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Unfinished business Texas' Williams, Ole Miss' Manning wanted one more tryPosted: Monday January 27, 2003 4:14 AMUpdated: Monday January 27, 2003 10:15 PM
Of the 45 names on this year's NFL early entrant list, there are plenty that beg the question, "Why did he go?" And then there are those who make you wonder, "Why did he stay?" Texas receiver Roy Williams and Ole Miss quarterback Eli Manning surprised a lot of people with their decisions to pass up likely first-round selections, including, in one case, themselves. "I always said if I had the opportunity to go, I was gonna go," said Williams. "The opportunity came, and for some reason I stayed." The reason didn't involve draft stock or signing bonuses. It's the same one that in recent years motivated the likes of Ohio State's Mike Doss, Miami's Ed Reed and Purdue's Drew Brees to make similar decisions. It's a simple matter of unfinished business. Texas has gone 31-7 in Williams' first three seasons, finished in the top 10 each of the past two. He has caught 171 passes, gained nearly 2,800 yards and scored a school-record 27 touchdowns. And yet there is much that eludes him, most notably a conference or national championship, but also that one complete, Biletnikoff-type season of which anyone who's ever seen the 6-foot-4, 210-pound star knows he's capable. Last season, a lingering hamstring injury limited him for six of the Longhorns' 13 games. Upon recovering, though, he produced an electrifying five-game stretch: 39 catches for 741 yards and nine TDs. "As great as he was, he didn't have the kind of year he was hoping," said Texas coach Mack Brown. "If he can stay healthy, I think he can be the best receiver in the country." Williams feels the same way, despite the graduation of his friend and three-year passing partner Chris Simms. The Longhorns once again will be loaded at nearly every position, including receiver, where Williams' classmates B.J. Johnson and Sloan Thomas also return. The key will be how quickly new quarterback -- either Chance Mock or Vincent Young -- develops.
"We got some guys back there that can throw it," said Williams. "Every year we're in the hunt for the national championship, we just didn't get it done. So -- try one more time." Manning's team isn't in a position to be talking about national championships, but the celebrated quarterback would like to get over another hump. The Rebels have won exactly seven games each of his first three seasons -- not quite what fans had in mind when Eli chose to follow in father Archie's footsteps. "Last year could have gone different -- I didn't play as well as I wanted to," said Manning, who threw for 3,401 yards but 15 interceptions. "Things didn't go as planned, I think I can come back and be better." Manning, a projected first-rounder, obviously had a highly qualified advisor in brother Peyton, who made the same decision six years earlier. Their circumstances, however, weren't all that similar: Peyton was the potential No. 1 pick and was returning to a legitimate national title contender at Tennessee. Eli's goals are more modest following a 7-6 season, but there are reasons for optimism. The Rebels return 17 starters from a team that beat Florida and Nebraska, including almost all of his running backs and receivers. A more consistent running game and defense certainly would make life easier. "We've got good players around us, we're not surrounded by bad players," he said. "Two plays is the difference between going 8-4 which is a pretty good season, and 6-6, which isn't so hot." Rashaun Woods' decision to return to Oklahoma State wasn't quite as surprising as the other two -- he has the opportunity next season to play with two brothers, redshirt freshman receiver D'Juan and incoming freshman quarterback Donovan -- but is just as significant. The All-America receiver (107 catches, 1,695 yards, 17 TDs last season) will be reunited with QB Josh Fields, who he's teamed up with to torch rival Oklahoma the past two seasons. "Obviously, in my decision, I take into account the team, what we're doing, who's here and what kind of dedication they have," said Woods, whose Cowboys improved from 4-7 to 8-5 last season. "I would not have come back if I didn't think the dedication of the team was there. ... Right now I'm thinking about taking the Big 12 South." Other notable returning players who probably could have entered the NFL: Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman, Ohio State defensive lineman Will Smith and receiver Michael Jenkins, Miami defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, Auburn linebacker Karlos Dansby and Southern Miss linebacker Rod Davis. Of those who did leave, the most unexpected and/or damaging to their teams were: Georgia running back Musa Smith, Arizona State receiver Shaun McDonald, Florida defensive tackle Ian Scott, Iowa tight end Dallas Clark, Stanford receiver Teyo Johnson and Kansas State linebacker Terry Pierce.
