Sunday, June 28, 2009

Back from hiatus, what have we missed?

Well, what a difference two weeks makes. As I stated on our last entry, there was going to be a lot of action in Vanderbilt recruiting and needless to say, Vanderbilt's "Cookout with the Dores" did not disappoint. Though we still haven't learned of every visitor during the day, we do know that seven commitments basically came from the event as well as possibly a few others. Also, prospects such as Bradley Roby, Karl Butler, Andre Simmons, Tony Jones and others seem to be very close to making a decision in favor of the Commodores.

Roby has seemed to all but commit, with only a Ohio State visit pending. Butler was about the same, leaning towards the Dores and waiting to visit Virginia before making a decision. Both have had their visits, so we should know more soon. Also, Simmons visited Rutgers this week and said he may have more of a idea of his top schools upon that trip. Jones has basically cut his list down to 7 schools and Vanderbilt appears to be firmly on it.

While the BBQ may be the only of its kind this summer, the week leading up to Vanderbilt's final Senior Elite camp on July 19th could also be important too. A number of recruits are expected to make an unofficial trip to the school, including top linebacker prospects like Joe Gilliam, Ishmael Lewis and hopefully Zachery Allen. These visits will not likely take place on the same day as like the BBQ did, but VU does plan to have some special things planned for the visitors.

The camp that weekend is also shaping up to be quite a good one, as several prospects who are close to securing offers, have stated they plan to workout for the VU coaches.

Vanderbilt could have the majority of the 2010 class secured before they even take the field on September 5th.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Nance and White may only be the beginning

Just as Vanderbilt fans were starting to itch for more commitments in the 2010 football recruiting class, quarterback Nash Nance and Chase White emerged as the newest Dores this week. Nance, who VU targeted starting last summer, was only the third QB to receive an offer when he got a scholarship from the Dores during the Junior Day on March 21st. White, who actually committed last weekend, chose VU a few months after receiving a spring evaluation offer. White might not be a known entity right now to Rivals.com, but we heard from a Texas A&M connection that A&M had White next in line to get an offer, so VU may have just got this rising prospect at exact time.

Now, as Vanderbilt heads into its second and third week of camps, there seems to be a good chance that they'll secure more commitments. Marietta (Ga.) native Kyle Woestmann is still very much a possibility to VU, despite the hoopla of his recent UGA offer. He plans to be in Nashville next week and there could be a chance that he pulls the trigger. Also expected to be in Nashville on that day will be Norcross (Ga.) offensive tackle Max Garcia. Though Garcia hasn't put a time table on his decision, it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him commit soon. Suwanee (Ga.) receiver Bradley Roby and Snellville's Jonathan Krause will also be by VU to visit and both could ultimately decide to pull the trigger and commit should they not get offers from Georgia at this weekend's camp in Athens. Roby would really like to play receiver and would like to get on the field soon. Though his offer from Auburn intrigues him and he also wants to visit South Carolina, it just wouldn't be surprising if Roby made a decision in the next week or two if he doesn't get a UGA offer. If he gets a UGA offer, he may extend things into the late July or August. Same thing likely goes for Krause, especially since Alabama doesn't appear to be offering at this time.

There are others who wouldn't be a surprise if they committed, including Davis Dudchock of Birmingham, Parker Mack of Little Rock, and Karl Butler of New Orleans. All of these prospects could be partial to making a decision if they visit VU and the staff and players make a good impression. Also possible could be Nolen Smith, who is leaning towards making a decision in the next month anyways. Another to watch is Vince Taylor of Hattiesburg (Ms.) who may be keeping his true recruitment status a little under the radar.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

More on Sunday's campers

Every year, there will be some surprises during the camp period. On Monday, we released a "Hot 11" of some of the top performers and at closer look, a couple of surprises look like they have a shot to at least secure other Division 1-A interest if not increased Vanderbilt interest.

One prospect that could've increased his Vanderbilt interest is Madisonville, Kentucky cornerback J.C. Wade. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound defensive back prospect was impressive in one-on-ones and ran well for most of the day. He already has offers from the likes of Ball State and Ohio U and is getting strong attention from Louisville, Kentucky and Western Kentucky. .On film, you see a strong press corner, which is something that he impressed in at Vanderbilt on Sunday. He also shows some good ball skill. He is a prospect that we are looking to learn more about.



Another prospect who performed well and even received Hot 11 honors from us at VandySports.com was Dylan Cook of Hiram (Ga.). As stated in the feature, he was just an impressive pass catcher, making juggling catches, catches over defenders and diving catches. We don't know much about Cook's overall recruitment, and he may not have run well enough to get a VU offer. Still, he looks like a player that should sign with a Division 1-A team this February. Might be a player that eventually signs with a MTSU.



A quarterback that impressed but might not have the measurables for Vanderbilt is Jupiter (Fla.)'s Marshyl Rothman. The strong thrower led JC to a state title last year and is a Division 1-A prospect despite being just around 5-foot-10. He might be a perfect fit for South Florida, if they are looking for a quarterback. If not, he could make someone like Wofford very happy in the Southern Conference.



And another quarterback that we mentioned that had a good Sunday was Airport (SC)'s WT Murden. He seemed to measure a little shorter than he's listed but you definitely see a three-star, impact level talent out there. He's someone to watch with Vanderbilt if their quarterback recruiting continues.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

VU wants Collinsworth

One prospect who has had a Vanderbilt offer for a while is versatile receiver/safety prospect Austin Collinsworth. The three-star 6-foot, 190-pound talent has the Commodores hot on his trail and its easy to see why. Last season, Collinsworth caught 46 passes for 860 yards and five scores while also rushing for 166 yards and a score on 18 plays. On defense, Collinsworth picked off four passes and on special teams, he returned five kicks and punts for scores.

Collinsworth, who is the son of former Cincinnati Bengal receiver and current HBO Sports Cris Collinsworth, has got plenty of options with Vandy, Kentucky, Louisville, Cincinnati and Stanford offering. He's believed to not have any favorites at this time aside from the five that have offered and VU's hoping that he visits the school later this month for the program's big day on June 18th.

Here's some highlights of Collinsworth in action..from his sophomore year.

Collinsworth No.22