A little recruiting talk

[oxfordreb]

I don't know how he does it, but he does. According to Rivals.com, Coach O has raked in yet another 4 star player in Marlon Walls out of Olive Branch, MS. He is a 6' 2", 225 lb linebacker that looks like a stud. He sports a 4.55 40 and has the build of a true LB (unlike our most recent high ranked "LB" Chris Strong). He is the 5th ranked overall player coming out of the state of MS this season and the 15th ranked inside LB in the country.

Walls is the 4th 4 star verbal received already. It's a good thing too, b/c from what I have been reading, JUCO 4 star DB Daniel Thomas looks as though he may be considering other options.

This is a really nice pick up for the Rebels. Him added to Tig Barksdale out of South Panola U. will make for a really nice set of young players that could have immediate affects on the team (if they qualify academically).

Looks like we'll be seeing 1 more Escalade on campus next fall :laugh:

[Cianne]

Marlon should qualify as his mom is a school teacher and pushes his grades. Tig should qualify if he'd stop missing classes.

[Rebel Chuck]

Marlon should qualify as his mom is a school teacher and pushes his grades. Tig should qualify if he'd stop missing classes.Damn Cianne that is some inside information. I feel like I'm pretty on top of things but you must have some spies in these high schools!

[NiKka]

He very well could play early next year as well as Gavin Hardin..
very nice pick

can we get a Patrick Trahan and a Charles Mitchell please


Daniel Thomas is expendable IMO. Johnny Brown has been playing great and has been one of the only brightspots and will only get better and will likely get the nod at FS next year.

[Cianne]

Damn Cianne that is some inside information. I feel like I'm pretty on top of things but you must have some spies in these high schools!

It shouldn't be a problem now. I believe he's all set and good to go.

[Cianne]

Daniel Thomas is expendable IMO. Johnny Brown has been playing great and has been one of the only brightspots and will only get better and will likely get the nod at FS next year.

Thomas would most likely end up playing LB.

[olemsdave76]

He very well could play early next year as well as Gavin Hardin..
very nice pick

can we get a Patrick Trahan and a Charles Mitchell please


Daniel Thomas is expendable IMO. Johnny Brown has been playing great and has been one of the only brightspots and will only get better and will likely get the nod at FS next year.


At this point, with the depth issues we have at several positions, no one is expendable, and like Cianne said, Thomas, at 230 lbs, is likely slated to play LB.

[oxfordreb]

Do you guys think that O will play Tig as a true RB? Rivals has him listed as an athlete, but with the kind of numbers he's been put up this season, how can you not give him a shot at carrying the load. He's a beast either way, I just hope they didn't lure him to Ole Miss by telling him that he'll be the man in a few years and then end up putting him in the defensive secondary .

[Cianne]

It's hard to see Tig playing anything but RB at this point. Johnny Brown looks fantastic at FS and Jamarca will still have a year to go at SS. However, RB is quickly turning into a logjam of unproven talent in Cordera Eason, Derrick Davis, Kenny Ashley, Jeremy McGee, Ken Davis and whoever else I'm forgetting at the moment. While this is a good problem to have in theory, I have no idea how they are going to get it to work.

Eason and the Davises are going to be bruising backs. Ashley (while a stocky guy) and McGee are going to be more scat back-esque. Then you have Tig who is the more prototypical athletic back along the lines of Adrian Peterson where he's not quite a bruiser and not quite a scat back but can do them both pretty well.

Oh and don't forget LaGarrete Blount is still on the radar and there is also Brandon Bolden who hasn't committed but it is down to Ole Miss and Alabama for him. Bolden may have to end up at WR at this rate.

[olemsdave76]

I kinda like the idea of him at the SS position after Jamarca graduates next, especially considering no one has stepped up from the last few classes and claimed that spot as theirs (see: Allen Walker).
Johnny Brown and Tig Barksdale would be a great combination in 09.

That said, he will play wherever he is able to make the biggest impact.

[Cianne]

It's also possible to see Bud Barksdale at SS following Jamarca.

[oxfordreb]

I don't really know that much about Bud, I know he's a 3 star recruit, but that's about it. If he is from SPU, that should say enough :)

[Cianne]

All I have to know is that Bud continued to play in a game after he got his teeth knocked out earlier in the game.

[oxfordreb]

All I have to know is that Bud continued to play in a game after he got his teeth knocked out earlier in the game.

We need someone like that on this team desperately, that kind of devotion shows real character and leadership qualities. Hopefully he'll have a stand-out career here.

[Cianne]

It appears that Bud thinks he and Tig will be in the Ole Miss secondary together.

[Rebel Chuck]

The addition of Walls places us now at #23 on Rivals class rankings

[Jay1]

Bud Barksdale- South Panola-Cornerback
Ht: 6-ft-0
Wt: 190 lbs.
Rivals.com ranking: 5.5
Position Ranking: 52
Stars: three

5.5 ranking= All-Region Selection; considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 750 or so prospects in the country.

