With National Signing Day quickly approaching, CBR will be giving you a daily roundup of the key developments on the national recruiting scene up until the ink is dry on all those letters of intent.
With just one week until Signing Day, things are moving fast and furious. Here are Wednesday’s headlines:
* Let’s Start With The Stars:
Listen, we can be honest: We’re all here to find out about the biggest names left in the game. What we want to know who is left on the board, and when they will be committing. Luckily, Rivals.com has done the hard part for us, listing all the uncommitted four and five stars in their database, and letting us know when their announcements are expected to be made.
In addition, Bruce Feldman has the Top 10 recruiting battles to watch heading into Signing Day.
* Yuri Wright Finds A Home. Does NOT Make Announcement Via Twitter:
For those of you who even peripherally follow recruiting, Yuri Wright is probably a name you’ve quickly become familiar with. The Top 50 cornerback became famous- actually, infamous is the right word- for some tweets he sent out a few weeks ago. Those Tweets ended up getting him expelled from New Jersey prep powerhouse Don Bosco Prep, and forced schools like Michigan to pull their scholarship offers from him.
Well, Wright has landed back on his feet, and on Tuesday, made a commitment to go play for Jon Embree and the Colorado Buffaloes in the fall. It is a great get for a program who has lacked elite recruiting chops over the years, and a good fit for a player who probably needs to stay off the radar from here on out. Wright is also the second high-profile cornerback to commit to the Buffs, when former Tennessee verbal Kenneth Crawley made a similar announcement earlier this week.
And finally one more Colorado recruiting nugget (who knew we’d be talking about them so much?) brings Derek McCartney, the grandson of legendary coach Bill McCartney to Boulder as well. McCartney will grayshirt this fall, and enroll in January of 2013.
* Could Louisville lose an elite recruit because of travel confusion?
Maybe or maybe not. However, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that five-star defensive end Josh Harvey-Clemons is considering changing his fifth official visit from Louisville to Miami, because the Cardinals haven’t finalized travel plans. Do yourself a favor Charlie Strong, and get Delta on the phone…STAT!
Regardless, it sounds as though both the Cardinals and the Canes are a long-shot in Harvey-Clemons’ recruitment. He’s expected to choose between Georgia and Florida on Signing Day.
* Speaking of the ‘Dawgs:
They lost the commitment of three-star offensive tackle Chester Brown yesterday.
Looking over this article, it doesn’t appear as though another school stole his heart, as much as he didn’t see a clear path to the playing field in Athens. Brown is now Syracuse, Tulane and Central Florida, not exactly a trio of college football powerhouses.
Update: After further internet scouring, we’ve learned from ace Georgia beat writer Seth Emerson that Brown’s decommitment had to do with some faulty paperwork. A native of Samoa, there’s some confusion with his student documentation, and that he likely wouldn’t have been admitted to Georgia.
We apologize and are sorry for the confusion.
* Penn State Gets Their Quarterback:
Although considering that Steven Bench decommited from Rice to head up to Happy Valley, it sounds as though he may be more of filler, than long-term solution under center.
* Jim L. Mora Is Making Moves In Westwood:
When Jim L. Mora was hired at UCLA, the biggest question instantaneously became whether he’d be able to recruit high school athletes to college, after spending virtually all his career in the NATIONAL…FOOTBALL…LEAGUE.
Apparently, though, it’s not an issue. Rivals.com gives a great breakdown of how Mora has used his NFL background to his advantage on the recruiting trail, and has already picked up one five-star and a handful of four-star players. Included was the commitment of four-star defensive lineman Jeremy Castro on Tuesday.
* Beware of the Big East:
Just kidding.
However, Rutgers did continue its impressive recruiting haul on Tuesday, when they got four-star J.J. Denmon to decommit from Wisconsin, and sign on with the Scarlet Knights. Apparently, Denmon- like a lot of Wisconsin recruits, actually- have concerns over the new coaching staff in Madison. Six assistants have left the staff since the Rose Bowl on January 1, throwing the state of recruiting into flux.
Be sure to check back at this time tomorrow, for another recruiting round-up!
For all his opinion, insight and articles on college football and beyond, please follow Aaron Torres on Twitter @Aaron_Torres.
