Recruiting
2009 ... The Rankings
CFN's Ranking of the 2009 Classes -
No. 31 to 60
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CFN Recruiting 2009
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CFN 2009 Recruiting Rankings
No. 1 to 30 |
No. 61 to 90 |
No. 91 to 120
31. Nebraska
The class is heavy on ... defensive backs. It was a common theme
for teams throughout this recruiting season after everyone’s defense got
ripped apart … get better against the pass. Nebraska was no exception
with five good defensive backs to go along with DE Jason Ankrah and
linebackers Eric Martin and Chris Williams for the front seven. JUCO
transfer Dejon Gomes is a big, fast corner, while Lazarri Middleton and
Andrew Green have good size and excellent speed.
32. Kentucky
The class is heavy on ... the passing game. Three quarterbacks,
five wide receivers and two tight ends … head coach Rich Brooks is
looking for more out of a passing attack that was supposed to feature
Curtis Pulley, before he was booted off the team. There aren’t any stars
at receiver, but Anthony Kendrick, Ridge Wilson, LaRod King and Chris
Matthews are big. Really big. 6-3 and up big. The quarterback battle
will be tremendous with Morgan Newton, Ryan Mossakowski and Brian Adams
all starting-quality prospects.
33. California
The class is heavy on ... linemen. The Bears did not discriminate
when it came to big bodies this year; they’re feeding both sides of the
ball with an impressive array of linemen. The program was especially
effective on the offensive line, going all the way to New Jersey to land
top-ranked C Mark Brazinski and robbing Oregon of T Charles Siddoway.
Both are the type of players who are capable of cracking the starting
lineup by their second season.
34. Georgia Tech
The class is heavy on ... linemen. For Paul Johnson, success
starts on the lines, and he recruited with that thought in mind. With
both sides of the ball being hurt by graduation, the Yellow Jackets
added four big bodies to the offense and five on defense. The front four
returns just one starter, creating an opening for 345-pound tackle J.C.
Lanier to avoid a redshirt and make a quick ascent up the depth chart.
35. Michigan State
The class is heavy on ... linebackers and running backs. MSU’s
early success under Mark Dantonio has come from a strong running game
and athletic linebackers, and this class reflects that. Edwin Baker and
Larry Caper are in to help try to replace Javon Ringer in the backfield,
while Chris Norman and Tyquan Hammock are linebackers who can move.
Norman, especially, was a coup for the program with the athleticism and
toughness to be a star early on.
36. North Carolina State
The class is heavy on ... defensive linemen. Tom O’Brien and his
assistants absolutely loaded up on defensive linemen with this class,
going as far north as Massachusetts and as far south as Georgia to find
space-eaters. Willie Young, Alan-Michael Cash, and Shea McKeen have only
one year of eligibility remaining, so this group will be expected to
eventually form the backbone of the defensive front for the next four or
five seasons.
37. Arizona State
The class is heavy on ... backs. Four backs are headed to Tempe
determined to light a spark under a running game that floundered a year
ago. Cameron Marshall, Shane McCullen, and Jamal Miles are three-star
Sun Devils and among the top 100 high school runners in the country.
While Marshall is a 208-pound thumper, McCullen is an intriguing blend
of good size and blazing speed, who could also wind up playing on
defense if the need arises.
38. Illinois
The class is heavy on ... defensive linemen. Lost in the Ron Zook
era amidst the publicity around the offense has been a defense that’s
been consistently strong. This year’s recruiting class helped the
defensive front more than any other area with promising pass rushers
Cornellius Carradine and Michael Buchanan for the outside with Lendell
Buckner and Akeem Spence for the inside. Buckner has the body and the
upside to be special.
39. Missouri
The class is heavy on ... offensive reinforcements. The defense
was hardly ignored with DT Sheldon Richardson a sure-thing All-Big 12
talent and JUCO transfer Josh Tatum is a plug-n-play linebacker, but
with all the superstars gone off the offense, head coach Gary Pinkel had
to find a new wave of offensive prospects to develop. Blaine Dalton is a
smallish quarterback who can move, while RB Kendial Lawrence and
receivers Jaleel Clark and Kerwin Stricker are going to be counted on to
shine by 2011.
40. Oklahoma State
The class is heavy on ... pass rushers. The Cowboys weren’t bad
at getting into the backfield over the last few years, but they weren’t
good at closing. Getting to the quarterback in the pass-happy Big 12
South is a must, and OSU put a priority on bringing in players who can
do that. David Paulsen will be a starter on the outside within the next
three years, while Anthony Rogers could be special with a little
seasoning. Linebackers LeRon Furr and Jordan Barnes can move and will be
excellent blitzers.
