Teams 16-25
| Top 25 Recruiting Classes of 2007 (continued) |
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
DT Marvin Austin, WR Dwight Jones
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Butch Davis wrapped up an impressive late recruiting haul with huge commitments at the end from Austin, Jones and athlete Greg Little. The 23-prospect class features talent on both sides of the ball. The focus on defense was on the line of scrimmage. The Tar Heels picked up two of the nation's top space fillers in Tydreke Powell and Austin, the No. 1 tackle in the land. They also acquired some help off the edge with the addition of end Linwan Euwell. Offensively, North Carolina will be revamped -- starting with quarterback Mike Paulus. He'll have plenty of talent surrounding him in bruising tailbacks Ryan Houston and Devon Ramsay. Receiver shouldn't be a problem for years for the Tar Heels after the additions of big wideouts Jones, Rashad Mason, Little and Brian Gupton. Not to be forgotten is talented tight end Zack Pianalto.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: DE Weslye Saunders (South Carolina)
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17
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
WR Arrelious Benn, DE Martez Wilson
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Although they struggled on the field, Ron Zook has been a master off it, putting together arguably the best recruiting class in Illinois history. The Illini added skill players on both sides of the ball, starting with Benn, the No. 5 wide receiver in the country. His counterpart on defense is Wilson, the No. 2 weakside end in the nation. Zook added talent around Wilson that includes defensive tackles Josh Brent and D'Angelo McCray and safety Anthony Morris. The Illinois offensive line got much needed help with huge tackles Mark Jackson and Craig Wilson. The talent landed this year should vastly improve the Fighting Illini in the near future.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: RB Robert Hughes (Notre Dame)
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18
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
CB Dionte Allen, LB Kendall Smith
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS:
Bobby Bowden and Florida State made a strong run down the stretch to pull out another top recruiting class. The Seminoles added seven linemen: A.J. Ganguzza, Anthony Grosso, Will Furlong, Rodney Hudson, Zach Hillery, Jatavious Jackson and Antwane Greenlee. Greenlee is the No. 5 offensive tackle in the country. The offense will get a downfield boost with the addition of athletic four-star wide receivers Bert Reed and Markish Jones. The Seminoles looked to retool the defense as well, adding athlete Brandon Paul, Allen, Smith and No. 6 weakside defensive end Jamar Jackson.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: DT Marvin Austin (North Carolina)
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19
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
DE Derrick Morgan, S Morgan Burnett
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Coach Chan Gailey led Georgia Tech to the ACC Championship this year and took advantage of that on the recruiting trail. The Yellow Jackets have been known for tough defense, and will add to that reputation with defensive ends Morgan and Jason Peters. They will be joined by the speedy Burnett and cornerback Mario Butler. Burnett is the No. 7 safety in the country. With the departure of Reggie Ball and Calvin Johnson, Georgia Tech also needed to replenish its offense. Tech took two quality quarterbacks in Steven Threet and Josh Nesbitt. The Jackets picked up D.J. Donley, a tall, lanky receiver. Gailey also landed speedy tailback Jonathan Dwyer, the No. 10 running back in the country.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: LB Lorenzo Edwards (Florida)
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20
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
CB Marcus Gilchrist, S DeAndre McDaniel
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Coming off a disappointing close to the 2006 season, Clemson looked to fill important holes on both sides of the ball. Much of the focus was on defense, where the Tigers landed two standout defensive backs in McDaniel and Gilchrist. The No. 6 cornerback in the nation, Gilchrist was one of two great pulls from North Carolina (offensive tackle Landon Walker was the other). Three big-time linebackers -- Scotty Cooper, Brandon Maye and Stanley Hunter -- should provide some additional help for the Clemson defense. The offensive recruits are highlighted by Rivals100 star quarterback Willy Korn, who could push for playing time immediately.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: DE Travian Robertson (South Carolina)
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21
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
DT Jerrell Powe, DE Chris Strong
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Ole Miss has put together a very strong recruiting class. The Rebels added a lot of quality talent on the defensive line, led by five-star standout Powe. The defensive tackle has been waiting two years to enroll at Ole Miss. Joining Powe on the defensive line are tackle Ted Laurent and Strong, the No. 3 strongside defensive end in the country. On the offensive side of the ball, the Rebels added top 10 guard Rishaw Johnson. He is joined by huge wide receiver A.J. Jackson.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: RB Robert Elliott (Mississippi State)
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22
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
RB Jahvid Best, RB Shane Vereen
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS:California put together a large and very deep class with 25 signees. The Bears filled some important needs. On offense, Cal acquired two of the nation's best tailbacks in Best and Vereen. They should battle for time immediately. The backs are complemented by No. 11 pro-style quarterback Brock Mansion and offensive tackles Matt Summers-Gavin, Mitchell Schwartz and Sam DeMartinis. On defense the Bears cleaned up at linebacker with five talented prospects: Alex Cook, Devin Bishop, Robert Mullins, John Tyndall and D.J. Holt. Backing them up is four-star safety Chris Conte.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: CB Donovan Warren (Michigan)
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23
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
RB Graig Cooper, CB Doug Wiggins
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS:Miami has been through a lot in the last year -- the brawl against Florida International, the death of Bryan Pata, a coaching change and more. But despite all those problems the Hurricanes continue to make a splash in recruiting. Miami coach Randy Shannon closed very well, adding players at key positions on both sides of the ball. Leading the way in this class is five-star running back Cooper, the top prep school player in the nation. The key on offense may be the addition of quarterback Robert Marve. Several quarterbacks have backed out of Miami commitments in recent years, but Marve will play for the Hurricanes. Another key player on offense will be tackle Orlando Franklin. As expected, Shannon hit a home run on defense. Wiggins, Damien Berry, Jared Campbell and Demarcus VanDyke should help in the secondary. The defense also added top strongside defensive end Allen Bailey to the mix. Bailey was a big steal from Georgia.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: S Major Wright (Florida)
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24
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
LB Chris Colasanti, S Chaz Powell
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Joe Paterno and Penn State put together another solid recruiting class with 21 signees in all. The focus for much of this recruiting season was on defense, where the Nittany Lions landed a lot of talent. Starting up front, Penn State pulled in four-star end Devon Still to go along with tackle Chimaeze Okoli and defensive end Kevion Latham. In the middle, the Nittany Lions landed three four-star linebackers -- Nathan Stupar, Andrew Dailey and Colasanti. As for the secondary, the addition of four-star safeties Nick Sukay and Powell, a Rivals100 prospect, should make it difficult for opponents to complete the deep ball. On offense, the Nittany Lions shored up their line with a slew of prospects including Stefen Wisniewski, J.B. Walton, Ako Poti, Josh Marks, Nerraw McCormack and Quinn Barham.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: DE Derrick Morgan (Georgia Tech)
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25
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HEAD OF THE CLASS:
QB Peter Lalich, CB Ras-I Dowling
FARRELL'S ANALYSIS: Al Groh and the Cavaliers put together a class of 24. The coach focused on key positions, starting on offense. Lalich is the No. 5 pro-style quarterback in the country. He will have plenty of help with the addition of athletic offensive tackle Lamar Milstead and running back Max Milien. The defense improved greatly at linebacker with future stars Terence Fells-Danzer and J'Courtney Williams. They are perfect for the 3-4 scheme. Speedy safety Chase Minnifield and big corner Dowling should provide additional help in the secondary.
BIG FISH THAT GOT AWAY: OT John Elliott (Boston College)
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