Floyd Raven

My favorite story of National Signing Day is that of CB Floyd Raven (the 12th best CB in nation).  Raven was deciding between Texas A&M and Ole Miss.  On the morning of National Signing Day, his mom forged his signature on his letter of intent and sent it to Ole Miss.  His mom was strongly pushing her son (to say the least) to go to Ole Miss.  Floyd on the other hand was favoring Texas A&M.  The Ole Miss coaching staff was so excited when they got his letter of intent, but were soon let down when they found out Raven did not really want to play at Ole Miss.  Instead, he sent his 'real' letter of intent to Texas A&M that night.  Raven has forgiven his mom and claims he is not upset about the incident.

The Dwyer Duo

QB Jacoby Brissett and DE Curt Maggitt are being heavily pursued by many schools.  Both are closing in on a decision according to Jack Daniels, Dwyer's head coach.  Maggitt will sign his letter of intent tomorrow, while Brissett will likely sign on Friday.  Curt Maggitt was thought to be a Florida Gator lean, but since his visit to Tennessee, it seems that Tennessee may be in the driver's seat heading into NSD as Coach Daniels said that he guesses the favorite is Tennessee at this point and that Maggitt has a good idea of where he is going at this point.  I would be surprised if Maggitt did not choose Tennessee, but if he didn't, he will most likely end up a gator.  Brissett on the other hand is more complicated.  Brissett wants to play football and basketball in college.  Brissett might announce his commitment during the halftime of a Dwyer basketball game according to Coach Daniels.  Brissett will choose from Florida, Miami, Washington, and Wisconsin.  Miami appears to be the frontrunner.  Florida insulted him under the Meyer Era when they offered him a grayshirt instead of a full scholarship.  The current Florida staff has tried to mend the relationship and Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weiss has put the full court press on Brissett.  Brissett visited Gainesville unofficially to see a basketball game, but not officially.  Brissett visited Miami last weekend and he liked the visit.  He says that he has mostly made up his mind, and I think Miami might have sealed the deal last weekend with their most needed recruit, QB Jacoby Brissett.  Wisconsin and Washington are still in the mix and he visited both, but I think he will pick a Florida school in the end.

The Rollercoaster that is Marcus Roberson

DB Marcus Roberson (St. Thomas Aquinas, FL) is the #2 Cornerback and #37 Overall recruit in the nation.  After his visit to Texas Tech, Marcus Roberson committed.  Many speculate the promotion of his uncle to be the secondary coach had something to do with his commitment.  However, after his visit to Florida, he de-committed from Texas Tech and reopened his recruitment.  He was down to Auburn, USC, and UF at that point.  Yesterday, he committed to the Auburn Tigers.  This was a short-lived commitment to say the least because Roberson decided to de-commit today from Auburn.  He will now choose between USC and UF.  I think he will sign with UF because distance should play a huge factor.  Roberson will be a huge commitment for whoever lands him.  Florida is in desperate need of commitments with only 17 after Tevin Westbrook's commitment today.  USC, on the other hand, may not be able to take many more commitments.  This will be interesting, as he plans to sign tomorrow.  Stay tuned...

Jermauria Rasco - #8 DE/#168 Overall

DE Jermauria Rasco (Evangel Christian, LA) looks to have narrowed his list to two: LSU and UF.  LSU has been the long time favorite and LSU normally attracts top recruits in Louisiana.  Rasco loves the new Gator Head Coach, Will Muschamp.  Muschamp has recruited Rasco the longest (while he was at Texas) of any other coach.  Before Muschamp came to Florida, Rasco wasn't interested, but now things have changed.  Muschamp convinced Rasco to take his final visit to UF, this past weekend, and Rasco reportedly loved the visit.  Rasco has cut FSU from his list, which is comforting to gator fans who would rather see Rasco play for LSU than FSU.  I think this is a close one because of Rasco's relationship with Muschamp, but this visit may have come too late for the gators.  I predict Rasco will be an LSU Tiger tomorrow at 3 p.m. (Eastern Time) at his high school.

Tim Jernigan - #2 DT/#29 Overall Player in Nation

DT Tim Jernigan (Lake City Columbia, FL) has officially narrowed his list down to 3: Jernigan will choose between FSU, LSU, and Tennessee on ESPN tomorrow at 11 a.m.  The big surprise here is that Jernigan is no longer considering Florida.  Florida is extremely close to his home and he grew up a gator fan.  He was all but a lock before Head Coach Urban Meyer stepped down and Defensive Line Coach Dan McCarney left to be the Head Coach at North Texas.  Although Tennessee got the all important last visit, I believe out of the three teams, Tennessee is the least likely to get Jernigan.  At this point, I believe Florida State is the frontrunner because of distance.  Columbia coach Craig Howard confirmed this today: "My gut feeling is that the closer to home the better for him.  It makes me feel like Florida State's got the inside track."  If Jernigan chooses FSU, it will put FSU's already phenomenal class through the roof, and if he chooses LSU, then LSU could make a push for the #1 class in the nation.