41. BYU
The class is heavy on ... Defensive backs. There are some really
nice players being brought in at several positions, but the best
combination of star power and bulk is in the secondary with a few
fantastic safety prospects, led by Craig Bills, one of the nation’s
best, and two excellent corners in Lee Aguirre and Trevor Bateman. The
offense loaded up on decent running back prospects with Adam Timo
considered among the best in the nation, if he doesn’t move to safety,
with Peni Maka’afi and Anthony Heimuli each certain to keep the ground
game rolling.
42. Baylor
The class is heavy on ... the passing game. Being in the Big 12
South with all the big-time passing attacks, head coach Art Briles
wasted no time in going hard after defensive backs, bringing in several
decent safeties, but his reputation as a top offensive head coach helped
land a ton of really good, really surprising prospect. Do the receivers
want to play with star sophomore QB Robert Griffin? Oh yeah. Darius
Jones is a smallish, quick playmaker who could be a No. 1 target right
away, but Skyler Scott, Tevin Reese, Willie Jefferson and Glasco Martin
are all good enough to emerge as future stars in the system. QB Bryce
Petty will be a superstar in a few years.
43. Virginia Tech
The class is heavy on ... backs. Even after watching redshirt
freshman Darren Evans emerge as the feature back, the Hokies
concentrated on further building depth at the position. Being brought to
Blacksburg are three playmakers, which was missing from the offense a
year ago. Two of those backs, David Wilson and Tony Gregory, are
four-star gems with enough wiggle to make people miss in the open field.
Both provide a nice complement to the north-south style of Evans.
44. Washington State
The class is heavy on ... defensive backs. The only reason why
last year’s pass defense wasn’t worse off was because the run D was so
easy to navigate. The Cougars realize there’s still plenty of work to be
done in the secondary. They beat out the likes of Arizona State and
Boise State for talented CB Nolan Washington, and bagged five safeties
with the potential to start at some point in their careers. Heck, Wazzu
even got themselves a Locker, beating out Washington for Jake Locker’s
cousin, Casey.
45. Clemson
The class is heavy on ... ends. Even with Ricky Sapp and Da’Quan
Bowers bringing quickness off the edge, Clemson had little luck getting
to the quarterback in 2008. Malliciah Goodman and Spencer Shuey have
been brought in to push the starters and kickstart a tired pass rush.
Once he sharpens his fundamentals and adds a few more pounds, Goodman
has the blazing speed and long arms to be a real nuisance to ACC
quarterbacks.
46. Kansas
The class is heavy on ... defensive backs. The Jayhawks went out
to get better on defense, and it did with LB Huldon Tharp, three JUCO
defensive ends, end Kevin Young, and tackle Randall Dent all coming in
to form the foundation for the future of the defense, but it’s the
secondary that got the most help with six prospects led by corner Prinz
Kande, a speedy, big coverman, while the safeties are all terrific led
by JUCO transfer Calvin Rubles and true freshmen Bradley McDougald and
Darian Kelly.
47. Minnesota
The class is heavy on ... receivers. The Gophers needed to bring
in more talented targets for the future, and they might have gotten
their No. 2 receiver, alongside Eric Decker, in JUCO transfer Hayo
Carpenter. Bryant Allen and Victor Keise come from out of state,
Missouri and Florida, respectively, to develop. The real stars of the
show might turn out to be tight ends Ra’shede Hageman and Kendall
Gregory-MgGhee. Hageman is the total package.
48. Oregon State
The class is heavy on ... offensive linemen. With so much
turnover going on here, it was time for Mike Riley to replenish in the
trenches, a key to the program’s success in recent years. A half-dozen
new linemen are set to hit Corvallis, hoping to open holes for Jacquizz
Rodgers as soon as possible. The name to remember in the short term is
Michael Philipp, a can’t-miss guard, who had offers from everyone in the
Pac-10 and is physically ready to play right now
49. Virginia
The class is heavy on ... offensive tackles. After losing Branden
Albert and Eugene Monroe to the NFL in successive seasons, the Cavaliers
have bolstered their offensive line with a whopping six tackles standing
6-5 or taller. Like the last three great Virginia linemen, including
D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the school traveled north to get Oday Aboushi, a
305-pounder with considerable upside and nasty demeanor. Landing
four-star mountain Morgan Moses was the upset of this group.
