Recruiting Roundup

Recruiting Roundup

The manner with which Purdue handled the "coaching search" - even though Joe Tiller is still the head coach - was questionable at best. However, they did secure the coach of the future in Eastern Kentucky's Danny Hope. Tiller is a few wins shy of becoming the all-time winningest coach in Purdue history and should get those wins next season. He then can - whether wants to or not - ride off in to the proverbial sunset.

This weekend, Tiller and Hope did a nice job of securing the linchpin of the 2008 recruiting class.

Destrehan, LA athlete Jerico Nelson turned down major offers from Tennessee, Arkansas, Florida and Auburn to head North to the Big Ten.

This versatile athlete could end up on either side of the ball - most likely corner back or running back. He shows great change of direction ability, making tacklers miss nearly every time he touches the ball. He can be a home run threat from any where on the field. He does not waste any steps. He is a bit small though, so will he be able to run between the tackles 25 times a game in the Big Ten? I don't know but in Purdue's offense, he may not have too.

His tremendous agility and flexibility is what gives him such high upside on defense. He gets in and out of his backpedal with great quickness. He is just too dangerous with the ball in his hands for him not to be playing offense.

In the spread Purdue offense, he is just too perfect a fit. He is a great receiver and will catch a lot of balls out of the backfield. Look for him to get plenty of 3rd down opportunities next year. He could also be an excellent return man.

Senior quarterback Curtis Painter will love having this safety valve at his disposal next season.

Florida State Nabs Offensive Line Recruit

Clayton, OH offensive lineman Zebrie Sanders has had a tumultuous recruitment process. The 6-5, 275-pound Northmont product thought he was done with this whole circus on more than one occasion.

December 4th, Sanders was expected to commit to the Florida Gators but instead backed out of it. Was that because the Gators had pulled their scholarship offer? Sanders says that Urban Meyer, did in fact, pull the scholarship.

Then he was supposed to commit to Georgia at the Under Armor All-American Bowl. That didn't happen. Rumors again swirled about Sanders losing a scholarship offer. The young offensive tackle says that the UGA offer is still on the table. It is interesting that the college that his mother attended mysteriously got axed off his list, though.

Finally, this weekend when visiting Tallahassee, Sanders committed to the Seminoles.

Its a good thing too. The offensive line is one of the main causes of FSU's recent struggles. Without Sanders, this OL class would be very weak.

What is concerning about the names that the Seminoles have committed is who they beat out. Big Andrew Datko has offers from only FIU and UCF. He may be a really good player but those schools are not ones that FSU should be competing with.

Even though Sanders is a really nice prospect, the rumors about Florida and Georgia basically handing him down the recruiting ladder to FSU is troubling. It may be nothing, lets say, the media making too much of it. Then again, the O-line has been a major issue on this football team for some years now.

Florida State should be the team to beat, not a recruit's third choice.

Wolfpack on the Move

Tom O'Brien's move south to N.C. State was puzzling at first. Why leave a program that you built into a winner - Boston College has the longest current bowl winning streak. One word: recruiting.

Tommy-B has really done a great job on the recruiting trail this season, something that is just much more difficult to do at Boston College than at N.C. State.

The two gems of the class are offensive play-makers Brandon Barnes, a running back/wide receiver combo athlete from Bunn, NC, and quarterback Mike Glennon from Centreville, VA. Both are instant impact kind of guys. Glennon performed very well at the Under Armor Bowl in Orlando. He shows great poise and technique. I am very high on Mr. Glennon.

The Wolpack have cleaned up on the offensive line with names like Sam Jones and Anthony Wallace. But this weekend the OL class solidified itself as one of the best in the ACC when big R.J. Mattes decided to commit to N.C. State.

The Wolfpack beat out an impressive list of schools for Mr. Mattes: Miami, Va Tech, UNC, Clemson, South Carolina, Louisville, Wake and his father's alma mater Virginia. Ron Mattes played at UVa in the early 80's. You gotta love sons of former players.

What I love about this prospect is his fundamental development. It is ahead of the curve. He plays with nice knee bend, getting solid leverage for a kid with his height. He shoots his hands very well and gets good drive. He has a great motor and never stops working. He had a great week of practice at the Shrine Bowl, proving that he was the best OL prospect in attendance.

He will need to pack on some weight, his frame is still a bit on the slender side. But at 6-6, 270-pounds Mattes will fill out nicely and become a solid contributor from the tackle position.

Braden Gall is Football.com’s recruiting analyst. You can reach him at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

To post a comment, you need to login or sign up.	Fan Comments