the quickness to play standing up and the toughness and size to play down…….3.0 GPA………Missed much of his junior season after breaking two bones in his left forearm in the preseason. He was projected to start at OLB and TE…….Exceptionally fast for a lineman. The 220-pounder ran the 100 meter-dash in 10.72 seconds to win the Region 3-AAA championship as a sophomore……..Should really be a terror once he fills out……He committed to Georgia in July of 2006 after putting on an impressive display at the Georgia summer camp (ran a 4.51 forty).

Myles Walker DL/OL 6′8 242 4.90 San Antonio Antonian Prep Texas

Walker is a tall and rangy DE prospect who plays for a small TAPPS school in Texas but who has already made a name for himself with local colleges as being among the top linemen in the state…………First Team San Antonio Express All-Sub 5A Area as a junior after earning Second Team honors his sophomore year….. As a junior he tallied 61 tackles, 1 sack, 3 TFL, and 2 fumble recoveries………..Looked very good competing at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine in his hometown, earning Second Team All-Combine honors………Is very quick off the edge, with his great frame is an imposing presence and has a great work ethic…….Once he fills out he could be really special……Very high ceiling…….As of early January he had offers from Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M and Rice.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Linebackers (Part III)

Jon Major LB 6′4 215 4.50 Parker Ponderosa Colorado

Major is among the top LB prospects in the nation and some have him rated as the top overall prospect in Colorado…….As a junior, he earned Second Team Class 5A All-State honors from the Rocky Mountain News and Honorable Mention from the Denver Post despite playing in just 7 games due to a sprained ankle. In those games he tallied 107 tackles, 15 TFL, 3 forced fumbles and 1 INT………As a sophomore, he earned All-Conference honors after registering 108 tackles, 5 TFL, 3 fumble recoveries and 1 INT….…..With his great frame and speed he probably projects as an outside linebacker even though he stood out at MLB as a junior…..Really packs a punch when he meets the defender, showing fine speed and a knack for finding the ball beforehand. Does a great job in attacking the line and an even better job in pursuing from sideline-to-sideline…….Impressive on the 2006 combine circuit (great 4.58 forty and 4.1 shuttle)……..34-inch vertical, 290 bench, 425 squat, 300 power clean…..3.7 core GPA and 28 pre-ACT…….Nice bloodlines as his father, Ken, was an All-American TE at Rice and played some in the NFL. He is currently an assistant at Ponderosa…..As of early February he had received offers from Stanford, Northwestern, Michigan, Tulsa, Colorado, Washington, Illinois, Wisconsin, Washington State, Colorado State, Oklahoma and Utah.

Duane Maddox LB 6′0 222 4.60 Shelby Crest North Carolina

Maddox has emerged as one of the top overall prospects in North Carolina and one of the nation’s better linebackers……….From the same program that sent prep AA LB Brandon Spikes to Florida last year…….On film , he shows great aggressiveness and really lays the wood on defenders. He’s very effective in lateral pursuit, gets over trash and can move from sideline-to-sideline. Does a nice job of warding off blockers and filling the hole…….By the end of 2006 he had offers from Florida, North Carolina and N.C. State.

Eric LeGrand LB/RB 6′3 230 4.65 Colonia New Jersey

LeGrand is one of the top prospects in New Jersey and among the better linebackers in the nation……Named Third Team All-State by the Newark Star Ledger and AP as a junior……As a junior he recorded 150 tackles and rushed for 807 yards playing fullback………..As a sophomore he tallied 109 tackles and 4 sacks while rushing for 1,084 yards on 180 carries after moving from FB to TB………….Brought up to the varsity for the teams final three regular season games as a freshman and recorded 45 tackles……He first made a name for himself with outstanding combine performances as a freshman…..Remarkable strength, benching 430 pounds, squatting 700 pounds and power cleaning 405 pounds…….A ferocious head-hunter from his MLB position, combining exceptional power with fine athleticism and speed. Is very physical and does a great job of filling the hole and dragging down ball carriers………Solid student…….Team leader. Was elected a team captain as a junior………Rutgers was the first school to offer.

Sean Spence LB/DB 6′1 195 Miami Northwestern Florida

Spence is one of the nation’s top linebackers……He is part of the most talented group of juniors in the nation at Miami Northwestern High. He helped lead his team to the state Class 6A title and an unbeaten record in 2006 and earned First Team Class 6A All-State honors and was also selected by the Miami Herald as First Team All-Dade County…………As a junior he registered 160 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INTs and a fumble recovery……..As a sophomore he was a Second Team Class 6A All-State selection and First Team All-Dade County. He had 96 tackles to lead the team …….Very quick (4.37 combine shuttle as a soph) and athletic (33-inch vertical), but he will need to get bigger and stronger (225 bench, 380 squat) to play linebacker in college. He could also project as a strong safety due to his outstanding quickness, instincts and hitting ability…….Really flows to the ball, combing the field from all sides and showing tremendous pursuit skills…….Won the linebacker award at the 2006 Miami summer camp and was also very impressive at the Rutgers camp……..Rutgers was the first school to offer.