[Cianne]

I think Bud is drastically undervalued by Rivals.

Scout has Gavin Hardin as the top player in the state of Tennessee while Rivals has him as barely a 3-star at a 5.5 rating.

The two services differ greatly on some players but are in agreement on others.

[NiKka]

It appears that Bud thinks he and Tig will be in the Ole Miss secondary together.
ah I see I didn't know that Thomas got that heavy..
and that is true, hell we need everyone that we can get

that'd be nice to see Bud at the Corner and Johnny Brown will be very good for us next year and years to come.. i'd like to see Darius at SS
he'd still see alot of snaps next year regardless at either safety position or in nickel or other packages or maybe as RB. he will be a great weapon


Bud is underrated I think he will be pretty good

[NiKka]

I know who ever is the running back next year will be running behind one of the best fullbacks in the SEC. Jason Cook goes unnoticed although he is very good..
I'd like to see RB by commitee next year which I doubt it'd happen seeing how Bruce isn't getting the reps he deserves.. it's crazy because Bruce will be a NFL running back maybe not drafted but signed he has all the tools and I doubt BJGE will even be drafted.

it'd be nice to McCluster in the backfield at times which he was planned to be used that way this year but got injured.. Jeremy McGee will be at RB but i'd imagine will be used alot like Marshay and Dexter.. he'd be a good screen back

i'm sure next year we will be running a modified spread offense due to Snead Herrick and Wilkes styles

haha back on subject


keep em coming!!

[Rebel Chuck]

I think Bud is drastically undervalued by Rivals.

Scout has Gavin Hardin as the top player in the state of Tennessee while Rivals has him as barely a 3-star at a 5.5 rating.

The two services differ greatly on some players but are in agreement on others. The rankings are fun but I never put much stock in them. Our three stars almost always outshine our 4 stars

[Jay1]

The rankings are fun but I never put much stock in them. Our three stars almost always outshine our 4 stars

It is nothing more than a few paid experts branding the players as this or that. You know what they can do when they begin the game and start keeping score. Till then, everybody claims their recruits are best, but the scoreboard will decide, it always does, and, it won't hype, exaggerate, misunderstand or see fair as great. It sees everyone as they really are.

In high school, many times, a kid is bigger and faster than the opposition. In college, especially the SEC, some of these kids can't get used to people being just as big and fast as they are, and especially being hit, really hard. They find that what they were born with also requires guts and pride to win. You can't measure that with stars. It comes from within. Seth Adams should never have been able to be (walk-on) starter for Ole Miss, but, he did, and more power to him. Sometimes average ability (by SEC standards) with extra effort works. You never really know til they ring the bell.

It is fun to guess and daydream about what-if, and then reality sits on you, and you realize you got it all wrong, and a Charlie Brown is the real hero, not Mr. Muscle Golden Boy with all the fanfare.

Seth was a success for awhile, not bad at all. :thumpsup:

[NiKka]

we were on Dudley Laporte for the longest time now he gets top juco TE now look at these teams flocking.. crazy

[NiKka]

We have 4 cornerback commits
Bud Barksdale ( if indeed he can play CB at the next level )
Demareo Marr ( lanky athletic prospect hasn't really quite dominated juco)
Dominique Davenport don't know too much about him
Brandon Sanders don't know either


anyone have any word on where we stand or who else at CB is likely to commit?
Traye Simmons? Charles Mitchell? Josh Wiley? Robby Green? David Pittman?
Alonzo Lawrence? Jorrick Calvin? Prentiss Waggener?

[Cianne]

- Brandon Sanders is probably going to grow into a safety if he keeps his growth up. He's already up to 6'1" 202 when he started the evaluation process at 5'11" 180.
- Dominique Davenport needs to hit the weight room (though not as much as Atterberry).
- Charles Mitchell should end up in Oxford by the time February rolls around.
- Alonzo Lawrence, if he makes his grades, is probably going to end up in Starkville unless Croom continues pissing off the family by not playing Co-Eric.
- David Pittman was going to come in for an official visit this week but his JC team is still in the playoffs and won't make it.
- Robby Green is probably a no-go. Would be fantastic though to pull off an upset on him.

[NiKka]

so you're saying Charles Mitchell is likely?

[Cianne]

Yea. Clarksdale is an Ole Miss town.

[NiKka]

Yea. Clarksdale is an Ole Miss town.

that's good, just hope that he can make it..

I thought that he was leanin for MSU heavy that's what the reports were talkin like


this class is starting to shape up to be a very nice one...
really wish Benavides would've stuck with us

hell that name even sounds like a Louisville players blah

[Cianne]

Mario Benavides' recruitment might not be over.

[NiKka]

who are those likely to commit that have not yet?

LaGarrette Blount? Tim Jackson?