Running back Jalen Hurd from Beech Senior High School in Hendersonville, Tenn., is one of the nation’s top prospects in the class of 2014.

So it’s no surprise that he favors three of the nation’s top programs: Florida, Georgia and Ohio State. Hurd spoke to ESPN RecruitingNation recently after visiting Florida.

“Florida is great,” Hurd said. “I love the atmosphere and I love the weather. The coaches are also great. They’re very successful right now. Coach (Will) Muschamp is doing a great job with the program and I think they’ll be successful.”

Hurd is familiar with Georgia’s history of producing successful running backs, including current freshmen Todd Gurley and Keith Marshall. That’s one reason the Bulldogs remain high on Hurd’s list.

“Georgia is great,” said Hurd, who plans to visit Athens, Ga., this fall. “I know they have a history of great running backs.”

Tennessee has a successful history but has struggled on the field in recent years. Those issues have appeared to hurt the Vols in their pursuit of one of the state’s top prospects in the 2014 class.

“As an athlete, you want a program that’s successful and has it all together,” Hurd told ESPN. “UT isn’t doing as well as they want to right now. If they start to do well, then they might be more with me but right now, UT is not the highest on my list.”

Gotta lot of radio to do today plus CSS tonight, so we’re gonna jam all the day’s headlines into one post.  Ready?  Here goes…


1.  Florida’s Patrick Young is battling ankle tendinitis.

2.  Georgia should be well represented in the NFL draft.

3.  Freshman tailback Keith Marshall challenged sophomore receiver Malcolm Mitchell to a foot race… and almost beat him.  (Video.)

4.  Mike Anderson says his Arkansas team will be on the attack against Kentucky tonight.

5.  Meanwhile, this writer says the UK-Tennessee multi-sport rivalry is becoming a good one.

6.  South Carolina is going to be awfully deep at running back next season.

7.  Cuonzo Martin wants Tennessee to cut down on turnovers.

8.  In Knoxville, it’s all about defense.

9.  Ex-Vanderbilt coach Ricky Logo has been hired onto Houston’s football staff.  (Corrected: Logo was NOT on VU’s staff this past season.)

10.  New Alabama offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier is described as a Jim McElwain clone.

11.  An idiot, scumbag Alabama fan could face jail time for his videotaped assault on drunken LSU fan.  (If any of the folks captured in the NSFW video are UA students, the school should boot ‘em.  By doing what they did and laughing at a poor drunk guy they embarrass the school they supposedly love.  Here’s hoping some these heartless losers go to jail.)

12.  With quarterback Barrett Trotter leaving, Auburn will have in 2012 its sixth different opening day starter in six years.

13.  Auburn needs a big night from Frankie Sullivan tonight at LSU.

14.  Brandon Mitchell — Arkansas’ backup quarterback — could make his hoops debut tonight.

15.  The Hogs see tonight’s game in Lexington as an opportunity to make a big impression.

16.  LSU will try to get back to .500 in league play against Auburn this evening.

17.  It’s official… Gunner Kiel has enrolled at Notre Dame.

18.  Unlike Dan Mullen, Rick Stansbury isn’t boasting of his team’s success against Ole Miss.

19.  Dundrecous Nelson — Ole Miss’ leading scorer until he was dismissed following a pot arrest two weeks ago — will transfer to Jackson State.

Running back Todd Gurley from Tarboro (N.C.) High School will announce his decision Friday afternoon at 2 eastern time.

Gurley is considering Georgia, Clemson and North Carolina and North Carolina State.

Gurley, who’s considered the nation’s 11th-best running back for the class of 2012 by ESPN.com, has been writing a blog diary for ESPN during the recruiting process. He shares thoughts on his top four schools in his latest entry.

Some have wondered if the decision of Raleigh, N.C., running back Keith Marshall to attend Georgia would keep the Bulldogs out of the race for Gurley. Marshall, who enrolled at Georgia earlier this month, has actually helped Georgia recruit Gurley.

“My bro Keith Marshall goes there now and that would be good to have two NC boys in the backfield representing for our state,” Gurley wrote on Thursday. “Plus, the relationship I developed over time with (running backs) coach Bryan McClendon and coach (Mark) Richt has been great. Two great coaches running a great program.”

And like Marshall, Gurley’s decision could come down to Georgia and Clemson, according to Dave Hooker of ESPN.com.

Expect whichever team that doesn’t land Gurley to make a strong push for Stone Mountain, Ga., running back Mike Davis, who’s considering Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Clemson and Florida State.

Davis, who originally committed to Florida, told MrSEC last month he’s already decided which school he will attend but plans to wait until National Signing Day to announce his decision.

Georgia’s latest five-star running back is already on campus, in class, and giving his head coach reason to smile.  Here’s what Mark Richt had to say about Keith Marshall yesterday:


“He’s a very talented young man.  He’s very focused.  As a matter of fact, I walked into the meeting last night and he had a playbook in his hand and he was looking over assignments.  It just gave me a moment to grin seeing how excited he was about being at Georgia.

I’m sure he’s a little nervous, too, like a lot of guys.  I remember my first night I spent away from home.  There’s a little bit of anxiety, but it’s mixed in their with a lot of excitement.”


