Recruiting: National Notebook

As I posted earlier this week in my blog, the Tennessee Vol faithful did not have to wait long for good news after the debacle on offense this weekend. Lane Kiffin's game day coaching ability is still a question mark but his recruiting talents are clearly some of the best in the land. The Vols are easily the hottest team in the nation on the recruiting trail. In fact, they might be pushing for the top spot in the 2010 team rankings — USC, Texas and Florda should have something to say about that however.

Last week the Vols finally got one of the most important pieces of the puzzle in place. Nearly every quarterback on the board in the class of 2010 is committed so the staff has been trying to swing someone for months now. It finally worked. Former San Diego State commit Tyler Bray announced that he would be playing for the Volunteers not the Aztecs. The 6-foot-6 prospect from Kingburg, Calif., has seen his stock sky rocket after a great showing at the Elite 11 camp this summer. I expect the staff in Knoxville to keep their guns trained on in-state stud Barry Brunetti but having Bray in camp certainly eases the panic Big Orange fans feel when talking about the quarterback situation in Knoxville.

They followed that up with another South Florida commitment from Miami-North receiver Ted Meline. The 6-foot-2, 175 pounder is one of Miami's top offensive skill prospects in the 2010 class.

Kiffin did not stop there, however, as this weekend three Athlon Consensus 100 prospects committed to the same school in unprecedented fashion. Duncan-Byrnes D-lineman Brandon Willis and Corey Miller are the most talented inside-outside duo in the nation. Willis will add some weight and be a force at tackle while Miller will be an edge pass rusher.

The most dynamic and versatile prospect to commit, though, might be Tulsa-Central athlete DeMarco Cobbs. The 6-foot-1, 200 pounder plays quarterback, running back, wideout, defensive back and even some rover. He is a force at any position and could fill multiple roles with the Vols.

With a vengeful beat down at the hands of Urban Meyer this weekend all but certain, Big Orange nation does have what looks to be a very talented future to look forward too.

The Mountaineers Invade South Florida

Under Rich Rodriguez, West Virginia made it a point to target Florida athletes and was very successful at bringing in talent from the Sunshine state. Bill Stewart appears to be on board as well. Delray Beach wideout Darius Millines and Bell Glade defensive back Travis Bell both announced this weekend that they would be attending West Virginia University. They are both strong pick-ups from the talent rich southern state but that wasn't even the biggest news to come out of Morgantown this weekend. Pahokee wideout Fred Pickett and Dwyer receiver Robert Clark both visited this past weekend and brought a pair of talented teammates with them. Pickett brought along AC100 play-maker Chris Dunkley while Clark brought along the No. 8 player in the nation Matt Elam.

A report has surfaced that Elam, while still committed to the Florida Gators, is 'seriously considering' West Virginia. So much so that he stated that he will pick between those two programs come National Signing Day. Dunkley and Elam would easily be the highest rated player in this class. Packaged with Geno Smith (a current freshman) and 2010 stud quarterback Barry Brunetti, the Mounties could have a nasty offensive attack in a few years.

Speaking of Pahokee and Dwyer high schools, recruiting fans will want to be in Pahokee this weekend. The two south Florida powers will match-up this Friday night. The game will feature three AC100 prospects (Dwyer athlete Gerald Christian) and a host of other talented FBS recruits. Apparently, there are 12 reasons to be at this one on Friday night.

As the Recruit Turns

Where will AC100 defensive stud Chris Martin play his football this fall? Martin played the last three years at Bishop O'Dowd in California before transferring to The Hun School in New Jersey for his final season in high school. The scholarship he was supposed to have there fell through, instigating another transfer. Recently, the Colorado High School Activities Association cleared the Notre Dame commit to play at Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. He cousin and guardian Deshaun Shewl currently lives there.

The biggest news is that Martin might be a softer verbal than everyone in South Bend would like to believe. The USC Trojans appear to be the team mentioned most by Martin but Tennessee, Cal and Florida are also considered to be in the mix. Currently, Martin is still committed to the Irish but from reading his quotes, it seems to be a wide open race.

BC Lands First AC100 Player

The biggest committed of the week was the announcement of De Paul Catholic (Wayne, N.J.) wide receiver Shakim Phillips. In three years, Boston College has not sniffed an AC100 recruit, so landing such an elite talent is a huge recruiting coup for the new regime in Chestnut Hill. The 6-foot-2, 195 pounder missed much of his sophomore season with an injury but bounced back last season to post solid numbers. He is a big bodied target with great hands and should be an immediate impact player in the passing game of the Eagles. Great work Frank Spaziani.

Quick Hitters

-AC100 defensive end Jackson Jeffcoat has announced that Arizona State, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, USC and Houston are his finalists. Jeffcoat's father, Jim, played at Arizona State but coaches at Houston currently. He is the No. 6 rated player in the nation and is the No. 1 defensive end. Houston would be a fun place to watch him play football.

-Marcus Lattimore narrowed his list to five finalists a month or so ago. Less than a month later, two schools have been put back onto his list. Georgia, after a positive visit with the Bulldogs, and Florida State are back in the mix for the No. 3 rated player in the nation. Lattimore claims he will visit FSU October 9th.

-The Pitt Panthers are playing offensive football like fantasy owners have not seen in Pittsburgh in decades. It seems to be helping on the recruiting trail as well. The Stache recently picked up Bethlehem, Pa., dual-threat quarterback Anthony Gonzalez. This kid is a special athlete who is raw but very talented. With some work on his technique and mechanic, he could be dominating the Big East very soon.

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