50. Arizona
The class is heavy on ... pass-catchers. If you’re going to
successfully run Sonny Dykes’ offense, you better have depth at the
receiver position. The Wildcats took a quantum leap in that direction,
signing more than a half-dozen wideouts and tight ends. The hands-down
gem of that group is local standout Adam Hall, who had his choice of
destinations. Actually, there’s so much talent here, it could free up
Hall to move over to safety, where he’s just as dangerous.
51. Cincinnati
The class is heavy on ... tight ends. Can you say overkill?
Cincinnati has signed four of the country’s top 100 tight ends,
providing plenty of depth for Ben Guidugli and Kazeem Alli. From the
program that turned Connor Barwin into the Big East’s sack leader a year
ago, you can count on one or two of these tight ends, like Will Saddler
and Mitch Kessel, to switch position at some point in their ‘Cat
careers.
52. Colorado
The class is heavy on ... receivers. Head coach Dan Hawkins and
his staff brought in a few nice safeties, signed two good quarterbacks,
and landed superstar DE Nick Casa, but the spotlight will mostly be on
the three receivers who’ll be asked to contribute early on. JUCO
transfer Andre Simmons has the size and the potential to be a No. 1
target from the start, while Terdema Ussery and Jarrod Darden both very
big, very good targets.
53. Wisconsin
The class is heavy on ... defensive linemen. The Badgers have
been surprisingly soft up front over the last few years. Poor tackling
has been part of the problem; injuries have been the other part. This
year’s class addressed the needs up front led by tackle Jordan Kohout,
arguably the state’s top recruit. Pat Muldoon and Shelby Harris are
strong pass rushing prospects who have to come through and shine sooner
than later.
54. Utah
The class is heavy on ... The passing game. The Utes loaded up on
receivers big-time last year, but apparently that wasn’t enough with
even more targets coming in this year, including JUCO transfers Antoine
Smithson and Ray Magee, to help an offense that loses all the starting
receivers. Jamal Smith should be the best of the bunch, but he might not
emerge for a few years. Meanwhile, JUCO transfer Terrance Cain will make
a push for Brian Johnson’s open quarterback spot.
55. TCU
The class is heavy on ... Offensive tackle. The Horned Frogs got
commitments from a few very nice running backs like Jurell Thompson and
Matthew Tucker, and someone has to pave the way for them. The interior
of the line wasn’t ignored, Eric Tausch is a good prospect at either
guard or center, but the tackles got the attention with three tall,
athletic options in Ty Horn, James Dunbar, and John Wooldridge.
56. Duke
The class is heavy on ... defensive backs. The Blue Devils
perennially struggle to stop opposing passers, which prompted David
Cutcliffe to go extremely heavy on the secondary. Almost one-third of
the class is either a safety or a cornerback, led by Taylor Sowell, a
6-0 speedster who garnered a lot of attention from the rest of the ACC.
Duke had rare success in South Carolina, a credit to the job being done
by secondary coach Derek Jones.
57. UCF
The class is heavy on ... defensive backs. After losing the
entire starting secondary to graduation, this was an absolute priority
for George O’Leary and the Knights. The program did a magnificent job a
few years ago of taking two-star players, such as CB Joe Burnett, and
molding them into defensive stoppers. It may not have to do much
coaching up of CB Josh Robinson, an outstanding all-around playmaker,
who also drew interest from Michigan, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
58. Houston
The class is heavy on ... offensive linemen. The loss of three
starting linemen to graduation prompted Kevin Sumlin to spend extra time
cultivating the next generation of Cougar blockers. Three new tackles
and three new guards provide a nice foundation for the future and the
present. At tackle, for instance, Ralph Oragwu is a three-star high-schooler
with enormous upside and Roy Watts is a ready-made JUCO transfer, who
turned away offers from SEC and Big 12 suitors.
59. Wake Forest
The class is heavy on ... linebackers. Now that Aaron Curry and
Stanley Arnoux have exhausted their eligibility, it’s time for the
Deacons to replenish at linebacker. While this year’s four recruits
aren’t very big, they can all fly to the ball, which is exactly the way
Wake likes its defenders. The prototype is Justin Jackson, a 6-1,
203-pounder with 4.5 speed and a better vertical leap than most of the
ACC’s receivers.
60. Hawaii
The class is heavy on ... JUCO, JUCO, JUCO. Overall, the offense
got the biggest boost with three quarterback prospects, including two
good ones in Cayman Shutter and Corey Nielsen, and several backs and
receivers, but it’s the junior college haul that should make the most
noise. Head coach Greg McMackin brought in ten ready-made players with
the most help coming for the defensive line with tackles David Hofoka
and Zach Masch.
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CFN 2009 Recruiting Rankings
No. 1 to 30 |
No. 61 to 90 |
No. 91 to 120
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