September 23, 2009

Jamie Newberg
Recruiting Analyst

Should Florida State fans be worried about how the rest of their recruiting class will fall? Speaking of the Seminoles, do they still have the inside track to linebacker Jeff Luc? If not, then who does?

Can Tennessee make a big move with the nation's top linebacker?

Did the loss to Washington hurt USC recruiting? Just how good is Notre Dame commitment Cameron Roberson?

Find out the answers to these questions and more in this week's mailbag.

Jamie's Mailbag

Another strong finish for FSU? What's going on at FSU? On the surface, the Seminoles appear to be on the upswing (should be 3-0) with lots of opportunities for recruits, but commitments are very slow. -- Julian from Albany, Ga. ----- I simply don't understand this line of thinking by Florida State football fans. The Seminoles are sitting on 14 commitments and doing very well. All indications are that they should close very strong and have another outstanding recruiting class headed to Tallahassee. Sure, times have changed. There was a time when FSU closed better than any team in the country. There was a time when 95 percent of the Seminoles' commitments were secured from December through National Signing Day. Those days are over for everyone, because football recruiting has become so accelerated. Still, I like the start of this class - they are more than halfway done and it's not even October. You also have to take into account that they are on prospects who, for whatever reason, want to wait and let things play out - which is kind of typical for the high-end prospects from the Sunshine State. Florida State is in the thick of it with such players as linebackers Jeff Luc and Christian Jones, cornerbacks Lamarcus Joyner and Terrence Mitchell, wide receivers Christian Green and Kenny Shaw and others. Patience please, Seminoles fans. Now, if FSU doesn't land some of these players mentioned above, then we can have this conversation again.

Chances with Luc Do you think Tennessee has an above-average chance with Jeff Luc? -- Sam from Knoxville, Tenn. ----- Speaking of the nation's top linebacker prospect, Jeff Luc, what are the odds he does leave the state? Could he end up in Knoxville or Los Angeles? How about Baton Rouge or Tuscaloosa? Right now I think the odds are very slim he leaves the state. As I have stated before, I really believe he decides between FSU and Florida, and I would now give the Gators a slim - and I mean slim - edge over the 'Noles. That's just what I am hearing, but I personally think it's a coin flip. And I wouldn't rule out Miami yet. So, can the Vols get into this race? We saw Tennessee come out of nowhere to land Bryce Brown, Nu'Keese Richardson and Janzen Jackson last season. Certainly, they could do it again. But right now it doesn't look that way. Things could change, though. Luc is graduating in December, and he hasn't set up any official visits yet. Let's see if he visits Tennessee and go from there. Heck, let's see who he visits period. Time is starting to run out on Luc with graduation approaching. He has visited a ton of schools unofficially already. Perhaps he has already made up his mind?

USC hurt by loss? Where does the loss to Washington put USC in recruiting? -- Bobby from Fort Smith ----- Well, most of USC's losses over the past few years have been to unranked opponents, and it hasn't hurt their recruiting efforts one bit. They have done better than anyone in recruiting this decade, and I see no reason why that will change between now and National Signing Day, unless the losses begin to mount. And I don't see that happening. Look for the Trojans to close like they always do, with their annual push for the top recruiting class in the land.

Georgia gets selective With Georgia only having three to five spots left, who do you think they will make a run after? -- James from Brentwood, Tenn. ----- The Bulldogs have a really good recruiting class headed to Athens once again, and they have three to four spots available at this point. Georgia would love to close with one more wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive tackle and linebacker. Defensive tackle Mike Thornton, offensive tackle Jawuan James, cornerbacks John Fulton, Cody Riggs and Terrence Mitchell, wide receivers Chris Dunkley, Christian Green and Kenny Shaw and linebackers Jeff Luc, Khairi Fortt and Jordan Hicks are all on Georgia's wish list. Right now the Bulldogs trail on this group of players, and they are hoping to flip a few to finish out their recruiting class.

Roberson breakdown What's your take on running back Cameron Roberson? He's headed to Notre Dame. Don't you think he's underrated? -- Bobby from Boston ----- I think I have to agree with you, Bobby. He's very good and I think Notre Dame got a heck of a running back prospect in Cameron Roberson. Roberson, from Newbury Park, Calif., stands 6-1 and weighs in at 215 pounds. He has quick feet for a player with that kind of size and looks like he has the agility of a back who is 30 pounds lighter. Roberson has good speed (mid-4.5s) and excellent vision. He hits the hole hard, and once he gets to the second level Roberson is tough to defend because he can run through you, around you or just make you miss. He can also catch the football out of the backfield, which means he will be a great fit in the Irish offense.

Gophers getting it done Even though I am an Irish fan, I have to say that I have been impressed with the apparent improvement at Minnesota. The Gophers finally look like a true D-I team and look like they could challenge the typical upper-echelon teams in the Big Ten. What is your take on Minny this year and overall? -- Dave from Atlanta ----- They are about where I expected them to be under coach Tim Brewster. This guy is a very good recruiter and coach, and I have always felt it would take him a few years to get the Gophers' program going in the right direction. How does this happen? Only through recruiting, and I like what he has done. This season they are currently sitting inside the top 40 at No. 36 with only 14 commitments. So this doesn't surprise me at all. I will be real curious to see how the Gophers do this fall within the Big Ten because I think they have a chance to finish in the top half. Where will they fall in the grand scheme of the conference? It will be a really good barometer to see where this program stands in only Year Three of the Brewster regime.

Jamie Newberg is a recruiting analyst for Rivals.com. Click here to send him a question or comment for his mailbag.