Ratings are based upon player evaluations made at Nike Football Camps and from game film study, plus verbals, offers, trips and calls.
The STUDENT SPORTS RECRUITING RACE will be updated every Thursday until signing day (last week's ranking in parentheses).
Prospects in bold indicate Students Sports Preseason Hot 100 selections.
1. TEXAS A&M (1)
The Aggies are hosting national powerhouse Virginia Tech this weekend in a game that will likely have several of the state's top prospects in attendance. Among those expected to attend are Carrollton (Texas) Hebron teammates Ian Yates Cunningham, a 6-4, 300 pound offensive lineman and Lewis Baker, a 6-3, 200 pound athlete who could play linebacker or receiver in college.
-Aggie Commitments-
Chris Alexander (Humble TX) FB
Derrick Brown (Klein Oak, Spring TX) RB
Melvin Bullitt (Naaman Forest, Garland TX) DB
Kirk Elder (Klein Oak, Spring TX) OL
Tyrell Gatewood (Chapel Hill, Tyler TX) WR
Jason Jack (Humble TX) DE
John Kelly (Naaman Forest, Garland TX) DB
Lamar Mitchell (Dayton TX) LB/FB
Will Oliver (Lindale TX) OL
Tate Pittman (Permian, Odessa TX) DL
Drew Tate (Robert E. Lee, Baytown TX) QB
Joey Thomas (Westlake, Austin TX) TE
Tata Thompson (Garland TX) LB
Cody Wallace (Cuero TX) OL
Justin Warren (Robert E. Lee, Tyler TX) DE/LB
2. LSU (2)
This is a deep and very talented year for wide receivers out West and one of the best both locally and nationally is Los Angeles (Calif.) Fremont's Mark Bradford. Bradford is an incredible athlete and would also like to play basketball in college. The Tigers are always one of the first schools out of his mouth when mentioning favorites and he'll definitely visit Baton Rouge for an official visit.
-Tiger Commitments-
Keith Alleger (Leesville LA) TE
Will Arnold (Centreville Academy, Centreville MS) OL
Alley Broussard (Acadiana, Lafayette LA) RB
Jarrod Carter (John Curtis, River Ridge LA) DL
Nicholas Child (Archbishop Rummel, Metairie LA) DB
Jessie Daniels (Breaux Bridge LA) DB
Matt Flynn (Robert E. Lee, Tyler TX) QB
Cody Freeby (Ft. Worth Christian, Fort Worth TX) P/K
Chris Jackson (John Curtis, River Ridge LA) K/QB
Robert Lane (Neville, Monroe LA) QB
Jerry Sevin (John Curtis, River Ridge LA) OL
Chris Yoder (Kingwood TX) OL
Jonathan Zenon (Breaux Bridge LA) DB
3. TEXAS (3)
The Longhorns have recruited very well on the offensive line the past few years and are all over All-American Jorrie Adams, 6-7, 270 pounds from Jasper (Texas). Adams is an incredible athlete for a lineman and looks like a prototype left tackle prospect. He's very light on his feet, has long arms and is an exceptional pass blocker. The Horns don't lose too many in-state players they really want and you can bet Adams is a high priority.
-Longhorn Commitments-
Scott Derry (Pearland TX) LB
Brandon Foster (Bowie, Arlington TX) DB
Dallas Griffin (James Taylor, Katy TX) OL
Michael Griffin (Bowie, Austin TX) DB
Erik Hardeman (Pflugerville TX) RB
Steven Hogan (Strake Jesuit, Houston TX) TE
Eric Jackson (Duncanville TX) DB
Thomas Marshall (Bishop Dunne, Dallas TX) DL
Steve Richardson (Garland TX) WR/DB
Jimmy Sutton (Boca Raton FL) WR
Limas Sweed (Brenham TX) WR
4. ALABAMA (4)
The Tide are looking hard at athletic quarterback Omarr Connor, 6-2, 190 pounds from Macon (Miss.) Noxubee County. Connor threw and and ran for over 1,000 yards last season and had 26 total touchdowns. Some feel he's an even better prospect at receiver or safety but he wants a shot at quarterback and that's where he's being recruited. Auburn looks like the leader now but the Tide aren't far behind.