Team Wishlists

Alabama Crimson Tide - Jadeveon Clowney, Isaiah Crowell, Jeoffrey Pagan, Cyrus Kouandijo, Nickolas Brassell, Cameron Clear, Antonio Richardson, Enrique Florence
Arizona Wildcats - Christian Heyward
Auburn Tigers - Cyrus Kouandijo, Antonio Richardson, Gabe Wright, Enrique Florence
California Golden Bears - Marquise Lee
Clemson Tigers - Tony Steward, Stephone Anthony, Jadeveon Clowney
Georgia Bulldogs - John Jenkins, Isaiah Crowell, Jeoffrey Pagan, Antonio Richardson
Florida Gators - Stephone Anthony, Jacoby Brissett, Curtis Grant, Tim Jernigan, John Jenkins, Jermauria Rasco, Elkino Watson
Florida State Seminoles - Jadeveon Clowney, Tony Steward, Jermauria Rasco, Tim Jernigan
Iowa Hawkeyes - Cyrus Kouandijo
Kentucky Wildcats - Lamar Dawson
LSU Tigers - Jermauria Rasco, Tim Jernigan, Antonio Richardson
Miami Hurricanes - Marquise Lee, Jacoby Brissett, Elkino Watson
North Carolina Tar Heels - Curtis Grant, Jadeveon Clowney, Stephone Anthony, Jacoby Brissett
Ohio State Buckeyes - Curtis Grant, Jujuan Story, Darius Jennings, Aundrey Walker
Ole Miss Rebels - Nickolas Brassell
Oregon Ducks - Delvon Simmons, Marquise Lee, Christian Heyward
South Carolina - Jadeveon Clowney
Tennessee Volunteers - Tim Jernigan, Lamar Dawson, Cameron Clear, Antonio Richardson, Gabe Wright
UCLA Bruins - Christian Heyward
USC Trojans - Marquise Lee, Delvon Simmons, Christian Heyward, Enrique Florence
Virginia Cavaliers - Curtis Grant, Darius Jennings
Virginia Tech Hokies - Stephone Anthony
Wisconsin Badgers - Jacoby Brissett

Marcus Robinson Commits

Marcus Robinson de-committed from Texas Tech after his visit to Florida last weekend.  I think his main reason for committing to Texas Tech in the first place was the promotion of his uncle, Otis Mounds, to DB coach.  Roberson wants to win and compete at a high level, so I think he made a good decision to play in the SEC.  After Roberson de-committed, Auburn and Florida were competing for his signature.  Auburn was his favorite school before he committed to Texas Tech and I was not surprised to hear that he committed to play at Auburn this morning.  Auburn presents a better opportunity than Florida for Roberson.  He will be able to play earlier at Auburn because they are losing many starters.  At Florida, the return of Janoris Jenkins might have factored into his decision because he likely wouldn't have had the same opportunity.  Auburn is riding the national championship to a great recruiting class that includes OT Christian Westerman, ATH Quan Bray, TE Brandon Fulse, and now DB Marcus Roberson.  Auburn's Commit List is ranked as the 8th best class according to ESPN.

National Signing Day Predictions

Only a few days left until Wednesday... Here's my take on where the top remaining recruits and soft commitments will sign.
DE Jadeveon Clowney - 85% South Carolina, 10% Alabama, 4% Florida State, 1% Clemson
LB Curtis Grant - 51% Florida, 49% Ohio State
OT Cyrus Kouandijo - 85% Alabama, 10% Auburn, 5% Iowa
RB Isaiah Crowell - 75% Georgia, 25% Alabama
DE Delvon Simmons - 60% Oregon, 30% USC, 10% Other (Pittsburgh, North Carolina, Texas Tech, Florida)
DT Tim Jernigan - 50% Florida State, 30% Florida, 15% LSU, 5% Tennessee
LB Stephone Anthony - 50% Clemson, 40% Florida, 10% Other (Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Virginia)
DE Jermauria Rasco - 50% LSU, 30% Florida State, 20% Florida
LB Tony Steward - 85% Florida State, 10% Clemson, 5% UCLA
WR Nickolas Brassell - 60% Mississippi, 30% Alabama, 10% LSU
OT Troy Niklas - 65% Notre Dame, 35% USC
S Marqise Lee - 70% USC, 15% California, 15% Miami
QB Jacoby Brissett - 60% Wisconsin, 25% Miami, 10% Florida, 5% Washington
S Enrique Florence - 70% Auburn, 20% Alabama, 10% USC
DE Brandon Alexander - 70% Texas, 20% Texas A&M, 10% TCU
OT Jake Fisher - 50% Michigan, 30% Florida, 15% Oregon, 5% Michigan State
DE Curt Maggitt - 50% Florida, 20% Tennessee, 20% Florida State, 10% Wisconsin
TE Junior Pomee - 50% USC, 50% Other (Florida, UCLA, Utah, Arizona, Oregon)
WR JuJuan Story - 90% Florida, 10% Ohio State

