Traditional college football powers score big on signing day
By: Associated Press | ∞
Tennessee traveled far and wide to assemble one of the nation's best recruiting classes.
The Volunteers signed 27 players Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period, and went into Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida and Washington D.C. for topflight prospects.
"The University of Tennessee is a great product to sell with the traditions, facilities and academic support," coach Phillip Fulmer said. "If we can get them to campus, then we've got a chance to sign them."
Tennessee had the No. 1 class according to Scout.com and SuperPrep editor Allen Wallace, one of the leading recruiting analysts.
Tom Lemming of ESPN.com and College Sports Television had the Vols behind only Nebraska, and Max Emfinger placed Tennessee third, just behind Oklahoma and USC.
A late surge by USC put the two-time defending national champions in the No. 1 spot, according to Rivals.com, just ahead of Oklahoma and Tennessee.
USC, the consensus No. 1 on signing day last year, landed two of the nation's best linebackers (Brian Cushing from New Jersey and Luthur Brown from California) and two of the top defensive linemen (Walker Ashley from Minnesota and Kyle Moore from Georgia) on Wednesday. All four were uncommitted when the day started.
"It looked like it might not have been their year but it turned on a dime," Bobby Burton of Rivals.com said of the Trojans. "To have back-to-back No. 1-ranked recruiting classes is unheard of."
Quarterback Mark Sanchez and linebacker Rey Maualuga from California and wide receiver Patrick Turner from Tennessee highlight the Trojans' class.
Sanchez will have to sit behind Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart, who decided to return for his senior season despite a chance at being the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NFL draft.
Coach Pete Carroll's reputation for playing freshman has helped the Trojans stockpile talent.
"If they are good enough to play, I don't care how old they are, if they can play championship football, they're going to have an opportunity to play for us," Carroll said Wednesday night on ESPN News.
Like USC, Florida State finished with a flourish and joined perennial powers Michigan, Georgia and Miami with highly rated classes. But also cracking the top 10 were Nebraska and Texas A&M, two schools trying to return to the nation's elite.
Nebraska coach Bill Callahan signed 30 players and did particularly well recruiting the junior colleges. It's a class that could have an immediate impact on the Cornhuskers, who went 5-6 last season.
"A year from now everyone will be talking about this Nebraska class as their greatest in the last 25 years," Lemming said.
Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione, heading into his third season with the Aggies, went head-to-head with Oklahoma and Texas on several players and came away with the school's best recruiting class in years.
"We want to be able to recruit the best in the nation," Franchione said. "We want to continue to enhance our image nationally."
A day after the Volunteers made Fulmer a $2 million-a-year coach, he showed why he's among the highest paid in his profession.
"Fulmer is a guy who in some regards has flown under the radar a bit, but he's a terrific recruiter," Burton said. "He takes a lot of pride in it.
"A lot of coaches look at recruiting as something they have to do. I think he enjoys it."
During Fulmer's 13-year tenure in Knoxville, he and his staff have consistently been among the nation's best at luring blue chippers from all over the country.
The class the Vols signed Wednesday included defensive end Raymond Henderson from Wisconsin, linebacker Andre Mathis from Pennsylvania, defensive back Adam Myers-White from Ohio and linebacker Rico McCoy from Washington, D.C. All were rated among the best players at their positions nationally.
"You have to do that at Tennessee where you don't have that homegrown talent," Burton said.
And as usual, the Vols did well in the Deep South and Florida, landing cornerback Demetrice Morley from Miami, defensive back Slick Shelley from Fort Smith, Ark., and offensive lineman Josh McNeil from Collins, Miss.
Tennessee went 10-3 and played in the Southeastern Conference title game last season, playing freshmen quarterbacks Erik Ainge and Brent Schaeffer.
Oklahoma's 55-19 loss to USC in the Orange Bowl last month certainly didn't hurt the Sooners in recruiting.
The Sooners' two prized recruits were on the defensive side, where they could use some help.
Tackle DeMarcus Granger from Dallas and linebacker Ryan Reynolds from Las Vegas were each considered among the very best defensive players in the country.
"This class met our needs, and I am especially happy about the quantity and quality of the linemen on both sides of the ball," Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said. "We needed to do well there and we did."
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