-Crimson Tide Commitments-
Tim Castille (Briarwood Christian, Birmingham AL) RB
Desmond Chambers (Highland Home AL) WR/DB
Chris Felder (Thomasville AL) DB
Andraus Grace (Fort Meade FL) DT
Eric Gray (West Morgan, Trinity AL) DB
Mario Lane (Carver, Montgomery AL) TE/DE
LeRon McClain (Tuscaloosa County, Northport AL) FB
Justin Moon (Guntersville AL) OL
Eric Packer (Wilcox Central, Camden AL) RB
Jarod Parrish (Chattooga, Summerville GA) DB
Travis West (Northeast Jones, Laurel MS) OL
5. COLORADO (5)
The bad news is the Buffs didn't look too well against USC over the weekend to say the least. The good news is Steven Coleman, a 6-4, 280 pound defensive tackle from Dallas (Texas) Skyline still enjoyed his official visit to Boulder and says Colorado is his current leader. Coleman was one of the top linemen we saw at the Nike Camp in Texas where he clocked a 5.06 in the 40, 4.69 in the shuttle and jumped 27 inches in the vertical.
-Buffalo Commitments-
James Alford (East Jefferson, Metairie LA) LB
Travis Berry (O. Perry Walker, New Orleans LA) LB
Walter Boye-Doe (Keller TX) DE/LB
Corey Clark (Smithson Valley, Spring Branch TX) OL
Mason Crosby (Georgetown TX) K
Brian Daniels (Mullen, Denver CO) OL
Lionel Harris (Alvin TX) DB
Daniel Jolly (John Marshall, San Antonio TX) FB
Benny Swain (Madison, Houston TX) WR
MacKenzie Tilmon (NE Oklahoma A&M JC OK) DT
Zane Tomlin (Clark, San Antonio TX) DT
6. NORTH CAROLINA (6)
The Tar Heels are battling hard and remain a serious player for talented running back Skyler Thornton. Thornton, 6-0, 190 pounds from La Grange (Ga.) has rushed for 350 yards and seven touchdowns this year for one of the top offensive teams in the South. Georgia and Florida will be tough to beat but the Heels should get a visit.
-Tar Heel Commitments-
Bryan Bethea (Douglas Byrd, Fayetteville NC) RB/DB
Nick Cangelosi (Camden Catholic, Cherry Hill NJ) QB
John Hamlett (Jefferson Forest, Forest VA) TE
Marcus Hands (Hoggard, Wilmington NC) DE
Roger Heinz (North Florida Christian, Tallahassee FL) QB
Terry Hunter (East Wake, Wendell NC) DE
Scott Lenahan (Harrison, Kennesaw GA) OL/DL
Michael Mason (Rocky Mount NC) WR
Quinton Person (North Pitt, Bethel NC) DB/RB
7. NOTRE DAME (8)
It was a good week for the Irish on and off the field. They beat rival Michigan in a thrilling contest and landed one of the top running backs in the nation a few days later. Isaiah Gardner, 5-11, 185 pounds from Virginia Beach (Va.) Salem is a big time player who we loved at the Nike Camp in North Carolina. Gardner clocked a 4.49 in the 40, 4.25 in the shuttle, jumped 34 inches in the vertical and did 16 reps on the bench.