State of California Recruiting (for Barry)

California Golden Bears - Cal has done a fantastic job recruiting defensive players this year.  This class is headlined by defensive players: DE Todd Barr, LB Jason Gibson, DT Mustafa Jalil, DB Stefan McClure, DT Villami Moala, DE Brennan Scarlett, and DB Avery Walls.  Cal's top target left is Kameron Jackson, but it will be hard to lure him away from Washington.
California has the #13 recruiting class according to Rivals.com, and #15 according to ESPN and Scout.com: Cal Commit List

Stanford Cardinals - I thought Stanford would lose a lot of recruits following the departure of Jim Harbaugh.  Although Stanford lost RB Amir Carlisle and LB Anthony Sarao, new coach David Shaw has done a good job keeping the class together.  The class is headlined by OL Brendon Austin, S Wayne Lyons, LB James Vaughters, WR Ty Montgomery, and DE Charlie Hopkins.  Stanford just picked up the commitment of CB Ronnie Harris this weekend, and could get other top recruits on National Signing Day (OT Troy Niklas or CB Jermaine Whitehead).
Stanford has the #18 recruiting class according to ESPN, and #22 according to Rivals.com and Scout.com: Stanford Commit List

USC Trojans - USC has recruited extremely well this year.  NCAA sanctions were supposed to cripple USC recruiting, but lets face it...USC is USC and they haven't missed a beat.  However, USC is creating a large class, 26 at the moment.  They have nine early enrollees so that helps them with the count, but the Trojans will ultimately be able to sign more than 15 players (the NCAA imposed limit) because USC is appealing the sanctions.  The sanctions are PUT ON HOLD until the appeals process is over.  In my mind, this is ridiculous...  USC can take advantage this year, but if the sanctions are upheld, recruiting will be incredibly tough for USC next year.  The 2012 class may have at most 10-11 commitments.  The USC class is highlighted by WR George Farmer and ATH De'anthony Thomas.
USC has the #4 recruiting class according to ESPN, and the #5 recruiting class according to Rivals.com and Scout.com: USC Commitment List

More News From Friday

LB Graham Stewart has switched his commitment from Boston College to Florida.  The gators class needs more commitments to round out the class and this is a good start.  It appears that DT Tim Jernigan did not visit Gainesville unofficially this week and his coach had said, and instead headed to Tennessee for an official visit during the weekend.  This is not good news at all for Florida, but I do not think it hurts them as much as many think.  Jernigan lives close to Gainesville and has visited countless times, so I think one more visit would not have changed anything.  I expect him to choose between Florida and FSU on National Signing Day, but LSU and Tennessee are still a strong possibility.  DB Marcus Robinson from the St. Thomas Aquinas has officially de-committed from Texas Tech after his visit to Gainesville.  Robinson either likes what he saw from UF (which he did as he rated visit a perfect 10) or has decided to play for Auburn.  I see this as a two team battle: Auburn vs Florida with Auburn having a slight edge at the moment.  Additionally, I think the gators get OL Jake Fisher, a de-commit from Michigan, who recently visited Florida and loved it.  I think the gators new staff has done a great job although many fans are not thrilled with the current class.  Muschamp and Co., have had to secure previous commitments from Meyer and try and make new relationships with recruits in only a matter of a month.  Compared with the deterioration of Miami's class, Florida has done a supurb job.

Miami (FL) will have QB Jacoby Brissett from Dwyer HS visit this weekend.  He is a huge priority for Canes.  They have no reliable quarterback and although Al Golden and Co. have done a nice job salvaging their recruiting class, Brissett would give the Canes a stable pro-style quarterback who can also run.  Brissett finished the high school season with 2,473 yards passing, 32 touchdowns and only one interception.  He is down to Wisconsin, Washington, Miami, and Florida with Wisconsin as the leader.

Another top prospect that committed last night is RB Savon Huggins, who is heading to Rutgers for college.  This is a huge get for Rutgers and he could turn out to be the next Ray Rice.