Speaking of nervousness and anxiety, sophomore-to-be tailback Isaiah Crowell — the Dawgs’ five-star signee from a year ago — might want to pay attention to his coach’s praise of Marshall.  If Crowell doesn’t live up to his promise of becoming more responsible, it’s his playing time that Marshall might nab.

Entering the 2011 season, true freshman running back Isaiah Crowell was probably the most popular man in Georgia.  The top tailback prospect had excited fans by picking the homestate Dawgs.

He went on to rush for 847 yards to lead all SEC freshman backs and to finish 5th in the league overall (77.0 ypg).

Despite the on-field success, Crowell was constantly making news away from the field.  Injuries were a year-long concern.  Two suspensions and a “did not start” in the SEC Championship Game left UGA coaches searching for a new hotshot tailback prospect — whom they found in Keith Marshall — and left fans scratching their heads.  (Or venting on messageboards.  There was plenty of Crowell-induced venting.)

But in a Q&A with Chip Towers of The AJC, Crowell says it’s time to do some more growing up.  Asked what lessons he might have learned during his first year of college ball, Crowell said just what coaches and fans wanted to hear:


“Just follow my teammates and coaches.  They’re counting on me to do what I’m supposed to do. … I think I need to be more accountable and handle my responsibilities better.”


So is that just lip service?  Let’s hope not.

Stories from behind the scenes at Georgia suggest Crowell is still dealing with maturity issues after having been coddled through much of his pre-college athletic career.  He’s hardly the first player to fit that description.

UGA fans will most likely turn their focus to the aforementioned Marshall by next fall, but it would be wrong for anyone — including those of us in the press — to write off Crowell as a headcase at this point. 

If nothing else, he’s saying the right things.  And that means he’s at least listening to his coaches.

1. Georgia has running back Keith Marshall committed. And the Bulldogs want to add another tailback to the class.
1b. Clemson has offered a scholarship to that UGA target, Mike Davis.

2. Arkansas’ recruiting is starting to heat up while Bobby Petrino works on his coaching staff.

3. Tennessee found its point guard of the future in Travon Landry from Madison, Ala.

4. Can Georgia’s basketball team make a run at highly-touted forward Tony Parker?

5. South Carolina remains in the mix for linebacker Keilin Rayner from Leland, N.C.

6. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are in play for defensive end A.J. Jefferson from Summit, Miss.

7. College coaches are changing the way they recruit at high school championship games.

8. Zach Abolverdi answers recruiting questions for the Gainesville Sun.

1. Center Chukwuka “Arnold” Okechukwu has decided to play basketball for Vanderbilt.

2. Florida has announced its basketball signing class for 2012.

3. Arkansas commit Mike Pennel’s coach called his player a “man among boys.”

4. Michael Carvell of the AJC writes it would be a “recruiting nightmare” if Keith Marshall doesn’t choose Georgia on Tuesday.

5. Linebacker David Perkins is still considering LSU, Mississippi State and Tennessee, among others.

6. Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson rated his trip to Georgia Tech an “8 or 9″ on a 1-10 scale.

7. Athlete Albert Reid, who recently visited Vanderbilt, has decommitted from West Virginia.

8. Defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard will announce his college choice next week.

1. Georgia has won 10 straight games. Can the Bulldogs hit a “hot streak” in recruiting, too?

2. Vanderbilt has reached a bowl game and looks to be receiving an official visit from star quarterback Gunner Kiel.

3. Highly-touted tailback Keith Marshall is finished with his official visits. He’ll choose a school next week.

4. Running back Kelvin Taylor continues to play like his father, former NFL running back Fred Taylor.

5. Orlando wide receiver Trey Griffey, son of Ken Griffey Jr., has been named an Under Armour All-American.

6. Kentucky running back commit Dy’Shawn Mobley is anxious to start his career with the Wildcats.

7. Urban Meyer would have a big impact on Midwest recruiting if he takes the Ohio State job.

8. Here’s a recent class ranking update for 2012 from ESPN.com.

Running back Keith Marshall from Millbrook High School in Raleigh, N.C., will announce his college decision on Dec. 6.

Marshall is considering Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Clemson, North Carolina and Notre Dame.

Marshall has taken official visits to all but South Carolina and North Carolina. He plans to take a trip to South Carolina this weekend before he makes his final choice.

Marshall, who’s considered the nation’s top running back prospect by 247Sports.com, has been considered a lean to Georgia, but he insists he hasn’t made a decision yet.

Alabama missed out on running back Rushel Shell when he committed to Pittsburgh on Friday.

The Aliquippa, Pa., product decided staying close to home was the best choice for him.

“Who wouldn’t want their family and friends to be able to drive 45 minutes to come watch you play?” Shell asked, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I guess that’s a big bonus.”

Shell shouldn’t be a big loss for Alabama. Running backs Kenyan Drake from Powder Springs, Ga., and Justin Taylor from Atlanta are already committed to the Crimson Tide.

Alabama also remains in contention for several running backs, including Beniquez Brown, Keith Marshall and Barry Sanders Jr.