-Fighting Irish Commitments-
Nick Borsetti (St. John's, Danvers MA) LB
Joe Brockington (Palmyra PA) LB
Isaiah Gardner (Salem, Virginia Beach VA) RB/DB
David Marrero (St. Thomas Aquinas, Ft. Lauderdale FL) RB
Chinadum Ndukwe (Dublin Coffman, Dublin OH) WR
Freddie Parish (Poly, Long Beach CA) DB
Brady Quinn (Dublin Coffman, Dublin OH) QB
Jeff Samardzija (Valparaiso IN) WR
8. VIRGINIA TECH (7)
One of the top players on the Hokies board, and arguably the top prospect in Virginia is Hampton-Phoebus DB/WR Phillip Brown. The 5-11, 185 pound playmaker has long been listing the Hokies as his leader, but said this week that Tennessee is now dead even with Tech. This is one player that coach Frank Beamer and staff must keep instate, so look for them to roll out the red carpet when Brown visits Blacksburg.
-Hokie Commitments-
Barry Booker (Amherst County, Amherst VA) DL
Tripp Carroll (Andrew Jackson, Jacksonville FL) OL
Courtney Denson (Central, Miami FL) QB
Josh Hyman (Fork Union Military, Fork Union VA) WR
John Kinzer (Robinson, Fairfax VA) TE
Nick Marshman (Ashby, Bridgewater VA) OL/DL
Joe Razzano (Milford OH) FB
Kory Robertson (Magna Vista, Ridgeway VA) DL
Brett Warren (Centreville, Clifton VA) LB
Matt West (Centreville, Clifton VA) OL
9. ILLINOIS (9)
One of Illinois' current pledges is a former Class of 2001 signee, wideout Kelvin Hayden. After a standout career at Chicago Hubbard, Hayden enrolled at Joliet JC when he was not able to qualify academically. The 6-0, 195 pounder was so good as a freshman that he's been selected to the NJCAA Pre-Season All-American team this fall. Look for him to make an immediate impact in Champaign next fall.
-Fighting Illini Commitments-
Alan Ball (St. Martin Deporres, Detroit MI) DB
Brad Bower (Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale IL) QB
Kevin Gage (South, Downers Grove IL) OL
Kelvin Hayden (Joliet JC IL) WR
Lonnie Hurst (U-D Jesuit, Detroit MI) WR
A.J. Johnson (Bolingbrook IL) LB/FB
Steven Octavien (Lely, Naples FL) WR/RB
Jay Ramshaw (Centennial, Champaign IL) DL
James Ryan (Batavia IL) OL
Pierre Thomas (Thornton Fractional South, Lansing IL) RB
DeJuan Warren (Southfield MI) QB
10. NORTH CAROLINA STATE (10)
Some Wolfpack fans might have thought rival UNC would get a huge recruiting advantage this year over State by hosting a Nike Football Training Camp in Chapel Hill for top prospects back in April. But so far there is no evidence to back up that theory, as five of State's eight commitments attended the Nike Camp in Chapel Hill and only four of UNC's nine pledges were there.
-Wolfpack Commitments-
Kennie Covington (Jones County JC MS) DE
Chad Green (Northern Nash, Rocky Mount NC) TE/DE
Chris Hawkins (Soutern Vance, Henderson NC) QB/DB
Kalani Heppe (Liberty, Bedford VA) OL
Ernest Jones (Southern Vance, Henderson NC) LB
Yomi Ojo (Southeast Raleigh, Raleigh NC) OL
Marcus Stone (Bishop McDevitt, Harrisburg PA) QB
Mario Williams (Richlands NC) DE
11. VIRGINIA (11)
Charlottesville isn't exactly South Beach in terms of knocking recruits' socks off when they come to town on official visits, but Pennsylvania tight end Jon Stupar seemed to have a great time when he was in town. "The visit was great and Charlottesville is beautiful," said Stupar, who now lists Virginia and Florida State as his two favorites.
