Pete will have most of the show today because football recruiting is the big story at this time of year. Hoops will pick up soon, but I’ve got a couple of quick updates from the basketball recruiting side.
First of all, anyone that missed it, Frank Haith said earlier this week that the Tigers planned to use both available scholarships this spring. The obvious guy at the top of the board is Devonta Pollardhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/basketball/recruiting/player-Devonta-Pollard-89236. As we have reported a lot, everything with Pollard is speculation because he doesn’t do interviews very often at all.
He has said he’ll likely make a decision in the late signing period, which begins April 11th. Pollard has visited Texas and Mizzou officially, and also returned for an unofficial visit to Columbia a couple of weeks ago. There has been talk about a trip to Georgetown, but as far as I know, that hasn’t been scheduled yet. Alabama and Mississippi State are also in the running, though with Rick Stansbury out in Starkville, that could be a big factor in where the Bulldogs stand.
The Tigers are in this race. Whether they land him, I truly have no idea.
So what about the other scholarship? Well, Haith mentioned the possibility of a transfer on Monday. To me, you don’t bring that up if you don’t have an idea of a guy or two that is out there. One such guy is UCONN forward Alex Oriakhi. This report in the Connecticut Posthttp://www.ctpost.com/news/article/UConn-s-Alex-Oriakhi-transferring-3424685.php came out yesterday. Oriakhi played at the same prep school where incoming signee Domonique Bull plays (though they obviously were never there at the same time). He also played AAU ball with current Tiger Phil Pressey. There is a connection there to some degree. Whether it means anything or not, at this point, I have no idea. Transfers are strange situations and we’ll have to wait and see what happens, but adding Oriakhi for a year would be a heck of a coup and would also keep a scholarship open for the 2013 class, which Haith said multiple times is a very important class for Missouri.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be diving into figuring out some of the priority targets for 2013 and will also be out on the road at a couple of AAU events to catch some of these guys in person.
Now on to Pete and the football recruiting information for the week:
With a 12-day hiatus from spring football practice, Gary Pinkel's staff is sure to be on the road this week, picking up film and talking to high school coaches across the country. Before that, here's the latest news on some of Missouri's top targets, plus a new name.
-- Last Saturday, Staley QB Ezekiel Elliotthttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...iott-135901;_ylt=AuSj0huu09qaHRAt9MoCit0as5B4 were two of the biggest visitors for Missouri's first spring scrimmage. I talked to both on Thursday, as they're busy with visits this week. Each had a few interesting comments to say.
First, on Hosick. Missouri, in my opinion, remains in great shape. He visited on Saturday with his older brother Taylor, who wrestled at Oklahoma State and graduated in 2009. Taylor works at Cerner now, and moved back to the Kansas City area to help Trent train. Also in attendance was Hosick's Staley teammate, Morgan Steward.
What surprised me, however, is that Hosick didn't know Steward was visiting until he saw him on Saturday.
"I talked to him on Friday and he said he didn't think he was visiting," Hosick said. "So when I saw him there, it was a nice surprise."
That may signify that Steward is trying to stay out of his friend's recruitment, which may not be a bad thing.
Hosick dropped a few leading statements in my interview with him. First, I asked him about the practice. Here's his quote, verbatim:
"They showed they're a team that can compete for a national title," Hosick said. "We've got the talent to compete in the SEC and we can compete for a national title."
I'm not sure how Hosick speaks to other reporters, but him dropping the "we" in there twice may mean something. Later on, he also said both David Yost and Andy Hill asked him where the Tigers stood with Hosick. So, of course, I asked Hosick what his answer was. His response:
"I'd rather not say," Hosick said.\
Based on his earlier statement about Missouri, I don't take that as a bad thing. Especially after he told me he'll make a decision in June.
"It'll be early June or mid-June, but I want to get the decision out of the way then," Hosick said.
That's a little earlier than I anticipated, and I think that bodes well for Missouri. Over the next few weeks, Hosick will visit Arkansas, Baylor and possibly Ohio State, who is showing some interest. The Buckeyes, however, want to come see Hosick throw in person first. With no spring practices in Missouri, I'm not sure when that could happen, however.
-- On to Elliott. There's definitely not as much information on the top in-state running back, as he plays his cards very close to the vest. Still, he said a few things that stood out.
For one, Elliott said he likes how Missouri uses their running backs.
"Their offense, it's more unique," Elliott said. "They do a lot of different things with their running backs, moving them around, lining them up as wide receivers. It helps to get them isolated."
A decision for Elliott is still a while away. He said he's going to remain completely open until his senior year starts, because he plans to take a large number of visits this summer, after track. He's visiting Ohio State on March 30th, and UCLA become his 20th offer when the Bruins offered on Thursday.
Missouri has two advocates in this recruitment, however. As everyone knows, Elliott's dad (football) and mom (track) were athletes at Mizzou in the late 1980s.
"They love Mizzou, there's no question," Elliott said. "They bleed black and gold, but they want me to make my own decision."