Vincent Williams LB/TE 6′0 206 4.79 Davenport Ridge Florida

Williams is one of the top prospects in Florida and among the best linebackers in the nation……….Two-way prep star at LB and FB but will be a LB in college…….As a junior he was named Third Team Class 3A All-State and the Winter Haven News Defensive Player of the Year after recording 121 tackles, 22 TFL, 9 sacks, 5 forced fumbles, and carrying the ball 72 times for 605 yards and 4 TDs………….As a sophomore he registered 78 tackles, 26 TFL, and 16 sacks in earning All-County honors………Very impressive on the combine circuit (4.77 forty, 4.31 shuttle, 34-inch vertical, 26 bench reps)…….Really passes the look test with his well-chiseled frame…….Has outstanding athletic ability………Also very impressive at the 2006 Florida State summer camp…….On film, he’s very explosive off the ball and is especially effective in filling the hole and getting into the offensive backfield. Not the largest linebacker but has excellent strength for his size (320 bench, great 545 squat) and is very physical in taking on blockers and wrapping up ball carriers……….In early January Florida was the first school to offer him.

Class of 2008: Some Elite Running Backs (Part III)

Josh Haden RB/DB/LB 5′8 190 4.38 Fort Washington Friendly Maryland

Probably the top RB in Maryland and among the better RBs in the nation……..Haden is a versatile, powerful and very athletic football player who could play either RB or DB in college………..The younger brother of Florida signee Joe Haden…….The most impressive combine tester in the Class of 2008, putting up monster numbers as a sophomore (45 bench reps, 37-inch vertical, 4.10 shuttle, 4.38 forty)…….Remarkable strength for his size (Benches over 400 pounds). His father, Joe Sr., is a former bodybuilder who trains both Joe Jr. and Josh……His tam was loaded with D-1 skill talent so he didn’t get the touches to put up huge numbers as a junior…….As of late 2006 he had offers from Illinois, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pittsburgh, Illinois, Tennesse, Maryland and Boston College.

Alonzo Landry RB 5′11 220 4.50 Lafayette Carencro Louisiana

Landry is one of the top backs in the South and among the best prospects in Louisiana…….He enjoyed an outstanding junior season, rushing for 1,937 yards and 28 TDs in just 12 games in earning First Team Class 5A All-State honors. He also had 621 yards a 3 TDs receiving..…..As a sophomore he ran for over 1,300 yards and 15 scores……Combines nice size with speed, quickness, balance, power (290 bench, 435 squat, 275 clean), some wiggle and a very physical style of running. Is very patient runner when running zone schemes. Truly exceptional hands for a RB……..36-inch vertical…..Runs track…..Mentioned in the same breath as Kevin Faulk, Damien James and Cecil Collins by his coaches, who also coached the aforementioned……Was very impressive at the 2006 LSU summer camp…..Mississippi was the first school to come forward with an offer.

Rashad White RB 5′11 180 4.38 Teaneck New Jersey

White is the top RB in New Jersey and among the better backs in the nation………As a junior he was named First Team All-State by the Newark Star Ledger and AP among many of his honors after carrying the ball 214 times for 2,386 yards and 26 TDs…….As a sophomore he was named Third Team All-North Jersey and Second Team Bergen County after rushing for 1,177 yards and 11 TDs on 159 carries……….Very impressive on film. A real game-breaker with sub-4.4 forty speed and tremendous acceleration. Runs with surprising power for his size and has nice hips and shiftiness. Effective both running outside and inside, showing great vision and surprising toughness………Looked good at the 2007 U.S. Army Combine, running a 4.38 forty…..Ran a 10.9 100-meters and 21.7 200-meters as a sophomore……By early January he had offers from Rutgers, Michigan State, Cincinnati, Boston College, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Ryan Bass RB 5′10 186 4.61 Corona Centennial California

Bass is one of the top running backs in California…..As a junior he was named First Team All-Underclass All-State after earning Sophomore All-State honors in 2005. He was also named First Team All-CIF-Southern Section-Inland Division…….As a junior he rushed for 2,387 yards and 36 TDs…….As a sophomore he rushed for 2,137 yards and 34 TDs on 255 carries…….Has that extra gear or two, runs with great patience and has outstanding vision. Runs with power and is a north-south type of back who gets to the hole quickly. Has a nice build and really punishes defenders…..Combine marks of 4.61 forty, 4.25 shuttle, 21 bench reps, 34-inch vertical….Older brother Ray is a safety at San Diego State…….Has family in Louisiana and Arkansas……San Diego State was the first college to offer, followed by Colorado Statre and Louisville, and as of January he is hearing from many of the nation’s top programs.

Tre’ Newton RB 6′0 194 4.60 Southlake Carroll Texas

Newton is one of the nation’s top RB prospects and among the top overall prospects in Texas………As a junior, he earned First Team All-District 5A honors after carrying the ball 274 times for 2010 yards and 20 TDs for the 5A state champions…………Was the District Offensive Sophomore of the Year in 2005 after leading his state championship team in rushing with 171 carries for 1,345 yards and 17 TDs. Also had 19 receptions for 296 yards and 2 TDs……….Great bloodlines, as he is the son of former Dallas Cowboy Nate Newton…..Very well put together and fast, he can really turn the corner and is smooth and shifty lugging the ball…..Will have his choice of schools.