-Cavalier Commitments-
Marshall Ausberry (West Springfield, Springfield VA) OL
Robbie Catterton (Kellam, Virginia Beach VA) DB
Kevin McCabe (Pine-Richland, Gibsonia PA) QB
Eddie Prinigis (Jefferson Forest, Forest VA) OL
Marvin Richardson (Bishop Francis, East Orange NJ) LB
Gordie Sammis (Immaculata, Somerville NJ) OL
James Terry (Woodbridge VA) LB/RB
Deyon Williams (Suitland, Forestville MD) WR
12. MIAMI (17)
The Canes jump up five notches with a commitment from the nation's top-ranked quarterback prospect, 6-4, 200 pound Kyle Wright out of California. Miami has had a good track record with California-bred high school QBs in the past (think Gino Torretta and Ken Dorsey) and Wright is by far the most talented of the three coming out of high school
-Hurricane Commitments-
Glenn Cook (Chaminade-Madonna, Hollywood FL) LB
Dave Howell (Royal Palm Beach FL) DT
Derrick Morse (Estero FL) OL
Willie Roberts (NE Oklahoma A&M JC OK) TE
John Rochford (Mainland, Linwood NJ) OL
Kyle Wright (Monte Vista, Danville CA) QB
13. CALIFORNIA (12)
Jeff Tedford has done a tremendous job recruiting thus far coming off of last year's 1-10 record and this season's 3-0 start and national TV whupping of #15 Michigan State last week will only help Cal's recruiting efforts as the year progresses. One position that Cal will need some help at next year is cornerback and one of the Golden State's top corners, Ray Bass, is looking at Cal along with USC and others.
-Golden Bear Commitments-
Sam DeSa (Monte Vista, Danville CA) WR
Cary Dove (Taft, Woodland Hills CA) QB
Leon Drummer (St. Mary's, Berkeley CA) OL/DL
Chris Henry (Edison, Stockton CA) ATH
Kyle McClure (Oaks Christian, Westlake Village CA) DL
Chris Purtz (Clovis West, Fresno CA) LB
Garrett Trembley (Palm Desert CA) LB
Sean Young (Berkeley CA) WR
14. ARKANSAS (13)
One Razorback commit who is certainly making a name for himself early in his senior season is Mayflower (Ark.) receiver/defensive back Herb Grigsby. The 6-0, 160 pounder, who caught 36 balls for 948 yards and 12 scores as a junior, nearly equaled those numbers a week ago, catching 11 balls for 320 yards and four scores in a 40-35 win over Victor (Ark.).
-Razorback Commitments-
Shermar Bracey (Coffeyville JC KS) RB
David Dobbins (Foothill JC CA) DB
Nathaniel Garner (Robinson, Little Rock AR) OL
Rodney Giles (Hot Springs AR) LB
Anthony Gray (Dumas AR) LB
Herb Grigsby (Mayflower AR) WR
Marcus Harrison (Mills, Little Rock AR) TE/DL
Farod Jackson (Mills, Little Rock AR) FB
Keith Jackson Jr. (McClellan, Little Rock AR) DT
Kharylake Martin (Dayton TX) OL
Derek Moore (Southside, Fort Smith AR) DE/LB
15. USC (14)
There are several L.A. area prospects who are beginning to warm up to USC more and more as the Trojans continue to impress on the field. Hot 100 wideout Steve Smith doesn't say much about it, but it would shock us if he didn't end up at Southern Cal next year. Trojan commit Chauncey Washington broke his school-record with six touchdowns in his season opener last Friday night.
-Trojan Commitments-
Travis Draper (Paso Robles CA) OL
Ryan Kalil (Servite, Anaheim CA) OL
Rob Lewis (Montclair Prep, Van Nuys CA) DE
Fili Moala (Western, Anaheim CA) DT
Brandon Ting (James Logan, Union City CA) DB
Ryan Ting (James Logan, Union City CA) DB
Chauncey Washington (South, Torrance CA) RB
16. NEBRASKA (15)
17. BOSTON COLLEGE (16)
18. MICHIGAN (18)
19. OHIO STATE (19)
20. PITTSBURGH (20)
21. IOWA STATE (22)
22. WISCONSIN (21)
23. MARYLAND (23)
24. OKLAHOMA (24)
25. SYRACUSE (nr)
26. UCLA (25)
27. GEORGIA (26)
28. OKLAHOMA STATE (27)
29. KENTUCKY (28)
30. TEXAS TECH (nr)