-- On Thursday, Missouri hosted another visitor. Stilwell (KS) offensive tackle Clay Rhodes made his second trip in a month to see what Missouri had to offer. I'll have a full story up about him, but I'm holding this part out.
Rhodes will take a handful of visits over the next few weeks, and then he said he'll be in a position to make a decision. Despite the offers, and recent interest from Nebraska and Tennessee, Rhodes said his decision will likely come down to Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Tulsa.
Missouri is in fantastic shape, and I think -- barring something big -- it would be surprising to see him choose another school besides Mizzou.
-- There was a lot of Twitter drama very early (late?) Thursday morning about a possible new commitment. We confirmed that North Crowley (TX) linebacker Jaquan Richmondhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...mond-138210;_ylt=AlS27WeG4VHHm0kS_XJjYD8as5B4 did not commit to Missouri, but I spoke with him on Thursday evening to get more of the scoop.
"I've been getting letters from them, a lot of them, but that's it," Richmond said.
With no offer, I asked Richmond if Missouri's coaches have been by his school. He said not to his knowledge.
Basically, this seems to be a case where Richmond would love to go to Missouri, and if Missouri offers, it would be a done deal. He admitted to that. However, at this point, it does not sound like an offer from the Tigers is imminent, but you never know.
To his credit, Richmond said he's not done working for that offer.
"The biggest thing I need to work on is my speed," Richmond said. "I'm fast, but I know Mizzou, going to the SEC, I gotta be big and faster."
-- Rivals.com's Florida Analyst, Chris Nee, reported two new offers for the Tigers in the Sunshine State on Thursday: Jacksonville (FL) defensive end Eric Carterhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...rter-129379;_ylt=AndWKszoakuXG3RbP9cWT24as5B4.
I spoke with Carter on Thursday night. He said the offer was a surprise, because he spoke with his recruiting coach, Brian Jones, on Wednesday night. Jones said the staff wanted to see him in person before they offered. On Thursday, Jones called Carter's coach, and apparently asked a ton of questions about Carter's leadership and work ethic.
By the end of that conversation, Jones must have heard what he needed, because he offered Carter.
Carter said he's very interested in Missouri, and wants to visit sometime soon.
"I was rooting for Missouri when they had Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin," Carter said. "I definitely hopped on their bandwagon."
-- One more quick note: South Euclid (OH) tight end A.J. Braniselhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...isel-133623;_ylt=At03fRR.jTZsTxB5rARXZgIas5B4 originally said he would visit Missouri this spring. That visit, however, is being pushed to the summer.
"I'm still in regular contact with their coaches," Branisel told me.
First of all, anyone that missed it, Frank Haith said earlier this week that the Tigers planned to use both available scholarships this spring. The obvious guy at the top of the board is Devonta Pollardhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/basketball/recruiting/player-Devonta-Pollard-89236. As we have reported a lot, everything with Pollard is speculation because he doesn’t do interviews very often at all.
He has said he’ll likely make a decision in the late signing period, which begins April 11th. Pollard has visited Texas and Mizzou officially, and also returned for an unofficial visit to Columbia a couple of weeks ago. There has been talk about a trip to Georgetown, but as far as I know, that hasn’t been scheduled yet. Alabama and Mississippi State are also in the running, though with Rick Stansbury out in Starkville, that could be a big factor in where the Bulldogs stand.
The Tigers are in this race. Whether they land him, I truly have no idea.
So what about the other scholarship? Well, Haith mentioned the possibility of a transfer on Monday. To me, you don’t bring that up if you don’t have an idea of a guy or two that is out there. One such guy is UCONN forward Alex Oriakhi. This report in the Connecticut Posthttp://www.ctpost.com/news/article/UConn-s-Alex-Oriakhi-transferring-3424685.php came out yesterday. Oriakhi played at the same prep school where incoming signee Domonique Bull plays (though they obviously were never there at the same time). He also played AAU ball with current Tiger Phil Pressey. There is a connection there to some degree. Whether it means anything or not, at this point, I have no idea. Transfers are strange situations and we’ll have to wait and see what happens, but adding Oriakhi for a year would be a heck of a coup and would also keep a scholarship open for the 2013 class, which Haith said multiple times is a very important class for Missouri.
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be diving into figuring out some of the priority targets for 2013 and will also be out on the road at a couple of AAU events to catch some of these guys in person.
Now on to Pete and the football recruiting information for the week:
With a 12-day hiatus from spring football practice, Gary Pinkel's staff is sure to be on the road this week, picking up film and talking to high school coaches across the country. Before that, here's the latest news on some of Missouri's top targets, plus a new name.
-- Last Saturday, Staley QB Ezekiel Elliotthttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...iott-135901;_ylt=AuSj0huu09qaHRAt9MoCit0as5B4 were two of the biggest visitors for Missouri's first spring scrimmage. I talked to both on Thursday, as they're busy with visits this week. Each had a few interesting comments to say.
