Score Atlanta’s Brian Jones caught up with Scout.com’s recruiting manager for the south region, Chad Simmons. Here are some excerpts from their conversation on Wednesday, Jan. 27:
Brian Jones: With signing day right around the corner, do you think there will be any recruits making last-minute commitments before the official day, or will there be more surprises on Feb. 3?
Chad Simmons: The majority of kids nowadays commit early. You still have those guys that may not be decided or may want to play the process out, take their visits and things like that. But the majority of kids have committed. I don’t think there will be any breaking news on signing day. There’s a local kid here in Georgia that’s going to announce on signing day, and that’s Michael Thornton. Jeffery Whitaker will announce two days before that on Monday, Feb. 1. So those are two big-name guys that have yet to make their declaration to one school.
BJ: Where do you see players such as Whitaker, Thornton and Markeith Ambles signing, as they have not committed to any schools to date?
CS: Ambles is up in the air. Who knows? I tell you, USC is in the mix, Alabama is in the mix, North Carolina he visited this past weekend. I would say one of those three schools. It wouldn’t surprise me at all for him to go out to the west coast with Southern Cal. He visited USC in the summer, they didn’t really pursue him when they had Pete Carroll as the head coach and now they obviously have Lane Kiffin, who is in full pursuit of Markeith. On the other two, I think for Michael Thornton, all signs point to him going to Georgia. His final three are down to Penn State, Kentucky and Georgia. I don’t think he goes with those guys at Kentucky. I think Penn State is too far up north. I think it comes down to Auburn and Georgia. He has a visit this weekend to Miami and it will be his final official visit. But I really think they’re a distant third behind Georgia and Auburn. I think as of right now Jeffery ends up at Auburn.
BJ: Do you think that Da’Rick Rogers and Nash Nance will decommit to their respective schools and commit to Tennessee?
CS: Very possible. I think the most likely one to decommit would be Nash Nance. I still feel Da’Rick Rogers ends up at Georgia. I know that Georgia just had a big in-home visit with him last night on Tuesday. I just feel he ends up signing up with Georgia in the end. Nash is somewhat still up in the air. Tennessee made a big impression, though he’s been in talks with Mississippi State. He has a good direct relationship with Dan Mullen out there. With Vanderbilt, he is still committed today but I think he’s the one to really watch closely as we approach signing day.
BJ: Georgia and Georgia Tech have new defensive coordinators and they both run a 3-4 defensive scheme. Will that be a good thing or a bad thing for the new recruits coming in?
CS: I don’t think it really has a huge impact on Georgia Tech. I think they have guys that can fit a good 3-4 or 4-3. I think it really helps Georgia, especially more on the prospect side of things because of guys like Garrison Smith, who will fit in good at the end position in the 3-4. I think it’s a perfect fit for a guy like T. J. Stripling as an outside linebacker, where he would have to gain weight to play defensive end in a 4-3. So I think it really fits what Georgia is bringing in. If they can add a guy like a Michael Thornton or a Jeffery Whitaker to plug up the middle, I think it’s a very good fit as far as change for the guys they have coming in. For Tech, they have guys that can play either or. I think Denzel McCoy can play outside end or tackle. Green is a perfect fit as a shade, nose guard type guy.
BJ: What do you like about the current classes for Tech and Georgia?
CS: For Tech, I really liked that they stayed home. Tech usually goes to Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, out to Louisiana and places outside of Georgia. They stayed home this year and the majority of their class is coming from right here in the Peach State. I think Paul Johnson recognized the talent level here in Georgia. They beat Georgia for a guy like Ryan Ayers, who was pursued by both schools. With Isaiah Johnson, they beat [Georgia] head-to-head and Paul Johnson won both battles. As far as Georgia, I think just the defensive group they have coming in. From linebackers, safeties to defensive line. From guys like Garrison Smith up front, I like Stripling on the edge and I like Alec Ogletree at safety. Of course, Da’Rick Rogers is probably the headliner of the class, as long as he stays at Georgia.
Read more of Simmons’s coverage on Scout.com. Simmons can be reached at chadsimmons@scout.com, and Jones can be reached at bjones@scoreatl.com.
Loading ...