The only top uncommitted player from the State of Texas is DE Brandon Alexander.  His top schools are Texas, Texas A&M, and TCU, and he is visiting Arkansas this weekend.  I think he ends up at Texas.

Big Recruiting Day

Friday was a big recruiting day:
One of the top defensive prospects in the nation, DE Ray Drew announced that he will sign with the Georgia Bulldogs.  This was not a surprise at all.  If Georgia can get RB Isaiah Crowell, this will be a very successful recruiting class for Mark Richt and the bulldogs.

The #1 OG this year, Cyrus Hobbi, committed to the USC Trojans.  USC has recruited extremely well, despite loom sanctions in the upcoming years, which will prevent USC from playing in bowl games and take away scholarships from USC.  Although this is a huge commitment, DE Jalen Grimble is no longer committed to USC.

DT Mickey Johnson committed to the LSU Tigers.  This is both good and bad for LSU.  The good part is that they got a great defensive recruit in Johnson.  However, I think this commitment signals that DT Tim Jernigan will not sign with LSU.  Looks like Jernigan will sign with FSU or UF, but as always in recruiting nothing is for certain.

DE Jeoffrey Pagan has de-committed from the Clemson Tigers.  Pagan will most likely end up playing at Alabama, Georgia, or Florida (where he was previously committed before Clemson).

Georgia Recruiting

The so-called "Georgia Dream Team" might come into fruition in one week.  The state of Georgia was incredible talent rich this year.  The Bulldogs have already received commitments from Malcolm Mitchell, Jay Rome, and Damien Swann.  The top remaining targets in the state of Georgia are DE Ray Drew, RB Isaiah Crowell, and DT John Jenkins.  I predict that the bulldogs will get two out of these three, and if I had to guess it would be Ray Drew and Isaiah Crowell.  Drew has already made up his mind and is set to announce this week before National Signing Day.  Georgia was reported to be his favorite a few months ago.  Crowell is announcing on National Signing Day between Alabama and Georgia.  Alabama has a cluttered backfield situation, so I think he will sign with Georgia because he will stay close to home and have a great chance to play as a freshman.  John Jenkins will announce after National Signing Day.  He is a JUCO DT, and a mammoth defensive tackle to say the least.  He is taking a visit to Florida this weekend and visited Georgia last weekend.  I think if Muschamp and the Gators are unable to convince him to play in Gainesville, then Georgia will steal him too.  I think it is unlikely that Jenkins will attend Florida, but in the recruiting world, nothing is for certain until the ink dries on the dotted line.

SEC Football Generates $$$

The data is from the U.S Department of Education where SEC schools are required to report the financials for their athletic departments and it was published in Forbes Magazine. WOWOWWW.

REVENUE

1	Univ. of Alabama		$71,884,525.00
2	Univ. of Georgia		$70,838,539.00
3	Louisiana State Univ.		$68,819,806.00
4	Univ. of Florida		$68,715,750.00
5	Auburn Univ.		$66,162,720.00
6	Univ. of South Carolina		$58,266,159.00
7	Univ. of Tennessee		$56,593,946.00
8	Univ. of Arkansas		$48,524,244.00
9	Univ. of Kentucky		$31,890,572.00
10	Mississippi State Univ.		$14,551,275.00
11	Vanderbilt Univ.		$14,152,061.00
12	Univ. of Mississippi		$11,920,510.00

SPENDING

1	Univ. of Alabama	$31,118,134.00
2	Auburn Univ.	$27,911,713.00
3	Louisiana State Univ.	$25,566,520.00
4	Univ. of Florida	$24,457,557.00
5	Univ. of South Carolina	$22,794,211.00
6	Univ. of Arkansas	$22,005,104.00
7	Univ. of Georgia	$18,308,654.00
8	Univ. of Tennessee	$17,357,345.00
9	Vanderbilt Univ.	$14,152,061.00
10	Univ. of Kentucky	$13,905,724.00
11	Univ. of Mississippi	$11,920,510.00
12	Mississippi State Univ.	$9,951,097.00

PROFIT

1	Univ. of Georgia	$52,529,885.00
2	Univ. of Florida	$44,258,193.00
3	Louisiana State Univ.	$43,253,286.00
4	Univ. of Alabama	$40,766,391.00
5	Univ. of Tennessee	$39,236,601.00
6	Auburn Univ.	$38,251,007.00
7	Univ. of South Carolina	$35,471,948.00
8	Univ. of Arkansas	$26,519,140.00
9	Univ. of Kentucky	$17,984,848.00
10	Mississippi State Univ.	$4,600,178.00
11	Vanderbilt Univ.	$0.00
12	Univ. of Mississippi	$0.00