First, on Hosick. Missouri, in my opinion, remains in great shape. He visited on Saturday with his older brother Taylor, who wrestled at Oklahoma State and graduated in 2009. Taylor works at Cerner now, and moved back to the Kansas City area to help Trent train. Also in attendance was Hosick's Staley teammate, Morgan Steward.
What surprised me, however, is that Hosick didn't know Steward was visiting until he saw him on Saturday.
"I talked to him on Friday and he said he didn't think he was visiting," Hosick said. "So when I saw him there, it was a nice surprise."
That may signify that Steward is trying to stay out of his friend's recruitment, which may not be a bad thing.
Hosick dropped a few leading statements in my interview with him. First, I asked him about the practice. Here's his quote, verbatim:
"They showed they're a team that can compete for a national title," Hosick said. "We've got the talent to compete in the SEC and we can compete for a national title."
I'm not sure how Hosick speaks to other reporters, but him dropping the "we" in there twice may mean something. Later on, he also said both David Yost and Andy Hill asked him where the Tigers stood with Hosick. So, of course, I asked Hosick what his answer was. His response:
"I'd rather not say," Hosick said.\
Based on his earlier statement about Missouri, I don't take that as a bad thing. Especially after he told me he'll make a decision in June.
"It'll be early June or mid-June, but I want to get the decision out of the way then," Hosick said.
That's a little earlier than I anticipated, and I think that bodes well for Missouri. Over the next few weeks, Hosick will visit Arkansas, Baylor and possibly Ohio State, who is showing some interest. The Buckeyes, however, want to come see Hosick throw in person first. With no spring practices in Missouri, I'm not sure when that could happen, however.
-- On to Elliott. There's definitely not as much information on the top in-state running back, as he plays his cards very close to the vest. Still, he said a few things that stood out.
For one, Elliott said he likes how Missouri uses their running backs.
"Their offense, it's more unique," Elliott said. "They do a lot of different things with their running backs, moving them around, lining them up as wide receivers. It helps to get them isolated."
A decision for Elliott is still a while away. He said he's going to remain completely open until his senior year starts, because he plans to take a large number of visits this summer, after track. He's visiting Ohio State on March 30th, and UCLA become his 20th offer when the Bruins offered on Thursday.
Missouri has two advocates in this recruitment, however. As everyone knows, Elliott's dad (football) and mom (track) were athletes at Mizzou in the late 1980s.
"They love Mizzou, there's no question," Elliott said. "They bleed black and gold, but they want me to make my own decision."
-- On Thursday, Missouri hosted another visitor. Stilwell (KS) offensive tackle Clay Rhodes made his second trip in a month to see what Missouri had to offer. I'll have a full story up about him, but I'm holding this part out.
Rhodes will take a handful of visits over the next few weeks, and then he said he'll be in a position to make a decision. Despite the offers, and recent interest from Nebraska and Tennessee, Rhodes said his decision will likely come down to Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Tulsa.
Missouri is in fantastic shape, and I think -- barring something big -- it would be surprising to see him choose another school besides Mizzou.
-- There was a lot of Twitter drama very early (late?) Thursday morning about a possible new commitment. We confirmed that North Crowley (TX) linebacker Jaquan Richmondhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...mond-138210;_ylt=AlS27WeG4VHHm0kS_XJjYD8as5B4 did not commit to Missouri, but I spoke with him on Thursday evening to get more of the scoop.
"I've been getting letters from them, a lot of them, but that's it," Richmond said.
With no offer, I asked Richmond if Missouri's coaches have been by his school. He said not to his knowledge.
Basically, this seems to be a case where Richmond would love to go to Missouri, and if Missouri offers, it would be a done deal. He admitted to that. However, at this point, it does not sound like an offer from the Tigers is imminent, but you never know.
To his credit, Richmond said he's not done working for that offer.
"The biggest thing I need to work on is my speed," Richmond said. "I'm fast, but I know Mizzou, going to the SEC, I gotta be big and faster."
-- Rivals.com's Florida Analyst, Chris Nee, reported two new offers for the Tigers in the Sunshine State on Thursday: Jacksonville (FL) defensive end Eric Carterhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...rter-129379;_ylt=AndWKszoakuXG3RbP9cWT24as5B4.
I spoke with Carter on Thursday night. He said the offer was a surprise, because he spoke with his recruiting coach, Brian Jones, on Wednesday night. Jones said the staff wanted to see him in person before they offered. On Thursday, Jones called Carter's coach, and apparently asked a ton of questions about Carter's leadership and work ethic.
By the end of that conversation, Jones must have heard what he needed, because he offered Carter.
Carter said he's very interested in Missouri, and wants to visit sometime soon.
"I was rooting for Missouri when they had Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin," Carter said. "I definitely hopped on their bandwagon."
-- One more quick note: South Euclid (OH) tight end A.J. Braniselhttp://rivals.yahoo.com/missouri/fo...isel-133623;_ylt=At03fRR.jTZsTxB5rARXZgIas5B4 originally said he would visit Missouri this spring. That visit, however, is being pushed to the summer.
"I'm still in regular contact with their coaches," Branisel told me.