Until they sign on the dotted line ...Webster's New World Dictionary defines the word commitment as "a pledge or promise to do something in the future." Many of the nation's football recruits have a different interpretation. Receiver Chad Jackson (Hoover, Ala.) made a "commitment" to Florida on Jan. 15, but he's still taking visits to Georgia and Alabama. Quarterback Richard Kovalcheck (San Diego) has committed to Arizona but is still talking with Tennessee's coaches. And defensive end Stanley McClover (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), recently told TheInsiders.com, "I'm still committed to Ohio State. I'm kind of looking at Auburn a little bit, but I'm pretty solid with Ohio State." All par for the course in the fickle game of recruiting, where the 17-year-olds at the center of it often get caught up in the moment, committing before they're actually ready. "It's a fad we started seeing a couple years ago, and it picks up a little more each year," said TheInsiders.com recruiting expert Jamie Newberg. "Some just want to take more trips. Some are genuinely interested a little bit, they feel they committed to a school too early. Some of these guys go as a courtesy to the coaching staff that's recruited them for so long." All of which means at this stage of the game, coaches who may only have a handful of scholarships remaining are still "recruiting" their entire class. "If a kid says he's committed, I think every coach still in the mix is going to call him that Sunday or Monday and say, 'Are you sure?'" said Georgia's Mark Richt. "If he's like, 'Well, I'm not 100 percent sure,' then you're going to keep recruiting him."
Zook wins them overRon Zook arrived at Florida last year with a reputation as a tireless recruiter, and so far he hasn't disappointed. Starting with their much-chronicled coup, Charlotte quarterback Chris Leak, the Gators this month have landed the nation's No. 3 receiver, Jackson (Hoover, Ala.); top five cornerback Demetrice Webb (Jacksonville); and top 20 running back Skyler Thornton (LaGrange, Ga.). They're still in the mix for four of the nation's top 10 uncommitted players: running back Ernie Sims (Tallahassee, Fla.), linebacker Earl Everett (Bushnell, Fla.), defensive back/receiver Antonio Cromartie (Tallahassee) and receiver Andre Caldwell (Tampa), who is the younger brother of ex-Gators star Reche. "Zook has really established himself as one of best [recruiters] in a short amount of time," said Newberg. "He's really had to outwork people, coming off an eight-win season. Florida has a chance to finish in the top five."
Worth notingIn a touching gesture of generosity, Ole Miss has created a fund to help Southern Miss running back Derrick Nix pay medical bills for the kidney disease that ended his football career. ... More generosity: Former Oklahoma star safety Roy Williams, now with the Dallas Cowboys, recently contributed $100,000 for a new strength conditioning facility at the school. ... How far has Maryland come in two years under Ralph Friedgen? In-state linebacker Wesley Jefferson, The Insiders.com's No. 7 recruit in the country, spurned Miami and Ohio State to play for the Terps. ... Illinois' top signee a year ago, New Jersey running back Ibrahim Halsey, enrolled last week after he was cleared of charges he and three others assaulted a 14-year-old girl during a prom night party last spring. The Illini, which lost their only experienced halfback, Antoineo Harris, expect Halsey to compete with sophomore Morris Virgil for the starting job. ... Former Mississippi State defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn, fired last month after seven seasons under Jackie Sherrill, has returned to Memphis, where he held the same job in 1990 and '91. ... Sherrill is loading his new staff with former head coaches: Ron Cooper (Louisville) is the new defensive coordinator, Morris Watts (Michigan State interim) the offensive coordinator and John Blake (Oklahoma) defensive line coach. ... Kentucky's Rich Brooks has hired ex-Utah head coach Ron McBride as linebackers coach. ... Former Arizona State head coach Bruce Snyder has joined John Robinson's offensive staff at UNLV. ... Ohio State got a recent commitment from Akron defensive line prospect Sian Cotton, a starter alongside LeBron James on the nation's No. 1 basketball team, St. Vincent-St. Mary. Stewart Mandel covers college sports for CNNSI.com. Got a comment, question or scoop for Stewart? Click here.
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